Connect with us

Technologies

Will the iPhone Really Cost More Than $3K After Trump’s Tariffs Start Tomorrow?

The White House says a 104% tariff on China will start Wednesday. But experts advise against panic-buying if it puts you in debt.

Amid an escalating trade war between President Trump and China, expect to pay more for your next iPhone or Apple product — a lot more, experts say. 

«Trump is playing hardball with China, which is unsettling on many levels,» Patti Brennan, certified financial planner and CEO of Key Financial, said in an email. «As for Apple, expect the prices to double for their products.»

TAX SOFTWARE DEALS OF THE WEEK

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Trump announced yesterday an additional 50% tariff on goods imported from China, which would raise the total tariff rate on that country to 104%. The tariffs will go into effect starting Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a briefing today.

In addition to imposing tariffs on goods from nearly 200 countries, Trump announced last week that he was adding a 34% tariff to goods from China, where Apple produces most of its products. Trump has already increased tariff rates on China by 20% since February. 

If the price of Apple’s top-of-the-line iPhone 16 Pro Max went up 104%, it could increase from $1,599 to more than $3,200.

But it’s unclear exactly how much of an impact the tariffs will actually have on prices. If rising prices cause demand to plummet, experts noted that Apple and other producers could reduce their prices to stay competitive.

Others say Apple could absorb more costs early on to stay competitive with the rest of the tech market.

«The tariffs could increase Apple product prices by about 10% in the coming months, which could lead to price increases of $50 to $150 on higher-end products like the iPhone Pro Max models and MacBook Pros,» Stephan Shipe, a certified financial planner and CEO of Scholar Financial Advising, said in an email last week. 

Best Buy and Target warned consumers last month to expect higher prices for everything, after the latest round of tariffs went into effect. February’s tariff hike had already prompted Acer to announce that it was raising prices on its laptops. 

If you’re in the market for a new Apple device or an imported gaming system, like the Nintendo Switch 2 or PlayStation 5 Pro, here’s how tariffs could raise prices, and what you should do to prepare.

Read more: Apple Shoppers Are Reportedly Panic Buying iPhones Amid Looming Tariffs

What’s going on with tariffs?

Trump announced a 10% baseline tariff on all imports plus «reciprocal tariffs» on imports from more than 180 countries April 2, which he dubbed «Liberation Day.» He’s long touted tariffs as a way to even the trade deficit and raise revenue to offset tax cuts, although many economists say that tariffs could lead to higher prices and may end up hurting the US economy. Stock prices plummeted afterTrump’s announcement as markets reacted poorly to the sweeping tariffs.

Trump has taken an especially hard stance on China, which was already subject to tariffs that Trump ordered during his first term in office. The latest round of tariffs means prices for these goods could rise even higher. China has responded to each round of tariffs with its own set of tariffs on US products, including coal, crude oil and farm products such as chicken, beef, soybeans, wheat and pork. 

Tariffs, in theory, are designed to financially impact other countries because their goods are being taxed. Tariffs are paid by the US company importing the product, and this upcharge is usually — but not always — passed on to the consumer in the form of higher prices.

How much could iPhone and MacBook prices increase? 

Tariffs levied on products from China — and everywhere else — will likely translate into higher prices for consumers. That means the tech you use every day, like imported smartphones, tablets, laptops, TVs and kitchen appliances, could get even more expensive this year.

If the full cost of tariffs is passed on to shoppers, we’d see a 104% increase in prices on Apple products produced in China. Apple has moved some of its production to other countries, including India, Malaysia and Vietnam. But they were each hit with their own tariffs last week — Vietnam saw a 46% tariff hike. Apple also sources components for its products from a long list of countries, all now facing new tariffs.

If Apple did raise its prices in direct proportion to this year’s proposed Chinese tariff hikes, the basic iPhone 16e, which starts at $599, could jump up to $1,222. You can get a 15-inch MacBook Air starting at $1,199 on Amazon; a 104% hike would raise the base price to $2,446

However, a tariff on goods doesn’t necessarily mean prices will go up by the same amount. If companies want to stay competitive, they could absorb some of the costs to keep their prices lower. 

