Muscat: Buying an iPhone has become considerably more expensive in India, with Apple raising prices across several models following the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro series, as soaring memory chip costs linked to the global artificial intelligence boom put pressure on consumer electronics makers.

The biggest surprise is the iPhone 17, which has become more expensive instead of receiving the traditional price cut following the arrival of a newer generation.

The 256GB iPhone 17, originally launched in India at ₹82,900 (RO 334), is now priced at ₹99,900, an increase of ₹17,000 (RO 68). Its 512GB variant now costs ₹1,24,900 (RO 504). The device remains available in Mist Blue, Sage, Lavender, Black and White. Apple’s India store currently confirms the ₹99,900 starting price.

The increase extends across Apple’s older iPhone lineup.

The iPhone 17e, which debuted at ₹64,900 (RO 261), now starts at ₹79,900 (RO 322), marking a ₹15,000 (RO 60) increase. Meanwhile, the iPhone Air has seen an even steeper ₹30,000 jump, climbing from ₹1,19,900 (RO 483) to ₹1,49,900 (RO 604).

Apple is also listing the iPhone 16 from ₹89,900 (RO 362) in India.

Unlike in previous years, Apple has therefore not announced widespread cuts on its older devices following the latest iPhone launch.

iPhone 18 Pro prices climb too

The higher prices are not restricted to previous-generation models.

Apple’s newly launched iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max start at around ₹1,64,900 (RO 665) and ₹1,79,900 (RO 726) respectively in India, pushing the company’s premium smartphones further up the price ladder. Apple is accepting pre-orders from September 12, with availability beginning September 18.

Globally, the iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 and the Pro Max at $1,299, representing a $100 increase over their predecessors. The rise has been attributed to sharply higher memory chip costs.

The increases come as Apple and the wider technology industry grapple with a global shortage of memory components.

Explosive demand from AI data centres has intensified competition for crucial chips including DRAM, high-bandwidth memory and NAND storage, driving up component prices and squeezing supplies available for smartphones, laptops and other consumer electronics.

Earlier this year, then-Apple CEO Tim Cook warned that rising memory and storage costs were becoming increasingly difficult for the company to absorb, signalling that some of those costs would ultimately have to be passed on to customers.

The pressure is not unique to Apple. Technology manufacturers including Samsung and PC makers are confronting higher memory costs as semiconductor producers increasingly prioritise chips used for rapidly expanding AI infrastructure.

The shortage has already begun feeding into higher prices for smartphones, laptops and other electronics, while some manufacturers face tighter supplies of key components.

Apple unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro series on Wednesday alongside its biggest iPhone redesign in years, the company’s first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo.