Old and new iPhones could see up to Rs 10,000 price hike after iPhone 18 series launch: report
Ironically enough, Apple has been the subject of many jokes for its jaw-dropping pricing of its latest iPhones. However, in today’s time when a shortage of DRAM and NAND components has plagued the industry so hard, the company is one of the rare brands that has so far held phone prices steady (despite raising prices across several other product categories). However, that could change with the iPhone 18 series, as tipster Yogesh Brar claims Apple will raise the prices of both new and existing iPhone models by USD 100 (around Rs 9,500).
The revised rates are expected to take effect by September 8th, which is around the time when the next iPhone 18 series launches. The claim comes after several reports suggested that Apple could increase iPhone prices in India as rising memory and component costs put pressure on smartphone makers. However, no price revision has happened yet.
Show Full Article
iPhone 18, 17 series price hike expected
In a post on X, Brar said the new rates would arrive with the iPhone 18 Pro series, which is expected to launch in early September. He also said that Apple would raise prices across its new and older iPhone models, rather than limiting the increase to the upcoming devices. Brar’s claim pushes back against earlier reports of an August price increase, saying Apple doesn’t normally inform distributors about price revisions “weeks in advance”.
The expected lineup includes the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, while Apple is also rumoured to introduce its first book-style foldable iPhone, seemingly called the iPhone Ultra. The company is expected to discontinue the current Pro models after the new generation arrives as it usually does, while the iPhone 17, iPhone Air and iPhone 17e could remain on sale.
In India, the iPhone 17 currently starts at Rs 82,900 for 256GB, while the iPhone Air and iPhone 17e start at Rs 1,19,900 and Rs 64,900, respectively. A Rs 10,000-equivalent increase would take these prices to roughly Rs 92,900, Rs 1,29,900 and Rs 74,900. The iPhone 17 Pro series had brought a Rs 15,000 starting price increase from the iPhone 16 Pro models, but the base variant had also jumped from 128GB to 256GB. In effect, the variant-wise hike for the iPhone 17 Pro was only Rs 5,000. The iPhone 17 Pro was launched at Rs 1,34,900 last September.
The possibility of a hike comes after Apple increased prices for several Macs, iPads and smart-home products in June. iPhones, Apple Watch models and AirPods were excluded from that revision. Apple’s CEO Tim Cook has pointed to rising hardware costs, including higher memory prices driven by AI-related demand saying that hikes were “unavoidable”. Apple has also raised iPhone prices in Japan, suggesting that the company is increasingly willing to pass higher component costs on to customers.
Buyers already considering getting a new iPhone should act now. Normally, the iPhone 17 standard models get a price cut after a new launch, but that trend could reverse this year. Even the iPhone 18 could start at a much higher price compared to the starting Rs 82,900 price of the iPhone 17 lineup. Interestingly enough, flagships and even sub-flagships from Vivo, OPPO and Xiaomi are currently more expensive than the iPhone 17. The iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to be discontinued, so buyers specifically interested in those devices may also want to consider available stock before the new generation arrives.