Apple announced a $100 price cut on its new MacBook Air last month, a day after the last round of tariffs took effect. In what was widely viewed as an attempt to persuade Trump to «carve out» an exemption from the latest tariffs, Apple announced in February that it would spend more than $500 billion in the next four years to expand manufacturing operations in the US.

«They already committed $500 billion to US manufacturing, and there was no carve out for Apple,» Brennan said. «They will have to pass along most of these costs to consumers.»

Read more: Higher Tariffs Could Make Going Solar More Expensive

Should you buy tech now to avoid tariffs later? 

If you were planning on buying a new iPhone, gaming console, MacBook or other tech, buying it now could save you money.

But if you don’t have the cash on hand and plan to use a credit card or buy now, pay later plan just to avoid tariffs, experts say to make sure you have the money to cover the costs before you start accruing interest. With credit cards’ average interest rates currently more than 20%, the cost of financing a big purchase could quickly wipe out any savings you’d get by buying before prices go up because of tariffs.

«If you finance this expense on a credit card and can’t pay it off in full in one to two months, you’ll likely end up paying way more than a tariff would cost you,» said Alaina Fingal, an accountant, founder of The Organized Money and a CNET Money Expert Review Board member. «I would recommend that you pause on any big purchases until the economy is more stable.» 

One way to save on Apple products, even if prices go up, is to buy last year’s model instead of the newest release.

«If you aren’t planning to upgrade in the next year, there is no need to rush out to buy a new smartphone,» Shawn DuBravac, chief economist at IPC, a manufacturing trade association, said in an email. «Technology is naturally deflationary, meaning that over time performance goes up and prices generally go down for products of similar quality.»

Related Topics:

Technologies

Your Pixel 10 Might Have Issues With Older Wireless Chargers

You might want to try taking the case off your phone in order to successfully charge it.

When Google introduced the Pixel 10 lineup in August, it became one of the first major Android phones to receive the Qi 2 wireless charging standard, which Google calls Pixelsnap. However, users noticed issues with wireless charging on the Pixel 10  almost immediately after its release. 

Some people are having trouble charging their phone with the new Pixelsnap charger, and others are having issues with older wireless chargers, including Google’s own Pixel Stands. The bulk of the problems happen when a case is on the phone — whether it has the magnet array or not.

I own both the first and second generation Pixel Stands and both will charge my Pixel 10 Pro XL without an issue if there’s no case on it. However, when I add a case to my phone, the problems begin. 

I have three cases for my phone, the Mous Super Thin Clear Case, the Magnetic Slim Case Fit by Grecazo, and a no-name soft TPU case. If my phone has any of those cases on and I attempt to charge it while it’s vertical, it starts to charge and then stops after a second or two, and keeps doing that. 

I can fix this for the first-generation Pixel Stand by turning the phone horizontal, but it will still charge very slowly. I can’t seem to fix it at all for the Pixel Stand 2 — vertical, horizontal, it doesn’t charge. 

Not everyone has this issue

The problem doesn’t seem to be universal. CNET editor Patrick Holland said he had no issues charging the Pixel 10 Pro during his time with it. 

A Google spokesperson told me the Pixel 10 lineup is not optimized for older Qi wireless charging standards, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the phones won’t work with older wireless chargers. 

Qi 2 is backwards-compatible with older standards, but the phone’s height and charging coil placement on both the phone and the charger are still factors. If you’re having problems, you might see if removing the case helps.

The prospect of potentially needing to replace your older wireless chargers with newer ones isn’t ideal, especially if you shelled out $80 for one or both of Google’s own Pixel Stands. Still, if you want the best wireless charging speed for your brand new Pixel 10 phone, it won’t be with wireless chargers that only support older Qi standards.

Continue Reading

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Sept. 19, #361

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Sept. 19, No. 361.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

The yellow category in Connections: Sports Edition is always easy, but today’s seemed like a no-brainer. The other categories aren’t too tough, either, especially for midwesterners. But if you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Spotted on TV.

Green group hint: Unusual team names.

Blue group hint: Air Jordan.

Purple group hint: The Big House is another one.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Things seen on an NFL sideline.

Green group: NBA teams with singular nicknames.

