Apple Starts Getting Shoppers Used to the Idea of $2,000 iPhones

When Apple Inc. launched the iPhone X in 2017, the company did more than usher in facial recognition and a sleek edge-to-edge screen. It also helped establish a new category: the $1,000 smartphone.

In the eight years since, that price point has barely budged. Despite inflation and a steady stream of technological upgrades, the iPhone 17 Pro now starts at $1,099 — just $100 more. Apple’s entry-level iPhone sits at $799, also only $100 higher than the comparable model back in 2017.

Ahead of this week’s iPhone 17 debut, some analysts predicted hefty price hikes — especially with President ...