The Apple iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max at Apple Park campus in Cupertino, Calif., on Sept. 9. MUST CREDIT: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
Doha, Qatar: The prices of several consumer goods, including Apple products, are expected to increase significantly following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of new tariffs on key trading partners, according to a report by Reuters.
Apple’s iPhone is anticipated to be among the most heavily affected, with analysts at Rosenblatt Securities forecasting a potential price increase of 30–43 percent, depending on whether Apple decides to absorb the extra cost or pass it on to consumers, according to Reuters’ report.
“If Apple passes the full cost onto consumers, the entry-level iPhone 16, currently priced at USD 799 in the US, could rise to approximately USD 1,142,” Reuters quoted Barton Crockett, senior analyst at Rosenblatt Securities, as saying.
The report highlighted that higher-end models, such as the iPhone 16 Pro Max with 1TB of storage, which currently retails for USD 1,599 in the US, could see its price increase to nearly USD 2,300 if the full impact of tariffs is reflected in the retail price.
According to Rosenblatt Securities, the anticipated price surge is primarily due to the 54 percent tariff imposed on goods manufactured in China, a country where most Apple products, including iPhones, are assembled.
“This whole China tariff thing is playing out right now completely contrary to our expectation that American icon Apple would be kid-gloved, like last time,” Crockett noted.
In addition to iPhones, other Apple devices are expected to be affected, including the Apple Watch (43 percent increase), iPad (42 percent), MacBook (39 percent), and AirPods (39 percent), if tariffs are passed through to end-users.
The price hike could place Apple in a difficult position, either absorb the financial impact and lower its profit margins or transfer the cost to consumers and risk a decline in sales and market share.
Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple is planning to increase its iPhone exports from India to the United States in an effort to avoid the high tariffs placed on Chinese goods as a temporary solution to reduce the rising cost of importing products from China.
As consumers weigh their options, analysts suggest that now might be the best time to purchase an iPhone before any official price adjustments are implemented.
US President Donald Trump on April 2, 2025, unveiled a raft of sweeping tariffs targeting countries around the world, including some of Washington’s closest trading partners, in a move that analysts say risks igniting a broader global trade war.
So, as prices surge, would you still choose an iPhone, or is it time to consider switching to Android alternatives?
