iPhone 14 might not see a price hike after all

We are still at least a month out from the reveal of the iPhone 14, but speculation is already running rampant. Many reports have suggested that the iPhone 14 series will carry a higher price tag, but a conflicting rumor surfaced this week.

According to a new post from yeux1122’s blog on the Korean website Naver (via MacRumors), Apple won’t increase the price of the iPhone 14 base model. The user claims this information comes from a “major US financial institution,” but doesn’t specify which one.

Despite the fact that the global smartphone market has struggled mightily in recent months, Apple will reportedly “freeze” the price of the entry-level iPhone 14. The user claims that this decision came from “the top executive level,” which suggests Tim Cook had a hand.

For the last two years, Apple has released four iPhone models in the fall. The iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini were lower-specced and lower-priced than their larger counterparts. This year, leaks claim that Apple will eliminate the “mini” line in favor of a second 6.7-inch iPhone. As a result, the entry price of the new series will likely increase.

The iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 base models each started at $799. Some rumors pointed to a possible $100 price increase for the iPhone 14, despite the fact that consumers won’t have a cheaper model to choose from in 2022. According to the Naver blog post, that will not be the case, and the iPhone 14 will launch at $799 next month.

Not worth the risk

Apple is never afraid to charge premium prices for its products, but charging more than $800 for the base iPhone 14 might have been a stretch. If you believe the leaks, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus (or Max) will feature the same A15 Bionic chip as the iPhone 13 lineup. They will also retain the exact same design, complete with the smaller notch.

Meanwhile, Apple will supposedly introduce its new pill-shape and hole-punch design on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Plus, the new A16 chipset will reportedly be exclusive to the Pro models. As such, Apple might struggle to justify a price hike for the standard models. We’ll find out when Apple reveals the new phones in September.