Photo by Onur Binay on Unsplash
Apple's September 9, 2026 "Surprise and Shine" event was supposed to be about new hardware -- the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and Apple's first foldable, the iPhone Duo. Instead, the bigger story for Indian buyers turned out to be what happened to the price tags. Within hours of the event, Apple raised prices on its existing iPhone lineup in India by as much as 41%, among the steepest increases anywhere in the world, according to Yahoo Finance.
That's not how an iPhone launch usually works. Here's what actually changed, why it happened, and what it means if you're shopping for a phone -- or a laptop -- in India right now.
What Actually Changed in India Pricing
Normally, when Apple launches a new iPhone lineup, the previous year's models get cheaper as retailers clear stock. In 2026, several existing models went the other way. Per Yahoo Finance's reporting, the entry-level iPhone 17 (256GB) rose nearly 21% to roughly ₹99,900, while the iPhone Air's 1TB variant took the steepest hit, up 41% to about ₹2,24,900. The new iPhone 18 Pro starts at ₹1,64,900, about 22% above where the iPhone 17 Pro started, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max opens at ₹1,79,900, up roughly 20%. The iPhone Duo foldable starts at ₹2,99,900 and runs up to ₹4,49,900 for the top configuration.
For comparison, U.S. price increases on the same lineup were milder, generally in the 10-21% range, with the new Pro models landing about $100 above last year's starting prices. India came out of this cycle paying a noticeably larger premium than American buyers.
Why Older Models Got More Expensive Instead of Cheaper
The more unusual move was what happened to the models that were supposed to become the "budget" option. According to TechCrunch, Apple repriced the iPhone 16, iPhone 17, and iPhone Air upward rather than discounting them, and discontinued the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max outright instead of letting them settle into a lower price tier. That combination -- fewer cheaper options, and the ones that remain costing more -- is why some coverage has framed this cycle as Apple testing how much price sensitivity its Indian customer base actually has.
The Real Driver: A Global Memory Chip Shortage
The increases aren't just an India-specific tax or currency story. TechCrunch's earlier reporting traced this back to a worldwide shortage of DRAM and NAND flash memory, as AI data center buildouts compete with consumer electronics makers for the same chip supply. Apple has pointed to rising memory and storage costs as a direct factor behind the 2026 price changes, rather than import duties or one-off local costs.
This is the same underlying pressure that has been pushing up new laptop prices throughout 2026 -- it just took a few more months to show up this clearly on the phone side.
What This Means If You Need a Phone (or a Laptop) Right Now
Waiting for these prices to come back down isn't a strategy with a clear timeline attached to it -- memory costs are a supply-chain problem, not a temporary launch-week markup. If you need a phone this year, browsing unboxed phones gets you current-generation hardware in like-new condition at a meaningful discount to the new list price, backed by a 6-month brand warranty.
The same memory-cost pressure driving iPhone prices up is doing the same thing to new laptops, which is why unboxed laptops and refurbished laptops have become a more price-stable way to buy this year. Refurbished laptops carry a 6-month warranty and come graded Good or Fair in 256GB/512GB SSD and 8GB/16GB RAM configurations, so you know exactly what condition and spec you're getting before you buy.
A few practical notes before you buy unboxed or refurbished from Get Like New: shipping is free above ₹5,000 with 1-2 business days processing and 7-10 business days delivery; there's no change-of-mind return once an order ships, though transit damage is covered as a defect remedy if you record an unboxing video; and if your plans change, the buyback program refunds 80% of your purchase price within 15 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did iPhone prices actually go up in India in 2026?
Apple raised prices on existing iPhone models in India by as much as 41% after its September 2026 event, with increases across the lineup ranging from roughly 20% to 41% depending on the model -- among the steepest hikes anywhere in the world, according to TechCrunch and Yahoo Finance reporting.
Why did Apple raise prices on older iPhone models instead of discounting them?
Apple typically lowers prices on the previous year's iPhones once a new lineup launches. In 2026 it did the opposite, repricing the iPhone 16, iPhone 17, and iPhone Air upward while discontinuing the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max rather than letting them settle into a cheaper tier.
What's actually driving the price increases?
Reporting points to a global shortage of memory and storage chips, as AI data center demand competes with phone and laptop makers for the same DRAM and NAND supply. Apple has cited rising memory and storage costs directly as a factor behind the 2026 price changes.
Does buying an unboxed iPhone avoid this price hike?
Buying unboxed doesn't reverse Apple's list-price increase, but it does let you get a like-new iPhone below the new retail price, backed by a 6-month brand warranty from Get Like New, instead of paying full price for a brand-new unit.
Is the same memory-chip shortage affecting laptop prices too?
Yes. The same DRAM and NAND cost pressure pushing up iPhone prices is also raising prices on new laptops, which is why unboxed and refurbished laptops have become a more price-stable option for buyers who need a device this year.
