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Apple is facing intense pressure from US President ordering heavy tariff which can have a long-term impact on the price of iPhones.
Apple’s Tim Cook gives the answer about Trump tariff impact
iPhone 17 series launched with minor changes in prices this year, especially for those buying in India, where the 17 Pro model is costlier than the 2024 version. But has Apple been forced into these changes because of the impending tariffs ordered by US President Donald Trump?
Speaking in an interview, Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed the changes and said the new prices are not linked to the Trump tariff pressure which suggests the hardware upgrades have made them more expensive this year. “There’s no increase for tariffs in the prices (of iPhone 17) to be totally clear,” Cook was quoted saying in a CNBC interview.
No Tariff Pressure, Why More Costly?
Cook publicly confirming the lack of tariff impact on the iPhone 17 Pro prices suggests the company had to really push the envelope to meet the new production and quality standards. For instance, the 17 Pro price in India is Rs 15,000 more than the 16 Pro, but in the US there is a $100 (Rs 8,800 approx) price hike this year.
Apple is trying its best to offset the tariff costs by making the new iPhone 17 and later models in other regions, notably Vietnam and India and have less dependence on China which is easier said than done.
The new iPhone Air model, replacing the iPhone 16 Plus version, is also over Rs 25,000 costlier but that also could be because of the actual upgrades/changes rather than tariffs. Things could quickly change and the iPhone 18 series might face more serious pressure because of the higher tariffs but we will have to wait till 2026 to see if that happens.
No Apple AI Yet, Losing Touch?
Cook was also questioned about Apple’s own AI rollout issues and how it plans to compete with Google and OpenAI in the next few years. Interestingly, the Apple chief claimed, “We have AI everywhere in the phone. We just don’t call it that.”
Most people would disagree with that statement, especially with the Siri AI delays internally becoming a challenge hard to solve. Apple has even reportedly considered external help by acquiring any of the recent AI startups but a more likely outcome is that Apple could partner with Google or OpenAI for Gemini or ChatGPT at a deeper level.
S Aadeetya, Special Correspondent at News18 Tech, accidentally got into journalism 10 years ago, and since then, has been part of established media houses covering the latest trends in technology and helping fr…Read More
S Aadeetya, Special Correspondent at News18 Tech, accidentally got into journalism 10 years ago, and since then, has been part of established media houses covering the latest trends in technology and helping fr… Read More
September 23, 2025, 12:58 IST
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