Bestselling author: I've interviewed hundreds of ultra-successful people—most of them share these 2 skills
Over more than a decade of interviewing successful people, Tim Ferriss has noticed two specific traits that he says most of them have in common.
They practice some type of meditation regularly, he says — and they're good at saying "no."
Ferriss is well-acquainted with success as an early investor in tech companies like Facebook, Uber and Twitter, and as the author of multiple New York Times bestselling books. He's interviewed hundreds of successful people — from fellow entrepreneurs and investors to athletes, entertainers and mental health experts — on "The Tim Ferriss Show," a podcast he launched in 2014.
Practicing both skills — meditation and saying "no" when necessary — can help improve your ability to focus, says Ferriss, a bestselling author, investor and entrepreneur. Most successful people are able to "train themselves and the people around them to understand certain priorities during certain periods of time, and those are all learnable skills, in my opinion," he says.
"That means internal and external distractions are blocked off," Ferriss adds.
"I would say at least 70%, probably more than 80%, [of those people] have some type of what I and even they would describe as a meditative practice, whether that's actual meditation or something very similar in terms of [the] benefits," says Ferriss.
That includes various types of "simple meditation" that you can do "once or twice a day… typically in the mornings," says Ferriss, who practices Transcendental Meditation (TM) himself. TM is a proprietary form of meditation that requires participants to sit for up to 20 minutes at a time, twice per day, while silently repeating a mantra. Famous adherents include Oprah Winfrey, Lady Gaga, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey and hedge fund billionaire Ray Dalio.Billionaire Bill Gates is another proponent of meditation — a practice he picked up in his 60s after years of dismissing the practice as "a woo-woo thing tied somehow to reincarnation," he wrote in a December 2018 blog post. He touted the practice as "an exercise for the mind" that improved his focus, even just doing it "two or three times a week, for about 10 minutes each time," he wrote.
If more formal types of meditation don't appeal to you, or you have trouble sitting still, other types of exercise can help you relax and improve your concentration, Ferriss says. Running can serve as a form of meditation, helping you calm your mind and focus, psychologists say.
"It could be something like swimming, running: something that has a sort of rhythmic nature to it," Ferriss says.
Most of the successful people Ferriss has interacted with are "very good at saying 'no' and putting on blinders in our current world of noise," he says.
He points to a quote from Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who once said he was proud to have said "no" to so many ideas, leading to his company only selling what he considered the very best products. "Focusing is about saying 'no,'" Jobs said at Apple's 1997 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), adding: "You've got to say 'no, no, no' and when you say 'no,' you piss off people."
Countless people, events and devices will always vie for your attention, at work and at home, and learning to say "no" to distractions can make you more productive. For some people, that means carving out a block of time — or even a dedicated workspace — to have uninterrupted focus on a project, free from social media or other people, Ferriss notes.
Some experts recommend practicing polite phrases to turn away, even temporarily, people seeking your attention when you need to focus. Try "May I take a day to get back to you?" or the more blunt, "Sorry, no," efficiency expert Juliet Funt wrote for CNBC Make It in June 2021.
Warren Buffett agrees, summing up his philosophy on the importance of saying "no" in an interview for author James Clear's 2018 book "Atomic Habits."
