How Much Will iPhone 17 Cost? Analysts Weigh In Ahead Of Apple’s ‘Awe Dropping’ Event

Apple, Inc.’s (AAPL) major hardware launch event for the year, dubbed “Awe Dropping,” is around the corner, and investors are hoping that the announcement could give a thrust to the stock that is down about 4% for the year.

The event is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Viewers can tune in to the livestreamed event through Apple’s website, Apple TV app, or the company’s official YouTube channel. 

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment toward Apple stock has remained ‘bullish’ (58/100) by late Sunday, and the message volume continues to be ‘normal.’

Apple watchers and analysts, who have shared their expectations for the event, have struck a cautiously optimistic tone.

Design Overhaul

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman expects the company to unveil the next iteration of its iPhone, new smartphones, and other peripherals. He sees the company introducing major design upgrades for the iPhone in half a decade as the company makes up for its lag in artificial intelligence (AI) with hardware features, including:

• New backs for the high-end iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max that will give a fresh look to the cameras, and a move back to an aluminum frame
• An all-new iPhone 17 Air with an ultrathin body (5.5 millimeters), and with the reduced size, the battery life will drop with only one rear camera; It would have a 6.6-inch screen size, a standard USB-C port, and ProMotion support.
• The base model iPhone 17 won’t be redesigned, but it will have a slightly larger screen (6.3 inches) and a ProMotion display.

The A19 processor will power the 17 lineup.

The upcoming launch, according to the columnist, will kick off three years of new iPhone designs, with a foldable phone expected to be announced in 2026 and a glassy 20th anniversary iPhone planned for 2027.

Gurman expects Apple to roll out new iPhone accessories:

• Revamped non-leather case
• iPhone 4 Bumper-like case for the iPhone 17 Air
• High-end cross-body strap
• Light blue color to the iPhone 17 Air, and a new orange color for the Pro model

Price Hike Coming?

Morgan Stanley analyst Erik Woodring said he does not expect major surprises from the “Awe Dropping” Event. Apart from the iPhone 17 family, the analyst expects the company to launch the Apple Watch Series 11/Ultra 3 and SE3, as well as the AirPods Pro 3.

“We expect Apple to (modestly) raise iPhone prices for the first time in 7 years,” Woodring said, adding that the “conservative fiscal year 2026 consensus could make the launch a positive catalyst for once.

Apple’s hardware launch events are typically a “sell the news” event. 

“We believe the iPhone 17 will be the first new iPhone introduction in 7 years to feature higher list prices across multiple models,” Woodring said. 

The analyst expects a $100 price increase for the iPhone 17 Air over the iPhone 16 Plus, with a starting price of $999 for the 256GB storage option. A 1TB iPhone 17 Air SKU would be priced at $1,399, he said. 

Woodring also expects the company to eliminate the 128GB storage SKU for the iPhone 18 Pro, raising the starting iPhone 17 Pro price to $1,099 (at 256GB), $100 higher than the lowest storage iPhone 16 Pro SKU.

Assuming no other pricing changes and the new model’s mix at 66% in the fiscal year 2026, the analyst estimates the iPhone’s average selling price (ASP) to rise 5% year-over-year (YoY).

Apple stock ended Friday’s session down 0.04% at $239.69, while in the overnight session it is up a modest 0.36%.

For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.

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