Prices of older iPhones rise on short supply of latest model

Two weeks ago Ngoc Huyen in Ho Chi Minh City saw a store charging VND21.5 million (US$865) for a 128GB iPhone 13 Pro Max, but now the price has gone up by 3.7% to VND22.3 million.

An employee told her some other older models had also become more expensive.

Ha Xuan Vu, owner of a second-hand iPhone shop in HCMC, exclaimed that this was the first time in his 10 years in the business that older iPhones were seeing prices rise at a time when the latest model was released.

He said the 14 Pro and Pro Max, the most expensive versions, are out of stock at many places while the 14 and 14 Plus are not attractive enough for most buyers.

Those who own iPhone 12s cannot wait for the 14 to be delivered and are buying the 13 instead, also an upgrade, he added.

CounterPoint Research said the rise in iPhone 13 prices in the U.S. seems to have impact on the Vietnamese market, and a refurbished one is selling at 11% higher even after the 14 was released.

Huy Nguyen, a spokesperson for distributor CellphoneS, said the rising dollar is putting pressure on the prices of imported electronics.

The price hikes would surely affect retailers’ revenues, he added.