When could iPhones be more expensive

When could iPhones be more expensive

If the price of USD 1,000 for a new iPhone already seemed expensive, consumers should adapt to even larger price increases during the year. The tariffs introduced by President Donald Trump to foreign goods-especially on products from China-are likely to drive up prices for everyday technical products such as iPhones, laptops, cars and even smaller devices such as headphones and computer mice.

price increase at iPhones

Analysts who spoke to CNN expect that iPhone prices could increase considerably and possibly in the coming weeks or months. Like many tech companies, the supply chain of Apple is largely located in China, which now with a inch of 125% is occupied. This means that products and materials from this country become more expensive. In a further escalation of the trade war with Beijing, Trump terminated Against tariffs to all countries except China.

In the immediate time frame, Apple will carefully manage the iPhone inventory with its numerous partners, which is currently stored in the United States. If the tariffs of the Trump administration remain, Apple could have to make long-term adjustments to the way its products procure, manufactures and possibly even launch. During Trump's previous term, Apple received an exception to Zöllen on certain products , but so far there is no evidence of whether a similar liberation is granted again.

"I think Apple will have to go through a time of pain," said Jack Lathem, analyst at the market research company Canalys, which covers the smartphone industry. "And that will ... price increases." Apple rejected a statement.

price adjustments at iPhones in the USA

Since an estimated 90% of iPhone production and assembly takes place in China, price increases can be expected if Trump's tariffs remain. When and how much is still in the stars. The time depends largely on the iPhone inventory in the USA, which depends on consumer demand before the expected price increases from the tariffs. Although Apple does not expect to present his next iPhone before September, prices could rise faster if the current stocks in the USA run out.

"The reality is that the price increases we will see will affect all iPhones from Apple and others when the inventory is used up," said Ryan Reith, group vice president at the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Device Tracker.

Reith estimates that Apple has about three weeks in the United States, while Canalys believes that there is enough iPhone inventory for the next two to three months. Counterpoint Research, another company that monitors global smartphone transportation, estimates that Apple probably has 4.5 to 6 weeks of inventory in the USA, although February's data has shown that "it has given an increase far above these values," said Gerrit Schneeemann, a leading analyst at Counterpoint.

long -term strategies of Apple

Trump believes that iPhone production could be shifted to the USA, said Karoline Leavitt's press spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt, on Tuesday. But this option seems unlikely. In recent years, Apple has shifted parts of its supply chain to India and Vietnam to reduce the dependence on China. In the past few days, Apple reports more of its iPhones from India instead of China, such as The Financial Times and The Times of India report.

Even if the production was shifted to the USA, Apple would continue to move into many of its components from Asian countries, as analysts of the Bank of America found in a research note on April 3. "Everything that is inside is still coming through China," said Reith. "And that won't change so quickly."

The production of an iPhone in the USA would also be more expensive, sometimes due to higher labor costs. According to the Bank of America, it would cost about 20% more to produce an iPhone in the United States, while the analyst of Wedbush Securities, Dan Ives, estimated that an iPhone made in the USA up to Could cost .

Apple’s investments and possible adjustments

Apple announced in February that it is planning to 500 billion USD to expand its presence in the USA invest. However, the iPhone factories are not part of this commitment; Instead, this includes new production systems for servers that support the functions of the Apple Intelligence software, as well as an academy in Detroit to train small companies in manufacturing techniques. The construction of new institutions could take years, while it remains unclear how long Trump's tariffs remain in force.

A bigger problem than building a new factory could be to find Americans who are ready to work there. "I think they have great difficulty finding enough workers," said Shih. "It could be a challenge to find people who are willing to take on such jobs."

In addition, the question arises whether Apple could make more comprehensive changes to its product start plan if the United States - one of the largest markets in the company - becomes increasingly challenging due to the tariffs. In her report on April 3, Bank of America noted that this could be a potential strategy to reduce the effects of tariffs, along with adjustments in the supply chain and price increases.

Apple has not mentioned any changes to its product portfolio or strategy in response to the tariffs. However, Reith could imagine that the company temporarily adjusts its product start plan and then returns to a regular product cycle when the tariffs remain - although this is only his personal opinion, and it has not heard of the appropriate plans.