We just got the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo with better prices than the worst estimates suggested ahead of their premiere. Unsurprisingly, we didn’t get a vanilla iPhone 18, leaving the iPhone 17 as the current base model, but with an unpleasant change.
iPhone 17 gets a $100 price increase
Just as the “Surprise and shine” event came to an end, Apple revealed that it has increased the price of all of its older iPhone models still available for purchase. It appears that the price increase is of $100 across the board, which is in line with the price bump the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max got compared to last year’s models.
After the change, the iPhone 16 is selling for $799, instead of the $699 Apple asked for it last week. The 256GB iPhone 17E is now $699 instead of the $599 launch price tag. The vanilla iPhone 17 sold for $799 a week ago, but now it’s $899 with 256GB of storage. The iPhone Air has also breached the $999 line it launched at, and it’s now $1,099.
The iPhone Air is now $1,099 | Image by PhoneArena
This is not the first price increase Apple introduces this year, but it’s the first time its smartphones get a price bump. In June, the company bumped the prices of a long list of products, including iPads, Macs, HomePods, and the Apple Vision Pro.
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The earlier increases ranged from 6% for the most expensive products to a whopping 54% hike for the Apple TV. Apple’s current iPhone price hike fits the same pattern, with the increases coming at between 10% and 16%.
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Some users on Reddit were especially annoyed that Apple is increasing the price of existing smartphones, which returned the iPhone 16 to its launch price. Unsurprisingly, many of them said they’d continue using their current devices until they die.
Some redditors are planning a different type of upgrade this year. | Image by Reddit (screenshot
Welcome to the fold, Apple
As disappointing as these hikes are, they’re far from surprising, and Apple is far from the only company to resort to such moves. Google has also raised the price of the Pixel 11 series by $100. Samsung also bumped the price of the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus by $100 compared to the Galaxy S25 series.
Outside the smartphone world, consumer electronics such as the PlayStation 5, laptops, and even cars are getting more expensive. All this is because of the memory price increases caused by the enormous demand of the artificial intelligence industry.
Go hunt for some offers
I’m certainly in the market for a new flagship smartphone, but if you would rather not pay all that much, you should go a dig for some offers right now. It usually takes some time before retailers update their prices, so you may still have a chance to get an iPhone at last week’s prices.
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Ilia, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, has been covering the mobile industry since 2011, with experience at outlets like Forbes Bulgaria. Passionate about smartphones, tablets, and consumer tech, he blends deep industry knowledge with a personal fascination that began with his first Nokia and Sony Ericsson devices. Originally from Bulgaria and now based in Lima, Peru, Ilia balances his tech obsessions with walking his dog, training at the gym, and slowly mastering Spanish.
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