NEW YORK, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Apple is weighing price increases for its fall iPhone lineup, a step it is seeking to couple with new features and design changes, reported The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Monday, adding that the company is determined to avoid any scenario in which it appears to attribute price increases to U.S. tariffs on goods from China, where most Apple devices are assembled.

New iPhones set to be released in the fall include some design and format changes, including an ultrathin design. The investment bank Jefferies estimates that of the approximately 65 million iPhones Apple sold in the United States last year, around 36 to 39 million were Pro or Pro Max models.

This fall's lineup is expected to include a thinner model that would stand in the place of the current iPhone 16 Plus, which retails for 899 U.S. dollars in the United States.

Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook "has been facing pressure over the U.S.-China trade conflict, which threatens Apple's supply chain," noted the report. In response, he built up inventory in March before tariffs were announced and shifted manufacturing for the U.S. market to India. He said earlier this month that a majority of iPhones shipped to the United States in the April-to-June quarter would come from India. ■