The "2T memory version iPhone" is priced at $1999, and Apple begins to target the $2000 price point

From the top configuration model priced at $1,999 to the upcoming high-priced foldable screen, and the brewing "iPhone 20," Apple is gradually guiding consumers to accept an ultra-high-end iPhone era at the $2,000 price point through a series of planned steps.

At the latest iPhone 17 series launch event, Apple introduced the most expensive model in history: the iPhone 17 Pro Max with 2TB of storage, priced at a staggering $1,999. This marks the first time the iPhone has officially approached the nearly $2,000 price threshold, an important psychological price point.

Despite the record high price of this top configuration model, Apple's pricing adjustment for mainstream models appears relatively restrained. Against the backdrop of Trump tariffs, the adjustment is lower than some analysts' expectations of a "significant price increase."

However, Mark Gurman, a technology reporter at Bloomberg who has long focused on Apple's product dynamics, believes that the $1,999 pricing is a "market testing balloon" thrown out by Apple, indicating that the company believes a considerable portion of its customer base is willing to pay for it. With the launch of foldable iPhones and future products like the "iPhone 20," Apple is preparing to establish a higher price standard.

Conservative iPhone Pricing Strategy Over the Past Eight Years

Apple's pricing adjustment for mainstream models appears relatively restrained. The starting price of the new iPhone 17 Pro is $1,099, only $100 higher than the iPhone X from that year. To "buffer" this price increase, Apple has also doubled the base storage of the Pro series to 256GB. Additionally, the new iPhone Air, which replaces the Plus model, has a starting price that has only slightly increased to $999.

As consumers prepare psychologically for the price impact caused by tariffs, Apple's price adjustment this time is relatively mild.

Looking back, since the iPhone X launched at a starting price of $999 in 2017, the core pricing of the iPhone has seen little change over the past eight years.

Despite experiencing inflation and ongoing technological upgrades, the starting price of the iPhone 17 Pro at $1,099 is only $100 higher than that of the iPhone X. The entry-level iPhone is also priced just $100 higher than similar models from 2017.

"Restraint" May Soon Become History, the $2,000 iPhone Era is Coming

However, Mark Gurman indicates that this "restraint" in pricing may soon become history. The $1,999 2TB version of the iPhone 17 Pro Max is widely interpreted by the market as a "market testing balloon" thrown out by Apple.

Gurman analyzes that Apple would not casually set a price that no one cares about, indicating that the company believes a significant portion of its user base is willing to pay unprecedented high prices for top configurations Apple's future pricing strategy blueprint is becoming increasingly clear. According to Gurman, Apple plans to launch its first foldable iPhone next year. Considering the current pricing of similar products from Samsung and Google (ranging from $1,799 to $2,419), and comparing it with the single-screen iPhone Air (priced at $999), the pricing of this foldable model is likely to exceed twice that amount, easily surpassing the $2,000 mark.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has already conveyed confidence to the market. He stated during the 2023 earnings call that since the iPhone has become an "essential" part of people's lives—from mobile payments and smart home control to health management—consumers are "willing to really stretch their budgets to get the best products they can afford."

Looking further into the future, Apple is developing a 20th anniversary edition "iPhone 20."

The industry expects it to bring disruptive changes similar to those of the iPhone X. If the iPhone X set the tone for the thousand-dollar smartphone era, the "iPhone 20" is likely to establish a new pricing norm in the smartphone market that is significantly higher