Tariff Panic? Buying an iPhone right now is a terrible idea

Because it is so large and its supply chain is so dependent on Chinese factories, Apple is almost uniquely vulnerable to the effects of President Trump’s 125 percent duty on goods coming out of this nation. For all Tim Cook’s attempts to unite the new regime, this development is very bad news for Apple Park, which will be stiffened in hard times to come.

Thanks to these charges (here is a detailed degradation of how they affect Apple), Pundits has speculated that the price of an iPhone could rise by up to 43 percent and take the Entry-Level model from $ 799 to $ 1,142 and a top-end iPhone 16 Pro Max to a huge $ 2,300. It’s enough to induce a panic, and many ordinary customers either rush or are considering rushing out to buy a new iPhone before the price rises kick in … but we think this is a terrible idea. Here’s why.

1. To buy too early is waste (of money and electronics)

There is a reason why most of us do not buy a new iPhone on an annual basis: Farewell of up to $ 1,000 each year (before taking into account a case, a data plan, subscriptions, new apps and IAPs and repairs, if you are unlucky) are simply too expensive. Most people upgrade their smartphone every two or three years, and masses hold onto a handset longer than that. For all talks about planned obsolescence, Apple builds phones that gladly last three years or more without any problems.

So let’s think about how panic buying an iPhone will now affect this cycle. The question is this: When did you plan to upgrade? Soon? In September? Next year? If only a few weeks, you should definitely make the decision ASAP. (Although it is a strange time of year to get an iPhone that I discuss below.)

But if you were planning to wait until the new models come out in September, a panic purchase can now save you a few dollars, but you just threw five months of perfectly good iPhone performance to buy a handset that will be a generation less advanced than if you had been waiting. It will be a year less before you notice performance difficulties, so this only action with panic acquisition means that all future upgrades must happen a year earlier. Given the cost of an iPhone, you’ve probably wasted as much money as you are likely to save.

Furthermore, regular smartphone upgrades are not just bad for your pocket. They are also awful for the environment. So you add some unnecessary e-waste in the mixture.

2. The situation could and is likely to change

I am no political commentator and definitely do not want to get into the rights and wrong for President Trump’s plan. But if there is an adjective we can apply the way things have played so far it is unpredictable.

First, Trump threatened to use tariffs in more than 180 countries, at least one of which has no human residents. Then almost all of these countries had tarnish rates paused (except China), even though the president had previously insisted that it would not happen. At one point, he claimed that the idea of ​​individual exceptions was not under consideration, but later he indicated that it is.

The point I do is that much of this seems to be Brinkmanship: Bluffs and magnificent movements intended to ensure a negotiation advantage. These features are apparently not measured long -term plans with a detailed schedule. Things can be changed with zero message. Things can get worse or Apple can get an exception. Either way, it would be fool to make a high cost purchase because it looks like a good idea today.

3. IPhone 17 is not far away

We are more than halfway through the life cycle of iPhone 16; IPhone 17 will be here in September. Fewer people tend to buy new iPhones between late spring and summer, as it is becoming more and more worthwhile to wait until the new models are announced at what time you can access newer hardware with better features and the then new models you considered are getting a price cut.

There are also plenty of unknowns. We don’t know if prices will rise. We do not know how the iPhone 17 Air will fit into the set -up. We don’t even know if the iPhone 17 will be a particularly exciting update. A panic purchase would take all the fun out of waiting.

Eugen Wegmann

4. There are cheaper phones you can choose from

Time for some tough truths: Apple is not the only smartphone manufacturer in the world. Here at Macworld we think iPhone is the best option, but it would be absurd to claim that the Android market has nothing to offer, whether lower prices, more adventurous features and design choices or a more customizable operating system. Check out this cross-platform overview of the best smartphones from our colleagues at Tech Advisor for a glimpse of what’s out there.

Many of these Android manufacturers face the same problems as Apple right now, but not all. If things get really bad and iPhone’s price balloons for crazy levels (which I think is unlikely), there will certainly be alternatives out there that are more affordable without suffering too much on the quality front.

There is also iPhone 16E. We do not yet know how Apple is planning to update its latest “budget” hand set in 2026. If duty affects the price of the iPhone 17 flagship’s arrangement and impact sales, Apple could use its “E” line as a way to tempt buyers back in the fold. Then again, wait.

5. You may need that money for other things

I don’t want to get all pessimistic or anything. But you may want to save your cash to the essentials of the new economy. We all want a shiny new iPhone but your current model is probably fine. So you can spend the money on something else, such as a leather jacket, a hail and a car with spikes everywhere.