Will the iPhone really cost more than $3,000 after Trump’s tariffs begin tomorrow?

Experts say more is expected to pay for your next iPhone or Apple product amid the escalating trade war between President Trump and China – more, experts say.

“Trump is playing hard ball with China, which is disturbing on many levels,” Key Financial certified financial planner and CEO Patti Brennan said in an email. “As for Apple, it is expected that the price of its products will double.”

Trump announced yesterday that imports from China have increased tariffs by 50%, which will increase the country’s overall tariff rate to 104%. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a briefing today that tariffs will take effect from Wednesday.

In addition to imposing tariffs on goods in nearly 200 countries, Trump announced last week that he added tariffs to Chinese goods by 34%, and Apple produced most of them. Trump has raised China’s tariff rate by 20% since February.

If Apple’s top iPhone 16 Pro Max goes up 104%, it could rise from $1,599 to over $3,200.

But it is not clear how much the tariffs will actually have on prices. If prices rise lead to a plunge in demand, experts point out that Apple and other producers can lower their prices to remain competitive.

Others say Apple can absorb more costs as early as possible to remain competitive with other technology markets.

“Tariffs could raise Apple products by about 10% in the coming months, which could lead to a price increase of $50 to $150 for high-end products such as iPhone Pro Max Models and MacBook Pros,” Stephan Shipe, certified financial planner and CEO of Scholar Financial Convings, said in an email last week.

Best Buy and Target warned consumers last month that they expect all prices to rise after the latest round of tariffs came into effect. The tariff rate hike in February has prompted Acer to announce that it is raising the price of laptops.

If you buy a new Apple device or imported gaming system on the market, such as the Nintendo Switch 2 or PlayStation 5 Pro, that’s how tariffs can raise prices and what you should prepare for.

Read more: Apple shoppers reportedly buy iPhones amid imminent tariffs

What’s wrong with the tariffs?

Trump announced a 10% benchmark tariff on all imported goods and the “mutual tariffs” of more than 180 countries on April 2, which he called “liberation day.” He has long touted tariffs, even if the trade deficits and increased revenues to offset tax cuts, although many economists say tariffs could lead to higher prices and could ultimately harm the U.S. economy. Stock prices plummeted as the market reacted adversely to widespread tariffs.

Trump has taken a particularly firm stance on China, which has been subject to tariffs ordered by Trump in his first term in office. The latest round of tariffs means the prices of these goods may rise. China responded to each round of tariffs on U.S. products, including coal, crude oil and agricultural products such as chicken, beef, soybeans, wheat and pork.

In theory, tariffs are intended to affect other countries financially because their goods are being taxed. The tariffs are paid for importing products from U.S. companies, and this UpCharge usually (but not always) transfers it to consumers at a higher price.

How much can iPhone and MacBook prices rise?

The tariffs imposed on products from China and anywhere else could translate into higher prices for consumers. This means that the technologies you use every day, such as imported smartphones, laptops, TVs and kitchen utensils, may become more expensive this year.

If the full cost of the tariff is passed on to shoppers, we will see prices of Apple products made in China rise by 104%. Apple has moved some of its production to other countries, including India, Malaysia and Vietnam. But they were both hit by their own tariffs last week – Vietnam saw a 46% tariff hike. Apple also provides components for its products from a number of countries, all of which are now facing new tariffs.

If Apple does raise prices directly with this year’s proposed Chinese tariff hike, the basic iPhone 16e starts at $599 and may jump to $1,222. You can get $1,199 for a 15-inch MacBook Air on Amazon; a 104% rate hike will raise the base price to $2,446

However, tariffs on commodities do not necessarily mean that prices will rise by the same amount. If companies want to stay competitive, they can absorb some costs to keep prices down.

Apple announced last month that it had cut $100 on its new MacBook Air last month, the day after the final round of tariffs came into effect. In an attempt to convince Trump to “exempt” the latest tariffs, Apple announced in February that it would expand its manufacturing operations in the U.S. in the next four years.

“They have promised $500 billion to the U.S. manufacturing, and Apple has no carvings,” Brennan said. “They will have to transfer most of this kind of expenses to consumers.”

Read more: Higher tariffs could make solar more expensive

Should you buy technology now to avoid tariffs later?

If you are planning to buy a new iPhone, gaming console, MacBook or other technology, then buying it can save you money.

But if you don’t have cash and plan to use a credit card or buy it now, pay the plan later to avoid tariffs, experts say make sure you have the money to pay before starting interest. With the average interest rate on your credit card currently exceeding 20%, the cost of large purchase financing can quickly eliminate any savings you buy before the price rises due to tariffs.

“If you fund this fee on a credit card and cannot be fully paid in one to two months, you may end up spending more,” said Alaina Fingal, an accountant, founder of Organized Currency and a member of the CNET Currency Review Board. “I recommend you stop at any large purchases until the economy is more stable.”

Even if prices rise, one way to save on Apple products is to buy last year’s model instead of the latest version.

“If you don’t plan to upgrade next year, you don’t need to rush to buy a new smartphone,” Shawn Dubravac, chief economist at the Manufacturing Trade Association IPC, said in an email. “The technology is naturally deflated, which means that over time, the price will often lower the price of products of similar quality.”