Average iPhone 14 and Apple 2022 watch family prices seemingly set to rise
In defiance of the broader smartphone sales trend, iPhone shipments jumped by 3 percent compared to the same period last year during the third fiscal quarter, but other categories, such as Macs, iPad, and wearables took a hit. That may stop Apple from raising the prices of its upcoming products, such as the iPhone 14, though the average price may still rise, hints Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in the fresh edition of his Power On newsletter.
With the economic outlook looking bleak, many consumers have cut back on discretionary spending. At the same time, supply-side issues and the higher cost of production could necessitate a price increase.
Given all that, Apple seems to be in a tough spot. The Cupertino giant is already facing some slowdown in product sales and it wouldn't want to drive away consumers by hiking prices. This shouldn't be ruled out though, considering Apple's new M2 MacBook Air is a little more expensive than the previous model.
Earlier this month, a report said that the price of the iPhone 14 could rise by $100. The entry-level model is currently the 5.4 inches iPhone 13 mini and it starts at $699, but it isn't expected to get a successor this year, which suggests the base price will rise to $799 - which is the starting price for the 6.1-inch iPhone 13.
It goes without saying that the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max, which will be introduced in place of the mini, will also be more expensive than the 6.1-inch standard model. So whether or not Apple tacks on another $100, you will likely be paying more for the standard models, even though they are rumored to be very small upgrades over their last year's counterparts.
Unlike the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro and 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max, the regular models will not be outfitted with a new chip and they will also not get a new front design or a higher resolution main camera. All they will get is an improved selfie camera and maybe satellite connectivity.
Also, although the standard iPhone 14 models are rumored to get more RAM than the variants they will supersede, they will stick with the older standard, while the Pros will get faster RAM.
Apple also apparently has three watch models in the pipeline - the Apple Watch Series 8, a budget SE model, and a new rugged Pro model. While the Series 8 and the SE will probably be priced the same as their predecessors, the Pro, which will be a new entrant and is expected to feature a bigger screen than any Apple smartwatch, a beefy battery, metal casing, and a new design, could cost anywhere between $900 and $999.
In short, regardless of whether Apple bumps up the starting price of the iPhone 14 range and the 2022 smartwatch lineup, the average price will likely still go up.
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