Following Apple's price hike, analysts believe it is unlikely to impact iPhone sales in the country. According to them, Apple is the last major player to raise prices, while most of its competitors have already implemented multiple price hikes. In fact, Apple's delayed price increase has provided the company with some relief from a competitive standpoint. Analysts also believe iPhone users may view this as an anticipated price increase and could potentially advance their purchase decisions.
According to Tarun Pathak, Research Director at Counterpoint Research, memory prices have increased more than fourfold since Q4 2025, and this single component has eroded the profit margins of most consumer electronics players. Apple has done well to hold prices steady until now, though it hinted at increases last week.
Pathak said the growing demand for AI infrastructure has fundamentally changed the memory supply chain, meaning higher BOM (Bill of Materials) costs are now a lasting challenge.
“We also expect other PC and tablet OEMs to follow Apple's example. They may raise prices on select products, cut discounts, or adjust their product lines to focus more on premium devices,” said Pathak.
Navkendar Singh, an analyst with IDC, is of the view that the memory supply situation is not very good and is not expected to improve anytime soon—not until 2027, and it could even extend to 2028. According to him, Apple is actually one of the last companies to increase prices across the board. PC manufacturers have already done that, and Android smartphone players have also implemented multiple price hikes.
When asked how it would impact the sales of Apple devices in the country, Singh said that, considering Apple's brand halo and strong brand salience, the price hike is unlikely to have much impact on demand.
Apple obviously considers India an important market, but it has always operated in the premium segment. According to him, there could be another angle to this. The price increase could make Apple products appear even more premium than they have over the last three to four years.
“As a result, it may actually strengthen consumer interest in these devices and help Apple continue expanding its premium customer base, which is what the company has been doing for the past five to six years,” he added.
He further said that the next iPhone launch is expected in September. It will not include the standard iPhone 18. Instead, Apple is expected to launch only the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and possibly a Fold or Ultra model, whatever the final branding may be.
For India, the festive season is always important, so affordability offers, financing schemes, and other promotions are expected. However, these are unlikely to be as aggressive as they were during the 2024 or 2025 festive seasons. Consumers should not expect iPhone 17 or iPhone 16 prices to fall to the levels seen during those festive sales.
Apple has significantly increased prices of several products in India, including Mac desktops, MacBooks, iPads, Apple TV, and HomePod devices, with hikes ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 70,000.
