Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile prepare to raise prices on consumers because of Trump's trade war

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Yahoo! Finance

Fri, April 25, 2025 at 8:25 AM EDT


The smartphone ecosystem has avoided the biggest brunt of President Trump's tariffs, for now. But if that for now ends, major phone carriers appear poised to dump the higher costs of smartphones onto the laps of consumers.

Trump earlier this month exempted smartphones and some other electronics from his reciprocal tariffs, though he left a 20% fentanyl tariff on China intact. The exemption could prove temporary, keeping the prospect of 145% tariffs on China (where Apple (AAPL) makes its iPhones in play.

Even the 20% fentanyl tariff on China may sting consumers soon if no trade deal between the two superpowers is reached.

The price of an iPhone 15 would increase to $839 from $699 currently, according to an analysis from tech publication CNET. The iPhone 16 would climb to $959 from $799.

Read more: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/verizon-att-and-t-mobile-prepare-to-raise-prices-on-consumers-because-of-trumps-trade-war-122549340.html

[Martin68]

1. This is based on the assumption that every contract with a phone carrier requires the purchase of a new phone.

The simply isn't true.

[Igel]

2. It's a misleading lede.

Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile prepare to raise prices on consumers

Yes. But we assume that means "all prices" when it probably means just "prices for new, imported phones."

The financial pain would be felt by purchasers of new phones; the informational pain is felt by those who don't keep in mind how English, specifically, can be weaponized to impair communication of facts while promoting communication of outrage.

The caveat is that they might decide to subsidize new phones by finding income elsewhere, which would be their services instead of their pieces of equipment.