Apple has launched the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in India, bringing the company's latest A20 Pro chip, a new variable-aperture 48MP Fusion camera and several other upgrades to its flagship lineup. However, the launch has also brought a major change to Apple's existing iPhone portfolio in the country. The company has increased the prices of several existing iPhone models in India, including the iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17e and iPhone 16.
iPhone 17 Price Hiked to Rs 99,900
The iPhone 17 now starts at Rs 99,900 in India, up from its earlier starting price of Rs 82,900. This represents a Rs 17,000 price increase for the base 256GB model. The iPhone 17 features a 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion, the A19 chip, a 48MP Dual Fusion camera system and Apple Intelligence support. With the latest revision, the standard iPhone 17 now comes considerably closer to the Rs 1 lakh price mark, while higher storage variants cross it.
iPhone Air Gets Rs 30,000 Price Hike
The iPhone Air has received the biggest price increase among the affected models. Its starting price has gone up from Rs 1,19,900 to Rs 1,49,900, resulting in a massive Rs 30,000 hike. The iPhone Air features a 6.5-inch ProMotion display, A19 Pro chip, titanium frame and a 48MP Fusion camera. It was introduced as Apple's thinnest iPhone and sits between the standard and Pro models in the company's lineup.
The latest price makes the iPhone Air significantly more expensive in India and brings its starting price much closer to the company's Pro lineup.
iPhone 17e Price Increased to Rs 79,900
Apple has also increased the price of the iPhone 17e in India. The smartphone now starts at Rs 79,900, compared to its earlier starting price of Rs 64,900, translating to a Rs 15,000 increase. The iPhone 17e was launched as the more affordable entry point into the iPhone 17 family. It comes with a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display, A19 chip, 48MP Fusion camera and Apple Intelligence support. Apple originally launched the 256GB model at Rs 64,900 in India.
iPhone 16 Also Gets a Major Price Hike
The iPhone 16 has also become more expensive in India. Its starting price has increased from Rs 69,900 to Rs 89,900, representing a Rs 20,000 price hike. This is particularly notable as the iPhone 16 is now an older-generation model, yet its revised pricing puts it significantly higher than its previous price point. The increase also reduces the price gap between Apple's older models and its newer generation of iPhones.
Apple iPhone Prices Are Now Significantly Higher
Following the latest revision, the iPhone 17 now starts at Rs 99,900, while the iPhone Air starts at Rs 1,49,900. The iPhone 17e is priced from Rs 79,900, and the iPhone 16 starts at Rs 89,900.
That means Apple's existing iPhone lineup has become substantially more expensive at a time when consumers are already facing higher smartphone prices across the market.
Apple's latest price revision comes at an interesting point for the smartphone market. The company has traditionally reduced the prices of older iPhones after introducing a new generation, but this time, several existing models have instead become significantly more expensive. The Rs 30,000 hike on the iPhone Air is the biggest shock, while the iPhone 17 moving to Rs 99,900 makes Apple's standard flagship considerably harder to recommend on value alone. The bigger story, however, is the rising cost of smartphone memory. With DRAM and NAND prices climbing sharply because of the AI-driven demand for memory, the pressure is no longer limited to budget smartphones. Apple's latest price revisions show that even premium smartphone makers are now adjusting prices as component costs rise. For consumers, this could mean that the era of older iPhones getting cheaper after a new launch may be changing, at least while the current memory crunch continues.