Blue group: Teams Michael Jordan played for.

Purple group: Big Ten stadiums.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is things seen on an NFL sideline. The four answers are benches, chains, coaches and medical tent.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is NBA teams with singular nicknames. The four answers are Heat, Jazz, Magic and Thunder.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is teams Michael Jordan played for. The four answers are Barons, Bulls, UNC and Wizards.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is Big Ten stadiums. The four answers are Beaver, Camp Randall, Ohio and Spartan.

Continue Reading

Technologies

AirPods Pro 3 vs. AirPods Pro 2: Should You Upgrade?

Here’s a look at the key differences between Apple’s latest flagship noise-canceling earbuds compared with their predecessor.

With Apple releasing the AirPods Pro 3, folks who already own the AirPods Pro 2 may be wondering whether it’s worth upgrading. 

A good portion of my full review of the AirPods Pro 3 is devoted to discussing the differences between the two models. Here’s how I conclude my review: «Several new features, such as Live Translation, will be available for the AirPods Pro 2, so many AirPods Pro 2 owners won’t feel the need to upgrade right away. But if you’ve been using AirPods Pro 2 for a while, it might be worth passing them on to a friend or relative and upgrading to the Pro 3s.»

Read more: Best wireless earbuds of 2025

AirPods Pro 3 vs. AirPods Pro 2: What’s stayed the same

  • The AirPods Pro 3’s list price is still $249 (£219, AU$429). That wasn’t a given with all the uncertainty surrounding the Trump administration tariffs, but we’ll see how the price shakes out on Amazon and other retailers, where AirPods models often get discounted.
  • The AirPods Pro 3 are powered by Apple’s H2 chip, the same one that powers the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 and Beats Powerbeats Pro 2. Rumors pointed to an H3 chip, but that didn’t happen. 
  • No new color options; white is still the only option.
  • The AirPods Pro 3 stick with Bluetooth 5.3, just like the AirPods Pro 2 (though some true-wireless earbuds have already jumped to Bluetooth 6.0).
  • The buds still feature a MagSafe charging case with USB-C and wireless charging. However, no USB-C charging cable is included (Apple also left out a charging cable with the AirPods 4, though most people have a USB-C cable). 

AirPods Pro 3 vs. AirPods Pro 2: What’s changed

  • While they look similar to the previous model, the AirPods Pro 3 have been redesigned. Their geometric shape has changed a bit, with the angle of the bud shifted. They’re the same length but slightly smaller width-wise, slightly larger depth-wise and weigh a touch more (5.55 grams vs. 5.3 grams on the AirPods Pro 2).
  • The AirPods Pro 3 come with new foam-infused silicone eartips in five sizes, including a new extra-extra small size.
  • The AirPods Pro 3 are equipped with heart-rate sensors like the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2.
  • 2x better noise cancellation compared to the AirPods Pro 2, according to Apple.
  • While the AirPods Pro 3 have 10.7mm drivers like the AirPods Pro 2, those drivers have been upgraded to take advantage of the buds’ new multiport acoustic architecture, which moves more air through the buds and improves sound quality.
  • The AirPods Pro 3’s microphones have been upgraded.
  • The AirPods Pro 3’s Transparency Mode has been enhanced.
  • New Live Translation feature (also available for the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 series, but not the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2).
  • The AirPods Pro 3’s battery life has improved to 8 hours with noise cancellation on and up to 10 hours in Hearing Aid mode with transparency on. The AirPods Pro 2 are rated for up to 6 hours of battery life with noise-canceling on.
  • Instead of being IPX4 splash-proof like the AirPods Pro 2, the AirPods Pro 3 got an IP57 rating (so did their charging case), which means they can withstand a sustained spray of water. (I poured water on them and they survived just fine.) They’re also dust-resistant.
  • The AirPods Pro’s case now includes a U2 chip, boosting Precision Finding range in the Find My app by 1.5x (requires an iPhone 17). The AirPods Pro 2’s case has the U1 chip.
  • Like with the AirPods 4, the AirPods Pro 3’s case no longer has a button for Bluetooth pairing. You simply double-tap on the front of the case to put the buds into Bluetooth pairing mode. The AirPods Pro 2 have a physical button for Bluetooth pairing. 

