Over The Last 14 Years, iPhone Prices Have Gone Up More Than 80%

Since its launch in 2007, the price of the iPhone has gone up more than 80% around the world, according to a new study that looked at ‌iPhone‌ prices all over the world and their increase and decrease over the years.

iphone 13 display pro max
According to the study conducted by Self, since its launch in 2007 and subsequent annual upgrades, the price of iPhones has increased more than 80%, now costing over $400 more on average to buy in countries around the world compared to the original ‌iPhone‌.

Since its US launch in 2007 and subsequent years in other countries, iPhone prices have increased by 81% across the globe. This means that in 2021, the latest flagship iPhone model costs $437 more to buy in each of the 38 countries it's available in than it used to.

While the price increase comes alongside more advanced technology and increases in production costs, the increase also comes as a result of inflation and Apple having to sometimes increase prices to counter economic growth.

However, many countries have experienced inflation and growth in purchasing power in the years between, and our research shows that Apple have risen iPhone prices 26% higher than local inflation rates. This means that local affordability for a flagship iPhone costs people around the world $154 more in real terms than the first models they could purchase.

As part of its research, Self has created an interactive map that highlights the changes in ‌iPhone‌ prices in real-world terms as a percentage of GDP over the last 14 years in more than 30 countries around the world. According to that map, the United Arab Emirates has witnessed the largest increase in the price of the ‌iPhone‌, with the latest model costing more than double what it did when it originally launched.

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
CarPlay Pinned Messages

iOS 26.2 Adds New CarPlay Setting

Thursday November 13, 2025 6:48 am PST by
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose. Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket Now Available to Order, But Already Selling Out

Friday November 14, 2025 6:20 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. iPhone Pocket is available to order on Apple's online store starting today, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. However, it is already completely sold out in the United...
tvOS 26 Profiles

tvOS 26.2 Adds a Useful New Feature to Your Apple TV

Friday November 14, 2025 10:02 am PST by
Starting with the upcoming tvOS 26.2 update, currently in beta, additional profiles created on the Apple TV no longer require their own Apple Account. In the Settings app on the Apple TV, under Profiles and Accounts, anyone can create a new profile by simply entering a name and indicating whether the profile is for a kid. The profile will be associated with the primary user's Apple Account,...
Tim Cook WWDC 2018

Report: Tim Cook to Step Down as Apple CEO 'as Soon as Next Year'

Saturday November 15, 2025 2:40 pm PST by
Apple is preparing for Tim Cook to step down as CEO of the company "as soon as next year," according to the Financial Times. The company's board of directors and senior executives "recently intensified preparations for Cook to hand over the reins," the report said. While the report said that Apple is unlikely to name a new CEO before its next earnings report in late January, it went on to ...
walmart new ornametns

Walmart Black Friday Deals Begin Today With Low Prices on Headphones, TVs, and More

Friday November 14, 2025 7:55 am PST by
Walmart's Black Friday sale has officially kicked off today, with an online shopping event that's also seeing some matching deals in retail locations. There are quite a few major discounts in this sale, including savings on headphones, TVs, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Walmart. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Apple's 2026 Mac Plans

Friday November 14, 2025 3:23 pm PST by
Most of Apple's Macs are slated to get M5 chips across 2026, and there's a possibility we'll even see the first M6 chips toward the end of the year. Updates are planned for everything from the MacBook Air to the Mac Studio. MacBook Air (Early 2026) The MacBook Air will be one of the first Macs to get a 2026 refresh, with an update planned for the first few months of the year. The MacBook...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...
best early black friday deals

Best Black Friday Apple Deals Live Now - Save on AirPods, iPads, and Apple Watches

Saturday November 15, 2025 1:45 pm PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...

Top Rated Comments

adamjackson Avatar
54 months ago
I paid $599 for my first iPhone before tax and waited 3 hours for Cingular's servers to actually activate it. Fun times:


While the price has gone up from $599 to my last iPhone purchased at $1599 for the 1TB Pro Max 13, I don't feel the '80% increase' is unjustified. The iPhone 1 to 13 are incredibly different animals. The iPhone has turned into some people's only computer and you can get an A15 powered iPhone for still much less in the form of the mini so while the starting price was $499 I think for the 4GB model, iPhones now are MUCH more powerful and feature-rich.


Here's the first photo I "shot on iPhone"
Score: 49 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheGhostWalker Avatar
54 months ago
Adjusting for inflation, the original iPhone would cost $660. Not too far off the $699 for the iPhone 13
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Red Oak Avatar
54 months ago
You can buy a new iPhone cheaper today than you could 14 years ago (iPhone SE @ $399, iPhone 11 @ $499).

The ASP is higher today because consumers are choosing more high end models. The cost to get into an iPhone is not “up 80%”
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macar00n Avatar
54 months ago
Well, about every 20 years the purchasing power of $1 is halved. Isn't this just consistent with inflation?

Note: I'm talking normal inflation before the USA printed 30% of all currency in circulation in 1 year
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Grimace Avatar
54 months ago
Flimsy math on this headline.

Phone carriers used to subsidize the iPhone cost by $200 or more when you renew your contract - they stopped doing that a few years ago so that subsidy was passed onto the consumer who pays full price.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
davythefatboy Avatar
54 months ago
I don't expect such clickbait nonsense from Macrumors. The iPhone gets better every year, Macrumors not so much.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)