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iPhone Duo Costs ₹2,99,900 in India – More Than an Alto K10: Apple’s Full 2026 India Price Hike on iPhones, MacBooks & iPads explained
New iPhones, a first-ever foldable, and quiet price increases on almost everything else Apple sells in India, all in the same week.
At its September 9, 2026 "Surprise and Shine" event, Apple launched the iPhone 18 Pro (from ₹1,64,900), iPhone 18 Pro Max (from ₹1,79,900), and its first foldable, the iPhone Duo (from ₹2,99,900), while simultaneously raising prices on the iPhone 16, iPhone 17, iPhone 17e, and iPhone Air by 20-40% in India. This followed an earlier June 2026 price hike on MacBooks and iPads, driven by a global memory-chip shortage. Together, these increases have pushed genuine, new Apple hardware further out of reach for most Indian buyers, making certified refurbished devices, sold outright without EMI through platforms like eazypc.in, one of the few realistic ways to own current-generation Apple hardware in India today.
Key Takeaways
- iPhone Duo (Apple's first foldable) starts at ₹2,99,900 in India, priced close to a brand-new Maruti Suzuki Alto K10.
- iPhone 18 Pro starts at ₹1,64,900, about 22% higher than the iPhone 17 Pro's launch price.
- Older iPhones became more expensive, not cheaper, after the new launch. iPhone Air saw the steepest hike, up to 40% on its top storage tier.
- MacBooks and iPads rose separately in June 2026, by up to ₹70,000 and 42% respectively, due to a global DRAM/NAND shortage.
- India pays more than most markets for Apple hardware because MacBooks and iPads are fully imported and taxed with GST + duties, unlike the iPhone, which has partial local assembly.
- Refurbished is now the main EMI-free route to owning current Apple hardware in India, via platforms like eazypc.in.
What Did Apple Announce September 9, 2026?
Apple's "Surprise and Shine" event, the first keynote led by new CEO John Ternus, introduced three new iPhones and no standard "iPhone 18."
iPhone 18 Pro & Pro Max
Built on a new 2nm A20 Pro chip and Apple's C2 modem, with modest camera and battery upgrades. Available in Black, Silver, Glacier, and Burgundy.
iPhone Duo
Apple's first foldable phone, a book-style design with a 48MP dual-camera system, dual-battery setup, and Touch ID in the side button. Available in Star White and Night Sky.
Also Announced
Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and AirPods 5.
The standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and iPhone Air 2 were not launched. Apple has pushed those to a separate spring 2027 event.
How Much Do the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max, and iPhone Duo Cost in India?
| Device | Starting Price (256GB) | Top Variant Price |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 18 Pro | ₹1,64,900 | ₹3,14,900 (2TB) |
| iPhone 18 Pro Max | ₹1,79,900 | ₹3,29,900 (2TB) |
| iPhone Duo (foldable) | ₹2,99,900 | ₹4,49,900 (2TB) |
Pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max open September 12, 2026, with sales September 18. The iPhone Duo follows a longer timeline: pre-orders open October 16, with sales starting October 23.
The iPhone 18 Pro is roughly 22% more expensive than the iPhone 17 Pro was at launch (₹1,64,900 vs. ₹1,34,900). The iPhone 18 Pro Max is up 20% year-over-year.
How Does the iPhone Duo's Price Compare to a Car in India?
The base iPhone Duo (256GB, ₹2,99,900) costs about as much as a brand-new Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 on-road. The top-end 2TB Duo, at ₹4,49,900, costs more than a Maruti Suzuki Wagon R.
| iPhone Duo Variant | Price | Comparable Car (Ex-Showroom) |
|---|---|---|
| 256GB | ₹2,99,900 | Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 (~₹3.70 lakh) |
| 512GB | ₹3,24,900 | Renault Kwid (~₹4.30 lakh) |
| 1TB | ₹3,74,900 | Tata Tiago (~₹4.77 lakh) |
| 2TB | ₹4,49,900 | Maruti Suzuki Wagon R (~₹4.99 lakh) |
This makes the iPhone Duo one of the few consumer electronics products in India priced directly in the same bracket as an entry-level car, a genuinely new benchmark for what "expensive" means in the Indian smartphone market.
