iPhone 16e discounted below official price ahead of launch

Unveiled on Feb. 19, the device will go on sale in Vietnam on Mar. 7.

Retailers have begun accepting pre-orders without requiring deposits, with all color options and storage variants (128GB, 256GB and 512GB) still available two days before launch.

Apple Store Online Vietnam lists the iPhone 16e at VND17 million, but major retailers are offering pre-order discounts of VND300,000-500,000, with additional reductions of VND200,000-300,000 for loyal customers.

Credit card and QR payment promotions can further lower the price by up to VND1 million.

Retailers say such early discounts are uncommon.

High-demand models like the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max have previously been sold at a premium above Apple's official prices.

The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus only saw price cuts after being on the market for some time.

iPhone 16e. Photo from X

"Pre-orders for the iPhone 16e are significantly lower than those for the iPhone 16 at launch but have exceeded our expectations," a spokesperson for a retail chain said.

The 16e is the most affordable model in the iPhone 16 lineup and the first iPhone equipped with an Apple-designed modem. It features a 6.1-inch display with a notch similar to the iPhone 13’s and an A18 chip supporting Apple Intelligence.

At the beginning of March, many retailers lowered iPhone prices in line with Apple's pricing policies. While major retailers have standardized prices, smaller stores are undercutting them by VND400,000-600,000.

Among the iPhone 16 series, the 16 Plus saw the biggest reduction, dropping from VND26 million to VND23 million.

The iPhone 15 saw the steepest cut overall, from VND19 million to VND16 million, while the iPhone 14 fell from VND16 million to VND13.5 million.

Following the cuts the iPhone 16e is now VND3 million cheaper than the iPhone 16 and VND1.5 million more expensive than the iPhone 15.