For those that came in late, that’s $50 more than the current iPhone 16 Pro starting price, but Apple will pitch it as a win because you are “getting more storage for less” than today’s 256GB version, which goes for $1,099.

It’s a clever bit of marketing spin that hides a price rise behind a memory bump. Analysts and leakers say the move mirrors the tactic Apple used in 2023 with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, when it axed the cheapest storage option to nudge customers into spending more.

At the time, the company kept a straight face by pointing out the new base tier cost the same as the higher-capacity model from the year before. It appears that the approach paid off, as fanboys still bought the phone at a higher price.

If the leaks are right, the smaller iPhone 17 Pro will join the Pro Max in ditching the 128GB tier entirely, leaving only the standard iPhone 17 and the rumoured iPhone 17 Air with the lower capacity. The Air is tipped to be pricier than the base model yet will come without a second main camera or Qualcomm’s most advanced 5G chip. This could make it another flop like the mini and Plus, or a success because fanboys never check the spec on Apple products.