Carriers expected to fight tooth and nail to "steal" high-value iPhone 15 customers
Apple is highly likely to increase the price of the iPhone 15 but the blow might be softened by discounts, according to a new Bloomberg report.
While the base iPhone 15 is still expected to start at $799, at least in the US, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will allegedly be more expensive than their predecessors, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, which start at $999 and $1,099, respectively. Apparently, Apple will hike the iPhone 15 Pro's price by $100, and the Pro Max's price by $200.
That doesn't exactly sound like the smartest of moves, considering that Counterpoint Research sees global shipments dropping 6 percent year-over-year to 1.15 billion smartphones this year. The chief reasons behind this decline are believed to be the worsening Chinese economy and underwhelming demand in the US.
The report says that North American customers are not upgrading their phones as often but notes that Apple is better positioned to deal with this than its Android counterparts as hundreds of millions of iPhone users like to stay within Apple's ecosystem.
A significant number of iPhone users, primarily iPhone 12 users, are expected to get a new iPhone this year. Counterpoint Research's North American director Jeff Fieldhack says that across all carriers, there has been a record decline in upgrades this year, so the iPhone 15 launch is going to be an opportunity for them to get high-value customers. To attract buyers, carriers in the US are expected to offer aggressive promotional deals and discounts.
So far this year it’s been record low upgrades across all carriers. The iPhone 15 launch is a window for carriers to steal high-value customers. And with that big iPhone 12 installed base up for grabs promos are going to be aggressive, leaving Apple in a good spot." - Jeff Fieldhack, Counterpoint
The iPhone 15 Pro is said to include changes such as thinner bezels, a titanium frame, the 3nm A17 Bionic chip, and new lenses, which explain the price increase. Apart from carrier deals, an increase in base storage might also help to take the sting out of the price rise.
As time has proven, Apple is not as resilient to global economic headwinds as once believed and though a loyal user base and carrier deals could help it shield the iPhone 15 from the effects of changing consumer spending habits somewhat, demand is still expected to take a hit. Per a recent report, the company is now going to manufacture 77 million iPhone 15 units this year, down from its previous plan of 83 million units.
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