Technologies
Don’t Buy an iPhone Until You See How Tariffs Could Double the Price. We Do the Math
Apple may spread higher costs across all products and services, says this expert. Here’s how to save if you need a phone.
President Donald Trump backed down from his sweeping «reciprocal tariffs» this week, but he upped the tax on goods from China to 125% and left the 10% tariff on other imports from other countries. Experts say you should expect to pay more for your next iPhone.
Trump announced the 90-day pause on his social media platform for all countries because they didn’t retaliate with their own tariffs. The lone exception was China, where Apple produces most of its products, which has responded to each of Trump’s tariff hikes this year by increasing tariffs on US products. The White House announced a 125% tariff on Wednesday, then clarified on Thursday that this is on top of the 20% tariffs imposed since February, increasing this year’s tariffs on China to 145%.
If Apple passed the China tariff costs on to customers, the iPhone 16 Pro Max with 1TB of storage could increase from $1,599 to nearly $3,600 — assuming that the previously imposed20% tariff was already incorporated into the current price.
That kind of sticker shock would cause many of us to reconsider purchasing a new iPhone, especially amid economic uncertainty. But Apple has ways to offset the impact of tariffs through its services — including its music, news and data plans — according to supply chain expert Joe Hudicka.
«Apple will likely absorb some of the tariff costs up front to keep sticker prices stable, then pass the rest on to consumers gradually through service bundles, device longevity and ecosystem upgrades,» he said. «Consumers will still pay, just not all at once.»
Apple has started to move some of its manufacturing to other countries, including India and Vietnam. Those countries were originally hit with their own «reciprocal tariffs» yesterday — Vietnam with a 46% hike and India a 26% increase — but were among the reprieved. However, they still face the 10% baseline tariff that went into effect last week.
And though experts don’t expect costs to rise on a 1-to-1 basis with tariffs on goods from China — and other countries — you should expect increases. It’s unclear, however, exactly how much of an impact the tariffs will actually have on prices. If rising prices cause demand to plummet, experts note that Apple and other producers could reduce their prices to stay competitive.
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.
How much could iPhone prices go up with tariffs? We do the math
If the full cost of tariffs were passed on to shoppers, we’d see a 125% increase in prices on Apple products produced in China. Apple has moved some of its production to other countries, but most iPhones are still manufactured in China.
Here’s how it could affect the cost of an iPhone if the full tariffs were applied:
How could tariffs increase iPhone prices?
| Current price | China (125%) | Other country (10%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 15 (128GB) | $699 | $1,573 | $769 |
| iPhone 15 Plus (128GB) | $799 | $1,798 | $879 |
| iPhone 16e (128GB) | $599 | $1,348 | $659 |
| iPhone 16 (128GB) | $799 | $1,798 | $879 |
| iPhone 16 Plus (128GB) | $899 | $2,023 | $989 |
| iPhone 16 Pro (128GB) | $999 | $2,248 | $1,099 |
| iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | $1,199 | $2,698 | $1,319 |
| iPhone 16 Pro Max (1TB) | $1,599 | $3,598 | $1,759 |
But there’s a lot more that goes into the price of an iPhone than simply where it’s manufactured. Apple sources components for its products from a long list of countries, which could face higher tariffs after the pause. And 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.
«It won’t be as high as one-to-one in terms of the tariff increases,» said Ryan Reith, group vice president for IDC’s Worldwide Device Tracker suite, which includes mobile phones, tablets and wearables. «The math isn’t as clear cut as that on the tariffs.»
Will other tech products also see price hikes?
Smartphones aren’t the only devices expected to increase prices because of tariffs. 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.
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,» Patti Brennan, a certified financial planner and CEO of Key Financial, said in an email. «Expect the prices to double for their products.»
However, regardless of the exact amount, expect tariffs on goods from China and other countries to translate into higher prices for consumers. That means the tech you use daily, like imported smartphones, tablets, laptops, TVs and kitchen appliances, could get even more expensive this year.
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 on 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 after Trump’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. He started in February, imposing 20% in tariffs, then announced last week a 34% tariff on goods from China. Earlier this week, he added another 50% tariff before landing yesterday on the 125% tariff against China. China has responded with its own tariffs after each of Trump’s announcements.
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.
Should you buy tech now to avoid tariffs later?
If you were planning to buy 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 need 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 or a used one.
