iPhone Prices Reportedly May Climb

May 13, 2025 -- Today's top stories: iPhone Prices Reportedly May Climb, Trump Targets Big Pharma, and Sharp Sheds Legacy LCD Factory.

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By CommonWealth Magazine
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2025-05-13

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Apple reportedly plans to hike prices of upcoming iPhones

Apple is reportedly considering price hikes for its latest iPhone 17 models this autumn, but is keen to avoid linking any increases to U.S. tariffs on imports from China, where most of its devices are assembled.

The company is exploring whether to “couple” price increases with new features and designs, while trying to avoid the perception that any hikes are tied to U.S. tariffs. Increased tariffs are expected to cost Apple US$900 million in Q3, though the company has so far not confirmed if the U.S.-China trade war could impact the prices of its products.

The company is also now importing a larger portion of its iPhones from India, rather than China, to mitigate tariffs.

Apple is among the most prominent firms caught in U.S.-China trade tensions, which intensified in recent months after a series of tariffs initiated by President Donald Trump.

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Trump announces a decree to lower medication prices in the United States

(Source: Reuters)

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing drugmakers to lower the prices of their medicines in the United States to align with what other countries pay.

White House officials said the government will give drugmakers price targets in the next month, and will take further action within six months if those companies do not make "significant progress" towards the goal of lower prices.

The order is based on a "most favored nation" pricing model, similar to a policy Trump pushed in his first administration but ultimately failed following legal challenges. Nearly 70 million Americans rely on Medicare, while Medicaid serves nearly 80 million low-income or disabled recipients.

While prescription drug prices under Medicare and Medicaid can vary, Trump's new executive order aims to lower prices for all patients.

The U.S. currently pays significantly more for prescription drugs than consumers in other countries.

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Sharp to sell once-iconic LCD factory in Japan to Foxconn

(Source: Nikkei Asia)

Japanese electronics company Sharp has decided to sell a liquid crystal display (LCD) plant in Kameyama, in the Western Prefecture of Mie, to parent company Foxconn of Taiwan.

LCD TVs made at the factory were once known as the "Kameyama model" and played a significant role in burnishing the Sharp brand globally.

As panel prices fall due to increased production by Chinese manufacturers and their profitability shrinks, Sharp is selling the plant to downsize its LCD panel business and bolster its financial performance.

The Kameyama factory manufactures small and medium-sized display panels for smartphones, tablets, and PCs.

In addition to selling the Kameyama second building, it will also optimize production capacity at another plant in Mie Prefecture that manufactures small and medium-sized panels.

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