As the newest iPhones hit the shelves today, the Apple faithful can count their blessings that they aren't paying more for the new phones. iPhones have never been cheap, but it was pretty clear when the prices for the new iPhone 17 lineup were revealed at Apple's fall iPhone event earlier this month that they could have gotten worse, considering the year of tariffs and other economic turmoil.
CNET senior editor James Bricknell wasn't surprised by the iPhone prices.
"Given the tariffs and all the other stuff that's happened in the past year, the prices are good," he said. "They match what you would expect in terms of inflation rather than the leap I was expecting."
The iPhone Pro color lineup looks kind of Halloween-themed. Apple/Screenshot by CNET
Apple unveiled three models during the event: the iPhone 17, the iPhone Air and the iPhone 17 Pro. That's right -- the skinny new iPhone Air doesn't have "17" in its name. The full lineup also includes the low-end iPhone 16E, released earlier this year.
Watch this: Everything Announced at Apple's iPhone 17 Event in 7 Minutes 07:18
iPhone 16E, from $599
CNET Managing Editor Patrick Holland reviewed the iPhone 16E, which is Apple's most affordable iPhone, and noted that some compromises had to be made to get the price down. There's no Dynamic Island cutout for one thing, and it only comes in black and white.
iPhone 17, from $799
The standard iPhone 17 has some small upgrades over past models, namely a new chip, a brighter and sharper screen, better cameras and an improved selfie camera. With the introduction of the super-thin iPhone Air, this phone is now Apple's entry-level flagship.
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