Due to U.S. President Donald Trump’s new tariff policy, iPhone prices may significantly increase. With tariffs on Chinese products reaching up to 54%, the cost of Apple products could rise by 30% to 40%. Analysts fear this added cost may be passed on to consumers.
If Apple decides to transfer the full cost to buyers, the price of the cheapest iPhone 16—currently priced at $799—could jump to $1,142 (about BDT 138,000). Similarly, the high-end iPhone 16 Pro Max with 1TB storage, now priced at $1,599, could increase to around $2,300 (approximately BDT 278,000).
Barton Crockett, an analyst at Rosenblatt Securities, said, “We thought Apple would receive some exemptions as before, but that doesn’t seem to be the case this time.”
Apple sells over 20 million iPhones annually, with its biggest markets being the U.S., China, and Europe. Since most iPhones are still manufactured in China, the 54% tariff poses a serious challenge for the company. Although Apple has moved some of its production to Vietnam and India, those countries also face tariffs of 46% and 26% respectively.
According to Angelo Zino, an analyst at CFRA Research, Apple may only pass 5% to 10% of the additional cost to consumers. However, a significant price hike is likely when the iPhone 17 is released this fall.
Recently, iPhone sales have declined. Despite the introduction of new AI features under the name “Apple Intelligence”—including notification summaries, email rewriting, and ChatGPT integration—many users don’t find them compelling enough to upgrade.
Rosenblatt estimates the new tariffs could cost Apple up to $4 billion. This situation may benefit Samsung, as South Korea faces much lower tariffs.
Apple has not yet commented on the matter. However, analysts believe discussions between China, the White House, and Apple are likely to begin soon.
“It’s hard to imagine a U.S. president putting this kind of pressure on a company like Apple,” said Crockett. “But the reality looks quite tough.”