Apple has surprised buyers in India with higher prices for several existing iPhone models following the launch of its latest iPhone 18 Pro lineup. Instead of making older iPhones cheaper, Apple has increased their prices, making some previous-generation models much more expensive than they were just a day earlier.
The price changes affect the iPhone 17, iPhone 17e, iPhone Air and iPhone 16. Apple has also removed the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max from its official lineup after introducing their successors.
iPhone 17 price jumps by up to ₹22,000
The regular iPhone 17 has received one of the biggest changes. When it launched in India, the 256GB model started at ₹82,900. Apple has now raised that price to ₹99,900.
The 512GB version has also become more expensive. It previously cost ₹1,02,900 and is now listed at ₹1,24,900. That means the higher-storage version has gone up by ₹22,000.
| iPhone 17 version | Earlier price | New price | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| 256GB | ₹82,900 | ₹99,900 | ₹17,000 |
| 512GB | ₹1,02,900 | ₹1,24,900 | ₹22,000 |
The increase is especially notable because buyers normally expect an older iPhone to become cheaper when Apple introduces a new generation. This time, the opposite has happened.
iPhone 17e also becomes more expensive
The iPhone 17e has also received a significant price increase in India. Its 256GB version previously started at ₹64,900. The same storage option now costs ₹79,900.
The 512GB model is now priced at ₹1,04,900.
| iPhone 17e version | Earlier price | New price | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| 256GB | ₹64,900 | ₹79,900 | ₹15,000 |
| 512GB | ₹89,900 | ₹1,04,900 | ₹15,000 |
This makes the iPhone 17e considerably more expensive than its original launch price. The phone itself has not received a new hardware upgrade as part of this price change. The change is to its selling price.
iPhone Air gets a ₹30,000 starting-price increase
Apple has also raised the price of the iPhone Air in India. The phone previously started at ₹1,19,900 for 256GB. It is now listed from ₹1,49,900, which is a ₹30,000 increase.
The current Apple India store lists the 256GB model at ₹1,49,900, the 512GB model at ₹1,69,900 and the 1TB model at ₹1,89,900
This is another major change for shoppers who were waiting for a lower price after the new iPhone launch. Instead of getting a discount, buyers now face a higher starting price.
Even the iPhone 16 is more expensive
The price increase is not limited to the newer models. Apple has also increased the price of the iPhone 16 in India.
The phone previously started at ₹69,900, while the new starting price is ₹89,900. That represents a ₹20,000 increase.
The change makes the iPhone 16 a much less obvious budget choice for shoppers who want an Apple phone without paying for the latest generation.
Apple’s current India store now lists the iPhone 16 from ₹89,900.
What happened to the iPhone 17 Pro models?
Apple has also changed the lineup itself. The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max have been removed from Apple’s official lineup following the introduction of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
That does not necessarily mean remaining stock disappears immediately. Retailers may continue selling the older Pro models while supplies last, but Apple no longer lists them as part of its main current iPhone range.
Apple’s current lineup in India includes the iPhone 16, iPhone 17e, iPhone 17, iPhone Air and the newly introduced iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. The company has also opened preorders for its new foldable iPhone Duo.
New iPhone prices in India at a glance
The changes are easier to understand when the current starting prices are placed together.
| Model | Current starting price in India | Change |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 16 | ₹89,900 | Increased by ₹20,000 from its earlier ₹69,900 price |
| iPhone 17e | ₹79,900 | Increased by ₹15,000 from its earlier ₹64,900 price |
| iPhone 17 | ₹99,900 | Increased by ₹17,000 from its earlier ₹82,900 price |
| iPhone Air | ₹1,49,900 | Increased by ₹30,000 from its earlier ₹1,19,900 price |
| iPhone 18 Pro | ₹1,64,900 | New model |
| iPhone 18 Pro Max | ₹1,79,900 | New model |
Apple’s official India store currently shows these revised prices across its available iPhone lineup.
Why did Apple raise the prices?
Apple has not publicly given a detailed India-specific explanation for each individual price change. However, the price increases come at a time when memory and storage components have become more expensive globally.
Apple CEO Tim Cook had previously warned that the company was facing higher memory costs and could no longer absorb all of those increases. Industry reports have also connected the wider price pressure to strong demand for memory from artificial intelligence and data-center companies.
It is important, however, not to describe the component shortage as Apple’s officially stated reason for every individual Indian price change. Apple has changed the prices, but the company has not provided a detailed public breakdown explaining the exact increase for each model.
What this means for iPhone buyers
The latest change makes the buying decision more complicated. People who were waiting for the iPhone 18 Pro launch in the hope of getting a cheaper iPhone 17 or iPhone 16 now face higher official Apple prices.
For buyers comparing the current models, the main options are now:
- The iPhone 16 is the older and lower-priced option, but its official price has increased sharply.
- The iPhone 17 offers newer hardware and starts at ₹99,900.
- The iPhone 17e remains below the iPhone 17 but now starts at ₹79,900.
- The iPhone Air starts at ₹1,49,900 and sits much closer to Apple’s premium models in price.
Third-party retailers may still offer discounts or different prices, so Apple’s official price is not necessarily the final amount every customer will pay in the wider market.
Apple’s new pricing changes the usual iPhone upgrade pattern
Apple’s decision is unusual because its yearly launches often create a clear price ladder. A new model arrives at the top, while older models remain available at lower prices.
This time, the company has taken a different approach. The iPhone 17 has moved closer to the ₹1 lakh mark, while the iPhone 16 is now only ₹10,000 cheaper than the iPhone 17’s starting price.
That smaller gap could influence buyers to compare the newer iPhone 17 more closely instead of automatically choosing the older iPhone 16 to save money.
The price gap between the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air is also now ₹50,000 at the starting level, while the iPhone 18 Pro begins at ₹1,64,900.
Final word
Apple’s latest pricing update has changed the iPhone market in India in an unexpected way. The arrival of the new iPhone 18 Pro models has not brought lower official prices for older iPhones. Instead, the iPhone 16, iPhone 17e, iPhone 17 and iPhone Air have all become more expensive.
The iPhone 17 now starts at ₹99,900, up ₹17,000 from its original price, while the iPhone 17e starts at ₹79,900 and the iPhone Air starts at ₹1,49,900. The iPhone 16 has also moved up to ₹89,900.
For buyers, the biggest lesson is simple: waiting for a new iPhone generation does not always mean the previous model will become cheaper. In Apple’s current Indian lineup, older iPhones have instead become more expensive, making it more important to compare the actual current prices before making a purchase.