For months, leaks have warned that Apple is preparing to raise prices for the iPhone 14. And now we know it did – in some cases to mind-boggling levels – but not in its two biggest markets.
Price increases were easy to miss. During the official unveiling of the iPhone 14 lineup, Apple only showed prices in dollars, and the iPhone 14 ($799), iPhone 14 Pro ($999), and iPhone 14 Pro Max ($1,099 $) were unchanged from their predecessors with the mid-range iPhone 14 Max added at $899. But that was the exception, not the rule.
Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro
Besides China, Apple’s second largest market behind the United States, Apple has introduced price increases on some – if not all – iPhone 14 models globally. For example, in the UK, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models went up by £70 ($80) and £100 ($115) respectively.
Likewise, in Europe, there were jumps of up to €110 ($111) for the standard models and €170 ($172) for the Pro models. In Japan, iPhone 14 prices have increased by an average of 21,000 yen ($145). There were outliers, like the near doubling of the price of iPhones in Turkey – but that boils down to exceptional circumstances regarding increased taxation and a currency that has halved in value this year.
In Apple’s defense, currency fluctuations can also be attributed (to a lesser extent) to price increases in other markets. That said, with manufacturing costs rising dramatically in 2022, Apple is now effectively using the rest of the world to subsidize costs in the US and China.
Not that the two countries have escaped their own, more subtle price hikes.
Apple’s new iPhone 14 range
On paper, Apple left iPhone 14 prices unchanged. In fact, the company replaced the $699 iPhone 13 Mini with the $899 iPhone 14 Plus. In turn, the iPhone 14 started the new lineup entry point at $799. All of this explains why US customers are expected to spend up to 15% more, on average, when purchasing iPhone 14 models.
So whether you live in a country where iPhone prices have skyrocketed, or in the US or China where the increases are more subtle, the message is clear. The iPhone 14 lineup is Apple’s most expensive to date, and you should go there with your eyes wide open.
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