Apple Raises iPhone 17 Prices by 10% in Japan as Yen Hovers Near Four-Decade Low
Apple has raised iPhone 17 prices by approximately 10% in Japan, due to the weak yen. The iPhone 17 Pro saw an increase of 8.3%. These adjustments are separate from global price hikes on Macs and iPads caused by the memory shortage.
According to Bloomberg, the entry-level 256GB iPhone 17 is now priced at ¥142,800 ($879), up from ¥129,800 previously. The iPhone 17 Pro with the same storage rose to ¥194,800. Apple Watch and AirPods models also saw price increases of up to 10%.
The yen’s continued weakness, hovering near a four-decade low at around ¥162 to the dollar, is behind this move. Japanese retailers across sectors have been raising prices on imported goods due to the currency’s depreciation.
While there’s no indication of iPhone price increases in other markets, the combination of a weak yen and global memory chip shortage presents a structural cost problem for Apple, as it assembles 25% of its iPhones in India but still relies on dollar-priced supply chains for memory and displays.
Darius Popa, a technology enthusiast and intern at The Next Web, contributed to this report.