"The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say 'no' to almost everything," Buffett said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Why Qualcomm's (QCOM) Long-Term Prospects Shine, Even if the Stock Doesn't
Qualcomm (QCOM) has underperformed over the past year, declining 26%, primarily due to macroeconomic factors rather than internal company mechanics. Although the company's fundamentals remain very solid, it has faced some headwinds, such as concerns that its business is too concentrated on Apple (AAPL) for modem revenue, despite its broader operations still being more rooted in the Android ecosystem. Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter Still, that doesn't stop me from seeing the stock as a long-term Buy—especially since my bullishness comes from Qualcomm's key competitive advantage: its ability to build the Snapdragon platform, which integrates a modem, CPU, and even a GPU chip—something no other competitor can currently match. This positions the company to tap into new business opportunities that could help offset its current customer concentration. Beyond that, Qualcomm's asset-light model allows it to generate very high returns on its investments, highlighting its operational efficiency, strong financial health, and consistent value creation for shareholders. This helps justify the company trading at a slightly stretched valuation when considering its operational profits relative to enterprise value. When looking for value stocks, one of the most important factors—if not the most important—is a company's ability to generate consistent earnings. Examining QCOM's balance sheet reveals a capital-light, high-margin model driven by intellectual property (IP) and characterized by heavy investment in research and development (R&D). As a fabless semiconductor company, Qualcomm relies on external manufacturing partners such as TSMC (TSM) and Samsung (SSNLF) for chip production. Notably, only approximately 7% of its $55.3 billion in total assets is allocated to property, plant, and equipment (PP&E), which is relatively low compared to the industry average. This underscores the efficiency of its asset-light business model and the minimal physical infrastructure required to support its operations. Roughly 18% of its assets are classified as goodwill, indicating a strong track record of acquisitions, which is clearly part of its strategy to acquire intellectual property (IP) or talent rather than build everything in-house. One recent example is the $2.4 billion acquisition of the UK-based semiconductor firm Alphawave. Additionally, approximately 12% of Qualcomm's total assets are tied to IP licensing and chip design. That makes sense, given its dominant position in the Android smartphone chip market, especially in the high-end segment with its Snapdragon lineup. Given that around 37% of Qualcomm's total assets are intangible, it's worth considering the company's actual operational efficiency once these intangibles are excluded. To gain a clearer picture, it is sensible to examine how Qualcomm allocates its limited tangible capital to generate profits. Over the past twelve months, Qualcomm produced an operating profit of $12.3 billion. During the same period, its net working capital was approximately $2.7 billion, and its invested capital—mainly property, plant, and equipment, and other intangibles—totaled roughly $8.28 billion. Dividing the operating profit by this invested capital plus working capital yields an eye-catching ~112% return on capital (ROC). That kind of number highlights Qualcomm's exceptional operational efficiency, something typically only seen in asset-light, IP-driven tech or software companies. For context, most of these firms operate with a return on capital (ROC) well below 50%. In short, despite a balance sheet loaded with intangibles, Qualcomm proves that it's highly efficient with the real capital it uses. And that translates into three key advantages: sustainable value creation, a durable competitive moat, and stronger financial flexibility. Even a company with a high return on capital isn't necessarily a buy—not if you're overpaying for it. That's why it's vital to assess operating profitability in relation to the company's total valuation, not just traditional P/E or P/B metrics. One way to do this is by comparing operating profit to enterprise value (EV), which reflects what the market is actually paying for the entire business. In Qualcomm's case, we can measure this by dividing its operating profit by its enterprise value (EV). Over the last twelve months, Qualcomm generated $12.3 billion in operating profit, while its current