Rumors suggest Apple will introduce a big price hike for at least the iPhone 15 Pro models, if not all four devices, this fall. Apple already did that in international markets with the iPhone 14 last year, but it didn’t bump up the prices in the US.
But we’ve reached a point in iPhone development where you don’t need to buy the latest Pro model for a great experience. With the arrival of the iPhone 15, some users might be looking to the past for their next iPhone. That’s because Apple will keep several old iPhone models in stock for one more year, cutting the prices across the board, with one possible exception.
That change will impact the prices that carriers and electronic retailers offer. It will also have an effect on the prices of used iPhone models.
The following image shows the price structure for Apple’s current lineup, announced during the iPhone 14 event last fall. Since I’m using this chart to figure out Apple’s fall 2023 iPhone lineup, I’ll mention one thing about the prices below.
Only the iPhone SE and iPhone 14 Pro prices are accurate. They do not factor in a $30 carrier savings that Apple introduced with the iPhone 12 series for non-Pro models. That was one trick Apple used to keep the “starting price” down.
I’ll use a similar pricing structure in my assumption below to make it easier.
The iPhones Apple will retire
Before we start, we have to understand that Apple has a particular way of doing things when launching a new device. Once the four iPhone 15 models arrive, Apple will remove the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max from its lineup. That’s what happens with the old Pros every year. The good news is the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus will serve as cheaper versions of the previous Pros.
I’d also expect both the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus to stick around for one more year.
Also gone from Apple’s lineup will be the iPhone 12 seen in the image above. There’s no way Apple keeps the iPhone 12 around at $499. That price will step on the iPhone SE 3, which costs $429. That’s why Apple killed off the iPhone 11 last year.
I will say that ditching the iPhone SE 3 and keeping the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 mini in stock at $499 would be an even better idea. Yes, I also expect the iPhone 13 mini to disappear. Though, again, I’d be a big fan of that $499 price.
The storage bump
There’s one other thing to consider here. Once the iPhone 12 disappears, so will the 64GB storage tier, at least for non-SE devices. That’s a great upgrade, as almost all iPhones in Apple’s lineup will start at 128GB. The exception remains the iPhone SE 3, of course.
Apple’s probable fall 2023 iPhone lineup
That’s all you need to know to figure out Apple’s fall 2023 iPhone lineup, complete with price points. I’ll also include the iPhone 15 Pro models in the list below, complete with rumored starting prices and storage options:
- iPhone SE – from $429 for 64GB of storage, A15 Bionic chip
- iPhone 13 – from $599 for 128GB of storage, A15 Bionic chip
- iPhone 14 – from $699 for 128GB of storage, A15 Bionic chip
- iPhone 14 Plus – from $799 for 128GB of storage, A15 Bionic chip
- iPhone 15 – from $799 for 128GB of storage, A16 Bionic chip
- iPhone 15 Plus – from $899 for 128GB of storage, A16 Bionic chip
- iPhone 15 Pro – from $1,099 for 256GB of storage, A17 Bionic chip
- iPhone 15 Pro Max / Ultra – from $1,299 for 256GB of storage, A17 Bionic chip
These price points are not official, and we’ll have to wait for Apple to confirm them. That said, if you want to buy a brand-new old iPhone model, you shouldn’t press that purchase button just yet.