Rumors about the iPhone 13 price had always leaned towards a conservative assumption that the upcoming lineup of Apple smartphones would cost around the same as the iPhone 12 models. However, a new Apple leak revealed that this might not actually be the case.
Find out why the iPhone 13 may get a price hike.
iPhone 13 Price Rumors: Cheaper or More Expensive Than the iPhone 12?
With all the iPhone 13 leaks and rumors pointing to exciting upgrades and the iOS 15 rolling out new features, sources also leaned towards a conservative price range for the new iPhones.
Some sources said the iPhone 13 would cost similar to the iPhone 12 lineup while some suggest that the new iPhone would be cheaper. Currently, the iPhone 12 lineup costs $699 for a mini, $799 for the vanilla model, $999 for the Pro, and $1,099 for the Pro Max.
This assumption has been the consensus among Apple leakers and other sources, however a new Apple leak says otherwise.
Why Will the iPhone 13 Be More Expensive?
According to Digitimes, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company or TSMC is set to increase its quotes for companies looking to source advanced sub 7nm process technologies or microchips. TSMC is Apple's biggest chip supplier, Forbes said, and the raised quotations would ripple to the final cost of the iPhone 13.
This isn't the shocking part, as it looks like the change will have implications for every iPhone model.
TSMC will increase the prices of sub 7nm chips up to five percent and "mature process technologies" will be raised as high as 20 percent, Digitimes reported. The iPhone 12 models and the iPhone 13 range will be fitted with 5nm chips. Even if the five percent markup of the chips may not seem outright equate to a weighty impact, the price of "mature" chips do.
Older models have "mature process technologies" that will be facing bigger price hikes. The iPhone 11 and iPhone WE, which are set to stay on sale according to Forbes, will likely amend the prices to be higher. Apple earlier reported on going against any price increases, but it seems TSMC's announcement may have put a wrenc on that decision.
Considering how the selling price of the new iPhones will not literally correlate to a five percent increase but may actually be higher, the news puts a damper on reports of Apple going against any price increases.
Analysts do still believe that the price hike may not deter Apple fans from choosing the upgrade, as the majority of iPhone buyers subsidize the cost of their devices through their telcos over a multi-year period payment plan, Forbes said.
With no direct confirmation from the tech giant until the official release of the supposed iPhone 13, iPhone enthusiasts may have to wait until September for Apple to debut the new iPhone and find out.