enterprise value stands at $164.6 billion. That results in an earnings yield of 7.5%. To interpret that number correctly, it should be compared to Qualcomm's cost of capital. Using a 10-year treasury yield of 4.5%, a beta of 1.2, and an equity risk premium of 4–5%, the estimated cost of equity falls between 9% and 10%. Since the earnings yield of 7.5% is below this range, Qualcomm doesn't appear particularly cheap at the moment. However, judged against historic performance against the S&P 500 (SPX), QCOM stock has underperformed. That said, this isn't necessarily a red flag. Even if the stock looks a bit expensive on this metric, Qualcomm continues to create value through its exceptional return on capital and strong cash generation. This is reflected in its sustainable 2.28% dividend yield and $16.5 billion in share buybacks over the past four years. Given Qualcomm's maturity, profitability, and operational efficiency, a lower earnings yield may be viewed as acceptable, reflecting a premium for quality and stability. Analyst sentiment on Qualcomm stock is somewhat mixed. Out of 17 experts who've issued ratings in the past three months, eight are bullish, eight are neutral, and just one is bearish. Still, there's little hesitation when it comes to upside expectations. Qualcomm's average stock price target is at $177.75, suggesting ~14% in potential upside over the next twelve months. While traditional valuation metrics may indicate that Qualcomm is undervalued, I believe that perspective overlooks the company's strong operational efficiency. Qualcomm doesn't need to appear 'cheap' to represent a compelling investment opportunity. Its robust, above-average returns on capital, driven by an asset-light business model, demonstrate its ability to create substantial shareholder value and may, in fact, justify a valuation premium. Viewed through this fundamental lens, and given Qualcomm's consistent track record of long-term value creation, I consider it a solid long-term investment, even at its current, relatively full valuation. Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Politico
an hour ago
- Politico
IRA incentive boosters take to the airwaves
Presented by Recycled Materials Association With Daniel Lippman AD BLITZ: Advocacy groups and trade associations continue pouring money into advertising to support various priorities in the reconciliation bill. Two new campaigns launched this week to support the Inflation Reduction Act's clean energy incentives alone. — They include a six-figure ad blitz from Advanced Energy United, a coalition made up of energy stakeholders and tech companies that is targeting Republican senators the group sees as winnable on the issue of protecting the IRA tax credits. — The digital campaign, the details of which were shared exclusively with PI, will target constituents of Sens. Todd Young (Ind.), Tim Scott (S.C.), Dave McCormick (Pa.), Thom Tillis (N.C.) and Jerry Moran (Kan.) with display and Facebook ads touting the economic benefits of the IRA incentives in their respective states. The ads will also run inside the Beltway to target Hill staffers. — The ad buy will be accompanied by a letter campaign from local energy companies urging senators like Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) to protect the clean energy incentives. It follows a similar campaign on the House side by the coalition, whose members include NRG, Microsoft, Blink, Rivian, Oracle, Carrier and Ford. — A second new campaign to save the IRA provisions is focused on persuading President Donald Trump (or at least his inner circle). The $2 million ad buy from GOP-led Built for America will run over the next three weeks on platforms closely watched by Trump and his allies, including on Fox News, Truth Social and various conservative podcasts. — The 30-second spot borrows Trump's own language to make the case against gutting the tax credits, contending that 'Trump country is booming' thanks to the incentives, which are helping put 'America first.' — The Association of Equipment Manufacturers is also out with a new nationwide ad buy supporting the reconciliation bill's tax extensions specifically, with a minute-long ad arguing that the bill would keep equipment manufacturers in America by providing certainty to make investments. Happy Wednesday and welcome to PI. Send tips. You can add me on Signal, email me at coprysko@ and be sure to follow me on X: @caitlinoprysko. FIRST IN PI — FLANAGAN'S CORPORATE MONEY FLIP-FLOP: Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who's running for an open U.S. Senate seat, has made rejecting corporate money a major part of her campaign platform. But she