iPhone 15 Reported to be Apple's Most Expensive iPhone Yet

Apple is still a few months away from officially unveiling the iPhone 15, which is expected to debut in September. But the biggest change between the 15 and previous models will reportedly be the price tag, which could jump $200 according to industry leaks.

Rumors began swirling late last year that the upcoming iPhone 15 Ultra (the equivalent to the current Pro Max model) would start at $1,299, which was seemingly confirmed by a recent AppleInsider report. Though the report did not specify a price, it claims that the iPhone 15 will be the company's most expensive iPhone yet. 

For comparison, the iPhone 14 Pro Max, currently the most expensive model on the market, now starts at $1,099.

Forbes estimates that, if the rumors hold true, the new iPhones will pencil out as follows:

• $1,299 for the iPhone 15 Pro Max 128GB
• $1,399 for the iPhone 15 Pro Max 256GB
• $1,599 for the iPhone 15 Pro Max 512GB
• $1,799 for the iPhone 15 Pro Max 1TB.

However, the publication points out that a price hike is also overdue for U.S. consumers, as worldwide inflation has caused international buyers to get hit harder in recent years.

Another reason for the sticker shock is reportedly a new titanium chassis for the iPhone 15. Titanium is lighter and stronger than the stainless steel currently used for the devices, but also exponentially more expensive. For comparison, titanium costs $35-50 per kilogram whereas stainless steel costs $1-1.50 per kilogram.

In addition to the titanium, other upgrades to the upcoming iPhones will be a next-generation Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip, curved bezels, a customizable solid-state Action button to replace the mute switch, and a larger battery. The Pro Max will also feature a periscopic optical zoom lens that's too large to fit inside the smaller models.

Mass production on the iPhone 15 will likely begin in August, with 84 million units to arrive by the end of 2023. Anyone who wants to avoid paying a premium for the new phone may want to consider upgrading to the iPhone 14 now, while trade-in values are still high and before the company discontinues new iOS support on some older models.