IPhone 17 Officially Released: Apple Desperate To Hold Prices Despite Being Hit By Trump Tariffs

Illustration of the iPhone 17 from Apple (photo: Doc. apple)

JAKARTA Apple on Tuesday 9 September introduced the latest iPhone line, including the thinner iPhone Air, and held prices steady despite US President Donald Trump's tariff pressure potentially pressing company profits.

The iPhone Air comes with a high-capacity battery and a new processor, priced at $999. Wall Street previously highlighted whether Apple would raise iPhone prices or look for other ways to cover tariff loads, for example by raising the price of the variant with a larger storage capacity.

This model is in the main spotlight in Apple's annual event, where Apple CEO Tim Cook calls it the iPhone's biggest jump in history. Apple calls the iPhone Air the longest-lasting iPhone to date, powered by the A19 Pro chip which is optimized for energy efficiency and performance to match the design of a thin battery.

In addition to the iPhone Air, Apple also launched the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro, AirPods Pro 3 with live translation features, as well as the latest Apple Watch equipped with blood pressure monitors.

The price of the iPhone 17 model with a capacity of 256 GB starts at 799 US dollars (Rp. 13 million), the same as the iPhone 16 last year but with a capacity of twice as much. The iPhone 17 Pro is sold starting at US $ 1.099 (Rp. 17.9 million) for the 256 GB model, the same as last year but without a cheaper version option with a smaller capacity. Apple Watch and AirPods Pro 3 also did not increase.

Apple's decision to withhold this price is considered a strategy to remain competitive against Samsung, Google, and mobile phone manufacturers from China, although the company estimates the tariff burden could reach more than $1 billion in the fiscal quarter. Apple shares fell 1.6% after the price announcement.

"Apple is taking advantage of its business scale to keep prices stable," said Tom Walinelli, IDC's head of research. They are aware that tariffs will affect consumer purchasing power, so keeping prices as important as consumers want to upgrade.

The iPhone Air will compete directly with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, and analysts think this model could be a step towards a foldable phone competitor, which is now popular in China.

In addition, the iPhone Air is equipped with a new N1 chip for Wi-Fi connections and a C1X modem for mobile data. So far, these components are supplied by Broadcom and Qualcomm, whose shares fell 2.3% and 1.1% respectively after the announcement.

Apple also removed the physical SIM slot on the iPhone Air to provide greater space for batteries, as well as bring a brighter and more scratch-resistant screen on the iPhone 17. Front cameras are also improved so that horizontal selfie results are better.

AirPods Pro 3 is in the spotlight with the ability to translate languages directly, even allowing two people who both use this device to speak in almost real-time translations.

For Apple Watch, the blood pressure monitor feature is still awaiting regulatory approval. Apple estimates this feature can help notify 1 million people, and will be available in 150 countries despite not being able to detect all cases of hypertension.