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Older iPhones Get $100 Price Increase Alongside iPhone 18 Pro Launch
Upgrading your smartphone just got noticeably more expensive. Following its annual hardware event, Apple implemented a universal $100 price increase across virtually every iPhone model currently listed on its storefront, breaking from its traditional practice of discounting older hardware.
The price adjustment hits new flagships and legacy models alike. The newly launched iPhone 18 Pro now starts at $1,199, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max jumps to $1,299. Meanwhile, Apple’s first foldable device, the iPhone Duo, debuts at $1,999, scaling up significantly for higher storage tiers.
Legacy models see unprecedented price increases
What makes this pricing overhaul truly unusual is how it affects older devices. Usually, the older models are discounted when Apple releases a new generation. This time, buyers will pay $100 more for older hardware than they would have previously.
The base iPhone 16 now starts at $799, the iPhone 17e sits at $699, the standard iPhone 17 rises to $899, and the slim iPhone Air moves to $1,099. International markets face even steeper bumps, with reports indicating price increases over 20 percent in regions like India. Apple also quietly discontinued the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max lines, along with the iPhone 16 Plus (via Gizmodo).
AI data center demand fuels a global memory crunch
The driving force behind these price adjustments is a widespread shortage of memory and storage chips. As artificial intelligence firms build out massive infrastructure, semiconductor manufacturers are shifting factory capacity away from consumer-grade RAM and flash storage toward enterprise AI server components.
Former Apple CEO Tim Cook signaled this shift during a Wall Street Journal interview. He called the exponential rise in component costs a “100-year flood” that Apple could no longer fully absorb. Apple previously raised prices across its Mac and iPad lines. Plus, competitors like Google and Samsung have cited similar component pressures to justify price hikes on their latest flagship phones.
To soften the blow, Apple is leaning heavily on its expanded Upgrade and leasing programs. This should allow buyers to spread the higher costs across monthly installments rather than paying upfront.
The post Older iPhones Get $100 Price Increase Alongside iPhone 18 Pro Launch appeared first on Android Headlines.
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