iPhone 15 Pro prices are reportedly going up – but how bad is it really?

With the expected launch of the iPhone 15 range right around the corner, speculation about the devices is reaching fever pitch. We've been hearing rumours about the handsets for the best part of a year now, but those rumours are becoming far more frequent as the due date approaches.

One of the biggest talking points is the price. Multiple sources have suggested a price hike for the Pro models. Most recently, that's come from a Barclays analyst called Tim Long (via iMore).

According to Long, the Pro variant will retail for $100 more than the iPhone 14 Pro, while the Pro Max could be $200 more than its predecessor. That's a pretty significant generational jump, and has prompted some outcry online.

But how bad is it really? In the grand scheme of things, I don't see it making too much difference. 

Most users will buy a new phone on a contract, rather than purchasing outright. That instantly spreads the price increase over a longer period – usually 24 months. At that point it equates to less than $10 a month. That's much more palatable.

It's also a relatively conservative price hike. Let's remember, prices for the top-tier iPhone model have stayed relatively stable since the launch of the iPhone XS back in 2018. That's a solid five-years of improvements at a price which hasn't been affected by spiralling inflation.

That was never going to last forever, though. This so-called hike is realistically more of a correction than anything else. In fact, based on the workings of a rather crude online inflation calculator, it's actually still less costly in real terms than the XS was.

Of course, that doesn't tell the full story. That inflation isn't just hitting businesses – individuals are arguably feeling the pinch even more. That extra cost could make the purchase too difficult to justify for some who would otherwise have been queueing up to take one home.

That is a shame, but it doesn't automatically make it a bad thing. If we look at this for what it really is – a long-overdue correction to the rough market value of the device – it doesn't seem too bad at all. 

The new iPhone range has historically launched in September each year. That means we're only a few weeks away from the expected launch date for these handsets, where we'll know for sure what specs they will pack and what they'll cost.