«Apple has leaned into that with its Certified Refurbished program, much like the auto industry’s used car model,» Hudicka said. «This program helps extend the lifespan of devices, keeping customers in the Apple ecosystem longer while distributing the cost impact over time.»
Technologies
Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, Nov. 22
Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Nov. 22.
Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It’s a long one, since it’s Saturday, and some of them were tough today. (Two Bee clues?) Read on for the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.
If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword
Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.
Mini across clues and answers
1A clue: Moves (over) in one’s seat
Answer: SCOOTS
7A clue: Capital of Taiwan
Answer: TAIPEI
8A clue: ___ Bee
Answer: SPELLING
10A clue: In the style of
Answer: ALA
11A clue: Device with a keypad that’s typed on discreetly, for short
Answer: ATM
12A clue: ___ Bee
Answer: SAMANTHA
15A clue: «Family Guy» baby
Answer: STEWIE
16A clue: Sings in the Alps
Answer: YODELS
Mini down clues and answers
1D clue: Like some clams and freshly cleaned shirts
Answer: STEAMED
2D clue: What an online meeting invite gets added to, for short
Answer: CAL
3D clue: Vinegar’s counterpart
Answer: OIL
4D clue: Morphine and codeine, for two
Answer: OPIATES
5D clue: First inning in extra innings
Answer: TENTH
6D clue: Greek «S»
Answer: SIGMA
8D clue: Full of back talk
Answer: SASSY
9D clue: «Allegory of the Cave» philosopher
Answer: PLATO
13D clue: Wonderstruck feeling
Answer: AWE
14D clue: Nothin’
Answer: NIL
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Nov. 22, #425
Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Nov. 22, No. 425.
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.
Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a diverse one today. As a Seattle resident, I got a kick out of the purple category. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle 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 appear in the NYT Games app, but it does 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: Gridiron numbers.
Green group hint: The Garden State.
Blue group hint: Guarding against scores.
Purple group hint: DC, or the Evergreen State.
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Football defensive stats.
Green group: Teams that play in New Jersey
Blue group: US soccer goalkeepers.
Purple group: Washington ____.
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 football defensive stats. The four answers are hurry, interception, sack and tackle.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is teams that play in New Jersey. The four answers are Devils, Giants, Gotham and Red Bulls.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is US soccer goalkeepers. The four answers are Howard, Naeher, Scurry and Solo.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is Washington ____. The four answers are Capitals, Huskies, Nationals and Spirit.
Technologies
The iPhone 17 Pro’s Cameras Take the Fight to the OnePlus 15, and There Are Bruises
Camera showdown: The OnePlus 15’s camera should have surprised me, but it really didn’t. Meanwhile, Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro keeps on delivering in terms of photography.
The OnePlus 15 impressed my excellent colleague, David Lumb, with its superb battery life and excellent performance, especially for gaming. I wasn’t as thrilled with the cameras in my early testing, but the proof of its photography prowess comes down to how it stacks up against the competition. In this case, the iPhone 17 Pro is one of our favorite phone cameras and indeed one of the best camera phones you can buy in 2025.
For years, OnePlus has partnered with the iconic Swedish camera maker Hasselblad to work on color science and image calibration for OnePlus phones. But that partnership has ended, which puts a lot of pressure on the Chinese company to impress with its camera suite on the OnePlus 15. Throughout all these changes, Apple released the iPhone 17 Pro, which has a brand-new 48-megapixel 4x telephoto camera and carries forward the company’s reputation for excellent photography.
I headed out to the streets of Edinburgh, Scotland, to test both phone cameras in a variety of situations. It’s important to note, though, that what I consider «better» might not be what you agree with. Photography, like all art, is subjective. While, as aprofessional photographer, I prefer more natural, true-to-life tones, you may prefer imagery with more pop and colors. Take my thoughts with a grain of salt.
Note, too, that all images were taken with each phone’s standard camera mode in JPEG format, and all images have been resized using Adobe Lightroom, with no additional edits or sharpening applied. Small print done with, let’s dive in.
Straight off the bat, I’ll admit a small mistake in the photos above. I took this shot using one of the iPhone’s Photographic Styles. I think it was Gold, and so it’s no surprise that it’s given the image a more vibrant, warmer look that suits the scene incredibly well. I only had the style active for this example and the ultrawide version below.
