Apple could change its long-standing pricing strategy for older iPhone models when the iPhone 18 Pro series launches in September. According to tipster Yogesh Brar, Apple may increase prices across its lineup by about Rs. 10,000, with the hike expected around September 8.
The move would mark a departure from Apple’s usual practice of reducing prices of older iPhones after launching a new generation. The reported increase is linked to rising memory and component costs.
In most cases, Apple slashes the price range of older iPhone models by Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 15,000 on the arrival of new hardware. This makes earlier iPhone models more appealing to people who want a cheaper iPhone.
Brar’s claim indicates that the company may increase prices by Rs. 10,000. This will make models like iPhone 17, iPhone Air, and iPhone 17e more expensive if the iPhone 18 Pro series launches.
In India, the starting price of iPhone 17e is Rs. 64,900, while that of iPhone 17 is Rs. 82,900, and the price of iPhone Air is Rs. 1,19,900. In this pricing scenario, their prices will be Rs. 74,900, Rs. 92,900, and Rs. 1,29,900 respectively.
The reported price hike comes as memory prices continue to rise globally. Counterpoint Research found that DRAM contract prices increased more than 50 percent quarter-on-quarter in the first quarter of 2026, while NAND flash costs jumped over 90 percent during the same period.
The firm has also forecast another 40 percent increase through the second quarter of 2026 as chipmakers redirect supply towards AI data centers that require high-bandwidth memory.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has acknowledged the impact of rising memory and storage costs. The company’s hardware gross margin fell from 40.7 percent in the first quarter of 2026 to 38.7 percent in the second quarter.
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TechInsights estimates that memory and storage components inside the iPhone 17 Pro cost about $50 last year. For the iPhone 18 Pro, the same components could cost around $200, representing a fourfold increase.
The iPhone 18 Pro is also expected to use the A20 Pro chip, manufactured using TSMC’s 2-nanometre process, along with LPDDR6 memory and Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module packaging.
Apple has not officially confirmed the reported Rs. 10,000 price increase. The company is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and a foldable iPhone Ultra in early September, with retail availability around September 18.