With Apple’s “Awe Dropping” event just days away, there isn’t much we don’t know about the upcoming iPhone 17 lineup. But a new report today could bring an unpleasant surprise for people looking to buy an iPhone 17 Pro next week.
According to TrendForce, both iPhone 17 Pro phones will feature the A19 Pro chip, along with 12GB of RAM (up from 8GB on the iPhone 16 Pro phones) and a minimum 256GB of storage. With the smaller Pro’s 128GB option gone, its price would be expected to jump accordingly. However, TrendForce’s report expects the new phone to start at $1,199, a full $200 more than the previous Pro model.
That’s a surprisingly big increase. Apple previously bumped the price of the iPhone 15 Pro Max by $100, from $1,099 to $1,199, when it added a then-exclusive 5X optical zoom camera and eliminated the 128GB storage option. The smaller iPhone Pro got the same camera last year, but kept its lower price and storage option–until now.
TrendForce reports that Apple will also increase the price of the iPhone 17 Pro Max to $1,299, even though it will come with the same starting allocation of storage as the 16 Pro Max did last year.
Pricing for the new iPhones has been difficult to predict because of several factors, including tariffs and the introduction of the iPhone 17 Air. Several reports have claimed Apple will hike the Pro models by $50-$100, but TrendForce is the first to predict such a high price for the smaller Pro. TrendForce, like others, expects the standard iPhone 17 to retain its $799 starting price.
It may be worth noting that TrendForce predicted that the iPhone 16 Pro would start at $1,099, yet Apple retained its $999 price tag. So take this latest prediction with a pinch of salt.
Apple’s Awe Dropping event is set for September 9, 2025. Want to know what to expect? We’re anticipating new hardware releases including the iPhone 17 (running iOS 26), Apple Watch Series 11, Ultra 3 and SE 3rd-gen (running watchOS 26), and potentially new AirPods. Find out how, when, and where to watch the Apple September Event, and keep tuned to our Event Guide for all the latest coverage. If you just can’t wait, here’s our satirical take on the Apple September Event keynote script – and don’t miss the Macworld Podcast iPhone event preview.
Author: Michael Simon, Executive Editor, Macworld
Michael Simon has been covering Apple for more than 20 years. He started covering rumors with Spymac when the iPod was the iWalk, and has owned nearly every iPhone Apple has ever made. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, son, and far too many gadgets.