A 20 percent tariff remains implemented by the Trump administration on Chinese goods, and unfortunately, those wanting to get their hands on any of Apple’s iPhone 17 models will be disappointed because mobile devices are covered under those levies. While Apple would like nothing more than to maintain the same prices for its upcoming lineup as last year to retain competitiveness with other brands, external economic factors may force its hand to finally introduce a hike to the newer models. According to the latest report, Apple will attempt to justify this increase by showing the external changes and features that have arrived to the iPhone 17 family.
Any reason related to the price increase due to the Trump tariffs is being avoided by Apple’s marketing team, though consumers might not buy into the company’s tactics
A slight design change is arriving to the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, with Apple also introducing an ultra-thin flagship, the iPhone 17 Air, to join the remainder of the lineup. A paywalled report from The Wall Street Journal, with details spotted by MacRumors, talks about Apple’s decision to market the newer models’ upgraded features and design changes as the reason behind the price increase, instead of pinning the blame on the tariffs.
On paper, it sounds like the right move, but given that the tariff skirmish between the U.S. and China is a global affair that is probably being monitored by nearly every household in the country, people might effortlessly see through this ‘cover up.’ The report states that it could not determine what new features Apple will offer to explain the price jump, so we will wait for more information to come through to find out how the upcoming series will raise the bar compared to the previous-generation models.
On the specifications front, the base iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air are rumored to be treated to Apple’s A19, with the ‘Pro’ models expected to ship with the more powerful A19 Pro. Both chipsets could be mass produced on TSMC’s significantly improved third-generation 3nm ‘N3P’ technology. The more expensive handsets are also rumored to sport a vapor chamber for the first time, allowing the SoC to work at its optimum performance levels without compromising thermals.
Additionally, we could witness a 12GB RAM upgrade arriving to the entire lineup, though there have been occasions in which it has been mentioned that only the ‘Pro’ series will be the recipient of this memory bump. It is important to note that the report does not mention Apple’s confirmation of introducing a price increase to the iPhone 17 family, so we must treat these details with a pinch of salt and await more updates.
News Source: The Wall Street Journal
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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