Apple raises price of iPhone 13 series in Japan by a fifth as inflation rises

Apple has hiked the cost of its flagship iPhone phone by nearly a fifth in Japan, which is battling a weaker yen and rising inflation.

The Cupertino, Calif.-based maker’s entry-level iPhone 13 now costs JPY 117,800 (around Rs 69,000), Apple’s website showed, down from JPY 99,800 (around Rs 58,500) previously .

With the dollar up 18% against the yen year-to-date, the higher cost of the iPhone, which dominates the Japanese smartphone market, comes as consumer wallets are squeezed by rising prices. prices of basic necessities.

These widespread increases are a change for most Japanese people after years of stable prices for many products.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The company topped the list of the world’s best-selling smartphones in April, according to a Counterpoint Research report released earlier this month. iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 12 were the four best-selling smartphones in the world in April.

According to the report, the iPhone 13 held 5.5% of the global market share, while the company’s most expensive model – the iPhone 13 Pro Max – took second place with a global market share of 3.4%. The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 12 captured 1.8% and 1.6% market share respectively. Meanwhile, the 2022 iPhone SE ranked seventh with 1.4% of global smartphone sales, capturing 18% of the smartphone market share in Japan.

Later this year, Apple is expected to launch four iPhone 14 models — two Pro models codenamed D73 and D74, and two non-Pro models codenamed D27 and D28 — according to a report.

High-end iPhone 14 Pro models are set to get an improved front camera, a new rear camera system with a 48-megapixel sensor, thinner bezels, an A16 chip, and a pill-shaped cutout for Face ID and a punch hole for the camera, while non-Pro iPhone 14 models would come with the A15 chip that powers the iPhone 13.