Apple Introduces iPhone 17 Pro Max at 1999 Dollars, Testing 2000 Dollar Market

Apple has introduced a new iPhone 17 Pro Max model with 2TB of storage, priced at 1999 dollars, marking the first time an iPhone has approached the 2000 dollar price point. This move is part of a strategic plan by Apple to gradually acclimate consumers to a new era of ultra-premium iPhones priced around 2000 dollars.

At the recent iPhone 17 series launch event, Apple unveiled its most expensive model to date: the iPhone 17 Pro Max with 2TB of storage, priced at 1999 dollars. This is the first time an iPhone has officially reached near the 2000 dollar price threshold, a significant psychological barrier for consumers.

While the top-tier model's price is at an all-time high, Apple's adjustments to the pricing of mainstream models have been relatively modest. The new iPhone 17 Pro starts at 1099 dollars, just 100 dollars more than the iPhone X from several years ago. To soften the impact of this price increase, Apple has doubled the base storage capacity of the Pro series to 256GB. Additionally, the new iPhone Air, which replaces the Plus model, has seen a slight price increase to 999 dollars.

Given the consumer anticipation of price increases due to tariffs, Apple's price adjustments this time around have been relatively gentle. Looking back, since the iPhone X was launched in 2017 at a starting price of 999 dollars, initiating the era of 1000 dollar smartphones, the core pricing of iPhones has remained largely unchanged over the past eight years.

Despite inflation and continuous technological advancements, the starting price of the iPhone 17 Pro is only 100 dollars more than that of the iPhone X. Similarly, the price of entry-level iPhones has only increased by 100 dollars compared to their counterparts from 2017.

However, this price restraint may soon be a thing of the past. The 1999 dollar 2TB version of the iPhone 17 Pro Max is widely seen as a market test by Apple. This pricing strategy indicates that the company believes a significant portion of its user base is willing to pay unprecedentedly high prices for top-tier configurations.

Apple's future pricing strategy is becoming clearer. According to industry analysts, Apple plans to release its first foldable iPhone next year. Based on the current pricing of similar products from Samsung and Google, which range from 1799 to 2419 dollars, and considering that the single-screen iPhone Air shares many components with the foldable iPhone and is priced at 999 dollars, the foldable model is likely to be priced at more than double that amount, easily surpassing the 2000 dollar mark.

Apple's CEO has already conveyed confidence in the market. In the 2023 earnings call, the CEO stated that the iPhone has become an indispensable part of people's lives, from mobile payments and smart home control to health management. Therefore, consumers are willing to stretch their budgets to obtain the best product they can afford.

Looking further ahead, Apple is developing a 20th-anniversary edition of the "iPhone 20." Industry experts anticipate that this model will bring about a disruptive change, much like the iPhone X did when it set the tone for the 1000 dollar smartphone era. If the iPhone X established the benchmark for 1000 dollar smartphones, the "iPhone 20" is likely to set a new standard for the smartphone market, far exceeding the current norm.