Apple Hikes iPhone Prices in India by Up to 40% Amid Rising Memory Costs

New Delhi, September 10, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)

Apple has raised prices across its iPhone lineup in India, with increases of up to 40 per cent, as the company unveiled its latest generation of smartphones and entered the foldable segment with the iPhone Duo, starting at Rs 2,99,900.

The iPhone 17 256GB variant now costs Rs 99,900, up from Rs 82,900 earlier, representing an increase of Rs 17,000, or 20.5 per cent. The 512GB model is priced at Rs 1,24,900, compared with Rs 1,02,900 previously, a rise of Rs 22,000 or 21.4 per cent.

The iPhone 18 Pro starts at Rs 1,64,900, around 22 per cent higher than the iPhone 17 Pro, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at Rs 1,79,900, marking a 20 per cent increase.

The sharpest hike has been recorded for the 1TB iPhone Air, whose price has risen 40.6 per cent to Rs 2,24,900 from Rs 1,59,900. The 256GB and 512GB iPhone Air variants have also become 25 per cent more expensive.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 17e now starts at Rs 79,900, up 23.1 per cent, while the 128GB iPhone 16 has risen 28.6 per cent to Rs 89,900.

Apple’s Pro models have seen substantially larger price increases in India than in some other major markets. In the US, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max prices have increased by 9 per cent and 8 per cent, respectively.

Tarun Pathak, Research Director at Counterpoint Research, said iPhone prices in India had increased by 20–30 per cent, compared with a global average of around 8–10 per cent. He attributed the hikes to higher memory costs, rupee depreciation and increased domestic production expenses.

Pathak also said the iPhone Duo could attract a 20 per cent import duty because it is not locally assembled.

Prabhu Ram, Head of the Industry Intelligence Group at CyberMedia Research, said the Rs 2,99,900 iPhone Duo establishes an ultra-premium tier above Apple’s Pro series and is likely to function primarily as a halo product rather than a near-term volume driver.

Ram said financing options could help Apple convert Pro Max users, although initial shipments of the foldable are likely to remain modest and supply-constrained.

Foldable smartphones currently account for less than 1 per cent of total smartphone shipments, Ram said, adding that Apple’s entry could help accelerate growth and innovation in the category.