Tim Cook explains the price increase of iPhone 17 Pro

Tim Cook explains why the iPhone 17 Pro price increased. Photo: Bloomberg .

Recently, Apple CEO Tim Cook denied that the price increase of iPhone 17 Pro was related to US tariff policy.

In an interview with CNBC 's Jim Cramer on the day of the iPhone 17 launch, Cook stressed that "the tariff increase has nothing to do with the price change for the iPhone 17." Previously, Apple announced that the starting price of the iPhone 17 Pro is $100 higher than its predecessor. This is the first time since the iPhone X launched in 2017 that the Pro model has a retail price above $999 .

Analysts said the increase was not surprising, as many technology companies have also adjusted prices for high-end products recently.

For months, Cook and Apple executives have been trying to maintain relations with the Trump administration in search of favorable policies. However, this is not simple when the former US President has repeatedly directly intervened in the operations of private corporations.

Since Trump was re-elected in November 2024, many leaders of major technology companies such as Sam Altman (OpenAI), Jensen Huang (Nvidia) and Mark Zuckerberg (Meta) have met to discuss policy issues. Tim Cook even gave Trump a glass sculpture and pledged to increase Apple's total investment in the US to $600 billion to cope with the risk of high tariffs.

The iPhone maker isn’t the only company promising big investments. OpenAI, Eli Lilly, General Motors, and others have made similar pledges. But these efforts don’t always pay off. Even as Hyundai announced a $26 billion investment in the U.S., the company’s battery plant in Georgia is still being inspected by federal immigration authorities.

In the August financial report, Cook admitted that Apple had incurred about $800 million in tariff-related costs in the second quarter of 2025. This figure could increase to $1.1 billion in the following quarter if trade policies remain unchanged. However, he affirmed that this cost is completely separate from the iPhone 17 Pro price adjustment.

According to Gizmodo , Apple has not yet provided additional feedback. However, observers say Cook is unlikely to have the motivation to publicly blame tariffs, given that President Trump has frequently criticized businesses for citing this as a reason to increase prices.

In May, Mr. Trump publicly criticized Walmart after its CEO warned that consumer prices would rise due to import costs, saying that businesses should “take the tariffs.”

Source: https://znews.vn/tim-cook-ly-giai-viec-iphone-17-pro-tang-gia-post1586834.html