accepted millions of dollars in corporate cash on behalf of the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association when she was its chair, Daniel reports. — Flanagan's launch video said she wouldn't take 'one dime from corporate interests.' In April, she said in a video on X that 'taking corporate money is a choice' and she is 'not taking money from corporations and I never will.' — But Flanagan helped raise more than $2 million in corporate money last year when she was chair of the DLGA. That included half a million dollars from the pharmaceutical industry, almost $300,000 from the tech industry and around $100,000 from the tobacco industry, according to a PI analysis of FEC records. — And even as Flanagan says her campaign won't take corporate cash, NOTUS reported last week that DLGA plans to spend big to support lieutenant governors like Flanagan who are running in open primaries and has already maxed out in direct contributions to her campaign — meaning that at least some of that money could have come from corporations. — Flanagan is facing Rep. Angie Craig (D) in the campaign to fill the Senate seat of Sen. Tina Smith (D), who's retiring. Before joining Congress, Craig, as part of her private-sector job, ran a corporate PAC that gave to many prominent Republicans. Last cycle, she was the 12th-largest recipient among House Democrats of money from corporate PACs, taking $1.3 million from them during that time, according to OpenSecrets. — 'Peggy is the only candidate in this race to reject corporate PAC money,' campaign spokesperson Alexandra Fetissoff said in a statement to PI. 'This is a transparent attempt to distract from Angie Craig's continued funding from big corporations like Elon Musk's SpaceX. People want leaders who are willing to take a stand and make the choice to only be beholden to their constituents. Only Peggy has made that choice.' QUIGLEY CHIEF HEADED DOWNTOWN: Allison Jarus has left the Hill after 12 years to join Arnold & Porter as a policy adviser. Jarus spent the past decade working for Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), most recently as his chief of staff. — Jarus helped handle Quigley's work on the House Appropriations Committee and was a key architect of the 2021 legislation to increase access for experimental treatments for ALS patients. Before joining Quigley's office, she worked for Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) and former Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio). FLYING SOLO: 'Lobbyists usually run in herds at bipartisan firms, but a slice of K Street takes a lone-wolf approach to the influence game,' Bloomberg's Kate Ackley reports. 'Those who opt to go it alone say it makes for a leaner, more nimble operation, reduces potential client conflicts, and gives them control over how they operate the business.' — 'In good times, a single-lobbyist enterprise can rake in big money that the rainmaker doesn't have to share. But risks abound. … Solo lobbying firms are more vulnerable to the whims of elections, and often rise or fall on which policy fights are hot at the moment. The presidential transition and flip in control of the Senate can ripple into K Street bottom lines, with one-person firms especially susceptible.' — Still, 'more than 50 solo shops reported revenue of $1 million or more last year, according to a Bloomberg Government analysis of federal lobbying disclosures, accounting for nearly $80 million in fees.' INSIDERS, TRADING: 'As markets tanked in the wake of President Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariffs in early April, members of Congress and their families made hundreds of stock trades, shining a spotlight on a controversial practice that some lawmakers have pushed to ban,' according to the Wall Street Journal's Katy Stech Ferek, Jack Gillum, James Benedict and Gunjan Banerji. — 'From April 2, when Trump launched the sweeping tariffs, to April 8, the day before he paused many of them, more than a dozen House lawmakers and their family members made more than 700 stock trades, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of disclosure filings.' FLY-IN SZN: A handful of health care groups headed to the Hill today, including the Children's Hospital Association, which focused on urging lawmakers to strengthen Medicaid, grow the pediatric health care workforce and address the mental health crisis among youth. Kidney Care Partners also trekked up Pennsylvania Avenue to lobby for improved access and coverage for those with kidney failure. — Advocates with the American Telemedicine Association were in town as well to advocate for the industry's top priorities, which