Buying last year’s iPhone after Apple unveils a new generation has traditionally been a fairly predictable strategy. The latest models arrive, older devices stay in the lineup and their prices usually become a little more attractive.
Not this time.
Following the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone Duo, Apple has quietly increased the UK prices of several iPhones already on sale. The adjustment is particularly unusual because nothing about these phones has changed: same hardware, same storage and, obviously, the same generation.
The iPhone 17, iPhone 17e, iPhone 16 and iPhone Air have all become more expensive.
Older iPhones are now £100 more expensive
The new UK pricing makes Apple’s decision particularly easy to see. The iPhone 17 now starts at £899, compared with £799 before the update. The iPhone 16 moves from £699 to £799, while the iPhone 17e climbs from £599 to £699.
The iPhone Air is affected too, with its entry price moving from £999 to £1,099.
A £100 increase might look relatively modest alongside the prices of Apple’s newest flagship phones, but the context matters. These aren’t new products receiving more storage, better cameras or upgraded processors. They are exactly the same phones that Apple was selling for less just before its September event.
That makes this price adjustment far more interesting than the usual annual reshuffling of the iPhone range.
Memory costs are changing the smartphone market
The explanation appears to be linked largely to the rising cost of memory and storage components.
The technology industry is dealing with enormous demand for memory, driven partly by the rapid construction of AI infrastructure and data centres. Manufacturers have increasingly prioritised high-value components destined for servers and artificial intelligence systems, putting pressure on other parts of the electronics market.
Apple can absorb higher component costs for a while thanks to the enormous scale of its supply chain. There is still a point, however, where maintaining the same retail prices starts eating into margins.
This year’s iPhone pricing suggests that point has been reached.
And that’s probably the most important part of the story. Apple isn’t simply charging more for a new generation with expensive new technology. It is repricing products that have already been on shelves for months or years.
The iPhone 16 is the strangest case
The iPhone 16 illustrates the situation perfectly.
Normally, a two-year-old iPhone remaining in Apple’s official range would occupy a more affordable position. Instead, its UK price has moved back up to £799.
That creates an unusual dynamic inside Apple’s own catalogue. Age no longer guarantees a meaningful discount.
For years, Apple has used older iPhones as a way of covering lower price points without having to create a huge number of different models. If rising component costs continue, that strategy becomes harder to maintain.
The distinction between “current iPhone” and “cheaper old iPhone” suddenly becomes much less obvious.
Retailers now matter even more
There is another curious consequence. Apple’s own store is no longer necessarily the reference point for the best price on these devices.
Retailers and mobile operators may still have stock purchased before the new pricing came into effect. Existing promotions could therefore leave some iPhones available for considerably less than Apple’s updated official prices.
It creates a rare situation where the same phone can effectively belong to two pricing eras at once.
Once older retail inventory disappears, the gap will probably become less dramatic. Until then, Apple’s price increase could make third-party retail pricing look unusually aggressive.
This could be bigger than Apple
The real question is whether this is an isolated Apple decision or an early sign of a broader change across consumer electronics.
Memory is used everywhere: smartphones, computers, tablets, graphics cards and countless other devices. AI infrastructure has introduced a massive new source of demand into that supply chain.
Apple’s size means even relatively small increases in component costs can translate into enormous sums across millions of devices.
From my perspective, that’s what makes this announcement more significant than another discussion about expensive iPhones. Apple has effectively broken one of the most predictable rules of its product cycle: old hardware doesn’t necessarily get cheaper anymore.
If that becomes an industry-wide trend, smartphone pricing could look very different over the next few years.
A revealing change in Apple’s strategy
Apple raising the price of an existing iPhone is much more striking than launching an expensive new flagship. Consumers expect cutting-edge devices to command premium prices. They don’t expect yesterday’s phone to cost more today.
The iPhone 17e is supposed to make Apple’s ecosystem more accessible. The iPhone 16 should represent the cheaper previous-generation option. Increasing their prices weakens both positions.
There is a certain irony here: Apple’s September event introduced some of its most advanced iPhones yet, but one of the biggest changes to the lineup happened quietly in the online store.
And it had nothing to do with a new camera or processor.
Frequently asked questions
Why has Apple increased the price of older iPhones?
Rising memory and storage costs appear to be one of the main factors. Strong demand from AI infrastructure and data centres is putting additional pressure on the global memory market.
How much more expensive are older iPhones in the UK?
Several models have increased by £100. The iPhone 17 now starts at £899, the iPhone 17e at £699, the iPhone 16 at £799 and the iPhone Air at £1,099.
Did Apple change the hardware at the same time?
No. These are price adjustments applied to existing models rather than new hardware revisions.
Are the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max still sold by Apple?
No. Apple removed them from its official range following the arrival of the iPhone 18 Pro generation, although remaining stock may still be available through third-party retailers.
