iPhone 15 was officially unveiled during the Apple 2023 September Event. And with it comes a price increase to $1,199. This was already rumored from Barclays analyst Tim Long, who claimed that information obtained through supply companies in Asia reports that the phone will increase in price.
The iPhone Pro Max series has maintained its price point for years, with this line of phones remaining at $1,099 since it was introduced with the iPhone XS Max. This means nothing has changed since 2018, with the iPhone 15 Pro remaining at $999 since 2019. Increasing the price from $1,099 to $1,199 is enormous, but several new features paint these new Pro models as being worth the bump — here's why.
Why iPhone 15 Pro might be more expensive
iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are looking to receive enormous upgrades from previous generation. With the iPhone 15 Pro Max in particular, the periscope lens is finally coming to the model. This means that the Pro Max could zoom up to 5x optically, while base iPhone models can only perform a 3x zoom.
Both the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are also to sport a titanium frame, whereas previous models were made of stainless steel. Titanium can not only mean the exterior will be sturdier, but also lighter. Both phones will jump from 6GB of RAM to 8GB. Haptic buttons are also coming to the model, which is a huge deal.
Alongside all of this, Apple is upgrading the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max to a A17 Pro chip with 3nm architecture. This could mean these phones will receive the most impressive boost in performance we've seen in years, and will likely solidify the models as the zippiest smartphones available. They could also use up to 35% less power according to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company chairman Mark Liu, which means far longer battery life.
There's also the fact that iPhone models will now swap to USB-C from the company's long-beloved Lightning connector, but we expect that will reflect every iPhone. Since the base iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, and iPhone 15 Pro are not to see a price increase.
It's evident why these new features stacking up on top of one another result in far more expensive hardware. This is probably the most exciting iPhone upgrade in years, and Apple seems to believe it's worth $1,199 for a new Pro Max.
