India Sees Some of World's Largest iPhone Price Increases

Apple has increased the prices of its current iPhone lineup in India by up to 41 percent. These adjustments occurred shortly after the September Apple event, titled Surprise and Brilho, where new CEO John Ternus introduced the iPhone Duo, the first foldable phone from the company. This move contradicts the usual practice of offering discounts on older variants when new models launch.

While prices also rose in the United States, those increases were lower, ranging from 10 percent to 21 percent. For example, the base iPhone 17 rose nearly 21 percent in India to 99,900 rupees, or 1,048 US dollars, while the equivalent US model rose nearly 13 percent to 899 US dollars. The iPhone Air saw the steepest hike in India at 41 percent for the one terabyte version, reaching 224,900 rupees, or 2,359 US dollars, compared to a 21 percent increase to 1,699 US dollars in the US. The new foldable iPhone in India is 1,100 US dollars more expensive than in the US.

Apple attributed global price increases to the rising costs of memory and storage chips. This trend is driven by high demand for data centers fueled by artificial intelligence, which has increased competition for essential components. Despite the fact that India is a fast growing market and a major assembly hub for iPhones, Indian consumers face higher costs due to an 18 percent goods and services tax and component import fees. Social media reactions in India suggest that these prices further push the iPhone into the luxury segment.