Apple is raising prices, and the increases are not confined to one product. According to 9to5Mac, the June hardware price bumps were reportedly the opening move in a wider wave spanning products and services. If that holds, the question is no longer whether one model got more expensive. It is whether to lock in a price now, wait, or move to Android while the discounts are live.
What is actually going up
Two fronts matter. On hardware, 01net reports iPhone prices in Japan jumped by up to 11% overnight, with no official explanation, and the reported cause is not memory this time. That detail counts: component-driven increases tend to be one-offs tied to a spec bump. A price move without a hardware justification points to margin or currency strategy, which is harder to predict and easier to repeat.
On subscriptions, GSMArena reports that Apple Music and Apple One are getting more expensive. Subscription increases compound in a way hardware does not. A one-time device premium is absorbed once; a higher monthly plan recurs for as long as you stay in the ecosystem. For anyone weighing an Apple One bundle, that recurring cost should carry more weight than the sticker on the phone.
Buy now, wait, or switch
The decision splits by what you actually need.
Buy now if you are locked into iOS
If your workflow, purchases and family sharing already sit inside Apple's ecosystem, switching costs usually outweigh a price increase of this size. Buying sooner is then defensible: if 9to5Mac's read is correct and further increases are coming, today's price may be the low point. Buy the storage tier you need, not the one above it, and skip the subscription bundles unless you use every component.
Wait if you were already planning to
Waiting only pays off if a concrete, better product is on the horizon. There is one for Android buyers: The Verge reports a leak suggesting the Pixel 11a may return to a flagship-grade Tensor G6 processor rather than an older chip. If a mid-price Pixel is your target, that is a reason to hold. For iPhone buyers, waiting mainly risks paying more later, with no confirmed price relief in sight.
Switch if value is the priority
The timing is awkward for Apple. The same week its prices climb, discounted Android flagships are surfacing. Les Numériques flags the Samsung Galaxy S25+ 256 GB below 700 € at 699,00 €, roughly a 33% cut from its usual price. The Galaxy S25 Ultra 512 GB is listed at 1 496,90 € and rated among the site's top products. GSMArena adds that Google's Pixel 10, 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL are on sale, alongside a discounted Nothing Phone (4a) Pro. A 33% cut on a current flagship is a larger swing than any reported Apple increase. For a buyer without deep iOS lock-in, that gap is the whole argument.
What still matters in six months
Discounts and price hikes both fade from memory. What you live with is the hardware and the recurring cost. Judge on those.
- Total cost, not headline price. Add the subscription. An Apple One increase over two years can exceed the device premium.
- Storage tier. The cheapest way to overpay is buying more storage than you use. It is true on both platforms and it is where markups hide.
- Longevity. Software support windows and battery life decide whether a phone is still worth carrying in year three. A discount on a flagship you keep longer beats a small saving on a device you replace sooner.
- Switching cost, counted honestly. Re-buying apps, moving photos and leaving family sharing are real friction. Count them, but do not inflate them to justify a purchase you would otherwise question.
Bottom line
If you are staying with Apple, buy the model you need now rather than betting prices fall; the reporting points the other way. If you are ecosystem-agnostic, the current Android discounts — the Galaxy S25+ under 700 €, the Pixel 10 line and Nothing's discounted Pro — offer a bigger, clearer saving than anything Apple is asking you to pay extra for. If you are chasing mid-price value, the Pixel 11a leak is the one reason to wait.
Compare current handsets on our mobile comparison, see our picks in best mobiles, and follow the pricing story on mobile news. If terms like storage tiers or software support windows are new to you, our glossary explains what to weigh.