A more affordable model in the iPhone X series went on sale in Japan on Friday amid expectations that sales will exceed that of the pricier XS Max and XS, which made their market debuts last month.
The XR model, which costs ¥84,800, is available in six colors and has a 6.1-inch liquid crystal display, as well as improved camera functions that use artificial intelligence.
"We made it highly functional but kept the price low," said an Apple Inc. spokesperson.
Consumers can get a discount if they agree to a contract for a fixed period with NTT Docomo Inc., SoftBank Corp. or KDDI Corp., the three major mobile carriers.
The XS Max, with its 6.5-inch screen, the largest ever iPhone display, and the XS, which has a 5.8-inch screen, both incorporate high-end organic light-emitting diode displays and retail for ¥124,800 and ¥112,800, respectively.
The iPhone is the dominant smartphone in Japan, enjoying a roughly 50 percent market share, one of the biggest in the world.
