Apple raises older iPhone prices, iPhone 17 up 5,000 Baht in Thailand
Apple raised older iPhone prices and the iPhone 17 by 5,000 Baht in Thailand following the Sept 9, 2026 event, discontinuing the Pro models.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Apple increased prices for all remaining older iPhone models by 100 US Dollars in the US
- iPhone 17 prices in Thailand jumped by 5,000 Baht, representing a 16.7 percent increase
- The price hike reverses Apple's traditional practice of discounting older models
- The move is driven by soaring global memory and storage chip costs from AI data centers
Following the Surprise and Shine product launch event on September 9, 2026, which featured the debut of the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone Duo, Apple implemented a surprise price hike across all older iPhone models still available for purchase, including the iPhone 17 in both the United States and Thailand markets.
This price adjustment deviates from Apple's long-standing strategy of typically reducing the prices of previous-generation devices after launching new ones. As a result, consumers who waited to purchase older smartphones at a lower price point now face higher costs instead. In the United States market, older models such as the iPhone 16, iPhone 17, iPhone 17e, and iPhone Air all saw a 100 US Dollar price increase.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Regarding the new pricing structure in the US, the iPhone 16, which sold for 699 US Dollars the previous week, increased to 799 US Dollars. The 256GB iPhone 17e rose from its 599 US Dollar launch price to 699 US Dollars, while the 256GB iPhone 17 climbed from 799 US Dollars to 899 US Dollars, and the iPhone Air went from 999 US Dollars to 1,099 US Dollars, pushing the iPhone Air past the thousand-dollar mark for the first time.
In Thailand, Apple's official website updated the 256GB iPhone 17 price to 34,900 Baht from the previous 29,900 Baht, and the 512GB model rose from 37,900 Baht to 42,900 Baht, marking a 5,000 Baht increase per model or roughly 16.7 percent. This percentage is higher than the approximate 12.5 percent price hike seen in the US. Meanwhile, the iPhone Air now starts at 43,900 Baht, the iPhone 17e at 26,900 Baht, and the iPhone 16 at 30,900 Baht.
Alongside these changes, Apple revamped its lineup by discontinuing the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max to make room for the newer iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Meanwhile, the standard iPhone 18 was not introduced at this event, leaving no new entries in the more affordable price tier. Reports indicate that Apple may split its release schedule, rolling out the standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and iPhone Air 2 early next year.
Apple's decision to raise prices across older models highlights broader macroeconomic supply chain pressures. International news outlets report that the primary driver is the soaring cost of memory and storage chips across the technology industry, fueled by the rapid expansion of AI data center demands. While most analysts anticipated higher price tags for the Pro series, increasing prices for older generation devices entirely caught the market off guard.
Source: Thairath Lifestyle
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