Context: new flagships and a price review
Immediately after unveiling its new flagship models — the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone Duo — Apple unexpectedly revised the official prices of last year's smartphone lineup. According to RBC-Ukraine, citing data from Apple's official store, the iPhone 17, iPhone 17e and the ultra-thin iPhone Air have all become more expensive. Notably, the new flagships in their top configurations already exceed the $2,000 mark, while Apple continues to sell last year's models with no technical changes whatsoever; the next generation of these devices is, by current estimates, not scheduled until spring 2027.
How much the older models cost more
An unwelcome surprise for buyers was that the price tags on all three models of last year's lineup in Apple's official Apple Store rose by between $100 and $300. The base iPhone 17 saw a price increase of exactly $100 across all storage variants, effectively shifting its price range upward with no improvements to its internals. In effect, Apple is "pulling" last year's lineup up to the new price level set by the 18th-generation flagships.
iPhone Air and iPhone 17e: details of the price hike
The most noticeable price increase hit the ultra-thin iPhone Air in its top configuration: the 256 GB and 512 GB versions rose by $100, while the 1 TB model jumped in price by as much as $300. The budget-friendly iPhone 17e, which retains an outdated OLED display with a 60 Hz refresh rate and a classic notch, also became more expensive, though to a lesser degree. The overall range of increases across the lineup is $100 to $300, depending on the model and storage capacity.
Contradictory data
There is a discrepancy between sources regarding which models saw price increases. The base information and a number of outlets (in particular RBC-Ukraine and Mobidevices) record price hikes specifically for the iPhone 17, iPhone 17e and iPhone Air. However, other publications — Championat and Hi-Tech Mail.ru — claim in their headlines that Apple raised prices "on all current iPhones," including the iPhone 16. In other words, one version is limited to the three 17th-generation models and the Air, while the second extends the list to the iPhone 16. Exact figures for individual configurations may also vary slightly depending on the region and source, so it is recommended to check the current price list in the official store when assessing the final cost.
Where else you can buy cheaper
It is worth noting that at third-party retailers and on popular marketplaces, these same models can still be found for less than in the official Apple Store, making alternative sales channels attractive for those unwilling to pay the "official" price. Given that the next generation of last year's models is not expected until spring 2027, the current price increase in the official store effectively locks the new models into a higher price segment for the remainder of their lifecycle.
