People are panic buying iPhones ahead of possible price hikes, report claims.
People are panic buying iPhones ahead of possible price hikes, report claims
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| Apple retail stores have had a busy weekend. Credit: NurPhoto/Gettyimages |
People are rushing to Apple stores to buy iPhones ahead of possible price hikes, a new report claims.
According to Bloomberg, Apple retail stores across the U.S. have registered increased shopping activity over the weekend, with shoppers "panic-buying" iPhones.
"Almost every customer asked me if prices were going to go up soon," one Apple employee told Bloomberg.
The shoppers are worried about iPhone prices increasing due to the wide-ranging set of tariffs that the Trump administration recently imposed on China and many other countries. In one calculation, the iPhone 16 could go up from $799 to $1,142, and the most expensive model could cost as much as $2,300. The iPhone is mostly produced in China, which was hit with a 54 percent tariff.
These calculations could be way off. Trump could make some sort of trade deal with China, and even if the tariffs remain as they are, it's unclear how much of the price increase Apple would pass on to customers. Still, the sheer prospect of iPhones getting pricier is pushing some buyers to pull the trigger earlier rather than later.
SEE ALSO:Apple planning massive redesign for iPhone 19 Pro, reports sayThe buying frenzy could help Apple's second quarter bottom line; the company is due to reveal its quarterly results on May 1. Following the tariffs news, Apple stock plummeted to about $182 at writing time, down from a high of just over $260 in December 2024.
Topics iPhone
Trump tariffs could push iPhone prices up, and people are choosing to buy right now instead.
ReplyDeleterich people problems
ReplyDeleteThatā¦ is so stupid. I want to cry.
ReplyDeleteI have some Canadian tissue if you need it
Deleteapple is saying iPhone prices in the US could be 3K with all the tariffs.
DeleteIt affects only USA.
ReplyDeletewhat about future iPhone?
ReplyDeleteItās like the old Coke/ Pepsi flavour test. Samsung phones are proven to be superior in many ways to Apple iPhones; this latest move by Trump/ America will drive some favorable shifting to Samsung/ Android.
ReplyDeleteAmerica can have their beautiful and high priced iPhone. Better but it now before the 40-60% price increase and 50% reduction in quality when its USA home made šŗšø
You do realize Android phones will be hit with the same tariffsā¦?
Deleteif youāre American, yes. But the rest of the world will have cheaper phones šš
DeleteIf youāre not American, nothing is changing
Deleteyeah except Samsung makes all its products in the same places Apple does, so the 3x rise in prices will be universal. Apple is just telling you that now.
Deleteall phones in America will significantly increase in price. Outside of America, they will likely decrease in price based on law of supply and demand
DeleteI meanā¦ā¦I literally donāt want a smart phone anymore. Itās used to mine me as a person. I prefer a flip. Can we get some dumb phones for once?
ReplyDeleteNot ācouldā - prices āwillā be pushed up for Americans, but the rest of the world will likely have cheaper iPhones.
ReplyDeleteThank you Dictator Trump šš
then apple will put a factory here or they can move out of the US.
Deletedo you think America can manufacture iPhones at the same cost as China? Hmmmm
DeleteWhat on earth will people do if they cant afford the latest tech crap??? Maybe pay down their credit cards instead? What a concept!
ReplyDeleteLove our mobile devices but this is a recipe for insane price hiking! Don't believe the hype.š¤
ReplyDeleteAs Carlin stated, Americans are truly sitting in the front row seat.
ReplyDeleteYou mean, no new phone every single year? Good! Consumers suck!
ReplyDeleteiPhones are the new toilet paper.
ReplyDeletecars too....lots of people seem to be rushing to get new ones as well before tariffs hit.
DeleteGlad to live in the UK. Trumps madness and China's retaliatory tariffs will turn into an all out trade war. America will suffer, and China and Japan will both "dump" their products in the UK and other markets. We don't need or want American photographic products. Chinese products are usually just as well made, much cheaper, and usually delivered much faster. Welcome to the new world order.
ReplyDeleteHow Much iPhone production does Apple have that is outside of China where Apple can avoid the worst of the Tariffs.
ReplyDeleteApple lol
ReplyDeleteAAPL is done, Cook killed it.260 now 173. Next stop 125 after earnings.