include making permanent various telehealth permissions and expanding coverage for telehealth services, including prescription digital therapeutics and virtual medical nutritionists. The trade group was slated to meet with more than 40 offices on the Hill, including leaders in the House and Senate and on key committees. — And more than 1,000 homebuilders were fanning out across Washington for a fly-in focused on several priorities of the National Association of Home Builders, including loosening energy standards for new homes and addressing workforce shortages. — Tax policy was also expected to be front of mind in the group's more than 250 meetings on the Hill and with the Trump administration: NAHB is pushing for an expanded low-income housing tax credit, fewer SALT cap restrictions and the preservation of clean energy tax credits. — Leaders from the convenience services industry will be on the Hill tomorrow, but the National Automatic Merchandising Association will kick off the fun with a pop-up micro market at tonight's Congressional Baseball Game. SPOTTED at a reception hosted by the Alpine Group celebrating the recent opening of the firm's new Dallas-Fort Worth outpost, per a tipster: Keenan Austin Reed, Barry Brown, Rhod Shaw and Greg Walden of Alpine Group; Pat Shortridge of TrailRunner International; Stewart Hall of PPHC; Reps. Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas), Marc Veasey (R-Texas), Brandon Gill (R-Texas) and Jodey Arrington (R-Texas); Katie Vincentz and Russell Thomasson of Arrington's office; Andrew Leppert of Gill's office; Ryan Dilworth and Brayden Woods of Van Duyne's office; Tasia Jackson of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' office; Mark Longoria of Rep. Michael Cloud's (R-Texas) office; Matt Esguerra of Rep. Lance Gooden's (R-Texas) office; Karen Navarro of Rep. Monica De La Cruz's (R-Texas) office; Raven Reeder of Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton's (D-D.C.) office; Hayden Upchurch of Rep. Nathaniel Moran's (R-Texas) office; Jianna Covarelli of Cornyn's office; Emily Stipe of Vistra Corp.; Nick D'Angelo of Eaton Corp.; and Drew Wayne of Siemens. Jobs report — Doug Sellers has joined the advisory board at BGR Group. He's a senior counselor at Palantir and was a special assistant to Trump during his first term and served as White House associate staff secretary. — Adam Minehardt is joining Chainlink Labs as head of public policy. He was previously a principal at FS Vector. — Connor Rabb has joined the National Association of Manufacturers as senior director of tax policy. He was previously a legislative assistant for Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa). — Sabrina Singh is joining Seven Letter as a partner. She most recently was deputy press secretary at the Defense Department and is a Kamala Harris alum. — Tom Corry is joining Rubrum Advising to launch a government affairs practice at the firm. He was most recently managing director of Corry Advisors and was previously assistant secretary for public affairs at HHS and senior adviser to former Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma. — Jennifer Short has joined Capital Park Partners as an adviser. She was most recently a senior military assistant to the secretary of Defense in both the Biden and Trump administrations and is an Air Force veteran. — Sam Varie is joining the Australian Embassy as U.S. media and external relations manager. Varie was previously communications director for Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.). — Karina Lubell will be a partner at Brunswick Group. She previously led the competition policy and advocacy section at DOJ's Antitrust Division. — Ashley Moir has launched Ashley Moir Media, a PR company with booking services, media training and comms strategy. She most recently was director of national broadcast operations at Deploy/US and is a former senior booker at Fox News. — Gopal Das Varma is now a vice president at Cornerstone Research. He previously was vice president at Charles River Associates and is a DOJ Antitrust Division alum. — Allison Rivera will be vice president for government and industry affairs at the National Grain and Feed Association. She most recently was executive director of government affairs at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. — Steven Ferenczy has joined the American Council of Life Insurers as assistant vice president for paid leave policy and implementation. He was previously a first vice president and compliance consultant at Alliant. — Richard Johnson has joined OpenAI as its national security risk mitigation lead, Morning Defense reports. He