Apple raised iPhone 17 prices by 10% in Japan as the yen hovers near a four-decade low

Apple raised the price of the iPhone 17 in Japan by roughly 10%, with the entry-level 256GB model now starting at ¥142,800 ($879), up from ¥129,800 previously, Bloomberg reported on Saturday. The iPhone 17 Pro with the same storage rose 8.3% to ¥194,800. Apple Watch and AirPods models also increased by up to 10%. Apple’s Japan spokesperson declined to comment.

The increase is driven by the yen, which continues to hover near its lowest level in four decades at around ¥162 to the dollar. Japanese retailers across sectors have been raising prices on imported goods as the currency stays depressed. Apple already raised Mac, iPad, and Vision Pro prices globally three weeks earlier due to the prolonged memory chip shortage, but that round did not affect iPhones, AirPods, or Apple Watch. The Japan increase is a separate, currency-driven adjustment.

There is no indication that Apple will raise iPhone prices in other markets. But the combination of a weak yen and the AI-driven memory shortage means Japanese consumers are being hit from two directions: currency depreciation making imports more expensive, and the global memory crisis pushing component costs higher for every device manufacturer. Apple assembles 25% of its iPhones in India, but the supply chain for memory and displays still runs through markets priced in dollars, making yen weakness a structural cost problem rather than a temporary one.