Tariffs or Not, I'm Still Glad I Bought an iPhone 16 Pro Before Summer

Earlier this month, I panic-bought an iPhone, and I have no regrets. I upgraded to a new iPhone 16 Pro, sometime after President Donald Trump announced his “Liberation Day” tariffs, but before he added most Apple products to an exemptions list. 

My family of three typically offsets the price of a new phone by sticking to a three-year rotation plan — every year, one of us gets a new phone. We’re never free of the installment payment plan, but it means our bill never goes up too much before we pay off the last one. My turn wasn’t up until this fall.

I was planning to buy the 16 Pro, hoping I could maybe find a discount when the rumored iPhone 17 line came out. But because I had the 11, I knew the trade-in value could be fading fast. My phone wasn’t working properly, either, so waiting until the fall felt like a gamble. Add the risk of high tariffs and supply chain shortages to that equation, and I decided it was worth an extra four months of paying for an additional installment plan in exchange for a working phone.

The experts backed me up that this is probably how most of us buy our phones, using installment plans that reduce the sticker shock of the monthly payment — even if tariffs cause prices to rise.  

“Yes, it might cost 50 bucks more at some stage, but we spread that over time,” said Ryan Reith, group vice president for IDC’s Worldwide Device Tracker suite, which includes mobile phones, tablets and wearables. 

I’m glad I acted when I did. If you’re considering buying a new iPhone, here’s what you need to know about the current state of tariffs and how they could impact prices in the coming months.

Are tariffs driving up iPhone prices?

The latest episode of the ongoing tariff soap opera began last week with the US and China agreeing to a 90-day pause on most of their tit-for-tat tariffs. By midweek, Trump was admonishing Apple for moving production of US iPhones to India, which currently has its own temporary tariff pause in place (except for baseline tariffs) before it faces a 26% tariff in July. Maybe. 

Although companies rushed to ship products before the tariff deadline, it may not be long before we see more prices increase on a wide range of products — if you can find them at all. We’re tracking real-world impacts of tariffs on popular tech products with our tariff pricing tracker.  

But experts say price hikes for the iPhone are likely on the way, regardless of what happens with tariffs.  

“The iPhone is due for a price increase,” said Managing Editor Patrick Holland, who’s been reviewing phones for since 2016. “The entry-level iPhone is $829 and has cost that much for years. The last time it had a price [hike] was in 2020.”

Wherever tariffs end up, you should prepare now for potential price increases on electronics and more. We have alternative options to help you save on the iPhone.

Read more: Apple Is Moving Away From Its Fall-Only iPhone Launch Schedule, Report Says

How much could tariffs raise iPhone prices? We do the math

We could see anywhere from a 26% hike on Apple products manufactured in India to a 145% increase for those made in China, if the full cost of current tariffs are eventually passed on to shoppers. But currently, goods from India and other countries have a 10% tariff, and iPhones manufactured in China are still subject to a 30% tariff, which includes the 10% baseline plus a 20% “fentanyl tariff” for the country’s supposed role in allowing fentanyl to enter the US. Here’s how that could potentially affect the price of the iPhone:

But there’s a lot more that goes into the price of an iPhone than simply where it’s assembled. Apple sources components for its products from a long list of countries, which could face higher tariffs after the pause. And a tariff on goods doesn’t necessarily mean prices will increase by the same amount. If companies want to stay competitive, they could absorb some of the costs to keep their prices lower. 

“It won’t be as high as 1-to-1 in terms of the tariff increases,” Reith said. “The math isn’t as clear-cut as that on the tariffs.”

Apple did not respond to a request for comment for an earlier version of this story.

When could we see iPhone prices increase?

It’s unclear exactly when prices could go up, but if companies sell out of devices produced before the tariffs, they may have to increase prices on products in tariffed shipments. 

However, even if Apple can’t avoid tariffs entirely, it has ways to offset the impact through its services — including its music, news and data plans — according to supply chain expert Joe Hudicka.

“Apple will likely absorb some of the tariff costs up front to keep sticker prices stable, then pass the rest on to consumers gradually through service bundles, device longevity and ecosystem upgrades,” he said. “Consumers will still pay, just not all at once.”

And regardless of how the tariff drama plays out, the Wall Street Journal reports that Apple plans to raise iPhone prices later this year. So expect prices to go up soon.

Watch this: Buy or Wait Guide: How Tariffs Will Change Tech Prices and What to Do Next

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What’s the latest on tariffs? 

On his Liberation Day, Trump announced a 10% baseline tariff on all imports plus reciprocal tariffs on imports from more than 180 countries. He quickly announced a 90-day pause on the reciprocal tariffs but left the baseline levies in place.

Trump’s long touted tariffs as a way to even the trade deficit and raise revenue to offset tax cuts, although many economists say that tariffs could lead to higher prices and may end up hurting the US economy. Stock prices plummeted after Trump’s announcement as markets reacted poorly to the sweeping tariffs.

Trump has taken an especially hard stance on China, which was already subject to tariffs that Trump ordered during his first term in office. He started in February, imposing 20% tariffs, then announced a 34% tariff on goods from China in April. He added an additional 50% tariff before eventually landing on the 145% tariff against China. China has responded with its own tariffs after each of Trump’s announcements. They agreed to a deal this week to drop their reciprocal tariffs by 115 percentage points for 90 days.

The US Customs and Border Protection listed some key consumer electronics exempted from the reciprocal tariffs, but Trump said those products would still be subject to a 20% fentanyl tariff. White House officials said the reprieve from additional tariffs was temporary and that those products would instead be subject to a “semiconductor tariff.”

Even before Trump announced the tariffs, Apple’s biggest suppliers in India had shipped nearly $2 billion worth of iPhones in March, according to customs records. Reportedly, Apple may source its iPhones for the US market from India by the end of 2026 — although perhaps not all of them. And Trump recently said he pushed Apple CEO Tim Cook to move US iPhone production from India to the US.

But the cost of moving production to the US could be prohibitively high, at least for now, due to labor costs and logistics.

Tariffs, in theory, are designed to financially impact other countries because their goods are being taxed. Tariffs are paid by the US company importing the product, and this upcharge is usually — but not always — passed on to the consumer in the form of higher prices.

Is it better to buy tech now or wait? 

If you already planned to buy a new iPhone, gaming console, MacBook or other tech, buying it now might save you money. But if you don’t need a new phone immediately, Holland recommends waiting.

“If iPhone prices rise, know that, like cars, the prices for used iPhones will likely rise, too,” he said. “If Apple does raise its prices, you’ll likely get more for your old iPhone when you trade it in, and that should offset any increased prices.”  

If you don’t have the cash on hand and are considering using a credit card or buy now, pay later plan just to avoid tariffs, make sure you have the money to cover the costs before you start accruing interest. With credit cards’ average interest rates currently more than 20%, the cost of financing a big purchase could quickly wipe out any savings you’d get by buying before prices go up because of tariffs.

“If you finance this expense on a credit card and can’t pay it off in full in one to two months, you’ll likely end up paying way more than a tariff would cost you,” said Alaina Fingal, an accountant, founder of The Organized Money and a  Money Expert Review Board member. “I would recommend that you pause on any big purchases until the economy is more stable.” 

One way to save on Apple products, even if prices go up, is to buy last year’s model instead of the newest release or a used one. And trading or selling a used one can help offset the cost even more.

“Apple has leaned into that with its Certified Refurbished program, much like the auto industry’s used car model,” Hudicka said. “This program helps extend the lifespan of devices, keeping customers in the Apple ecosystem longer while distributing the cost impact over time.”