Apple deal with tariffs, but wants not to be noticed. I consider up the price of the iPhone without mentioning them, according to WSJ

September appears again in the calendar as the month of the iPhone. And if everything follows the usual pattern, Apple will take advantage of those dates to present its new family of smartphones, the iPhone 17. They are expected to arrive with design news and some relevant technical changes. But there is another aspect that begins to take strength: the price could rise, and not necessarily for obvious reasons.

An increase on the table … with nuances. According to The Wall Street JournalApple is valuing a price increase in its next iPhone. The information, attributed to familiar sources with the company’s plans, points to a strategy that would combine this increase with the new functionalities and a redesign of the product. It is still not clear what these improvements would be exactly, but It has long been talking about an ultrafine model.

The question of tariffs, the elephant in the room. The same sources assure that within the company there is a clear intention to prevent this possible rise from being publicly associated with American tariffs on products from China, where most iPhone are still manufactured. The reason is evident: in April, An article that hinted that Amazon It would show the impact of tariffs on the final price was enough for The White House considered it a hostile gesture. Bezos’ company had to deny that possibility quickly.

A difficult climb to justify only with cuts. The context is not easy for Apple. According to the sources cited by WSJ, the margin of maneuver to cut costs through the suppliers is limited. That means that, if there is no price increase, the impact of tariffs would result in a direct reduction in benefits. Hence, according to these internal voices, the company is considering what they describe as “the less bad option”: to raise prices and present the changes as a natural evolution of the product.

India progresses, but China is still essential. In parallel, Apple continues its geographical diversification process. Tim Cook already advanced that A significant part of the iPhone sold in the US during the second quarter will leave India. However, the production of high -end models – the Pro and Pro Max – will continue to depend mainly on China, sources say. Although India has also begun to assemble pro versions, apparently its technical infrastructure is not yet at the necessary level for equivalent mass production.

The commercial agreement and what is still standing. This Monday, USA and China announced an agreement to suspend much of mutual tariffs. Even so, some remain active. Among them, a 20% tariff that reaches smartphones, linked to the conflict over fentanyl, and another of 10% that remains as a base rate. The truce is partial and temporary, which adds relief, but also uncertainty to the global board.

And Europe, how does it fit this story?. At the moment, the focus is in the US market. But if the price increase is justified in product improvements and not in external factors such as tariffs, it cannot be ruled out that new prices are also transferred to Europe. For now, Apple has not made statements about it. From Xataka we have contacted the company to know its position. We will update this article when we have an answer.

Images | Amanz | Niels Kehl

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