was previously DOD deputy assistant secretary for nuclear and countering weapons of mass destruction policy. — Joseph Humire is now a deputy assistant secretary of Defense for policy, per MD. He was previously executive director of the Center for a Secure Free Society and a senior fellow at the America First Policy Institute and Heritage Foundation. New Joint Fundraisers Team Coughlin (Coughlin for Congress, One Country, One Destiny PAC) New PACs AMERICANS READY TO WORK PAC (Super PAC) Cohabitate PAC (PAC) Empire State Patriots PAC (PAC) PATIENTS RISING PAC (PAC) Reengineer NJ PAC Inc. (Super PAC) New Lobbying REGISTRATIONS Alston & Bird LLP: Performance Health Atlas Crossing LLC: Trinity University Capitol Counsel LLC: Boviet Solar USa Capitol Resources, LLC: The Federation Of Korean Industries Coreweave, Inc.: Coreweave, Inc. Dc Advocacy, LLC: Konecranes Finland Corp. Dc Advocacy, LLC: Logistec Marine Services Ulc Fgs Global (US) LLC (Fka Fgh Holdings LLC): Six Continents Hotels, Inc. Franklin Square Group, LLC: Fiat Chain Holdings LLC Holland & Knight LLP: Wood Mackenzie Invariant LLC: Oldendorff Carriers USa, Inc. King & Spalding LLP: Lifegift Kyowa Kirin, Inc: Kyowa Kirin, Inc Leavitt Partners, LLC: Orchard Therapeutics North America Mercury Public Affairs, LLC: Novant Health, Inc. Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP: Flashpoint Intelligence Polsinelli Pc: Clairity, Inc. Resolution Public Affairs, LLC: Jp Morgan Chase Holdings Rutledge Policy Group, LLC: Brownstein (Bhfs, LLP) Obo Apollo Global Management Sorini, Samet & Associates, LLC: Popp Forest Products Inc. Stapleton & Associates, LLC: Intellisense Systems, Inc. Steptoe LLP: Early Warning Services, LLC Stoick Consulting, LLC: Resident Home, Inc. Sullivan Strategies LLC (Fka Sb Capitol Solutions): Vontier Business Services, LLC New Lobbying Terminations Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Vector Group Ltd
CNET
an hour ago
- CNET
Yes, an iPhone Could Cost More Than $2,200 With Tariffs. Should You Buy One Now?
Tariffs could soon raise the price of iPhone. James Martin/CNET President Donald Trump announced he has made a deal with China, which could potentially affect the cost of a new iPhone -- but maybe not as much as you think. "WE ARE GETTING A TOTAL OF 55% TARIFFS, CHINA IS GETTING 10%," Trump said in a post on Truth Social, noting that he and China's president, Xi Jinping, still need to give their final approval for the deal. However, 55% "total" tariff incorporates 30% the countries agreed to in May (10% "reciprocal tariff" + 20% "fentanyl tariff") and approximately 25% from tariffs that Trump imposed on China during his first term, according to a White House official. Although 55% is substantially less than the original 145% tariff against China Trump originally put in place, it's still likely to result in higher prices for many items, said Michael Coon, associate professor of economics at the University of Tampa. And the new tariff deal doesn't take into account the 25% smartphone tariff Trump announced shortly after Apple said it was moving production of US iPhones to India. "I would suspect that the 25% smartphone tariff would be added on top of the existing tariffs in China," he said. "I think the smartphone tariff is more reaction to India -- Apple's announcement that they were going to ship most of their production to India." Apple didn't mention tariffs during its Worldwide Developers Conference this week, but with the rumored iPhone 17 due for a price hike -- regardless of tariffs -- is now the time to buy a new iPhone? Read more: Thinking About Buying a New iPhone? Here's Why You Should Wait How much could tariffs raise iPhone prices? We do the math Companies don't always pass the full tariff onto customers in the form of higher prices, but they can. Even if Apple could absorb some of the costs, you should expect to see significant price jumps if tariffs take effect. "They're still going to probably pass 80% to 90% onto consumers, if they can," Coon said. "Unless they wanted to do some sort of marketing ploy out of it, which I don't suspect they would want to do, because that would be directly going up against the administration." Based on the current tariff rate, iPhones manufactured in China are already subject to a 25% tariff (from Trump's first term), but could now get an additional 30% tariff. Goods from India currently have a 10% baseline tariff but that could potentially soar to 26% next month. Here's how the current tariffs and potential 25% Apple tariff could affect the price of the iPhone. These figures are based on our estimates and not confirmed by Apple: How much could iPhones made