The AirPods Pro 3’s new geometric shape and eartips are among the biggest changes

While the AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods Pro 2 look very similar at first glance, they do feel different in your ears. That’s because the AirPods Pro 3’s new eartips are made of silicone but infused with foam toward the front of the ear tip. Also, the angle of the bud has been adjusted so the eartips point more directly into your ear canals. 

If you’re someone who couldn’t quite get a good fit with the original AirPods Pro or Pro 2, the new design could very well help you get a snugger, more secure fit. The fact is that a tight seal is crucial for optimal sound and noise-canceling performance, and Apple redesigned the eartips to make sure users could hear the sound and noise-canceling upgrades with the AirPods Pro 3.

Alas, the new AirPods Pro 3 tips don’t work with earlier AirPods Pro models; they attach differently. 

Do you really need the AirPods Pro 3’s heart-rate monitoring?

I personally don’t feel that heart-rate monitoring is a must-have feature, particularly if you already own a smartwatch with the feature. But for some folks, it will be a welcome addition. The heart-rate sensors have been custom-designed for the AirPods Pro 3 (they’re Apple’s smallest heart-rate sensors) and aren’t identical to the ones in the Powerbeats Pro 2, but the experience using the heart-rate monitoring feature is the same.

How much better are the AirPods Pro 3 than the AirPods Pro 2?

It’s always hard to put an exact percentage on how improved one generation of a product is to the next, and there are always some people who will prefer the older model for whatever reason. But for me, the AirPods Pro 3 are about 20-25% better. 

While they both use the H2 chip, the newest AirPods have been redesigned on the outside and inside, and most people should notice the improvements to sound quality, noise cancellation and fit. 

If you own the original AirPods Pro, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend upgrading, especially if your battery life has decreased. 

If you’re happy with your AirPods Pro 2, there’s no hurry to upgrade unless your battery life has become an issue (some people have the older AirPods Pro 2 with a Lightning connector for charging instead of USB-C). The previous generation supports most of the same features as the AirPods Pro 3 (aside from heart-monitoring), including Live Translation and Hearing Aid mode.

It’s worth pointing out that the AirPods Pro 3 offer slightly better speech clarity for Hearing Aid mode (with Automatic Conversation Boost) and better battery life — up to 10 hours with Transparency and Hearing Aid mode. That makes the AirPods 3 the better choice if you have small to moderate hearing loss and plan to use your AirPods as hearing aids. 

AirPods Pro 2 vs. AirPods Pro 3 vs. AirPods 4 with ANC spec comparison

AirPods Pro 2 AirPods Pro 3 AirPods 4 with ANC
Weight (each earbud) 0.19 ounce (5.13 grams) 0.20 ounce (5.5 grams) 0.15 ounce (4.3 grams)
Weight (case) 1.79 ounces (50.8 grams) 1.55 ounces (43.99 grams) 1.22 ounces (34.7 grams)
Water resistant IPX4 IP57 IP54
Sensors Skin-detect sensor, Optical in-ear sensor, Motion-detecting accelerometer,
Speech-detecting accelerometer, Force sensor		 Skin-detect sensor, Optical in-ear sensor, Motion-detecting accelerometer,
Speech-detecting accelerometer, Force sensor, heart-rate sensor		 Optical in-ear sensor, Motion-detecting accelerometer,
Speech-detecting accelerometer, Force sensor
Microphones Dual beamforming microphones, inward-facing microphone Dual beamforming microphones, inward-facing microphone Dual beamforming microphones, inward-facing microphone
Chip H2 H2 H2
Conectivity Bluetooth 5.3 Bluetooth 5.3 Bluetooth 5.3
Active Noise Cancelation,
Transparency mode		 Yes Yes Yes
Conversation Awareness,
Adaptive Audio		 Yes Yes Yes
Voice Isolation,
Personalized volume		 Yes Yes Yes
Battery life Up to 6 hours
+30 hours with case		 Up to 8 hours
+24 hours with case		 Up to 5 hours
+30 hours with case
Wire in box Yes No No
Launch Price $249 $249 $179
Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © Verum World Media