Huge discounts on iPhone 15 likely and here is the reason why

The smartphone industry is going through somewhat of a slump of late and brands across the world have been struggling to weather the storm. According to reports, the global smartphone export estimates have taken a hit, with experts predicting a 6 percent drop in shipments. As a result, it is expected to be the worst year in a decade for smartphone manufacturers. This problem has hit the big tech companies like Apple as well, with the company accepting that “the smartphone market has been in a decline for the last couple of quarters in the United States.” That bodes ill for the iPhone 15. 

The Cupertino-based tech giant is set to launch its next smartphone during its Apple event on September 12. While it is expected to encourage users in the Apple ecosystem to upgrade their devices, the current slowdown in sales has still got most analysts worried.

Aggressive discounts

According to a Bloomberg report, US carriers will try to counter that by offering aggressive pricing and offers on the iPhone 15. Apple itself does not offer any discounts on its smartphones, but with the smartphone recession going on, US-based carriers could jump at a chance to gain more customers by offering discounts on the four iPhone models that are expected to come out - iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Jeff Fieldhack, Counterpoint research director for North America said, “The iPhone 15 launch is a window for carriers to steal high-value customers. And with that big iPhone 12 installed base up for grabs promos are going to be aggressive, leaving Apple in a good spot.”

Expected iPhone 15 pricing by Apple

In regards to the pricing of these smartphones by Apple itself, while no official information has come out, rumors have surfaced which have given us a hint at the possible prices. As per the reports, the vanilla iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are expected to be priced similarly, at $799 and $899 respectively. On the other hand, the Pro models could see a price increase for the first time since the iPhone 11 series. This is perhaps due to the various new features such as a titanium frame, USB Type-C port, and an action button, which is why the iPhone 15 Pro could see a $100 price increase, putting it at $1099.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max could even see a $200 price increase, particularly due to the new periscope camera that it is tipped to feature. We could see Apple’s top-end model priced between $1199 and $1299.

If Apple does roll out these price hikes, the mobile carriers will in any case have to think up offers to soften the blow for customers or see them walk away.