What Happened: According to Tim Long, an analyst at British bank Barclays, Apple’s forthcoming iPhone 15 Pro models will likely be more expensive than their predecessors. 

Long said that iPhone 15 Pro could cost up to $100 more than the iPhone 14 Pro, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max might see a price increase of $100 to $200 compared to the iPhone 14 Pro Max, reported MacRumors citing his research note. 

The standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus models are expected to maintain their current pricing.

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What Is The Reasoning: iPhone 15 Pro Max’s superior features could justify the cost escalation. One prominent upgrade in the Pro Max version includes an advanced Telephoto lens with periscope technology, enabling up to 5-6x zoom without blur, surpassing the 3x capability of the iPhone 14 Pro models. 

This cutting-edge lens is not expected to be available in the smaller Pro model, potentially accounting for the Pro Max’s more substantial price bump. According to Long’s estimates, the periscope lens alone could add around $50 to the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s bill of materials.

Other rumored features for the iPhone 15 Pro models are a USB-C port, customizable Action button, faster A17 Bionic chip, thinner bezels, Wi-Fi 6E support, increased RAM, and an upgraded Ultra Wideband chip. 

Why It’s Important: Last year, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo anticipated price increases for the iPhone 14 Pro models, but ultimately, the devices maintained the same prices as their predecessors, the report noted.  

Earlier this week, another report also asserted that Apple could deliver a price shocker with the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max when it launches the phones at its September hardware event.

Notably, the Pro Max iPhones have not seen a price hike since they were first introduced in 2018. 

Check out more of Benzinga’s Consumer Tech coverage by following this link.

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Photo by Saim Amjid on Shutterstock