Unexpected Adjustments to Older iPhone Pricing
Apple has quietly raised the price of older iPhone models by $100 across its current lineup. This adjustment follows the company's recent iPhone Duo event on September 9, 2026, where the new flagship devices were introduced. While Apple emphasized that its latest hardware—specifically the Apple Watch 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4—maintained their predecessor's launch pricing of $399 and $799 respectively, the company did not disclose that its catalog of previous-generation handsets would see a significant mark-up.
Consumers looking to purchase older hardware will now find higher price tags on the entry-level options. The iPhone 16 now begins at $799, returning to the price point it held when it debuted in 2024. This move reverses the discount typically applied to previous-generation models following the arrival of newer technology. The shift is broad, affecting multiple models that were previously positioned as more accessible entry points for buyers who did not require the latest features.
Impact on the Current iPhone Lineup
The price changes also extend to the iPhone 17 series and the newly released iPhone Air. The base iPhone 17 model, which launched earlier this year at $599, now sits at $699. Buyers interested in the 256GB storage configuration for the standard iPhone 17 will pay $899, a $100 increase from the previous cost of $799. The iPhone Air, marketed for its slim form factor, has seen its starting price climb to $1,099 from the original $999.
These pricing shifts arrive during a period of broader industry hardware cost fluctuations, often referred to in trade circles as the 2026 RAM crunch. Because memory costs have spiked, manufacturers are recalibrating their profit margins on older inventory. Apple appears to be protecting its bottom line by aligning older model prices with the higher costs of current components. Analysts note that such price adjustments on legacy products are unusual but reflect the high price of NAND flash memory in late 2026.
Market Context and Hardware Stability
Not every product line was subject to these increases. The latest AirPods Pro 3 earbuds remain priced at $249. Industry experts attribute this stability to the lack of significant onboard memory requirements in audio peripherals, shielding them from the supply chain pressures that pushed up the costs for mobile handsets. Since audio gear does not rely on the high-density memory modules currently in short supply, it avoided the price hike affecting the rest of the company’s mobile hardware portfolio.
The broader implications for consumers are clear. The window for finding value in last year's hardware is narrowing. As component supply remains volatile throughout the end of 2026, potential buyers should expect sustained price pressure on devices that require advanced storage architectures. While Apple maintains its current strategy for premium peripherals, the phone segment is now operating under a stricter pricing regime.