New iPhones Are Here, But Older Models Got More Expensive

Apple has launched its new iPhone 18 Pro lineup, but the biggest surprise for Indian buyers may not be the new phones at all. Instead of making older iPhones cheaper, Apple has raised their prices. The iPhone 17 now starts at ₹99,900, while the iPhone Air has jumped to ₹1,49,900. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 17e have also become more expensive.




The usual expectation after a new iPhone generation arrives is simple: older models become cheaper. This time, Apple has taken a different route in India. After unveiling the iPhone 18 Pro series and iPhone Duo, Apple updated its online store with higher prices for several existing models. The iPhone 17, which originally started at ₹82,900, now begins at ₹99,900. That is a ₹17,000 increase without a corresponding change in the phone’s specifications.



The iPhone 17 is now one of the most surprising parts of Apple’s revised pricing strategy. Its 256GB version has moved from ₹82,900 to ₹99,900, making it ₹17,000 more expensive than its original launch price. The 512GB version has also moved higher, reaching ₹1,24,900. The phone itself has not received a major specification upgrade to justify this sudden increase. For buyers who had been waiting for a festive-season deal on the iPhone 17, the new pricing could therefore come as an unpleasant surprise.


The biggest shock among the headline models is the iPhone Air. Originally launched in India at ₹1,19,900 for 256GB, it now starts at ₹1,49,900. That means buyers are being asked to pay ₹30,000 more for the same starting storage option. The higher-capacity versions have also moved upward. Apple’s current India store lists the iPhone Air from ₹1,49,900, making it a significantly more expensive proposition than it was when first introduced.

The iPhone 17e has also lost some of its appeal as Apple’s more affordable option. Its starting price has increased from ₹64,900 to ₹79,900, a ₹15,000 jump. Apple’s current store lists the 256GB model at ₹79,900 and the 512GB version at ₹1,04,900. For someone entering the Apple ecosystem on a tighter budget, this difference matters. A phone that once sat comfortably below ₹70,000 now crosses the ₹75,000 mark, changing how buyers may compare it with other iPhone models and competing smartphones.

The price revision does not stop with the latest generation. Apple has also increased the price of the iPhone 16 in India. The older model now starts at ₹89,900, compared with ₹79,900 earlier. That is a ₹10,000 increase, even though the phone is no longer Apple’s newest standard model. The move is unusual because buyers often look at an older iPhone as the value option after a new generation launches. With the revised pricing, however, that value gap has become much smaller.

Apple has not publicly given a detailed model-by-model explanation for the Indian price revisions. However, industry reports have linked the wider price increases to rising memory and storage chip costs, amid strong demand connected with AI infrastructure. Reuters reported that Apple’s price increases have been particularly steep in India, where taxes and other local cost factors also contribute to retail pricing. The important point for buyers is that these are not specification upgrades. The phones have become more expensive largely because Apple has changed the pricing structure of the existing lineup.

The biggest lesson is simple: do not assume an older iPhone will automatically become cheaper after a new launch. Apple’s current India store lists the iPhone 16 from ₹89,900, iPhone 17e from ₹79,900, iPhone 17 from ₹99,900 and iPhone Air from ₹1,49,900. Buyers should compare the exact storage option, available bank offers, exchange value and current retailer pricing before making a decision. If you were waiting specifically for an iPhone 17 discount, checking authorised retailers and limited-time offers may now be more important than simply waiting for Apple’s official price to fall.

Apple’s latest move changes one of the most familiar rules of the iPhone buying cycle. A new generation does not always mean the previous generation will become cheaper, at least not through Apple’s official pricing.

For Indian buyers, the numbers tell the story: ₹17,000 more for the iPhone 17, ₹30,000 more for the iPhone Air, ₹15,000 more for the iPhone 17e and ₹10,000 more for the iPhone 16.

So if you were waiting for Apple’s latest launch to make an older iPhone cheaper, this time, the opposite happened.


Unlock insightful tips and inspiration on personal growth, productivity, and well-being. Stay motivated and updated with the latest at My Life XP.