Amidst the range of rumors and leaks surrounding this year’s upcoming iPhone 14 series, no development has been more controversial than the potential for a price increase.
It shouldn’t be too surprising that even Apple isn’t immune to current global economic pressures; driven by factors such as the recent pandemic and rising energy costs. Supply chain issues have affected a number of manufacturers and the resulting rising costs are now being passed on to customers.
Talk about the entire iPhone 14 lineup getting a price boost goes back several months at this stage, and while multiple sources have discussed whether all of Apple’s upcoming phones will be affected (or if only a few will be), a new leak posted on the platform South Korean online naver (opens in new tab) (through PhoneArena (opens in new tab)) states that “Apple has decided to freeze the launch price of the base model iPhone 14 through a decision at the upper executive level”.
The user who shared this latest tidbit – lanzuk – while unverified, has a history of commenting on releases from other major brands including Samsung and Asus, demonstrating some degree of insider knowledge in his posts. As such, this last suggestion is not without merit.
If true, the entry-level iPhone 14 will hit the market at the same starting price as the current iPhone 13, at $799 – which would likely mean a £779/AU$1,349 price elsewhere.
Meanwhile, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are expected to cost $100 (approximately £80 / AU$140) more than their respective 2021 predecessors, which would result in a base price of $140. 1,099 and $1,199, respectively. Based on Apple’s current pricing, this would likely be around £1,049 / AU$1,869 for the iPhone 14 Pro and £1,149 / AU$2,019 for the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Analysis: Added value up and down
Even though the iPhone 14 series is collectively more expensive than the 2021 iPhone lineup (which seems to be the way things are going), Apple’s decision to freeze the price of the base model should help boost sales overall, regardless.
From a psychological point of view, the contrast effect generated by this new, larger price disparity means that those who aren’t interested in facts like Apple’s older A15 Bionic chipset standard model use will still feel like they’re getting a A worthwhile upgrade, despite the relatively minor changes the entry-level iPhone 14 appears to offer over last year’s iPhone 13.
Meanwhile, those with the money to spend on a Pro model, aware of the technical advantages that dominate the vanilla iPhone 14 – such as the expected use of a new A16 Bionic chipset and a new front camera cutout in place of a notch – will feel vindicated. in its decision to pay for this revised higher price, as it reflects the promise of superior hardware and performance to an even greater extent than previous generations.
There’s little doubt that the iPhone 14 will make it onto our list of the best iPhones, however, the iPhone 14 Pro (and/or 14 Pro Max) looks to have potential as some of the best phones on the market when they arrive this fall, even with their inflated prices.
