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by alephnerd 440 days ago
Most people aren't buying a 1TB iPhone Pro Max - which is the model described by analysts.

Realistically, Apple will eat much of the cost, but increase prices by 10-15%. Most other retailers are thinking the same.

This was noted in the Reuters article [0] this macrumors article stole content from:

> the company will have a tough time passing on more than 5% to 10% of the cost to consumers.

> "We expect Apple to hold off on any major increases on phones until this fall when its iPhone 17 is set to launch, as it is typically how it handles planned price hikes."

[0] - https://www.reuters.com/technology/will-trump-tariffs-make-a...

1 comments

> Realistically, Apple will eat much of the cost

No

Did you read the original Reuters report this macrumors article stole content from?

Price Elasticity is very much a thing.

Which would reduce the profit margin and then PE ratio and then market capitalisation.

Who would want that?

The alternative is severely reduced purchases, which are an even more severe hit to all the metrics mentioned.

Margins are important, but so is rate of sales. Hence the statements in the original Reuters article.

> alternative is severely reduced purchases

Doubt it. Keep a cheap upgrade option with an older and reduced BOM and then use the tariffs as an excuse to boost the top-of-the-line offering to $3k.

I agree with that, and that is most likely what will happen.

But my point is I would be very shocked if base model iPhones, lower specced Pro models, and the 16e would see a price increase beyond 15%.

At the higher tier (Pro Max, and maybe even Pro) absolutely, as those were already out of the price range of the average consumer.

That's why Buffet sold his Apple stock: he saw this coming. Now he can buy it at a discount.
Apple consumers aren't price sensitive. If they were, they wouldn't buy Apple.