This Could Be Your Last Chance to Pick up an iPhone 15 Pro
We’re only four days away from Apple’s September Glowtime event, where we’ll almost certainly be shown a new lineup of iPhone 16 models, among other things. If Apple continues the trend from past years, we’ll see a few existing iPhone models being put out to pasture shortly after the presentation concludes.
By the time iPhone 16 pre-orders open later next week, Apple will likely readjust its lineup by bumping all its older models down a notch, eliminating some and discounting others.
It’s a strategy that’s been the norm since Apple settled into its two-tiered iPhone family four years ago. Each year, it discontinues the previous year’s iPhone Pro models and drops the last two years’ standard models into lower price slots.
When Apple launched the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro in 2019, it kept the lower-cost 2018 iPhone XR on sale for $100 less than the entry-level iPhone 11 and the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus around from the year before while dropping the more recent iPhone XS models.
While the iPhone 8 models made that a bit of an aberration, the launch of the iPhone 12 lineup in 2020 introduced a more standard pattern; the iPhone XR dropped one notch down into the lowest tier while the iPhone 11 took its spot as the more affordable option and the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max rode off into the sunset. This wasn’t merely a case of clearing out older stock, either; Apple repackaged the iPhone XR and iPhone 11 to remove the pack-ins, aligning them with Apple’s new policy of leaner and meaner packaging in the name of environmental friendliness.
The introduction of the iPhone 12 mini slightly shifted that trend. When Apple unveiled the iPhone 13 lineup in 2021, it kept both standard iPhone 12 models on sale at lower prices. In 2022, the iPhone 14 release pushed the iPhone 12 mini off the bottom while leaving the iPhone 13 mini on sale, cementing Apple’s approach to only selling the mainstream two-year-old model.
Last year’s iPhone 15 launch repeated that with the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. Apple’s failed 5.4-inch iPhone experiment officially ended as the iPhone 13 mini was discontinued, and the standard iPhone 13 took up the lowest spot.
If Apple follows suit, we’ll probably see the same thing next week. By all reports, Apple is releasing the same family arrangement as last year: an iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. Once those are available, this is probably what we can expect the entire lineup to look like:
- iPhone SE (2022)
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
We can only speculate on how these will be priced. The iPhone SE will likely remain at its $429 starting price as it’s not moving anywhere in the lineup. A cool new successor is coming, but not likely until early next year, at which point the current iPhone SE will probably just go away.
Today, the iPhone 13 sells for $599, the iPhone 14 for $699, and the iPhone 14 Plus for $799 (the same starting price as the standard iPhone 15). There are rumors of price increases for some iPhone 16 models, but we won’t know until Apple takes the stage on Monday.
Still, the consensus is that while Apple might increase the prices of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are more likely to remain at their $799 and $899 price points. If that’s true, there’s no reason to believe the other tiers will change, which means the iPhone 14 will be priced at $599, the iPhone 15 for $699, and the iPhone 15 Plus for $799. Again, though, that’s merely educated speculation on our part.
What About the iPhone 15 Pro?
As I mentioned, Apple always discontinues its Pro models, and there’s no reason to believe this year will be an exception. The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will likely disappear from the Apple Store when the iPhone 16 lineup appears.
However, the iPhone 15 Pro models are a bit more significant this year since they’re the only ones currently supporting Apple Intelligence features coming in iOS 18. Of course, the entire iPhone 16 lineup will also support these, but an iPhone 15 Pro could be a good way to get a higher-end iPhone that provides a gateway into Apple Intelligence at a more affordable price — especially if the rumors of pricier iPhone 16 Pro models are true.
That said, Apple (being Apple) isn’t offering any discounts on the iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max, nor is it likely to. After next week, you may find cheaper refurbished models from Apple, which are just as good as buying new ones. There are already some nice deals on Amazon Renewed Premium iPhone 15 Pro Max models, too.
However, if you’re willing to sign up with a carrier, there are some substantial discounts to be had even now on iPhone 15 Pro models, and they’re likely to get even better as the carriers try to clear out their old stock (and hook you into a longer-term deal in the process).
This has been a recurring trend among many carriers over the past few years. Since you can pretty much mark your calendar as to when Apple will release new iPhones, by the time August rolls around, many carriers are already offering substantial discounts on the iPhone Pro models — sometimes even more than the standard iPhones.
For example, two years ago, I planned to buy my daughter an iPhone 13 for her thirteenth birthday, which is in early September. However, when I went shopping on my preferred carrier, I was shocked to discover that the iPhone 13 Pro was $10/month (CAD) cheaper than the iPhone 13. Needless to say, she got an iPhone 13 Pro instead.
I’ve noticed similar discounts on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro models over the past two years, and they get even better by the time Black Friday rolls around if you’re willing to take a chance on stock levels. In November, I picked up an iPhone 14 Pro for my wife for $750 off the regular price. I had to settle for the 512 GB model as that was all they had left, but it was still a great deal, and the monthly payments were still $5 lower than the base 128 GB iPhone 15.
With the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max packing in an A17 Pro chip and full support for Apple Intelligence, it’s a good time of year to look for some deals. While the iPhone 16 will have some fun new features, the iPhone 15 Pro will still outperform that standard model while delivering a better camera system and a sleek titanium finish.
About The Author
