By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
World of SoftwareWorld of SoftwareWorld of Software
  • News
  • Software
  • Mobile
  • Computing
  • Gaming
  • Videos
  • More
    • Gadget
    • Web Stories
    • Trending
    • Press Release
Search
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Copyright © All Rights Reserved. World of Software.
Reading: Why I’m worried the iPhone 17 Air will be more expensive than expected
Share
Sign In
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
World of SoftwareWorld of Software
Font ResizerAa
  • Software
  • Mobile
  • Computing
  • Gadget
  • Gaming
  • Videos
Search
  • News
  • Software
  • Mobile
  • Computing
  • Gaming
  • Videos
  • More
    • Gadget
    • Web Stories
    • Trending
    • Press Release
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Copyright © All Rights Reserved. World of Software.
World of Software > News > Why I’m worried the iPhone 17 Air will be more expensive than expected
News

Why I’m worried the iPhone 17 Air will be more expensive than expected

News Room
Last updated: 2025/07/10 at 4:34 PM
News Room Published 10 July 2025
Share
SHARE

We’re only two months away from Apple’s big iPhone launch event. The iPhone 17 series will be unveiled in September, hitting stores around 10 days after the launch event.

As with every year, we already have plenty of information about Apple’s upcoming iPhone series. We expect four iPhone 17 models this year, including the iPhone 17 Air, which is the model I’m particularly excited about.

The iPhone 17 Air is Apple’s first ultra-thin iPhone model, set to replace the Plus. The device should feature a screen about as large as the iPhone 16 Plus, but it’ll be thinner than all other iPhone 17 variants. That’s an exciting prospect for me. After using the iPhone 16 Plus and 16 Pro Max for several months each, I want a large-screen iPhone without the bulk.

The Air won’t be a Pro-level iPhone, but it doesn’t have to be one to be a great iPhone for most people. It should, therefore, be more affordable than the iPhone 17 Pro. I hope Apple will give the iPhone 17 Air a starting price of $899, just like the Plus it replaces. But I’m also starting to realize that’s wishful thinking. I think a price hike is inevitable, and yes, for the reasons you suspect.

Sign up for the most interesting tech & entertainment news out there.

Trump’s tariffs

Trump started his second tariff war in April, and that’s when I first told you that I feared the extra taxes on imports might ruin the iPhone 17 Air for me. I live in Europe, so the tariffs would not directly contribute to a price hike in the region. However, Apple might want to distribute the extra taxes it will be paying in the U.S. worldwide, rather than increasing only raising prices at home.

Apple said during its earnings report for the March quarter that it will be paying $900 million in tariffs for products other than the iPhone, which is exempt. Since April, we have seen Trump attack Apple more than once, and specifically the iPhone. Any extra tariffs on the iPhone might be passed on to the consumer.

Let’s also remember that Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo raised console prices in some markets in the past few months in response to Trump’s tariffs. The Switch 2 might have been spared, but who knows how long that will last. Trump just threatened more countries with increased tariffs that are set to take effect on August 1.

Galaxy Z Fold 7 price hike

Google Gemini on the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Image source: Samsung

This brings me to Samsung’s Unpacked press event on Wednesday. Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Galaxy Z Flip 7, and Galaxy Z Flip 7 SE. They start at $1,999, $1,099, and $899. Yes, even the most affordable foldable phone from Samsung is still rather expensive. More importantly, Samsung raised the price of the new Fold by $100.

Samsung raised the prices of the Z Fold 7 in other markets, including the EU. It’s unclear whether Trump’s tariffs were the reason why, but I’m sure they were a concern.

Rumors in early June suggested Samsung would only increase prices for its 2025 foldables in certain markets. This gave me hope that Apple might use a similar strategy. Now that the Z Fold 7 is more expensive in some of Samsung’s biggest markets, I fear Apple will also raise prices for the iPhone 17 series come September.

Interestingly, Samsung didn’t increase the Z Flip 7 price anywhere this year.

How much will the iPhone 17 Air cost?

Despite rising inflation, which impacted everything in Apple’s iPhone supply chain from manufacturing to delivery costs, Apple has kept iPhone prices unchanged in the US. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the only exception. Apple eliminated the 128GB ($1,099) from its lineup, so the cheapest model you could buy was the 256GB ($1,199) iPhone 15 Pro Max. It isn’t technically a price hike, as that was the launch price, but acquiring a 15 Pro Max is still more expensive.

In Europe, iPhone prices rose for the iPhone 14 series but dropped with the iPhone 15 series. Currency fluctuations dictated these changes.

This year, Apple is already rumored to raise iPhone prices. Even without tariffs looming, a price hike wouldn’t be surprising after all these years. But reports say Apple is afraid to link iPhone 17 price hikes to Trump’s tariffs.

iPhone 16 and 16 Plus displays.
iPhone 16 and 16 Plus displays. Image source: Christian de Looper for BGR

The best scenario for the iPhone 17 Air is an $899 starting price that matches recent iPhone Plus models. The iPhone 17 Pro would cost $999 in this scenario. The difference would make sense. The iPhone 17 Air will have a single-lens camera, a smaller battery, a less powerful processor, and 8GB of RAM.

But a Weibo leaker now paints a different picture for the iPhone 17 Air, making it sound a lot more Pro than initially believed. The phone might feature the 5-core GPU version of the A19 Pro chip. The iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max would get a 6-core GPU A19 Pro. All three phones would feature 12GB of RAM.

If this rumor is accurate, the iPhone 17 Air can’t possibly match the iPhone 16 Plus starting price. The specs bump above would also give Apple a great excuse for raising the price to $999. In this scenario, the iPhone 17 Pro would have to start at $1,099. One way to make this happen would be for Apple to eliminate the 128GB storage tier for the Pro.

Apple’s massive economies of scale might allow it eat Trump’s tariffs while offering better specs to iPhone buyers. That’s all speculation, of course. Apple could always launch a $999 iPhone 17 Air featuring the base A19 chip and just 8GB of RAM.

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Be keep up! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Email Print
Share
What do you think?
Love0
Sad0
Happy0
Sleepy0
Angry0
Dead0
Wink0
Previous Article Bitunix Partners with CoinTracking to Help Users Manage Assets and File Taxes with Ease | HackerNoon
Next Article Why July 22 Could Launch the Next Wave of 10X Stock Winners
Leave a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Stay Connected

248.1k Like
69.1k Follow
134k Pin
54.3k Follow

Latest News

The HackerNoon Newsletter: VPNs Promise Privacy But Often Deliver the Opposite (7/10/2025) | HackerNoon
Computing
Best Bluetooth Speaker for 2025
News
No-Code Automation With n8n – Start Here | HackerNoon
Computing
Storage FOMO Is Real: As Prime Day Fades, the Time to Buy a 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB SSD Is Right Now
News

You Might also Like

News

Best Bluetooth Speaker for 2025

11 Min Read
News

Storage FOMO Is Real: As Prime Day Fades, the Time to Buy a 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB SSD Is Right Now

22 Min Read
News

Apple’s Low-Cost MacBook: Everything We Know So Far

6 Min Read
News

I love this Hoto electric screwdriver, and it’s cheaper than ever for Prime Day

4 Min Read
//

World of Software is your one-stop website for the latest tech news and updates, follow us now to get the news that matters to you.

Quick Link

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Advertise
  • Contact

Topics

  • Computing
  • Software
  • Press Release
  • Trending

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

World of SoftwareWorld of Software
Follow US
Copyright © All Rights Reserved. World of Software.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?