The entry-level iPad has quietly stopped being India's budget tablet option. Its price just jumped from around 30,000 rupees to 49,900 rupees, and that single number changes who this device is actually for.
What changed, and why it hit the base iPad hardest
Apple raised prices across its entire Mac and iPad lineup on June 25, along with Apple TV, HomePod, and Vision Pro, in increases ranging from 30 dollars on the HomePod mini up to 1,300 dollars on the Mac Studio globally. In India specifically, the base iPad absorbed a disproportionately large hit relative to the rest of the lineup, jumping from its long-standing roughly 30,000 rupee starting price to 49,900 rupees, a jump of close to 20,000 rupees on Apple's supposedly entry-level tablet. Apple has cited a global memory chip shortage as the driver, with CEO Tim Cook describing the situation as a "hundred-year flood" caused by AI data centre operators buying up DRAM and storage capacity faster than the industry can supply it.
Every iPad in the lineup got more expensive, but the base model's jump stands out because of what that specific device represented in the Indian market. Since its launch, the entry-level iPad has functioned as the affordable gateway into Apple's ecosystem, priced closely enough to premium Android tablets that it consistently undercut the entire Android tablet segment on brand value alone.
Why this specific price point mattered so much
At its old roughly 30,000 rupee price, the base iPad was, in practical terms, an obstacle every Android tablet maker had to design around. Buyers weighing a mid-range Android tablet against an actual iPad, even a base model, frequently chose the iPad simply because the price gap was small enough that Apple's ecosystem, build quality, and resale value tipped the decision. At nearly 50,000 rupees, that calculation changes entirely. The base iPad now sits closer to premium Android tablet territory, competing directly against devices that, as of this year, don't just match it on specs and accessories but in some cases beat it outright on AI features, a category where Apple has historically lagged rather than led.
At its old price, the iPad was the obstacle every Android tablet in its segment had to design around. At its new price, it's tough to recommend, especially against Android tablets that beat it on AI.
The ripple effect across Apple's tablet lineup
The base iPad isn't alone. The iPad Air, iPad mini, and iPad Pro all saw price increases as part of the same June 25 announcement, and upcoming models face their own cost pressure from the same shortage. The next iPad mini, expected with an OLED display later this year, is projected to carry a further 50 to 100 dollar increase on top of whatever baseline the shortage has already pushed prices to. Apple's own statement acknowledged this isn't a one-time correction, saying it is "working tirelessly to find solutions," language that leaves open the possibility of further increases before things stabilize, especially with memory supplier Micron expecting the shortage to persist through 2027.
The India angle
This story is fundamentally an India pricing story, since the roughly 20,000 rupee jump on the base iPad lands disproportionately harder here than the equivalent dollar increase does in wealthier markets. India's tablet buyers, particularly students and first-time Apple ecosystem entrants, relied on the base iPad's affordability specifically because it made Apple hardware accessible without a flagship-level budget. Pushing that device close to 50,000 rupees removes it from the price bracket where it competed most effectively, and hands a real opening to Android tablet makers who have spent the past two years specifically targeting the gap between budget tablets and Apple's ecosystem.
Samsung, Xiaomi, and other Android tablet manufacturers active in India, several of which have added genuinely competitive AI features and stylus support at prices well below even the old iPad pricing, stand to benefit directly from Apple voluntarily stepping out of this price bracket. For India's education sector specifically, where the base iPad had become a common recommendation for students needing a capable but affordable tablet, this price jump likely pushes many of those purchases toward Android alternatives that didn't previously look competitive against Apple's brand strength.
| Model | Price change |
|---|---|
| Base iPad (India) | ~30,000 to 49,900 rupees |
| iPad mini (upcoming, global) | Expected further $50-$100 increase |
What to watch
Watch whether Apple treats this as a temporary correction it walks back once memory prices stabilize, or a permanent repositioning of where the base iPad sits in its lineup going forward. For India specifically, watch how quickly Android tablet makers move to capture buyers who previously defaulted to the iPad purely on price, since that window of opportunity may not stay open if Apple finds a way to roll back pricing once component costs ease.
Published July 4, 2026. Gadgets365 will update this article as more information becomes available.