When Apple launched the 15-inch MacBook Air at WWDC, nobody was stunned that the brand new laptop computer was merely a bigger model of the 13-inch MacBook Air with a barely massive display screen, trackpad, and physique. What was stunning was the worth: As an alternative of including $200 or $300 to the worth of the prevailing MacBook Air, making the brand new mannequin $1,399 or $1,499, Apple priced the brand new MacBook Air at $1,299 and minimize the worth of the 13-inch mannequin by $100.
And for those who drill down, the worth is much more stunning. The 15-inch Air begins with the “full” M2 Professional processor with 10 GPU cores, which is a $100 improve on the 13-inch MacBook Air. Meaning the 15-inch MacBook Air prices the identical because the 13-inch MacBook Air did in Could. That’s what you’ll name a pleasing shock.
Does this imply Apple is rethinking its pricing technique? Maybe. Then once more, Apple additionally introduced the $6,999 Mac Professional and the $3,499 Imaginative and prescient Professional, the 2 highest-priced merchandise in its catalog. However nonetheless, it’s arduous to not surprise if the MacBook Air’s aggressive pricing is the beginning of a brand new pattern.
This brings us to the iPhone 15 Professional. Stories have been swirling for months that Apple is planning on elevating the worth of the Professional fashions. Simply this week, in truth, China-based Financial Every day Information reported that the telephones might value as a lot as $200 greater than the equal iPhone 14 Professional fashions, which means that the iPhone 15 Professional Max might begin at $1,299 and high out at $1,800 or greater if Apple affords a 2TB choice.
It bears noting that related rumors final 12 months claimed the iPhone 14 Professional Max would additionally get a value hike, however Apple opted to maintain the pricing the identical. However the rumors about this 12 months’s cellphone recommend a a lot larger improve than final 12 months, so it wouldn’t be stunning to see the high-end iPhone get the next price ticket.
Apple clearly is feeling the pinch of flagging Mac gross sales, so the MacBook Air’s value minimize, whereas stunning, is smart. It’s not the identical with the iPhone, whose gross sales stay wholesome. So we’d guess the rumors are proper this 12 months and for the primary time in years, Apple ups the worth of the Professional fashions by at the least $100 every—although it will definitely be good if Apple stunned us with the iPhone too.