When it comes to the US mobile industry, most analysts and regular consumers seem to have fixated on the inevitable impact of President Trump's shocking new tariffs on iPhone prices and Apple's business in general. After all, we are talking about the country's third-largest company by revenue (behind only Walmart and Amazon), which just so happens to have key partners and suppliers in many of the places slapped with the highest tariffs.
But there are obviously other major American tech companies virtually guaranteed to suffer the consequences of Trump's... controversial foreign policy, including the nation's top three wireless service providers. And if there's one thing AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon share in common with Apple, that's an unwillingness to settle for smaller profit margins, even in times of great macroeconomic uncertainty.
Smartphone prices will rise (even though it might not seem like it)
Because the big three US mobile network operators care so much about their bottom line, expecting smartphone prices to remain unchanged after the new tariffs start to wreak havoc through Apple or Samsung's supply chain is unrealistic.
If (or rather when) both Apple and Samsung (and even smaller brands like Motorola and Google) start bumping up their handset prices, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile are all likely to follow suit as far as devices purchased through them are concerned. But if you're not going to pay for said phones outright, you may not notice the increase.
Your iPhone 16 Pro Max and Galaxy S25 Ultra are likely to become costlier soon from both carriers and manufacturers. | Image Credit -- PhoneArena
That's because analysts think carriers could employ various all-too-familiar tricks to disguise their price hikes and try to keep sales as steady as possible. We're talking things like trade-in value "adjustments" and financing terms "extensions", so you can probably expect to get less dough for your used phone and have to pay monthly installments for longer periods of time for new devices soon. And no, that will almost certainly not be true just for iPhones.
All in all, there's a strong possibility that you'll need to spend between $150 and $200 more for a new phone in the coming months than before, whether you make your purchase directly from a manufacturer or through a major carrier. The difference is the device makers will probably be more honest with you.
On the bright side, Trump's tariffs shouldn't lead to increases in your monthly wireless bills, at least in the short run... in theory.
Network upgrades will slow down
With companies like Nokia and Ericsson supplying most of the equipment needed to maintain and improve T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T's infrastructure, those costs are very likely to go up as well, forcing carriers to choose one of two options.
Recommended Stories
The three wireless industry giants can either boost their network spending (which would obviously shrink profits) or reduce their current deployment pace. Analysts strongly believe America's top three mobile operators will opt for door number two, which means your dream of getting a 6G signal in the near future is even less likely to come true.
T-Mobile's 5G advancement work could soon slow down. | Image Credit -- T-Mobile
More importantly, 5G upgrades and expansions could also slow down, unless of course T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon will find some way to increase their earnings and thus potentially free some extra funds for capital expenditure (capex). You know, like consumer taxes, fees, higher monthly rates, that kind of thing.
For the time being, you can treat that as a joke, but please don't shoot the messenger if my poor attempt at dark humor pans out in the real world.
Did you enjoy reading this article?
There's more to explore with a FREE members account.
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: