So far, none of the cost news has been particularly positive, given the expected $100 increase of the iPhone 14 Pro. However, not only will the standard iPhone 14 be getting a reduction, the price rise of the Pro models may not be as bad as is being anticipated.
Not as pricey as you think
Market intelligence company TrendForce has analyzed the situation and is predicting that pricing may not be as bad as everyone is fearing. Originally reported by 9to5Mac, TrendForce is claiming that while the expected upgrades to the 14 Pro (such as a new design and camera system) will increase prices, “rising global inflation” will drive Apple to “adopt a more cautious pricing strategy so as to not affect its sales performance.” Translation: a $50 saving when compared to rumored prices across the board. That’s good news for the standard iPhone 14, which drops from $799 to $749. Unfortunately, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max seem destined to get the rumored price increase. But the analysis indicates that increase may not be as bad as expected — going up by $50 rather than the full $100. With all of that in mind, TrendForce has predicted the pricing will look like this:
iPhone 14: $749iPhone 14 Plus: $849iPhone 14 Pro: $1,049iPhone 14 Pro Max: $1,149
Outlook
With the loss of the $699 iPhone mini, Apple needed to do something to address the loss of this cheaper entry point into the mainline iPhones. To shave fifty bucks off the most popular device in the lineup is a great way to do so. It’s smart, aggressive pricing, which may soften the blow of that increased premium for the Pro being explained away as the cost of innovation. On top of that, Apple is able to hammer home some value messaging with the cheaper iPhone 14.
