Apple has increased iPhone prices in Japan by up to 11 per cent. The move comes just weeks after the company raised prices for Macs, iPads and HomePod devices in several markets, including India, amid rising memory chip costs.
To those unaware, the latest price revision in Japan affects several models, including the iPhone 16, iPhone 17e, iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
With Japan seeing a hike in iPhone prices, questions are now being raised about a possible price hike in India too. While the Cupertino-based tech giant has not announced any price hike for India, experts say there are a few factors that could influence the tech giant’s next move.
Here’s what industry experts have to say about the chances of an iPhone price increase in India.
According to Faisal Kawoosa, Founder, Techar, India could eventually witness a similar move, although it is too early to predict the exact increase.
“I do expect the price hike to follow in India as well as the reason behind is any geography specific. It will be speculative to say anything on how much the hike could be, but it should be happening, he told Time Now Digital.
However, Abhilash Kumar, Lead Research Advisor (Director) at SAG, on the other hand, expects no immediate price hike for existing iPhone models in India. One of the key reasons is that Apple is believed to have secured memory chip supplies for current-generation iPhones well in advance.
“Apple is unlikely to raise existing iPhone price in India due to memory price increase as it has already procured advanced memory orders. The price increase is quite certain for the upcoming Apple launches,” he told Times Now Digital
This means buyers looking at current iPhone models may not have to rush immediately because of memory chip costs alone. However, Kumar points out that upcoming iPhones could become more expensive if component prices remain high.
While memory prices may not affect current iPhones immediately, expert said there is another factor that Indian buyers should keep an eye on — the exchange rate.
Apple prices many of its products globally in US dollars.
“However, another important factor is USD strengthening against INR which could lead to price increase of existing models. If it happens we believe it should be in the range of 5 to 10 per cent,” Kumar stressed.
According to him, a weaker rupee could therefore have a bigger impact on Indian pricing than the ongoing memory chip shortage.
What This Means For Indian Buyers
India has become one of Apple’s fastest-growing markets, with the Cupertino-based giant expanding local manufacturing and increasing its retail presence.
At the same time, the company has generally avoided making frequent price revisions for existing iPhones in India unless there are big changes in currency movements, taxes or component costs.
For now, there is no official indication from Apple that iPhone prices in India are set to rise. As things stand, if global costs remain under pressure and currency fluctuations continue, anything is possible.