Vietnam among first markets for iPhone 17, release on Sept. 19

The country will join 63 other markets in the first wave, also including Australia, Canada, the U.K., France, Germany, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand.

The U.S. tech giant typically prioritizes markets with physical Apple Stores, while Vietnam currently only has an official online store. However, strong sales growth in recent years has made Vietnam one of its most important markets in Southeast Asia.

In 2023 and 2024 Vietnam had trailed the earliest global markets by one week in sales of the 15 and 16 series. This year’s earlier release is expected to curb demand for unofficial imports and the practice of Vietnamese traveling to Thailand or Singapore to buy the devices.

Two colors of the iPhone 17 Pro. Photo by VnExpress/Tuan Hung

There are major design changes to the 17 lineup, which includes the base model, the Pro, Pro Max, and a new model, the iPhone Air.

At 5.6 mm thick, the iPhone Air is Apple’s thinnest iPhone yet, slimmer than Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge at 5.8 mm. It has a titanium frame, glossy finish and Ceramic Shield 2 coating on both sides for improved scratch and crack resistance.

The 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max also feature a new design, replacing the square camera module that has long defined the Pro series. Both models now use aluminum frames instead of titanium, with glass back panels.

Globally, the Pro models will cost US$100 higher than the 16, while in Vietnam the difference will be around VND3 million ($114).

The 17 Pro will start at VND35 million, matching the price of last year’s 16 Pro Max, and the 17 Pro Max at VND38 million.

The standard 17 will be priced from VND25 million, and the Air at VND32 million to be positioned between the 16 Plus and 17 Pro models.