However, I noticed that the iPhone’s exposure is broadly better, while the OnePlus’ software processing had worked so hard in reducing image noise that a lot of the texture in the floor had been lost.
Switch to the ultrawide lenses, and things do change a bit. The iPhone’s exposure above looks preferable to my eye, but the OnePlus’ shot definitely has more detail overall.
This example above is quite classic of the problems I have not just with the OnePlus 15, but also with most of OnePlus’ phones. The image is quite heavily saturated, with an electric-blue sky and vivid greens that look unnatural to me. The iPhone’s image has a much better handle on color here.
My other problem with OnePlus’ phones is how hard they go with their HDR processing, brightening up shadows and pulling back highlights, resulting in images that quite often lack depth and believable contrast. The image above is a prime example where the deep shadows under this bridge have been maintained in the iPhone’s shot, but where the OnePlus 15 has tried to lighten them so much that the image looks very overprocessed.
And to prove it’s not a one-off, this example above is a real low point for the OnePlus. It really tried to eliminate any kind of shadows in this scene, while pulling back the highlights in the sky outside far too much. The image looks fake, overprocessed and exactly what people would think of if you told them a photo was taken on a phone. By taking a far more subtle approach, the iPhone’s image is much more to my liking.
The OnePlus hasn’t gone as hard with its vendetta against shadows in the image above, but it does look like it’s ramped that saturation way up. It’s not that I don’t like vibrant colors — I do — it’s just that I want to add in that saturation should I want to, rather than having it forced on me by default.
The images above show a more muted scene and a good effort from both phones. Although taken just nine seconds apart (I checked the metadata), I do think the sun may have slightly peeked out from behind a cloud a little more in the iPhone’s shot, as the front of the building does look quite a lot brighter. Or maybe the OnePlus is going hard on the HDR again. Who knows? Either way, good details on this image from both phones.
The same scene in ultrawide does arguably look a little muted from the iPhone, at least when compared with the bold blue of the OnePlus’ shot above. Somewhere between the two would be my sweet spot. After I zoomed in on the details, the iPhone’s shot is certainly clearer, but at full screen — or on your Insta feed — that difference is negligible.
That brightness and color difference persists when taking each phone to its maximum default telephoto zoom, so maybe it doesn’t have anything to do with the sun and clouds after all. Colors aside, the iPhone’s shot above is also clearer, and its details look sharp without being overly digitally sharpened. The OnePlus’ image does have something of a «crunchiness» to it from its software processing that I don’t like as much.
Peeping close up at the pixels on each phone’s telephoto zoom shot, I definitely think the OnePlus has gone too hard with its sharpening in the image above of a person in a window.
I’m slightly more torn on this nighttime scene. The OnePlus shot above has yet again gone big on the saturation. Look at the overcooked green on the grass — it looks like it was taken at midday in the spring. The iPhone’s colors look way more natural. However, the OnePlus’ sharpening works in favor at night, delivering a shot with crisper details throughout.
And in ultrawide, I flat out prefer the OnePlus image above. Those vibrant tones look much better here, especially as they make the oranges of the building in the background stand out more.
And if we peep at those pixels again, it’s clear that the details on the OnePlus’ shot (left) are far better. Finally, a win for the OnePlus.
This final indoor low-light scene is a bit more of a mixed bag. The OnePlus’ image above is unquestionably brighter — especially the people nearest the camera — but its noise reduction has gone a bit too hard in some areas, reducing textures on clothing and hair that the iPhone hasn’t done. Overall, though, I’d say this example is a close fight.
iPhone 17 Pro vs. OnePlus 15: Which camera is better?
For me, it’s an easy victory for the iPhone 17 Pro. Almost across the board, its images are more natural looking with realistic colors, saturation levels and exposure. The OnePlus 15’s reliance on heavy-handed image processing has resulted in often garish-looking photos that are almost the opposite of what I look for in my photography. However, as I said at the beginning, that’s just my opinion.
As a photographer, I want my camera — any camera — to be able to capture the best-looking image straight out of the camera that I can then apply more edits to if I want to. But maybe you don’t want to do that and instead want a vibrant, punchy-looking shot that you can immediately share to social media. If so, maybe the OnePlus will be fine for you.
At the end of the day, deciding which phone to buy will come down to more than just the camera, so make sure to read CNET’s in-depth reviews of all of 2025’s best phones to decide which is the one for you.
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