Realme Raises Phone Prices, AIMRA Warns Of Consumer Pushback

Realme has increased prices across seven smartphone variants by up to ₹5,000, with the revisions taking effect on October 12, 2026. The move has drawn criticism from the All India Mobile Retailers Association (AIMRA), which has warned that the timing could affect consumer sentiment and festive-season sales.

In a communication to retail partners, realme India attributed the price changes to rising memory, chipset and overall smartphone ecosystem costs. The revisions cover three models, with the biggest increase applying to the realme 16 5G.

Kailash Lakhyani, founder chairman of AIMRA, criticised the decision, arguing that higher prices at the start of the festive buying period could discourage consumers from purchasing or upgrading their smartphones.

Realme 16 5G Sees Biggest Hike

The realme 16 5G (8GB RAM and 128GB storage) has seen the largest increase in absolute terms, with its listed price rising from ₹36,999 to ₹41,999 — an increase of ₹5,000, or around 13.5%.

The 8GB+256GB variant has become costlier by ₹4,000, taking its listed price from ₹39,999 to ₹43,999. The 12GB+256GB variant has also seen a ₹5,000 increase, from ₹42,999 to ₹47,999.

The realme 16T 5G variants have recorded increases of ₹1,000 each. The 6GB+128GB model now carries a listed price of ₹31,999, while the 8GB+128GB and 8GB+256GB variants are priced at ₹33,999 and ₹36,999, respectively, according to the company communication. The realme C1001 4G (4GB+64GB) has also become costlier by ₹1,000, with its listed price increasing from ₹14,999 to ₹15,999.

AIMRA Flags Festive Sales Risk

Lakhyani warned that the price revisions could make consumers reconsider their purchases during a period when retailers typically look to festive demand to drive sales. He said buyers could explore competing brands such as Samsung, Xiaomi, vivo and OPPO if they find devices with comparable features at more competitive prices.

“Such counterproductive management decisions right at the start of festive buying will alienate consumers, validate market instability, and cause major harm to Mainline retail,” Lakhyani said.

The association described the timing of the increase as a concern for retailers, arguing that higher prices could weaken purchase intent when consumers are evaluating smartphone upgrades and competing offers. However, the extent to which the revisions affect demand will depend on consumer response and the pricing of rival devices.

Realme, meanwhile, has cited higher memory, chipset and broader ecosystem costs as the reason for the changes. The company’s announcement did not provide a breakdown of how much each input cost had risen or indicate whether further price revisions were planned.