ReplyDeleteSo apple benefits from the panic buy now. Then when September hits and things have cooled a bit, apple benefits again from upgraders? Highly possible. Be interesting to revisit in 5 months.
ReplyDeleteVery few buying now are going to buy again just 5 months. This is demand that is being pulled forward.
Delete"Then when September hits and things have cooled a bit"
DeleteThings are definitely going to "cool off" when the obviously unconstitutional use of the IEEPA is ruled unconstitutional.
They wonāt likely be the same people.
DeleteThe real question is does a significant quantity of potential buyers even know the tariffs are going to cause a price spike, however temporary or mid-term it could be?
Weāll find out. Some are going to get FAFOd.
Letās see if the Supreme Court has a spine first.
DeleteIt's going to be interesting. The Supreme Court has already demonstrated that they are willing to give Trump a lot of latitude. They have already granted him immunity from criminal prosecution. Furthermore, the Trump administration has already shown that they are willing to defy court orders. It turns out that the courts can't enforce their orders, that's up to the Department of Justice. Our current Attorney General has already demonstrated that she is happy to disregard previously held positions on what is legal, and to simply follow Trump's wishes. Court orders that Trump doesn't like are effectively unenforceable, and he can ignore them.
DeleteThe only real oversight to Trump is Congress. At the moment, they are afraid to go up against Trump. Trump has demonstrated that he takes revenge against those not loyal to him. All Trump needs to do is to say the word, and none of his followers will vote for anyone who isn't loyal. This keeps Congress in line, as anyone who goes against Trump won't get reelected.
At the moment, we are operating without a working system of checks and balances. Many people are not worried, as they trust Trump to make good decisions, and therefore they like that he isn't being hampered by our Constitution and our traditional checks and balances. On the other hand, some people think Trump is making bad decisions, and wish we had a working system of checks and balances to make sure the rule of law was being followed.
Of course, there have always been people on both sides who are happy to disregard laws they disagree with. For instance, many think that we should not be deporting undocumented workers. Many who hold this position think we should stop enforcing many immigration laws. Others think we should change the immigration laws so that those who we want to stay, can stay legally.
Immigration isn't the only issue. Under Federal law, marijuana is illegal everywhere in the USA. While some states allow it, you can still be charged federally for it. Currently the Feds are ignoring the Federal marijuana laws in states that approve of it. Some people think that we should change the law, rather than ignoring it.
The bottom line is that I would not hold my breath waiting for the courts to put a stop to Trumps actions (again, some people think this is good, others think it is bad).
Panic demand being brought forward. An alternative approach would be to just keep existing phones for a longer upgrade cycle. Which has the added benefit of seeing how things pan out.
ReplyDeleteThatās what Iām doing. In general Iām going into hunker down mode. Cutting all inessential spending.
DeleteInteresting š¤ we bought a 16 Pro Max and an 13ā iPad Air for my grandmother over the weekend, not because of the tariffs but because she is visiting us and her 6th gen iPad has officially given up on loading tabs. Also ironically I updated my 2 younger sistersā 8th gen iPad to the 13ā Air the weekend prior since games couldnāt load or were unable to play due to requirements like Disney Dreamlight Valley requiring a higher chip.
ReplyDeleteApple can do what the country of Qatar did during the first Trump presidency: Pay an above market rent for a lot of expensive office space from Trump. They didn't need the office space, and it remained empty. But once they rented it Trump removed Qatar from the list of states that support terrorism.
ReplyDeleteApple can certainly afford to throw enough money at Trump's businesses to get a tariff exemption. It really does make sense for Apple from a business perspective.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Apple will find other places to manufacture instead of a nation that is going to invade one of our allies, Taiwan, soon.
ReplyDeleteThings are going to get much worse. If you are manufacturing in China, you have been warned MANY times.
You will be amazed at what is manufactured in China and is in the White House.
DeleteI was panic buying Apple stock yesterday.
ReplyDeleteSame here!
Delete"Designed in California" made in China." I guess it seemed like a good idea at the time. Lol.
ReplyDeleteAll of their stuff is too expensive by 60%. Their prices are already nose bleed level. Apple will be holding their prices where they are if they can as people aren't going to pay more. In the case of Apple, the tariffs will be coming out of their "Apple Tax". Pack to the drawing board Tim.
Sort of like "American Girl".
DeleteApple products are obviously much cheaper if they are made in the US.. and where do you get the staff from? Mexico..China.. or no wait your president can get along with Putin pretty well.
