NEW DELHI — Apple has raised prices across its iPhone lineup in India by as much as 40 percent as higher memory costs, a weaker rupee and domestic production expenses put pressure on pricing.
The company also entered the foldable smartphone segment with the iPhone Duo, which carries a starting price of Rs 299,900.
The iPhone 17 256GB model is now priced at Rs 99,900, up from Rs 82,900, an increase of Rs 17,000, or 20.5 percent. The 512GB version is priced at Rs 124,900, up Rs 22,000, or 21.4 percent, from Rs 102,900.
The iPhone 18 Pro starts at Rs 164,900, about 22 percent higher than the iPhone 17 Pro, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at Rs 179,900, an increase of about 20 percent.
The largest increase is for the 1TB iPhone Air, which has risen 40.6 percent to Rs 224,900 from Rs 159,900. The 256GB and 512GB versions of the iPhone Air have also become about 25 percent more expensive.
The iPhone 17e now starts at Rs 79,900, up 23.1 percent, while the 128GB iPhone 16 has increased 28.6 percent to Rs 89,900.
Price increases for Apple’s Pro models have been significantly steeper in India than in several other major markets. In the United States, prices for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max have risen 9 percent and 8 percent, respectively.
Tarun Pathak, Research Director at Counterpoint Research, said iPhone prices have risen 20 percent to 30 percent in India, compared with a global average increase of about 8 percent to 10 percent.
He attributed the increases to higher memory costs, a weaker rupee and increased domestic production expenses. Pathak added that the iPhone Duo could also face a 20 percent import duty because it is not assembled locally.
Prabhu Ram, Head of the Industry Intelligence Group at CyberMedia Research, said the Rs 299,900 iPhone Duo creates an “uber-premium” tier above Apple’s Pro lineup and is likely to function more as a halo product than a major volume driver in the near term.
Ram said financing options could help attract existing Pro Max users, although initial Duo shipments are expected to remain modest and constrained by supply.
Foldable smartphones currently account for less than 1 percent of overall smartphone shipments, but Apple’s entry into the segment could accelerate growth in the category, he said. (Source: IANS)
