In a surprising shift from its usual strategy of offering discounts on older models, Apple has significantly increased prices for its existing iPhone lineup in India. Following the debut of the new iPhone Duo, costs for certain models have climbed by as much as 41 percent. This move stands out as one of the most aggressive repricing efforts globally, far outpacing the 10 to 21 percent increases seen in the US market. The company has attributed these adjustments to the rising expense of memory and storage chips, driven by an intense, AI-fueled demand for data center hardware that has strained global supply chains.

Despite India’s growing importance as a major manufacturing hub for iPhones, local consumers are feeling the brunt of these changes, exacerbated by heavy import duties and an 18 percent goods and services tax. For instance, the 1TB iPhone Air has seen its price jump to 224,900 rupees, making it significantly more expensive than its American counterpart. This pricing strategy has sparked backlash on social media, with many Indian users lamenting that the iPhone is becoming an increasingly unattainable luxury item, especially given the substantial price gap compared to other regions.