​iPhone XS priciest yet in South Korea

Apple’s iPhone XS series opened for pre-orders in South Korea on Friday.

The phones are the priciest yet, with the iPhone XS Max 512GB model costing 1.969 million won, or approximately $1,730.

The iPhone XS 256GB model will cost 1.562 million won, and the iPhone XR 64GB model will cost 990,000 won. The phones will be available in stores of local telecommunications carriers SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus.

See: iPhone XS review: Everything Apple has to offer, but in a smaller package

Official sales will begin on November 2, a week from now. The Apple Watch 4 is not available for pre-order, but will begin sales on the same date.

Due to the high price tag, SK Telecom and KT are offering rental services for Cupertino’s latest devices. The program lends the phones for 24 months, and offers an approximate 15 percent price discount.

Premium phone prices have climbed in South Korea in recent years; Samsung’s Galaxy Note 9 512GB model costs 1.353 million won, the company’s most expensive smartphone yet.

The iPhone XS Max is similarly highly priced in Australia, retailing at AU$2,199.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has defended the pricing, saying most people spend $1 dollar a day to use them.

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