Following its latest hardware debut, Apple quietly increased prices across its entire lineup of older iPhones in global markets, raising costs by $100 for previous-generation models while keeping select accessory pricing steady.
Global Price Adjustments on Last-Generation iPhones
Apple marked its Surprise and shine
event with more than just new flagship device announcements. Following Apple’s Surprise and shine
event that saw the announcement of the iPhone Duo and the iPhone 18 Pro, the company increased the price on all of its last-gen iPhones that are still available for purchase. RAMageddon 2026 spares no one, according to Billy Steele for Engadget. During today’s iPhone Duo event, Apple made a point of noting a couple of times that some of its new devices would not go up in price.
The price adjustments touch multiple storage configurations and affect models ranging from the iPhone 16 up to the ultra-slim iPhone Air. While the company drew attention during its presentation to devices that avoided price hikes—such as the Apple Watch 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, which start at the same price that their predecessors did at $399 and $799, respectively—the older smartphone catalog saw widespread upward revisions. In a change spotted by The Verge, Apple increased the price of all of the previous generation iPhones it still sells by $100.
Apple introduced iPhone 18 Pro series at an event a few hours back. At the event that company usually announces price cuts for the older model, but this time the company has increased the prices of the iPhone 16, iPhone 17, iPhone Air, and iPhone 17e globally, including in India. The price adjustments affect the iPhone 16, iPhone 17, iPhone 17e, and the ultra-slim iPhone Air lineups, with revisions spanning multiple storage configurations.
How U.S. and International Pricing Shifted Across the Catalog
In the U.S. market, the baseline iPhone 16 sold for $699 just last week, and now it’s up to $799. That means the device is back to its 2024 launch price after it was discounted following the release of the iPhone 17. The iPhone 17 family, meanwhile, now starts at $699 with the iPhone 17E. The iPhone 17E with 256GB of storage now costs $699 instead of its launch $599 price, with Apple having begun selling the entry-level model at $599 just earlier this year. The iPhone 17 starts at $899 with 256GB of storage instead of $799. The trend continues up the ladder with the iPhone Air, which now costs $1,099 instead of $999.
The base iPhone 18 was missing from Apple’s September event, with the focus being on its highest-end models that start at $1,199. For now, if you want an affordable iPhone, it’ll cost you more than it did just yesterday.
| Model & Storage | Old MRP (INR) | New MRP (INR) | Difference (INR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 16 (128GB) | ₹69,900 | ₹89,900 | +₹20,000 |
| iPhone 17 (256GB) | ₹82,900 | ₹99,900 | +₹17,000 |
| iPhone 17 (512GB) | ₹1,02,900 | ₹1,24,900 | +₹22,000 |
| iPhone 17e (256GB) | ₹64,900 | ₹79,900 | +₹15,000 |
| iPhone 17e (512GB) | ₹84,900 | ₹1,04,900 | +₹20,000 |
| iPhone Air (256GB) | ₹1,02,900 | ₹1,49,900 | +₹47,000 |
| iPhone Air (512GB) | ₹1,39,900 | ₹1,74,900 | +₹35,000 |
| iPhone Air (1TB) | ₹1,59,900 | ₹2,24,900 | +₹65,000 |
The revised figures reflect noticeable adjustments across the catalog, with the entry-tier iPhone 16 seeing a ₹20,000 increase and the top-tier 1TB configuration of the iPhone Air receiving the steepest hike at ₹65,000.
Storefront Transitions and Accessory Exceptions
In line with typical product cycle transitions, Apple has removed the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max from its official storefront following the arrival of the new flagship models. At the same time, not every product line faced upward pressure.
The price of AirPods hasn’t gone up. The AirPods Pro 3, for instance, remain at $249, likely due to the fact they don’t include onboard memory.
What Retailers and Buyers Should Expect Next
Even though Apple sets a standard MRP, some third-party retailers usually sell the smartphones at cheaper rates during sale, so we can expect some discounts during the upcoming Big Billion Days sale and Amazon Great Indian Festival sale later this month or in early October. So, if you are planning to get an iPhone, you should wait.
