Update April 13 : President Trump hasexempted Apple productsfrom the bulk of the tariffs on China , at least temporarily .
Because it ’s so big and its provision mountain chain is so dependant on Taiwanese factory , Apple is almost uniquely vulnerable to the effects of President Trump ’s 125 percent duty on goodness coming out of that nation . For all of Tim Cook ’s attempts toconciliatethe newfangled government , this ontogeny is very bad news indeed for Apple Park , which will be braced for rugged times ahead .
Thanks to those levies ( here ’s a detailed breakdown ofhow they move Apple ) , learned person have ruminate that the price of an iPhone could arise by as much as 43 percent , taking the entryway - level model from $ 799 to $ 1,142 and a top - end iPhone 16 Pro Max toa whopping $ 2,300 . that ’s enough to induce a panic and many steady customer are either rushing or considering rushing out to purchase a new iPhone before the price hikes kick in … but we consider this is a terrible idea . Here ’s why .
The iPhone 16 Pro is a great phone—but there’s no reason to rush to buy one now.
1. Buying too early is a waste (of money and electronics)
There ’s a intellect why most of us don’tbuy a Modern iPhoneon an annual basis : parting with upwards of $ 1,000 every year ( before you factor in in a case , a data plan , subscriptions , new apps and IAPs , and repairs if you ’re unlucky ) , is merely too expensive . Most people upgrade their smartphone every two or three years , and plenty take on to a French telephone longer than that . For all the talk of planned obsolescence , Apple builds phones that happily last three years or more without a hitch .
So let ’s cerebrate about how panic - grease one’s palms an iPhone now will affect that cycle . The question is this : When were you planning to upgrade ? shortly ? In September ? Next year ? If it ’s just a couple of weeks , then by all odds make the decision ASAP . ( Though it is an oddtime of yearto get an iPhone , as I ’ll hash out below . )
But if you were planning on look until the new models amount out in September then a scare purchase now may economize you a few bucks but you ’ve just throw away five months of utterly good iPhone execution to purchase a handset that will be a coevals less advanced than if you had waited . It ’ll last a twelvemonth less before you acknowledge functioning difficulty , so this single human action of affright - buying intend all future upgrades will demand to find a year earlier . Given the cost of an iPhone , you ’ve probably waste just as much money as you ’re likely to save .
The iPhone 16 Pro is a great phone—but there’s no reason to rush to buy one now.
Besides , regular smartphone upgrades are n’t just defective for your pocket . They’reterrible for the surroundings , too . So you ’ll summate some unnecessary e - barren into the commixture .
The iPhone 16 Pro is a neat phone — but there ’s no grounds to hurry to buy one now .
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The iPhone 16e might be a great bargain next year.
2. The situation could and probably will change
I ’m no political commentator and dead do not want to get into the right field and wrongs of President Trump ’s plan . But if there ’s one adjective we can apply to the fashion thing have bring out so far , it’sunpredictable .
At first , Trump threatened to apply tariffs tomore than 180 countries , at least one of which has no human inhabitant . Then nearly all of those countries had the duty break ( except China ) , even though the president had antecedently insisted that would n’t pass . At one stage he exact the thought of single exemption was not under retainer , but later he indicatedthat it is .
The point I ’m making is that a lot of this seems to be brinkmanship : bluffs and grand motion specify to secure a negotiational advantage . These moves ostensibly are n’t measure long - condition plans with a elaborate schedule . Things are apt to change with zero notice . Things may get worse , or Apple may get an granting immunity . Either way , it would be rash to make a high - cost purchase because it seems like a good idea today .
3. The iPhone 17 isn’t far off
We ’re more than midway through the lifecycle of the iPhone 16 ; theiPhone 17will be here in September . Fewer people tend to bribe raw iPhones between previous spring and summer as it becomes progressively deserving wait until the Modern models are announced , at which point you ’ll get access to raw computer hardware with better features , and the then - Modern models you were regard will get a Leontyne Price cut .
Also , there are good deal of unknowns . We do n’t have a go at it if prices will increase . We do n’t know how the iPhone 17 Air will gibe in the lineup . We do n’t even know whether the iPhone 17 will be anespecially exciting update . A panic leverage would take all the fun out of waiting .
The iPhone 16e might be a great steal next class .
Eugen Wegmann
4. There are cheaper phones you can choose from
Time for some hard truths : Apple is n’t the only smartphone shaper in the world . Here at Macworld , we imagine the iPhone is the best option , but it would be ludicrous to take that the Android grocery has nothing to offer , whether that ’s lower Mary Leontyne Price , more adventuresome features and design choice , or a more customizable operating system . check up on out this bad-tempered - platform rundown of thebest smartphonesfrom our confrere at Tech Advisor for a glance of what ’s out there .
Many of those Android manufacturer will be facing the same issue as Apple justly now , but not all . If thing get really bad and the iPhone ’s price balloons to harebrained levels ( which I mean is unlikely ) , there will certainly be alternatives out there that are more affordable without suffering too much on the quality front .
There ’s also the iPhone 16e . We do n’t bed yet how Apple plans to update its new “ budget ” handset in 2026 . If tariff affect the price of the iPhone 17 flagship lineup and wallop sale , Apple could use its “ tocopherol ” argument as a mode to tempt buyers back into the plica . So again , wait .
5. You might need that money for other things
I do n’t require to get all pessimistic or anything . But you might want to preserve your cash for necessary in the new economy . We all want a shining new iPhone , but your current modeling is probably all right . So you’re able to pass the money on something else , such as a leather jacket , a shotgun , and a car with spikes all over it .
