Say it isn't so: New report tips extravagant iPhone 17 Air, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max starting prices
While the "vanilla" iPhone 17 is tipped to keep its predecessor's starting price unchanged, the 17 Air, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max could be significantly costlier than the 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max.
Do you think you know everything there is to know already about the four new iPhones Apple is expected to unveil next Tuesday? The latest TrendForce report might make you reconsider your options and convince you that the humblest member of the A19-powered handset family can in fact be the best phone... for your budget this holiday season.
That's because the "vanilla" iPhone 17 is the only device of the bunch tipped today to retain its predecessor's entry price point, while the super-premium 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max are apparently likely to be significantly costlier than last year's iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max. Last but certainly not least, the first-of-a-kind iPhone 17 Air may have its sights firmly set on a Galaxy S25 Edge-matching tag, thus also exceeding the starting price of the iPhone 16 Plus... by a lot.
No, these numbers are not etched in stone yet
$799 - iPhone 17 with 128GB storage;
$899 - 256GB iPhone 17;
$1,099 - 512GB iPhone 17;
$1,099 - iPhone 17 Air with 256GB storage;
$1,199 - iPhone 17 Pro with 256GB storage;
$1,299 - 512GB iPhone 17 Air;
$1,299 - iPhone 17 Pro Max with 256GB storage;
$1,399 - 512GB iPhone 17 Pro;
$1,499 - 1TB iPhone 17 Air;
$1,499 - 512GB iPhone 17 Pro Max;
$1,599 - 1TB iPhone 17 Pro;
$1,699 - 1TB iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Do I think today's TrendForce-predicted price tags could prove to be 100 percent accurate next week? Absolutely. Do I hope at least some of the figures listed above will be undercut in Apple's official iPhone 17 family announcement? You bet, and fortunately, multiple rumors over the last few weeks pointed to smaller hikes for the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max over their forerunners, so for the time being, I remain (cautiously) optimistic.
The non-Pro iPhone 17 is likely to keep the non-Pro iPhone 16's starting price unchanged. | Image Credit -- PhoneArena
The iPhone 16 Pro, mind you, normally costs $999 in an entry-level 128GB storage configuration and $1,099 with double that local digital hoarding room, so bumping those prices up to $1,199 for a 256GB iPhone 17 Pro variant would probably infuriate quite a few of the otherwise many Apple fans looking to upgrade their current devices.
Similarly, a $1,299 iPhone 17 Pro Max with 256 gigs of internal storage space would be $100 more expensive than the cheapest 16 Pro Max model, which accommodates the exact same amount of data locally.
Which iPhone 17 model looks like the best deal right now?
The "vanilla" iPhone 17
10.53%
The first-of-a-kind iPhone 17 Air
10.53%
The compact iPhone 17 Pro
10.53%
The super-premium iPhone 17 Pro Max
10.53%
All four seem correctly priced
0%
All four seem overpriced
57.89%
But the worst offender could well be the iPhone 17 Air, now expected to start at $1,099 compared to the $899 price of an iPhone 16 Plus... with 128GB storage. That's obviously not a fair comparison given the Air's ultra-thin profile and 256 gigs of local digital hoarding room in an entry-level variant, but it's a comparison many prospective buyers might make... before deciding to go with a much cheaper (and admittedly thicker) iPhone 17.
The iPhone 17 series could still be more popular than the iPhone 16 family
No, Apple's sales numbers will probably not increase dramatically this fall, but despite those pretty significant price hikes, the iPhone 17 roster is projected to beat the global popularity of last year's iPhone 16 quartet by a decent 3.5 percent.
That will apparently happen despite "tempered" overall demand caused by "sluggish global economic conditions" in addition to higher prices, and believe it or not, the super-expensive iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max are likely to be the family's "main sales driver."
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Does Apple have any secrets left up its sleeve or do we already know everything there is to know about the entire iPhone 17 quartet?
The Pros will of course hold major advantages over the non-Pro iPhone 17 and 17 Air in an Apple A19 Pro chipset and superior camera arrays with "optimized software algorithms to enhance optical zoom and image resolution."
The iPhone 17 Air, meanwhile, will share a "regular" iPhone 17-eclipsing 12GB RAM count with the Pro and Pro Max, but on the other hand, the 6.2-inch iPhone 17 will beat the Air in the rear camera department with two sensors instead of just one.
All in all, I still think the iPhone 17 looks like Apple's best fall 2025 deal on paper... while the iPhone 17 Air will probably deliver the worst value for your money, especially if you tend to favor substance over style.
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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'.
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