MANILA, Philippines – Online seller Kimstore has posted the prices for pre-ordering Apple’s in-demand new flagship, the iPhone X: P80,000 for the 64GB version and 89,000 for the 256GB version. 

The iPhone X represents a major leap for the iPhone line, drastically changing the iPhone’s typical design, adopting an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) bezel-free screen and face-scan security for the first time, to name some features. 

The phone started selling in 50 countries around the world last Friday, October 27, but unfortunately and expectedly, the Philippine market isn’t included. No official release date has been released by official carriers such as Smart, Globe and other official stores like Beyond The Box and Power Mac Center.

Filipino tech fans with more than $1,000 – the official US price – to spare are hoping that the units land in time for the holiday season. However, there’s some reason to believe that the Philippine launch might miss the mark as global supplies are reportedly having trouble keeping up with demand as it is.

Additionally, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, the more standard upgrades to the iPhone line, are just about to arrive on November 17 from Smart. It’s likely that official stores would want to space the 8 and the X apart to maximize sales.

With that, the most eager (and the financially-endowed) will likely be tempted to spring for the gray market units such as the ones being sold by Kimstore and other stores. 

Kimstore was the same store that faced illegal importation allegations from the Bureau of Customs back in January 2017. 

Kimstore’s price, which has shocked many netizens who have seen their online post, actually undercuts iPhone X prices released earlier. An ABS-CBN report had gray market prices for a 64GB unit at P90,000 – and so did another online seller, Widget City:

Aside from a definite release date, here’s one wish among Apple diehards: that the X be so much cheaper than current unofficial offerings. – Rappler.com