President Donald Trump exempted smartphones from his tariffs late last week. But as exciting as this news was, it was later revealed as a temporary exemption.
This means smartphone prices will rise as companies like Apple attempt to turn a profit on their devices. Some reports have indicated that an iPhone 17 Pro Max could cost as much as $2,300 after the tariffs start — a terrifying number for shoppers.
Once these reports started to emerge, users on Reddit began coming up with ways to beat the tariffs.
Upgrade your iPhone now instead of later
The first, and perhaps most obvious way to beat the tariff is to literally beat it by upgrading now if you can afford it. Sure, the top-of-the-line iPhone 16 Pro Max isn't cheap at $1,199, but compared to $2,300, the price is a lot easier to stomach.
iPhone 16 deals
But not everyone is willing to run out and buy an iPhone right now, whether they can't afford to or aren't ready to upgrade for another reason. For those users, it's all about maximizing the lifespan of their current iPhone. The same Reddit thread has some critical tips to help users keep their iPhone running for as long as possible.
However, that could be just a temporary solution, as you will need to upgrade at some point, and who knows what will happen with tariffs and trade wars a few years later. Could things get better? Sure. But they could also get worse.
Buy AppleCare+
AppleCare+ costs the same as before any tariffs came into play, and Apple hasn't changed the terms. If your iPhone breaks, whether by your own hand, a latent defect or loss, you can get a new one at minimal cost.
Currently, AppleCare+ is $13.99 a month or $139.99 annually. Compared to buying a new iPhone, the cost is minimal (of course, you're paying whether you use it or not, so there's a certain amount of risk involved).
It's not a bad idea to invest in AppleCare+ even without the looming threat of a $2,300 iPhone, but it's an even better investment with the uncertainty facing future iPhone buyers.
Care for your battery (or get a new battery)
The battery is one of the parts of an iPhone that will degrade through no fault of your own. And while you can't stop your battery life from worsening over time, you can slow down the process and keep your current phone longer, which you can read about on Apple's website.
If your battery is already too far gone but the other parts of your iPhone are working fine, you can pay Apple to replace the battery if it's below 80% capacity and you own an iPhone 6s or newer.
Again, you can head to Apple's website to learn all the details, but you can expect to pay between $69 and $119 for a new one, depending on the phone (the iPhone 6s is on the cheaper side while the iPhone 16 is on the more expensive side).
