Apple Raises iPhone Prices in Vietnam After New Model Debut

Apple has increased prices for several older iPhone models in Vietnam and other markets immediately after launching its latest lineup, a departure from its usual practice of making previous models cheaper. In Vietnam, the 128 GB iPhone 16 is now listed on Apple's website at VND24.99 million (US$965), up VND2 million from Thursday. The 256 GB iPhone 17 is priced at VND28.99 million, the 17e at VND21.99 million, and the 256 GB Air at VND34.99 million, all up VND4 million. Higher-storage versions saw even larger hikes. The changes came immediately after Apple unveiled three new iPhones in the U.S. on Thursday, but made no announcement about the impending price increases. The iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max start at $100 more than their iPhone 17 Pro counterparts did last year, while the foldable Duo starts at $1,999. The base iPhone 18 is expected to arrive in spring 2027, with its price forecast to be 10-20% higher than the iPhone 17, according to market research firm TrendForce. Most Apple authorized resellers in Vietnam have implemented the price hikes, though some still offer older iPhones for up to several million dong less. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max have been removed from Apple's lineup. Similar price increases have been reported elsewhere. In the U.S., the Washington Post reported increases of $100 across several models. The increases were steeper in some other markets, with prices in India rising by around 20.5%, according to website TechCrunch. The increases had been anticipated amid rising component costs, particularly for DRAM and NAND memory chips as demand from AI systems surges, according to tech site 9to5Mac. TrendForce said the prices of 256 GB memory chips have risen nearly 400% from a year earlier as technology companies race to build AI infrastructure. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal in June, then-Apple CEO Tim Cook said price increases had become "unavoidable" as soaring memory and storage costs made it increasingly difficult for Apple to absorb the additional expense. Days later, the company raised the prices of the Mac and iPad. Cook again spoke about product pricing in late July, saying Apple had reluctantly raised prices as it faced what he described as a "100-year flood" in memory pricing, with costs rising exponentially.