Unless you live on another planet, you are surely aware that the global economic world is currently in trouble. After the price increase of the MacBook Air M1 in France, it is the turn of the iPhone in Japan to soar.
Bad news for iPhone owners in Japan
It’s not just in France that Apple is raising prices. If on our side, we saw the MacBook Air M1 go from 1129 € to 1199 € during the presentation of the new model with M2 chip, it is the iPhone 13 which becomes even more expensive on the side of our Japanese friends.
Since yesterday, prices on the brand’s latest smartphone have increased everywhere, sometimes reaching a net increase of 20%. The first reason for this decision would a priori be the weakening of the local currency in comparison with the dollar. It’s exactly the same phenomenon here with the euro.
For example, the iPhone SE on the Japanese Apple Store is now priced at 62,800 yen ($459) compared to 57,800 yen ($423) previously. The same goes for the iPhone 13 Pro (128GB) which went from 122,800 yen ($899) to 144,800 yen ($1060). A net increase of $160 which is enough to hurt consumers’ wallets.
As for the iPhone 13, it goes from 98,800 yen ($730) to 117,800 yen ($875). And yes, the iPhone 13 now costs almost as much as the iPhone 13 Pro before the price hike.
Bad news for customers in Japan because as you can see the basic iPhone was priced better than in the US. The recent fall in the local currency will have caused the country to lose this advantage.
As for Europe and more specifically France, let’s hope that the euro picks up again by the start of the school year. In the event of an even more pronounced fall, there is no doubt that Apple will present an iPhone 14 range with higher prices than in recent years. We wouldn’t like to end up paying for an iPhone 14 at the price of an iPhone 13 Pro…
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