Did Apple Raise Prices on Older iPhones in India Too?
Yes. Instead of discounting the iPhone 16, iPhone 17, iPhone 17e, and iPhone Air after the new launch (the usual industry pattern), Apple raised their prices in India within hours of the September 9 keynote ending. None of this was announced on stage; it simply appeared on Apple's India store afterward.
| Model | Old Price | New Price | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 16 (128GB) | ₹69,900 | ₹89,900 | +₹20,000 (~29%) |
| iPhone 17 (256GB) | ₹82,900 | ₹99,900 | +₹17,000 (~20.5%) |
| iPhone 17 (512GB) | ₹1,02,900 | ₹1,24,900 | +₹22,000 (~21.4%) |
| iPhone 17e (256GB) | N/A | — | +₹15,000 |
| iPhone Air (256GB) | ₹1,19,900 | ₹1,49,900 | +₹30,000 (25%) |
| iPhone Air (1TB) | ₹1,59,900 | ₹2,24,900 | +₹65,000 (~40.6%, largest hike) |
The iPhone Air's top storage tier saw the largest increase of any model, at roughly 40%. Buyers who delayed an iPhone 17 purchase expecting a post-launch discount, the pattern seen during Big Billion Days sales, instead found the phone about a fifth more expensive.
Why Have MacBooks Also Gotten More Expensive in India?
Short answer: A global memory-chip (DRAM/NAND) shortage caused Apple to raise Mac, iPad, and HomePod prices worldwide on June 25, 2026, and India absorbed a larger increase than most markets because MacBooks are fully imported and taxed with GST on top of import duty.
The specific drivers:
- DRAM prices rose about 98% in Q1 2026 alone, driven by AI data-center demand for memory chips, with further increases expected through the year.
- MacBooks are still 100% imported into India from China or Vietnam, unlike the iPhone, which has partial local assembly via Foxconn and Tata Electronics. There's no local-manufacturing buffer for Mac pricing.
- GST (18%) applies on top of the landed cost, which already includes import duty, freight, insurance, and currency hedging for a weaker rupee, so a global price increase lands proportionally larger in India.
- Storage and RAM upgrade costs rose too. Apple's per-tier configurator upgrade jumped from roughly ₹20,000 to ₹24,000 to ₹30,000 per step.
The scale of the hike: some MacBook Pro configurations rose by up to ₹70,000, iPad prices rose by up to 42% on certain models, and Apple's previously discontinued base Mac mini configuration reappeared at a higher price point.
How Can You Buy a MacBook or iPhone in India Without EMI?
Short answer: buy certified refurbished. A refurbished MacBook or iPhone, tested, battery-graded, and warranty-backed, typically costs 40-60% less than the same model new, because it skips first-owner depreciation and this year's fresh round of import-driven price hikes entirely.
This is the gap platforms like eazypc.in are built for: sourcing, testing, and reselling refurbished MacBooks and laptops in India at prices where an outright, one-time purchase is realistic again: no EMI, no interest, no multi-year commitment. With new Apple hardware pricing showing no sign of reversing in India, buying refurbished has moved from being a budget compromise to being the most financially sound way back into the Apple ecosystem for most buyers.
What Does This Mean for Indian Buyers Going Forward?
New flagships and older stock both got more expensive in the same cycle, right as festive-season demand peaks.
Skipping a standard iPhone 18 and leading with two Pro phones plus a ₹3-lakh-plus foldable signals a shift away from "affordable Apple" toward the ultra-premium segment.
Unlike the partly-assembled-in-India Pro models, the Duo is believed to carry a fuller import-duty burden. A local-assembly shift could eventually lower its price, but not soon.
When new flagships and MacBooks both get pricier in the same year, last-generation devices sold refurbished and warrantied through platforms like eazypc.in become the more rational purchase for a much larger share of Indian buyers.
