By Ian Werther in News — 14 Mar 2026

Apple launches budget iPhone 17e and MacBook Neo in Korea at 990,000 won

Apple has rolled out two budget devices in South Korea this month, highlighting a pricing strategy that contrasts with the price hikes seen on many flagship models globally. The launches include the iPhone 17e and the MacBook Neo, both introduced on the 11th in the Korean market.

The iPhone 17e is positioned as the budget variant in Apple’s iPhone 17 lineup. Its base model with 256GB of storage is priced at 990,000 won, the same price as the previous-generation model but with double the storage. The move comes as premium smartphones from rivals have raised launch prices, yet Apple is aiming to appeal to value-conscious buyers at home and abroad.

Inside, the iPhone 17e upgrades hardware with the A19 processor and the latest generation C1x cellular modem, delivering faster performance and longer battery life compared with its predecessor. The device uses a 6.1-inch OLED display with an anti-glare feature and retains the Ceramic Shield exterior. A notable design element is the soft pink color that complements the ceramic finish.

Simple and easy apple pie served with vanilla ice cream, on a gingham tablecloth in Lysekil, Sweden. Image focus stacked from five photos using Photoshop.
Recipe:

Ingredients: 150 g butter, 1 dl sugar, 3 dl all-purpose flour, 1 dl rolled oats, 3 large apples
Directions: Mix sugar, flour and oats in a bowl. Cut the butter into smaller cubes and add to the mix. Work the butter into the dry ingredients using pinching and kneading motions, until the butter is evenly mixed in. The result should not be a smooth dough, but rather small lumps. Pour the lumps into a pan; a regular medium springform pan will do nicely. Work the lumpy dough so that it covers the bottom of the pan and a couple of cm up against the sides. Peel and slice the apples, and put them in the pan. Sprinkle with some sugar and cinnamon. Bake in the middle of oven at 225 °C for about 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool a bit before serving with vanilla ice cream. — Representative image for context; not directly related to the specific event in this article. License: CC0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

The back camera remains a single 48-megapixel sensor but adds optical and telephoto capabilities to enable deeper photography, including post-shot focus adjustments for portraits. It supports 4K video at up to 60 frames per second with Dolby Vision and incorporates Apple’s Visual Intelligence AI for real-time translation and object recognition, marking a more interactive AI experience for a budget model.

Also highlighted is the iPhone 17e’s on-device AI features, which can identify objects and provide information about them without cloud processing, a capability marketed as part of Apple Intelligence. A demonstration in the product materials shows how AI can identify a photographed bottle, pulling up its name, price, and potential sources.

Apple’s other new offering in Korea is the MacBook Neo, described as the most affordable MacBook in Apple’s history. The laptop weighs about 1.23 kilograms and measures 1.1 centimeters thick, making it the thinnest and lightest MacBook in Apple’s lineup. It features a 13-inch Liquid Retina display and a fanless design to reduce noise, with color options that include Blush, Indigo, and Citrus, in addition to the standard silver and space gray.

Aerial view of Apple Park, the corporate headquarters of Apple Inc., located in Cupertino, California. The roof is covered in solar panels with an output of 17 MWp, making it one of the biggest solar roofs in the world. Photo taken from a Cessna 172M. — Representative image for context; not directly related to the specific event in this article. License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

The base MacBook Neo starts at 990,000 won, with education pricing at 850,000 won. The model uses the A18 Pro processor and is pitched for everyday tasks such as web browsing, document work, and media consumption. In hands-on use, reviewers found it capable of multitasking across several browser tabs and applications, though it is less suited for high-end gaming.

Industry observers say the Neo could be a compelling entry point for students and professionals seeking a lighter, more portable MacBook. They also note it could shift competition in Korea’s mid- to low-end notebook market, a space traditionally dominated by Samsung and LG, potentially affecting pricing dynamics for similar devices.

The launches reflect a broader trend where AI-enabled demand is driving chip inflation in some segments, yet Apple has chosen to freeze or lower prices in Korea and elsewhere to attract price-sensitive consumers. For U.S. readers, the development matters because it signals how Apple is balancing premium features with mass-market pricing, which can influence global supply chains, component demand, and competitive dynamics across major markets.

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