Update, Sunday, August 2. This article has been updated with details on Apple’s projected price rises and hardware leasing program.
People check the current iPhone 17 lineup at an Apple store in Shanghai (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)
GF Securities analyst Jeff Pu has downgraded Apple to “Hold” following the company’s quarterly guidance. Citing rising costs for TSMC’s silicon wafers and inflationary pressures on NAND and DRAM memory, Pu expects the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max to cost $200 to $300 more when the new smartphones launch in September.
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