DeleteAirlift with the Russians!
I noticed my Costco store was very packed this past Sunday.
ReplyDeleteMy Costco traffic jam on weekends is bad enough even without panic buying.
DeleteEveryone seems to be stocking up with cart full of groceries
DeleteMy Iphone 14 plus works fine so I can ride this out just like the stock moves.
ReplyDeletesome type exemption?
ReplyDeleteNever sell Apple regardless of stupid tariffs. These come and go, Apple perseveres.
ReplyDeletenow that is how you boost demand!
ReplyDeleteBWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI wish Apple would raise prices. It would make my resolve to hold on to the products I have even stronger.
ReplyDeleteOr just practice self restraint lol
DeleteI'd try to sell my old Apple gear for a nice profit. To buy eggs
DeleteI don't think these are panic-buying customers. Most of them are probably opportunistic resellers.
ReplyDeleteHey nothing wrong with a side hustle if ppl will pay for it.
DeleteNope. Not at all. I'm sure of it.
DeleteHopefully it backfires on them
DeletePanic buying $1K devices, but I thought the economy was crashing? š¤£
ReplyDeleteThe economy is crashing lmao doesnāt mean people donāt have money
DeletePeople are buying $4000+ video cards.
DeleteYou do realize not everyone struggles? People with money will always have money.
DeleteThose who work hard and live below their means will too! math + discipline = wealth.
DeleteThatās why thereās a debt crisis too lol
DeleteWell my retirement accounts are down over 20% because of this. Do I still have money? Yes but a lot. Less so Iām going to have to reduce spending.
DeleteMost people with money HAD money, now they got the yearly iPhone, the 2025 name-your-fave-brand SUV, the sports car, the McMansion, the kids they canāt afford and all the monthly loans that come from accumulating all that debt.
DeleteThe people with money, the 5%, is not what we refer to in general, itās the other 95% when speaking in generalities.
Tell that to most lottery winners, some young pro athletes, one hit wonders, etc.
DeleteI don't know. I thought americans are making thousands a month, so buying an iphone with just one months salary savings shouldn't be an issue. How much are you guys paying on rent on average 2.5-3.5k a month?
DeleteThere's no accounting for stupidity or piss poor planning. My comment was regarding people weathering tough economic times.
DeleteItās weird that people are panic buying current iPhones but then again these are the same people who also stockpiled toilet paper during lockdown lmao
ReplyDeleteThis doesnāt make sense. Your 14 Pro Max is fine
ReplyDeleteApple doesnāt sell the 14 Pro Max. Only iPhone 15 and above.
DeleteIt potentially makes sense if you were already planning to buy a new phone soon, but are worried that once Apple's current US stock runs out, the price will shoot up due to the Trump tariffs.
DeleteCāmon Apple, start investing that 500 billion. All the useless government employees are needing actual jobs now.
ReplyDeleteI hope Apple continues doing business where they are now. Iām looking forward to seeing absolutely nothing change
DeleteQuite understandable. Hyperconsumerism has become deeply imbedded in American culture.
DeleteHas nothing to do with hyper consumerism.
DeleteThe reason why I donāt buy American made products is bc they are usually lower quality.
And itās also why I love SHEIN. Cokes straight from china and the quality is both decent as the price is also cheaper than anything made/sold here.
Huh? You just described consumerism. Buying cheap stuff thatās ādecentā quality. You donāt need long-lasting products if youāll be replacing them as soon as the next new thing comes out.
DeleteWhat makes it āhyperā??
DeleteThe insane rise of Amazon, Temu, and the likes. A hundred years ago youād have been flabbergasted to be told that buying $5 gadgets from the opposite side of the globe on a weekly basis has become a way of life for many people.
Deleteiāll have to think on it more. valid point. i guess what makes it hyper to me is the lack of resourcefulness, the throw away parts. being raised fairly poor (never lacked food shelter or basics, just no nintendo, cable tv, and other trash)i know what it is to be resourcefulā¦.
DeleteThatās not hyper consumerism lmao.
DeleteHyper consumerism is by definition the intense and excessive consumption of goods and services, often beyond basic needs, driven by societal pressure and the perception that material possessions define identity and happiness
Me buying cheap products isnt hyper consumerism lol.
at least know the words youāre using when making claims
I didnāt say that was hyper consumerism. Try actually reading the comment youāre replying to before responding.
