The iPhone 12 series launched in Vietnam on November 27 and immediately grabbed huge attention from consumers. The hype around the iPhone 12 isn’t just about its design upgrades or features, but also its reasonable price and early official release compared to imported versions.
Earlier, the FPT Shop system told us that iPhone 12 pre-orders were “on par with the peak sales period of the iPhone 6/6 Plus back in 2014, which set record sales.” Another retailer, CellphoneS, said iPhone 12 pre-orders are three times higher than the same period last year.
The huge demand for iPhone 12 has caused some issues, including severe shortages of the high-end iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max models. As reported earlier, these two models are sold out at most retailers, especially popular colors like Gold and Pacific Blue. Buyers may have to wait weeks or even over a month to get their hands on the new iPhone.
It’s not just the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max facing shortages, even the iPhone charger is hard to find in Vietnam. With the iPhone 12, Apple removed the charger and earphones from the box, only including a USB-C to Lightning cable. This means users must either use an old charger or buy a new one if they don’t have a compatible charger. Apple says this move is to “protect the environment,” but many believe it’s a way for Apple to boost profits through accessory sales.
This concern is valid. The new iPhone cable uses USB-C, but most users still have chargers with USB-A ports, which don’t work with the new cable. So, most iPhone 12 users will need to buy a new charger.
To meet this demand, alongside the iPhone 12 launch, Apple released a new 20W charger with a USB-C output. Many retailers offered it at a “promotional” price of 490,000 VND when purchased with an iPhone 12.
After nearly a week of iPhone 12 sales, many major retailers have put up “sold out” signs for this charger. Meanwhile, some stores still have stock but have doubled the price to 990,000 VND.
This is puzzling because Apple’s official price for this charger is just 19 USD (about 440,000 VND). Yet in Vietnam, the listed price is as high as 990,000 VND, while the 490,000 VND price is marketed as a “sale” price.
It’s worth noting that many manufacturers produce iPhone chargers and cables with quality equal to or better than Apple’s. Still, users prefer Apple’s chargers for brand consistency with their phones. Plus, some buyers hesitate to trust chargers from lesser-known brands.
