Battery Replacement Service Price Controversy
Only Korea Applies Unusually High Increase
Exchange Rates Vary... "Same Standards Needed"
Apple is set to raise global battery replacement service prices starting March 1, but claims have emerged that the price hike in the Korean market is significantly higher compared to other countries.
Earlier, Apple announced on its official website that it would increase the battery replacement costs for all iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks, including the iPhone 13, by approximately 30,000 to 80,000 KRW.
World's Highest Rate of Increase... "Is Korea a Cash Cow?"
On the 9th, the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice (CCEJ) stated, "Apple's battery replacement cost increase is excessively high only in Korea," adding, "This is a serious lack of fairness and close to discrimination."
According to CCEJ, the battery replacement cost for the iPhone 13 in Korea will be 109,800 KRW starting March 1. This is a 38% increase (30,600 KRW) from the previous 79,200 KRW. For older iPad models, the price will rise from 132,000 KRW to 185,000 KRW, a 40% increase (53,000 KRW).
In contrast, in the United States, the battery replacement cost for the iPhone 13 and iPad will increase by only $20 (approximately 25,000 KRW).
This is also a high service cost compared to Samsung Galaxy models. For example, the total replacement cost, including battery replacement and labor, for the Galaxy S22 Ultra model is about 50,000 KRW.
On the other hand, reflecting the recent price hike, the total cost for the iPhone 13 is reported to be 109,800 KRW, which is about twice as expensive as the Galaxy.
Exchange Rate Policies Vary Widely
On the 7th, when Apple's new iPhone 14 series was officially released in Korea, citizens were examining the products at the Apple Store in Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Mun Honam munonam@
CCEJ pointed out issues with the exchange rates applied to Apple's recent service cost increase.
When Apple first announced the battery replacement service price hike, the benchmark exchange rate in Korea was 1,277 KRW per dollar, but this rate was not applied.
Another problem appears to be that different exchange rates were applied depending on the product. According to CCEJ's analysis, the dollar-to-won exchange rate applied to the iPad replacement cost soared to as high as 2,650 KRW.
Regarding this, a CCEJ official said, "Apple should apply the actual exchange rate of a specific date uniformly so that Korean consumers can understand, and the price increase should be at the same level as in the United States," adding, "If Korean consumers continue to be treated as a cash cow without reasonable measures, they will face a strong consumer movement."
Meanwhile, this is not the first time voices have criticized Apple's so-called "Korea discrimination."
When the iPhone 14 series was unveiled in September 2022, a similar issue arose. The Korean selling price increased by up to 330,000 KRW compared to the previous model, resulting in a maximum increase rate of 17.4%. Meanwhile, prices were frozen in the United States. Additionally, an exchange rate of 1,421 KRW per dollar was applied, which was higher than the market rate of 1,381 KRW per dollar at the time.
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