DeleteUpgrading to a new iPhone every year seems like it would fit whatever the definition is, and a lot of us on here are probably guilty of it lol, including me for a long time
DeleteYes you did lmao š¤£ and still above youāre using the word incorrectly.
DeleteThatās still not hyper.
DeleteBecause of your stance on finances doesnāt mean someone else completely opposite of you is doing something wrong.
I worked hard for the wealth I have and all that I have reflects that.
And itās why I largely use temu and SHEIN and the like.
DeleteThese days Iām very anti American as an American so I have no issues with my products being from China lmao.
Why pay $20 for a cute phone ass when I can get the same one for $3 on temu.
Brought these cute stiletto heel boots off SHEIN. Probably would cost me $300 bucks buying here. They cost me $18 on SHEIN.
I have an amazing fashion sense and people are shocked when I tell the. All my clothes come directly from china/shein lol
People don't think rationally. Unless your phone is on the verge of losing support or almost broken, there's no reason to upgrade anyway.
ReplyDeleteEveryone doesnāt need a new phone every year. š
ReplyDeleteYour statement is true, however, your needs versus someone else's wants is irrelevant. If a person wants a new phone every year, more power to them. It is their money.
DeleteThe average consumer in the US is buying new iPhones every 3.8 years
DeleteApple has been preparing for the tariffs and has stockpiled iPhones and other devices in the United States. According to The Times of India, Apple shipped five planes full of iPhones and other devices from India to the U.S. during the final week of March
ReplyDeleteWhat? Could those 5 planes not fly and so Apple decided to ship the 5 planes along with the iPhones and other devices to the U.S. instead of just the iPhones and devices themselves?
DeleteThe 16e just became worth its weight in gold. š¤£
ReplyDeleteIām waiting for the analysts to come out with their annual iPhone supercycle prediction š¤£
ReplyDeleteI wanted to buy one too!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteinstead I ordered a Mac Studio M4 Max. 16 core CPU. 40 core GPU? Paid the extra $170. Got also 64 gb ram.
I will take a new Mac Studio over an iPhone. ordered it yesterday. college discount.
Panic buying what a joke.
ReplyDeleteor they just have older phones and want a new one before they can't afford to buy one.
DeleteYup we got one for my mom, were on the fence about waiting for the 17 Pro but Iām assuming with the redesign it will be more expensive regardless, but who knows
ReplyDeleteThis will be a common occurrence at U.S. airports soon with people buying internationally and trying to avoid duties.
ReplyDeletehttps://forums.macrumors.com/attachments/1744064369387-jpeg.2500249/
Can I get one that wasnāt in the blue region?
DeleteMy coworker thinks her 13 Pro is outdated and needs to be upgraded š¤¦š¾āāļø
ReplyDeleteI donāt think sheās wrong about that. The 13 is pretty old lol
DeletePanic buying iPhones is THE definition of first world problems. The whining is hilarious.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more.
DeleteThe headline should read:
ReplyDeleteāArbitrage Opportunity Spurs Apple Customers to Rush iPhone Purchases Amid Fears of Tariff-Driven Price Hikesā
Tariffs shouldnāt impact me as Iām not in USA - but the crazy economic schemes are impacting my financial situation in other ways which Iām none too pleased about. This situation doesnāt help anyone.
ReplyDeleteI have an iPhone 15 Pro so no need to upgrade it. I traditionally keep my phones for a long time.
GET YOUR TITANIUM IPHONES WHILE YOU CAN.
ReplyDeletePanic note to myself:
ReplyDeleteGo out tomorrow and buy lots of toilet paper, drinking water, noodles, flour... ...aaaand a new iPhone!
I WOULD LOVE A STORY - about if this is just in the US. Here in Canada - ours come direct from China so should be no impact to us. Whereas ordering refurbished come from California so t hose should go up and be more expensive than brand new.
ReplyDeletePanic buyers ššš
ReplyDeleteYour old devices value will appreciate as well. Not sure why anyone would panic buy for any reason other than legit need. Panic does not make good investment decisions!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your collective sacrifice!
ReplyDeleteSincerely,
Tim Apple
https://x.com/gaborgurbacs/status/1909348105675211192?
DeleteāCouldā cause price hikes
ReplyDeleteYeah, as if further increased prices will increase sales and the user base.
ReplyDeleteThey are already at ridiculous levels.