Big Billion Days 2025 saw the iPhone 16 drop nearly 35% off launch price. Whether similar discounts return this year, on phones Apple just made pricier, will show how firm this new pricing strategy is.
Skip the Price Hike, Go Refurbished
Own current-generation Apple hardware in India without EMI, interest, or multi-year commitments.
Shop Certified Refurbished Apple Devices →Frequently Asked Questions
The iPhone 18 Pro starts at ₹1,64,900 in India for the 256GB variant. Prices rise to ₹3,14,900 for the top 2TB model. That starting price is about 22% higher than the iPhone 17 Pro's launch price of ₹1,34,900. Pre-orders open September 12, 2026, with sales from September 18.
The iPhone Duo starts at ₹2,99,900 in India for the 256GB variant. It is Apple's first foldable iPhone, announced September 9, 2026. Full India pricing: ₹2,99,900 (256GB), ₹3,24,900 (512GB), ₹3,74,900 (1TB), and ₹4,49,900 (2TB). At its base price it costs roughly the same as a new Maruti Suzuki Alto K10.
Yes. Apple raised India prices on the iPhone 16, iPhone 17, iPhone 17e, and iPhone Air by 20% to roughly 40% within hours of the September 9, 2026 keynote. The iPhone 16 (128GB) went from ₹69,900 to ₹89,900, the iPhone 17 (256GB) from ₹82,900 to ₹99,900, and the iPhone Air (256GB) from ₹1,19,900 to ₹1,49,900. The biggest hike was the iPhone Air 1TB, at about 40.6%. None of these increases were announced on stage.
MacBooks are more expensive in India because of a global DRAM and NAND memory-chip shortage that pushed Apple to raise Mac, iPad, and HomePod prices worldwide on June 25, 2026. DRAM prices rose about 98% in Q1 2026 alone, driven by AI data-center demand. India absorbed a larger increase than most markets for three reasons: MacBooks are 100% imported from China or Vietnam with no local assembly, 18% GST applies on top of import duty and freight, and a weaker rupee raises the landed cost. Some MacBook Pro configurations went up by as much as ₹70,000.
The main way to buy a MacBook or iPhone in India without EMI is to purchase a certified refurbished device outright. Refurbished Apple hardware typically costs 40-60% less than the same model new, because it skips first-owner depreciation and this year's import-driven price hikes. A certified refurbished unit is tested, battery-graded, and warranty-backed. Platforms like eazypc.in sell refurbished MacBooks and laptops in India at prices where a one-time purchase is realistic: no EMI, no interest, no multi-year commitment.
iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max pre-orders open September 12, 2026, with sales starting September 18, 2026. iPhone Duo pre-orders open later, on October 16, 2026, with sales starting October 23, 2026. All dates apply to Apple's India store and authorized Indian retailers.
For most Indian buyers, no. At ₹2,99,900 the iPhone Duo costs about as much as a new entry-level car, and it is a first-generation foldable. It makes sense mainly for buyers who specifically want a book-style foldable and are not price-sensitive. Anyone buying primarily for camera, chip, or battery performance gets most of the same capability from the iPhone 18 Pro at ₹1,64,900.
Apple did not launch a standard iPhone 18 at the September 2026 event. The iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and iPhone Air 2 have been moved to a separate spring 2027 launch, splitting Apple's iPhone releases across two events per year. The September 2026 keynote covered only the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the foldable iPhone Duo.
Unconfirmed. Apple raised list prices rather than cutting them after the September 2026 launch, which suggests less room for deep festive discounting than in previous years. For reference, Big Billion Days 2025 saw the iPhone 16 fall nearly 35% below launch price. Marketplace and bank-cashback offers may still reduce effective prices, but Apple's own India store pricing has moved upward, not down.
Yes, buying certified refurbished is safe when the seller provides testing, battery grading, and a warranty. A certified refurbished device has been inspected and repaired to working condition, with its battery health disclosed before purchase, and is covered by a seller warranty. The risk sits with uncertified grey-market units, which carry no testing record or warranty. Buyers should confirm battery health percentage, warranty duration, and return window before purchase.
