Alex Cheong Pui Yin
Previously covered recruitment-related stories and had a short stint as a copywriter for the property industry. She subsequently developed an interest in investment and robo-advisors.
Historical Prices Of iPhone In Malaysia
Alex Cheong Pui Yin
29th September 2023 - 4 min read
The very first iPhone was introduced back in 2007, with only two storage options: 4GB and 8GB. Priced at US$499 (approximately RM1,721 in 2007) and US$599 (approximately RM2,066 in 2007), respectively, these were already deemed a hefty price to pay for phones. Even so, Apple stuck to its guns, and since then, has successfully convinced users of its premium value.
In Malaysia, the first iPhone model to arrive is the second-generation iPhone 3G in 2009 (officially released in 2008) – launched exclusively with Maxis; later models soon had other telco contracts. Here’s a quick look at how the prices of iPhones in Malaysia have changed from then, all the way up until today.
| Year | iPhone models | Retail Price (at launch) |
| 2008 | iPhone 3G | – Bundled exclusively with Maxis telco contracts – Free to RM2,540 (8GB) |
| 2009 | iPhone 3GS | – Bundled exclusively with Maxis telco contracts – From RM2,490 (8GB) |
| 2010 | iPhone 4 | – Bundled with telco contracts – From RM2,190 (16GB) |
| 2011 | iPhone 4S | From RM2,199 (16GB) |
| 2012 | iPhone 5 | From RM2,199 (16GB) |
| 2013 | iPhone 5C iPhone 5S | From RM1,499 (8GB) From RM2,399 (16GB) |
| 2014 | iPhone 6 iPhone 6 Plus | From RM2,399 (16GB) From RM2,749 (16GB) |
| 2015 | iPhone 6S iPhone 6S Plus | From RM3,199 (16GB) From RM3,699 (16GB) |
| 2016 | iPhone SE (1st gen) iPhone 7 iPhone 7 Plus | From RM1,949 (16GB) From RM3,199 (32GB) From RM3,799 (32GB) |
| 2017 | iPhone 8 iPhone 8 Plus iPhone X | From RM3,649 (64GB) From RM4,149 (64GB) From RM5,149 (64GB) |
| 2018 | iPhone XR iPhone XS iPhone XS Max | From RM3,599 (64GB) From RM4,999 (64GB) From RM5,399 (64GB) |
| 2019 | iPhone 11 iPhone 11 Pro iPhone 11 Pro Max | From RM3,399 (64GB) From RM4,899 (64GB) From RM5,299 (64GB) |
| 2020 | iPhone SE (2nd gen) iPhone 12 Mini iPhone 12 iPhone 12 Pro iPhone 12 Pro Max | From RM1,999 (64GB) From RM3,399 (64GB) From RM3,899 (64GB) From RM4,899 (128GB) From RM5,299 (128GB) |
| 2021 | iPhone 13 Mini iPhone 13 iPhone 13 Pro iPhone 13 Pro Max | From RM3,399 (128GB) From RM3,899 (128GB) From RM4,899 (128GB) From RM5,299 (128GB) |
| 2022 | iPhone SE (3rd gen) iPhone 14 iPhone 14 Plus iPhone 14 Pro iPhone 14 Pro Max | From RM2,099 (64GB) From RM4,199 (128GB) From RM4,699 (128GB) From RM5,299 (128GB) From RM5,799 (128GB) |
| 2023 | iPhone 15 iPhone 15 Plus iPhone 15 Pro iPhone 15 Pro Max | From RM4,399 (128GB) From RM4,899 (128GB) From RM5,499 (128GB) From RM6,499 (256GB) |
From this list, it’s clear that the prices of iPhones have been on an upward climb – from RM2,540 back in 2008 to RM4,399 today for the base model – but to help you better visualise this, we’ve also plotted the price points in a graph:
For clarity and simplicity, we’ve consolidated the various iPhone models across the years into four key categories – the base iPhone model, iPhone Plus, iPhone Pro, and iPhone Pro Max – at their lowest storage configurations. As you can see, prices for all four models demonstrate a gradual upward trend (with the occasional dips along the way). It is also interesting to note that the increases tend to be fairly constant across the different models, which is especially evident in the past two years where all four models were sold alongside each other. The only difference is with the iPhone 15 Pro Max this year, as Apple doubled the base storage from 128GB to 256GB in a move that was seen to subtly increase the profit margin of its smartphones.
The biggest jump took place in 2015 with the launch of the iPhone 6S and the 6S Plus, and this can likely be attributed to the depreciation of the ringgit against other currencies at that time, due to factors like political instability and oil price drop. Meanwhile, the price dip in 2019 (between the iPhone XR and iPhone 11) is due primarily to Apple’s decision to price the iPhone 11 lower than its predecessor.
Nevertheless, the iPhone continues to be a cultural constant – it maintains a premium position in the smartphone market, and holds the unique advantage of being the only company that sells the iPhone (compared to the myriad companies offering Android-based smartphones).
About THE AUTHOR
Alex Cheong Pui Yin
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