The prices of iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, all the hypotheses among rumors and clues. How much will the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra cost? The question comes among the first in the midst of those that stir in the minds of Apple enthusiasts and all those who would like to change their smartphone and are waiting to see what the new models will be.
Here are all the news coming to iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro
Answering the question is equivalent to reading the crystal ball. Interpreting Apple’s intentions, as is obvious, is a complicated exercise and always at risk of being nullified by announcements and even more so when it comes to prices.
This happens because when Apple launches a product it takes into account a very long series of variables, some of which totally escape both the simple observer and the most knowledgeable analysts and journalists.
An example? Last year a price increase was expected which in fact materialized only and exclusively on some markets due to the strengthening of the dollar. On other occasions there was talk of lower prices which in the end we didn’t see.
Why Apple might raise prices…
The reasons why Apple could announce a price increase on Tuesday are many and varied. Some fall into a general context and others into a specific context of the products that will be announced.
On the one hand there is inflation. Although the price rally, especially in the USA, has slowed down, it has not yet stopped anywhere in the world. They cost more materials, research and development and labor. Fuel costs more (and the prospects in this regard are not good) and transport.
Then there is a problem on the plate that concerns Apple partners. Cupertino is progressively reducing its dependence on China to rely on factories located in other countries around the world, Vietnam, India, Brazil for example. Even if the costs for assembly in some of these nations are not very different from those charged by China, there are investments on the table (from Foxconn and Pagatron which remain the two main references for the construction of iPhones) which are being implemented to build new factories. And these investments pay off.
Finally (and this could be the most influential aspect) the new iPhones, in particular the new iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra, will also be marked by new components and new materials. Let’s think, for example, of titanium for the edges, the 3-nanometer A17 processor and the periscopic zoom of the iPhone 15 Ultra.
…or don’t increase them
In this scenario, however, another fact must also be taken into account which often when you read news on American (and also Italian) sites is not taken into consideration but which must absolutely be taken into account. Let’s talk about the value of the dollar.
It was precisely the exchange rate between the euro and the dollar last year that led to the increase in the prices of iPhones (and many other Apple products). An obligatory choice determined by the fact that from September 2021 to September 2022 the dollar had grown by approximately 15% in exchange with the euro: from 1.18 to parity. And the increase in prices of new models in Europe, if you look at it, was more or less of this magnitude.
This year the Euro has improved, although not decisively, its position in relation to the dollar. It is currently changed to around 1.07 after arriving at 1.11. Analysts’ forecasts (which are always subject to a series of variables) are for a consolidation around this value at least until the beginning of next year.
It is not certain that Apple is generous enough to pass on this advantage to European customers, but there would be the possibility of not increasing it or at least not doing so in the proportion expected in the USA.
Another element that could induce Apple not to increase prices is more general. In a sector, that of smartphones, where it becomes increasingly difficult to push customers to upgrade year after year, a massive (for the USA) or a second (for Europe) cost increase could negatively impact the sales prospects of the iPhone .
Apple could therefore be faced with a dilemma: reduce its very rich and unmatched by the competition margin (around 45%) on the sale of iPhones or increase the price? In practice, will it be better for you to sell less (as some think) to earn more or to earn less and sell more?
While waiting to understand what will happen at this point, let’s see what they could be, according to the most reliable rumors on iPhone prices.
Price of iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus
Let’s start with some good news. While iPhone 14 in European countries had increased by about 10% compared to iPhone 13 (iPhone 14 Plus was not included, as it was a new product), iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are not expected to increase in price anywhere.
Virtually all observers agree on this and there should be no surprises. For the exchange rate issue mentioned above, indeed here there could even be room (for the reason of the exchange rate mentioned above) for a slight decrease.
We don’t really believe it but in the table we publish below we try to hypothesize price drops between 2 and 5% which would be well within the exchange rate fluctuation range.
Price of iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra
Most of the price increase rumors have arisen around the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra (as the new 6.7-inch model should be called). As we have mentioned, there are good reasons to believe these rumors are well founded, at least on the American domestic market front.
Practically all American commentators talk about rising prices. First of all the reliable Mark Gurman but also the analyst Jeff Pu of Haitong Intl Research. The prospect is for an upward adjustment of 10%.
But if everyone agrees on the price increase, there remain many different nuances on how this increase will be applied. For example, one can legitimately ask whether it will be on both iPhone Pro models. According to some recent rumors, the answer is no. Only iPhone 15 Ultra, especially due to the periscopic zoom, could increase in price while iPhone 15 Pro would remain anchored to the current prices of iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
There are also those who hypothesize that the price increase would actually be an increase in the average price, the result of the cancellation of the 128GB model. In practice, to buy an iPhone 15 Pro or an iPhone 15 Ultra it would be necessary to spend more due to the fact that the model that currently costs less (€1339) would disappear from the offer.
Below is a hypothesis of prices which also include a hypothetical and for now unconfirmed 2 TB version. The thesis of an iPhone with 2 TB, especially an iPhone 15 Ultra, may not be completely wrong but if you look at the prices that the 2 TB iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra should have, some doubts arise: there is really this size anyone willing to spend 2800 euros for an iPhone?
