As yen tumbles, gadget-loving Japan goes for second-hand iPhones
- The Japanese currency’s fall to a 32-year low against the dollar has squeezed consumers and accelerated a broader spending shift in the world’s No 3 economy
- Sales of used smartphones grew nearly 15 per cent in Japan to a record 2.1 million in the last financial year and are likely to reach 3.4 million by 2026

For years, Japanese shoppers eagerly shelled out for the latest gadgets, but now a tumbling yen has put new iPhones out of reach for some and sparked a growing second-hand trade in a major market for Apple.
The Japanese currency’s fall to a 32-year low against the US dollar has squeezed consumers and accelerated a broader spending shift in the world’s No 3 economy. Industry watchers said Japan’s shoppers have become more open to buying second-hand, thanks in part to the rise of online auction sites.
In July, Apple hiked the price of the entry-level iPhone 13 by nearly a fifth. The basic iPhone 14 later debuted at 20 per cent more than the iPhone 13 did, even as the US price stayed flat at US$799. While the dollar has surged against global currencies this year, the yen has been particularly hit, dropping 22 per cent.
Salaryman Kaoru Nagase wanted a new phone but could not justify the price of a iPhone 14, which starts at 119,800 yen (US$814). Instead, he bought a used iPhone SE 2 in Tokyo’s Akihabara electronics district for less than a third of that.
“At more than 100,000 yen the iPhone 14 is too expensive and I just can’t afford it. It would be fine if the battery lasted for 10 years,” he said. The iPhone SE 2, released in 2020 but without the dual rear camera of the iPhone 14, was a “good balance” of cost and features, he said.
Apple declined to comment for this story. But in an annual regulatory filing last month, it said Japan sales fell 9 per cent in the year ended September 24 due to the yen’s weakness.
Apple chief financial officer Luca Maestri also acknowledged to analysts last month that the strong dollar had led to price increases for its products in some countries, but sales had still grown by double digits in Indonesia, Vietnam and other markets facing currency challenges.
Sales of used smartphones grew nearly 15 per cent in Japan to a record 2.1 million in the last financial year and are likely to reach 3.4 million by 2026, according to technology market research firm MM Research Institute.