- Apple just unveiled the iPhone 17 Pro with a starting price of $1,099.
- That's $100 more than the iPhone 16 Pro started — but the 17 Pro comes with double the base storage.
- Apple also introduced a 2-terabyte version of the larger-screened iPhone 17 Pro Max — but it'll cost you $1,999.
Buying the cheapest "Pro" version of Apple's new iPhone lineup just got $100 more expensive.
Apple introduced the new iPhone 17 family on Tuesday. While the super-thin iPhone Air was the star of the show, the iPhone 17 Pro also saw plenty of upgrades over last year's 16 Pro lineup — and the price of the base Pro model got an "upgrade" of its own, too.
The brand new iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,099. That's a $100 increase from the starter iPhone 16 Pro model, which launched at $999 with 128 GB of storage. Unlike its predecessor, though, the entry-level iPhone 17 Pro has 256 GB — more storage than last year's cheapest iPhone 16 Pro.
That $1,099 starting price point for iPhone 17 Pro is actually the same as the 256 GB launch price of the iPhone 16 Pro.
Confused? Think of it this way: While it's now more costly to break into the iPhone Pro tier, you're getting more storage than last year's base Pro model. In other words, it's basically just Apple eliminating the 128 GB Pro variant.
That's not altogether surprising. Apple has increased the base amount of storage for various iPhone models over the years as larger files became more common in the era of HD and 4K videos and as smartphone cameras became capable of capturing ever-more-detailed photos that take up more space.
Wall Street analysts had also predicted some form of price increase. Leading up to the highly anticipated event, analysts predicted a $50 to $100 price hike on the new Pro model.
Last week, Morgan Stanley analysts said they expected Apple to "modestly" boost iPhone prices. Jefferies analysts previously predicted a $50 price increase to offset the impact of tariffs, they wrote in a July note. Apple is navigating tariff headwinds that cost the company $800 million last quarter. An exemption for some tariffs was announced in August.
But it's not as if Apple hiked prices across the board. The entry-level iPhone 17 starts at $799, the same starting price as the iPhone 16, and the base version of the iPhone 17 Pro Max didn't get an increase.
It is possible, however, to spend more than ever on a new iPhone. A maxed-out iPhone 17 Pro Max with a whopping 2 terabytes of storage (that's double the maximum storage offered in last year's 16 Pro Max) comes out to $1,999. After taxes, you're looking at spending at least a cool two grand.
The iPhone 17 Pro lineup also introduces a new color: "Cosmic Orange" and, more importantly, the camera system also got a major upgrade. On the rear, a new camera "plateau" gives the back of the phone a larger look than the previous camera bump and it now houses three 48-megapixel fusion cameras.
Internally, the Pro comes with the biggest battery ever in an iPhone, Apple said, meant to deliver the best battery life. It powers up to 39 hours of video playback in the Pro Max model, and 33 hours in the Pro.
If you do spring for an iPhone 17 Pro, Apple says you'll be paying for "the most powerful iPhone ever, by far."
At least, until next year.
