iPhone 17 Pro Max Holds Value in Vietnam, Sales Remain Steady

A year after its launch in Vietnam, Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max has seen a price drop of only about 5% from its initial selling price, maintaining steady sales. This is a significant contrast to its predecessor, the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which dropped as low as VND29 million for the 256GB version, a 15% decrease from its launch price. Van Thi Ngoc Yen, Apple products category director at retailer Di Dong Viet, told Dan Tri newspaper that the limited price movement reflects several factors, including higher costs for key components such as DRAM memory chips and processors. "At this point, there is no basis to determine when or by how much prices may change," Yen stated. Other retailers also reported that demand for the 17 Pro Max has remained steady despite limited discounts, with sales broadly matching those of its predecessor. In Vietnam's premium smartphone segment, while the 17 Pro Max competes with devices like the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, Oppo Find X9 Pro, and Vivo X300 Pro, Apple's flagship model continues to hold a dominant position. A spokesperson for A Minh Tuan Mobile added that the phone's strong initial sales had leveled off over the following months. They noted that in the premium segment, while price is an important factor, buyers also consider features, camera performance, processing power, battery life, and durability. Under Vietnam's one-party system, economic growth remains a top priority, and the consumption of technology products has boomed with the expansion of the middle class. Products from U.S. companies like Apple, especially amidst complex relations with China, play a role in broadening consumer choices while also spurring domestic brands. The limited depreciation of the iPhone suggests a dual factor of increased global component procurement costs and robust domestic demand in Vietnam.