Apple is preparing to raise the entry price of the iPhone Pro for the first time in seven years.
According to Chinese leaker Instant Digital, the iPhone 17 Pro is expected to start at $1,049 in the US, replacing the current $999 model.
The change comes with a catch, though. The 128GB storage tier is expected to be dropped, making 256GB the new minimum.
The shift mirrors Apple’s approach with last year’s iPhone 15 Pro Max, which introduced a 256GB base model while maintaining its $1,199 starting price.
For the smaller Pro model, the change would add $50 to the starting cost but double the storage, a smaller increase than the $100 currently required to jump from 128GB to 256GB on the iPhone 16 Pro.
The $999 baseline for the Pro tier has held since the iPhone X launched in 2017. Removing it would mark a significant shift in Apple’s pricing strategy.
Analysts expect the change to boost average selling prices and simplify production by reducing the number of configurations Apple needs to manufacture.
It also gives the company more room to upsell higher storage tiers, where margins are wider.
Reports from The Wall Street Journal suggest similar price increases could affect the entire iPhone 17 lineup, driven by rising component costs, supply chain pressures, and tariffs linked to China-sourced parts.
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 lineup at the beginning of next month, with retail availability following roughly a week later.
If these reports hold true, the Pro’s move to a $1,049 starting price effectively ends the sub-$1,000 era and establishes 256GB as the new baseline for Apple’s flagship devices.