AI was underdelivering, as well as Siri. The only reason I switched was privacy but as soon as their greed touches that further, I am gone. (It already started by providing ads and with the whole ChatGpt integration for overwhelmed Siri) š
Don't think the prices will increase immediately. Apple will hold on to the prices for the immediate future. The iPhone 17 series should be getting an increase in prices. If the new MacBook Air was announced now, it would have definitely not got the $100 price cut.
ReplyDeleteWill the price rise internationally, especially in Asia, or is it only in the USA? For example, the iPhone 16 is $799 in the US, but due to tariffs, it can go up to $1,142. So if the iPhone 17 has the same US price as the 16, will it cost more than $1,142 for the base storage model with added import costs and taxes? Can anyone confirm this?
ReplyDeleteWhile it's possible Apple could increase prices everywhere (there's multiple issues with this), tariffs are import taxes imposed by countries based on where good originate from. So if you're not in the US, the US putting tariffs on imports from the countries where Apple makes iPhones shouldn't affect you.
DeleteApple could raise prices in the EU and elsewhere to compensate for the significant losses in the US, but I think Tim knows they would be shooting themselves in the foot if they did that.
DeleteI guess it would be a lose-lose kind of situation where they would be so uncompetitive compared to other brands, that it simply would render them irrelevant in other markets. I for one would surely switch brands if they became more expensive.
DeleteYes they could do that, but as you say, it would likely shoot themselves in the foot. I doubt it would compensate seeing as it would likely push consumers towards other brands that are offering better deals without the hikes. The EU and Europe as a whole is largely an Android market and with the cost rises in just about every sector, Apple have to play that one very carefully, especially if their competitors are not hiking their retail costs.
DeleteI paid Ā£1199 for my iPhone 16 Pro Max, theres no way I'd consider going above that ever again and there is a lot of complaints about current costs as they are.
I think I prefer panic TP buying over panic iPhone/iPad buying.
ReplyDeleteThatās what I did, just rushed and bought 16 Pro this week. Thatās was not my former intention, as I was saving money to get 17 Pro, but Iāve decided not to āwait and seeā.
ReplyDeleteNow Iām decided to live with this phone until in the future last iOS version ships for it, that I think it will be somewhat 2030-2031.
I believe one member got it right by saying it's not panic buying but opportunistic resellers. They know prices will rise so what better way to make a buck by buying up as many iphones as they can, waiting to see the price rises and then offer the iphones slighter under the increased price.
ReplyDeleteThat is right. I'm buying as many iPhone's as I can waiting for the price to increase due to these tarrifs and then selling them for a profit.
ReplyDeleteIf the price doesn't increase, I will use the 14-day return window to get my money back.
So it's basically risk free profit.
My wife and I were going to not buy phones this year but with all this nonsense going on we felt it was safer to buy now instead of having to possibly pay considerably more next year. It is a gamble no doubt. In the end we bought new 16 Pro's on Sunday so now we don't have to worry about new phones for several years.
ReplyDeleteIn September they will find out that iPhone would have the same priceš¤£
ReplyDeletePanicans, indeed. They are so fun. Wasting 1000$ on a brick that will be obsolete next year, and they do it every year, and they believe everything their TV says.
Don't worry guys, we've been paying a premium for iPhones compared to Americans for years and are always told, we deserve it because we have better return and warranty policies, or if we don't like it, we can just 'buy an Android'. I will take this opportunity to offer that advice back the other way.
ReplyDeleteOr, maybe 'Apple could just pull out of selling there altogether'?
I don't mean any of this btw, just amusing at this point in time :p
As you know, a reason for "premium" pricing in the UK and EU is the VAT which doesn't benefit Apple or Americans. Take VAT (and sales tax in the U.S.) away, and prices can be pretty similar. For example, the pre-VAT price for a 128GB iPhone 16 in the UK is Ā£665 which is currently around $849 USD. The pre-sales tax price for the same phone in the U.S. is $829. Not much of a difference especially considering the UK (and EU) have better warranty and return policies.
Deleteit's 2025 and iPhones have been out for nearly 20 years.
ReplyDeletewhy hasn't Apple figured out how to manufacture /assemble iPhones with little or no human intervention yet?
I say it's about time to have all the final assembly of iPhones done within the US, but in 99% automated factories that require no humans.(or just a couple of them for every 1 million units)