Apple has unveiled its new iPhone 18 series, and prices in India are the highest compared with several major markets, according to industry watchers.
The lineup includes the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and a foldable model branded as the iPhone Duo. In India, the iPhone Duo is priced at Rs 2.99 lakh, while the iPhone 18 Pro costs Rs 1.65 lakh and the iPhone 18 Pro Max is priced at Rs 1.79 lakh.
Experts attribute the higher Indian pricing to multiple factors. They said the iPhone Duo is fully imported from China, adding to costs, and noted that the rupee has weakened by about 7% against the US dollar over the past year, contributing to higher prices for the Pro and Pro Max models.
They also pointed to import duties on components as a reason Indian iPhone prices exceed US pricing. Apple has also raised prices of older iPhone models, with analysts linking the move to a global rise in chip prices as demand from AI companies has surged.
A comparison shared in the report shows lower prices in markets such as Canada (Pro: Rs 1.10 lakh; Pro Max: Rs 1.40 lakh; Duo: Rs 2.06 lakh) and the US (Pro: Rs 1.14 lakh; Pro Max: Rs 1.23 lakh; Duo: Rs 1.90 lakh), among others including Japan, Singapore, the UAE and Malaysia.
