Apple Raises Older iPhone Prices $100 as iPhone 18 and Duo Debut
Apple raises older iPhone prices by $100 as the iPhone 18 and foldable iPhone Duo launch, with India hikes near 20.5% and two Pro models discontinued.
Summary
Apple unveiled the iPhone 18 and its first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, while raising existing iPhone prices by $100. Effective immediately, the iPhone 16 starts at $799, iPhone 17e at $699, iPhone 17 at $899 and iPhone Air at $1,099. International increases are steeper, reportedly about 20.5% in India, while Apple has discontinued the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
The increases reverse Apple’s usual practice of discounting older models after a new generation arrives. A global memory and storage chip shortage is increasing component costs as AI companies and cloud providers expand massive data centers. Former Apple CEO Tim Cook said in June that Apple could no longer fully absorb those costs; about a week later, Mac and iPad prices rose. Higher prices from Samsung and Google may also influence Apple, while its new Upgrade program could soften the impact by spreading iPhone costs across monthly payments.
Positives
- The iPhone Duo becomes Apple’s first foldable iPhone, launching alongside the iPhone 18 on September 9, 2026.
- Apple’s new Upgrade program lets customers spread an iPhone’s cost across more manageable monthly payments.
- The iPhone 16, iPhone 17e, iPhone 17 and iPhone Air remain available at clearly defined starting prices.
Risks & concerns
- Existing iPhone prices rose by $100, reversing Apple’s usual practice of discounting older models after a new generation launches.
- India reportedly faces an increase of about 20.5%, substantially exceeding the United States price change.
- Apple discontinued the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, reducing options for buyers seeking older premium models.
- Memory and storage chip shortages are raising Apple’s costs as AI companies and cloud providers expand data centers.
- Mac and iPad prices also increased about a week after Tim Cook warned that Apple could not fully absorb component inflation.