We compared the official India launch prices of nine 2026 smartphones with the phones they replaced. The median increase is 33%. For phones whose predecessors cost under ₹30,000, the average increase is 83%.
Evidence disclosure: This is a research-based data study. Prices are official India launch MRPs reported by the brand or by Indian tech publications on launch day. FlawCheck calculated every percentage. We did not test these phones. Sources are listed at the end.
The headline: a gaming phone that costs 2.8× more
On 27 October 2026, Infinix launched the GT 50 Pro in India at ₹69,999 for its only variant, 12GB RAM + 256GB storage. The GT 30 Pro launched on 3 June 2025 at ₹24,999 (8GB + 256GB) and ₹26,999 (12GB + 256GB).
Starting price to starting price, that is a 180% increase. On the matching 12GB + 256GB configuration it is 159%. The chip moved up one step, from the Dimensity 8350 Ultimate to the Dimensity 8400 Ultimate. The GT 50 Pro launch also includes a gaming accessory bundle that Infinix values at ₹24,999.
Caution: Even if you subtract the full claimed bundle value, the phone alone would sit around ₹45,000, roughly 70% above the GT 30 Pro. Infinix has not explained the price. Digit attributes it to the global memory-chip shortage.
Launch price vs predecessor: the full table
Where both phones offer the same RAM and storage, we compare that variant. Otherwise we compare base variants.
| Phone (India launch) | Predecessor | Variant compared | Old price | New price | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infinix GT 50 Pro (Oct 2026) | Infinix GT 30 Pro (Jun 2025) | 12GB + 256GB | ₹26,999 | ₹69,999 | +159% |
| vivo T5 (Sep 2026) | vivo T4 (Apr 2025) | 8GB + 128GB | ₹21,999 | ₹39,999 | +82% |
| Redmi 17C 5G (Oct 2026) | Redmi 15C 5G | 4GB + 128GB | ₹12,499 | ₹20,999 | +68% |
| OPPO Reno 16 (Jul 2026) | OPPO Reno 15 (Jan 2026) | 8GB + 256GB | ₹45,999 | ₹61,999 | +35% |
| iQOO 15 | iQOO 13 | Base variant | ₹54,999 | ₹72,999 | +33% |
| realme GT 8 Pro | realme GT 7 Pro | Base variant | ₹59,999 | ₹72,999 | +22% |
| OPPO Reno 15 (Jan 2026) | OPPO Reno 14 | Base variant | ₹37,999 | ₹45,999 | +21% |
| Redmi Note 15 | Redmi Note 14 | Base variant | ₹18,999 | ₹22,999 | +21% |
| vivo X300 | vivo X200 | Base variant | ₹65,999 | ₹75,999 | +15% |
Other matching variants tell the same story. The vivo T5 12GB + 256GB rose from ₹25,999 to ₹49,999 (+92%). The Redmi 17C 5G 6GB + 128GB rose from ₹13,999 to ₹22,999 (+64%). The OPPO Reno 16 12GB + 256GB rose from ₹48,999 to ₹67,999 (+39%).
Budget phones took the biggest hit
Split the table by the predecessor’s price and the pattern is clear. The four phones whose predecessors cost under ₹30,000 rose by an average of 83%. The five whose predecessors cost ₹37,999 or more rose by an average of 25%.
That fits what analysts say about memory. Counterpoint’s Tarun Pathak told Digit that memory went from below 20% of the bill of materials in sub-₹15,000 phones to over 45% in one year. In a ₹70,000 flagship, RAM and storage are a smaller share of the cost, so the same memory shock moves the final price less. If you are deciding how much memory you actually need, see how much RAM an Android phone needs and whether 128GB is enough.
Same specs, higher price: three cases
Redmi 17C 5G: same chip, same memory, +68%
The Redmi 17C 5G uses the same MediaTek Dimensity 6300 as the Redmi 15C 5G and starts at the same 4GB + 128GB. It launched at ₹20,999, against ₹12,499 for the 15C 5G. That is ₹8,500 more for a phone built around the same processor and memory configuration. Xiaomi skipped the “16C” name in India, so the 15C 5G is the direct predecessor. For what the Dimensity 6300 can and cannot do, see our MediaTek Dimensity generations guide.
vivo T5: less RAM, more money
The vivo T4 started at ₹21,999 with 8GB of RAM. The vivo T5 starts at ₹34,999 with 6GB. The cheapest T5 costs 59% more than the cheapest T4 and has 2GB less memory. On the matching 8GB + 128GB variant the increase is 82%.
OPPO Reno: +63% in two generations
OPPO now launches a Reno generation about every six months. The base Reno 14 launched at ₹37,999, the Reno 15 at ₹45,999 in January 2026, and the Reno 16 at ₹61,999 in July 2026. That puts the Reno 16 63% above the Reno 14.
