Job’s Mob has jacked up iPhone prices in Japan, in what appears to be for LOLs and giggles.
The iPhone 16, iPhone 17e, iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max price rise runs from eight per cent to 11.3 per cent, while the US and every other checked market appear untouched.
The price rise hit Job’s Mob’s online store in Japan on 18 July 2026. It follows last month’s Mac and iPad rises, which the outfit pinned on chip shortages with the usual straight face. This time, the story is the yen sliding against the dollar.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max has climbed from ¥194,800, about €1,058, to ¥214,800, about €1,166. That is a 10.3 per cent rise for those who enjoy paying extra for the same rounded rectangle.
The iPhone 17 Pro has gone from ¥179,800, about €976, to ¥194,800, about €1,058. That gives Job’s Mob an 8.3 per cent lift without troubling itself with a new excuse involving memory chips.
The skinny iPhone Air has moved from ¥159,800, about €868, to ¥177,800, about €965. That is up 11.3 per cent, making thinness expensive in every possible way.
The standard iPhone 17 rises from ¥129,800, about €705, to ¥142,800, about €775. The supposedly cheaper iPhone 17e moves from ¥99,800, about €542, to ¥107,800, about €585.
The ageing iPhone 16 has been dragged from ¥114,800, about €623, to ¥124,800, about €678. Apparently, even last year’s kit deserves a fresh squeeze.
Outside Japan, nothing has shifted so far. US prices remain unchanged, and the move appears limited to the six models sold through the Japan store, which are apparently affected by the rising dollar, while the others are not.
Samsung kept the Galaxy S26 Ultra flat at launch this year, despite pushing the base S26 and S26+ up by $100. There is no sign yet of a matching yen-related bump in Japan.
That means anyone choosing between an iPhone, Galaxy S26 Ultra or Pixel 10 Pro outside Japan has the same maths as before. Japanese buyers, meanwhile, get the joy of funding Job’s Mob’s currency worries.
The rest of the iPhone range dodged the June rises, along with Apple Watch and AirPods. The Mac and iPad hikes were blamed on memory shortages, which sounded much more technical and therefore more comforting to shareholders.
