Apple on Thursday raised the price of iPhone models in Japan, making the product more expensive for Japanese consumers. In some cases, prices are now almost 20% higher, which may be a reflection of the local currency getting weaker against the dollar.
As first reported by Nikkei Asia and confirmed by 9to5Mac, the iPhone prices have just been updated on Apple Japan’s website and are likely effective for retail stores in the country. An Apple Online Store page on the Web Archive confirms that prices have recently been adjusted.
For instance, the cheapest iPhone currently available from Apple, which is the 64GB third-generation iPhone SE, has gone up from 57,800 yen ($423) to 62,800 yen ($459). The entry-level model of the iPhone 13 Pro, which comes with 128GB of storage, now costs 144,800 yen ($1,060), while the previous price was 122,800 yen ($899).
As you can see, iPhone prices in Japan were even lower than in the United States. Unfortunately, Japan’s local currency has lost about 15% of its value compared to the US dollar in the last three months, which ultimately has an impact on the price of imported products.
Despite the price increase, iPhone sales in Japan seem to be doing well. Recent research shows that the new third-generation iPhone SE has been in strong demand in the Asian country, accounting for 18% of local smartphone sales in April.
Only iPhone prices went up in Japan.
For now, prices for other Apple products seem to remain unchanged in Japan, but it’s interesting to see that the company didn’t wait until the iPhone 14 launch this fall to change prices in the country. Of course, this suggests that iPhone 14 will have a higher launch price in Japan compared to the launch price of iPhone 13 last year.
It’s worth noting that iPhone prices have also been getting more expensive in the rest of the world. Earlier this year, the new iPhone SE was launched for $429 in the US – $30 more than its previous generation. In this case, the price increase may be related to inflation and component shortages.
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