in China cost after tariffs? Current price With new 30% tariff New tariff + 25% smartphone tariff iPhone 16e (128GB) $599 $779 $928 iPhone 16 (128GB) $829 $1,078 $1,285 iPhone 16 Plus (128GB) $929 $1,208 $1,440 iPhone 16 Pro (128GB) $999 $1,299 $1,548 iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) $1,199 $1,559 $1,858 iPhone 16 Pro Max (1TB) $1,599 $2,079 $2,478 How much could iPhones made in India cost after tariffs? Current price Current 10% tariff Potential 26% tariff Potential 26% tariff + 25% smartphone tariff iPhone 16e (128GB) $599 $659 $755 $904 iPhone 16 (128GB) $829 $912 $1,045 $1,252 iPhone 16 Plus (128GB) $929 $1,022 $1,171 $1,403 iPhone 16 Pro (128GB) $999 $1,099 $1,259 $1,508 iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) $1,199 $1,319 $1,511 $1,810 iPhone 16 Pro Max (1TB) $1,599 $1,759 $2,015 $2,414 Based on Coon's estimates that Apple could pass along up to 90% of the tariff cost to customers, that could raise the price of a new iPhone 16 Pro Max (1 TB) assembled in China to $2,230. "Estimates say it would cost $3,500 to produce an iPhone in the US. So, it would still be cheaper to produce in China," Coon said. There's a lot more that goes into the price of an iPhone than simply where it's assembled. Apple sources components for its products from a long list of countries, which could face higher tariffs after the pause. And a tariff on goods doesn't necessarily mean prices will increase by the same amount. If companies want to stay competitive, they could absorb some of the costs to keep their prices lower. Apple did not respond to a request for comment. When could we see iPhone prices increase? It's unclear exactly when prices could go up, but if companies sell out of devices produced before the tariffs, they may have to increase prices on products in tariffed shipments. However, even if Apple can't avoid tariffs entirely, it has ways to offset the impact through its services -- including its music, news and data plans -- according to supply chain expert Joe Hudicka. "Apple will likely absorb some of the tariff costs up front to keep sticker prices stable, then pass the rest on to consumers gradually through service bundles, device longevity and ecosystem upgrades," he said. "Consumers will still pay, just not all at once." And regardless of how the tariff drama plays out, the Wall Street Journal reports that Apple plans to raise iPhone prices later this year. So expect prices to go up soon. Is it better to buy an iPhone and other tech now or wait? If you already planned to buy a new smartphone, buying it now might save you money. But if you don't need a new phone immediately, you might want to wait, said CNET Managing Editor Patrick Holland, who's been reviewing phones for CNET since 2016. "If iPhone prices rise, know that, like cars, the prices for used iPhones will likely rise, too," he said. "If Apple does raise its prices, you'll likely get more for your old iPhone when you trade it in, and that should offset any increased prices." If you don't have the cash on hand and are considering using a credit card or buy now, pay later plan just to avoid tariffs, make sure you have the money to cover the costs before you start accruing interest. With credit cards' average interest rates currently more than 20%, the cost of financing a big purchase could quickly wipe out any savings you'd get by buying before prices go up because of tariffs. "If you finance this expense on a credit card and can't pay it off in full in one to two months, you'll likely end up paying way more than a tariff would cost you," said Alaina Fingal, an accountant, founder of The Organized Money and a CNET Money Expert Review Board member. "I would recommend that you pause on any big purchases until the economy is more stable." One way to save on Apple products, even if prices go up, is to buy last year's model instead of the newest release or a used one. And trading or selling a used one can help offset the cost even more. "Apple has leaned into that with its Certified Refurbished program, much like the auto industry's used car model," Hudicka said. "This program helps extend the lifespan of devices, keeping customers in the Apple ecosystem longer while distributing the cost impact over time." Buy or Wait Guide: How Tariffs Will Change Tech Prices and What to Do Next Buy or Wait Guide: How Tariffs Will Change Tech Prices and What to Do Next Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:30 Loaded : 79.36% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:30 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Buy or Wait Guide: How Tariffs Will Change Tech Prices and What to Do Next