Prices are rising after launch too
Launch prices are only half the story. Many phones already on sale have been repriced upward, some more than once.
| Phone | Variant | Earlier price | Revised price | Change | Reported by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OPPO Reno 16 | 8GB + 256GB | ₹61,999 | ₹72,999 | +18% | Trak.in, Oct 2026 |
| OPPO A6 5G | 4GB + 128GB | ₹17,999 | ₹23,999 | +33% | 91mobiles, Jun 2026 |
| OPPO A6 Pro 5G | 8GB + 256GB | ₹23,999 | ₹31,999 | +33% | 91mobiles, Jun 2026 |
| OPPO F33 5G | 6GB + 128GB | ₹31,999 | ₹34,999 | +9% | 91mobiles, Jun 2026 |
| realme 16 Pro+ 5G | 8GB + 256GB | ₹48,999 | ₹52,999 | +8% | My Mobile India, Jun 2026 |
| realme C71 | Base | ₹7,699 | ₹11,999 | +56% | Beebom tracker, Sep 2026 |
| OPPO A6x 5G | Base | ₹12,499 | ₹18,999 | +52% | Beebom tracker, Sep 2026 |
| iQOO Z11x | Base | ₹18,999 | ₹27,999 | +47% | Beebom tracker, Sep 2026 |
| Samsung Galaxy F06 5G | Base | ₹7,999 | ₹11,499 | +44% | Beebom tracker, Sep 2026 |
| Samsung Galaxy M07 | Base | ₹6,999 | ₹9,999 | +43% | Beebom tracker, Sep 2026 |
Evidence gap: The Beebom tracker lists old and new prices without a date for each change, and some of its text and table entries disagree. We used only rows where they do not conflict.
Why this is happening
- AI data centres are absorbing memory supply. Memory makers have moved capacity toward high-bandwidth memory and server DRAM for AI, leaving less LPDDR and NAND for phones (91mobiles, Digit).
- Memory prices have roughly quadrupled. Counterpoint’s Tarun Pathak says memory is up about 4× since September 2025. Analyst Yogesh Brar expects 5× in the coming months (Digit).
- Average prices hit a record. IDC puts India’s average smartphone selling price at a record $302 in Q1 2026, up 10.4% year on year (Digit).
- Buyers are pulling back. Counterpoint reports Q2 2026 shipments down 10% year on year and expects India’s market to shrink about 13% in 2026. IDC says the sub-₹10,000 tier fell 59% in Q1 2026 (Digit).
- No quick relief. Brar does not expect memory supply to ease before Q1 2028 (Digit).
Who should buy now, and who should wait
Avoid if: you are comparing starting prices across generations. Brands are cutting RAM on base models (vivo T5) or dropping cheaper variants (Infinix GT 50 Pro), which makes headline prices misleading.
Best fit: last year’s model, if it is still sold new near its original price and meets your needs. Several 2025 phones cost far less than their 2026 successors with the same or similar chips. Our long-term ownership guide covers what to check before you commit.
Watch out: a phone you shortlist can get more expensive. If the model you want is still at its launch price, waiting may cost more, not less.
Bottom line
The 2026 price rise is real, measurable and steepest at the bottom of the market. Compare matching RAM and storage variants, look hard at the previous generation, and treat any launch price as a ceiling that may still move up.
Methodology
We used official India launch prices (MRP, inclusive of taxes) as reported on launch day by the brand or by Indian tech publications. We excluded bank offers, exchange offers, effective prices and bundled accessories. Where the same RAM and storage variant exists on both the new phone and its predecessor, we compared that variant. Otherwise we compared base variants. All percentages are our own calculations, rounded to the nearest whole number. The median covers the nine pairs in the main table. Post-launch revisions are listed separately.
You are welcome to use these tables and figures with credit and a link to this page.
Sources
- Digit, Infinix GT 50 Pro launched at nearly thrice the GT 30 Pro’s launch price, 27 Oct 2026.
- My Mobile India, Infinix GT 50 Pro launched in India, 27 Oct 2026.
- GSMArena, Infinix GT 30 Pro launched in India, 3 Jun 2025.
- 91mobiles, Redmi 17C 5G launched in India, 1 Oct 2026.
- Techgenyz, Redmi 17C 5G price vs Redmi 15C 5G, 6 Oct 2026.
- vivo India newsroom, vivo T5 launch press release, 2 Sep 2026.
- Digit, vivo T4 5G launched in India, 22 Apr 2025.
- TelecomTalk, OPPO Reno 16 and Reno 16c launched in India, 2 Jul 2026.
- GSMArena, OPPO Reno15 series India price and sale date, 13 Jan 2026.
- Trak.in, OPPO Reno 16 price increased by up to Rs 7,000, 23 Oct 2026.
- 91mobiles, Why smartphone prices are rising in 2026 (Redmi Note, Reno, iQOO, realme GT and vivo X launch prices).
- 91mobiles, OPPO A6, A6 Pro and F33 prices raised, 22 Jun 2026.
- My Mobile India, realme 16 series price increase, 26 Jun 2026.
- Beebom, India smartphone price hike tracker, updated 14 Sep 2026.
- Digit, State of the smartphone industry 2026, 18 Jul 2026 (IDC, Counterpoint, Techarc and CMR figures).
