Should You Buy an iPhone or 2 Other Apple Products Before Tariffs Take Hold?
Written by
J. Arky
Edited by
Amber Barkley
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The economy has been rocked by the new tariffs imposed by the U.S. on virtually every other country in the world. Now, many Americans are wondering if they should buy imported goods right now, before prices rise. This especially applies to technology, which is often manufactured or contains parts from overseas, including Apple products.
GOBankingRates asked experts to weigh in on whether you should buy an iPhone and two other Apple products before the effects of the tariffs impact the price or availability.
iPhone 17
Reports from Apple Stores across America show that consumers are panic-buying iPhones to avoid the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, according to Max McCaskill, a tech expert at WhistleOut, who foresees that the iPhone 17 will likely go up 43% in price, making it $1,143 instead of the original $799.
“It’s true that Trump’s tariff blast targeted countries that manufacture iPhones, like China, India and Vietnam. However, customers should remember that these tariffs will only impact future devices imported into the United States,” McCaskill said, pointing out that models like the 2024 iPhone 15 and any iPhone 16 models already in stores should not see price increases from tariffs.
Apple Watch Series 11
McCaskill predicted that the Apple Watch Series 11 could see a 43% increase under the new tariffs later on this year, pushing the expected price of $399 to possibly $571.
“If prices do increase, customers can avoid them by selecting previous models that are exempted from tariffs,” explained McCaskill. “Customers who want the newest devices can soften the blow by selecting device installment plans from carriers or Apple itself.”
Natalie Griffith, the director of cultural insights at Collage Group, added, “Apple has been totally aligned with what consumers told us [in a new study] they want to see from brands dealing with tariffs — in that they have suggested they aren’t raising prices, but are being very transparent about the situation and the moves they are making to offset costs.”
Macbook Pro
The popular 512GB Macbook Pro is likely to see a 39% increase in McCaskill’s estimations, going from the original price of $1,599 to about $2,223. He added that while this price hike sounds extreme, Apple will likely make moves to blunt the impact.
“The company could absorb part of the price increases without passing on costs to consumers,” McCaskill explained. “Additionally, Apple will likely shift its assembling process out of China to countries like India and Vietnam. While those nations also face steep tariffs, they’re still not as extreme as China.
“Apple may also lobby for tariff exemptions, as it did during Trump’s first term in office.”
To Buy or Not To Buy
Historically, Apple products have been at premium pricing, according to Cassandra Cummings, the CEO at Thomas Instrumentation Inc, leading her to forecast that the tech giant “will not plan to absorb the tariff increase to take the burden off customers unless everyone does stop purchasing their products.”
She advised those who are not sure whether to buy a new Apple product to “either buy now, before the increase, or wait several months for the tariffs to settle down.”
On the other hand, McCaskill highlighted how Apple also reportedly took steps to stockpile products before the tariffs went into effect, which should hopefully stave off price increases in the short term.
“While Apple fans should certainly purchase a new phone or other Apple product if they genuinely need it, most people don’t need to buy just yet,” McCaskill said.
Editor’s note on political coverage: GOBankingRates is nonpartisan and strives to cover all aspects of the economy objectively and present balanced reports on politically focused finance stories. You can find more coverage of this topic on GOBankingRates.com.
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