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.
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.
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.
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.
Wednesday December 6, 2023 5:06 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Unidentified governments are surveilling smartphone users by tracking push notifications that move through Google's and Apple's servers, a US senator warned on Wednesday (via Reuters). In a letter to the Department of Justice, Senator Ron Wyden said foreign officials were demanding the data from the tech giants to track smartphones. The traffic flowing from apps that send push notifications...
Friday December 1, 2023 12:19 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
iOS 17.2 has been in beta testing for over a month, and it should be released to all users in a few more weeks. The software update includes many new features and changes for iPhones, including the dozen that we have highlighted below. iOS 17.2 is expected to be released to the public in mid-December. To learn about even more features coming in the update, check out our full list. Journal ...
Tuesday December 5, 2023 11:28 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today released new firmware update for both the Lightning and USB-C versions of the AirPods Pro 2. The new firmware is version 6B34, up from the 6B32 firmware introduced in November. Apple does not provide details on what features might be included in the refreshed firmware beyond "bug fixes and other improvements," so it is unclear what's new in the update, but prior software releases ...
Wednesday December 6, 2023 2:03 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple's Korean suppliers have begun developing smartphone under-display cameras (UDC), paving the way for the first iPhone with a true "all-screen" appearance. According to The Elec, LG Innotek has entered the preliminary development of the UDC, which sits under the display and does not result in a visible hole in the panel when the camera is not in use. A UDC differs from a typical front ...
Wednesday December 6, 2023 1:17 pm PST by Marko Zivkovic
Recently, MacRumors has received details on the battery currently being tested on the upcoming fourth-generation iPhone SE, and the information corroborates previous findings in relation to the device. The iPhone SE 4, known by its device identifier D59, is expected to use the exact same battery found in the base model iPhone 14. Partially assembled prototypes of the next iPhone SE have been ...
Wednesday December 6, 2023 9:53 am PST by Juli Clover
To boost falling iPad sales, Apple has a major refresh planned for the iPad lineup in early 2024, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple plans to debut new iPad Air and iPad Pro models, both of which will feature notable changes. The iPad Air will come in two sizes like the iPad Pro for the first time. The smaller model will continue to measure in at 10.9 inches, but the larger version...
Wednesday December 6, 2023 7:17 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple has shared the full release notes for iOS 17.2, which is in the final stage of beta testing and should be released to the public next week. iOS 17.2 includes a long list of new features and changes, including a Journal app, spatial video recording on iPhone 15 Pro models, several improvements to the Messages and Weather apps, a Favorite Songs playlist in Apple Music, and more. iOS...
Tuesday December 5, 2023 11:04 am PST by Juli Clover
The iOS 17.2 update that Apple is set to release to the public in the near future will bring support for the next-generation Qi2 wireless charging standard to the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models. Qi2 was mentioned in the release notes for the RC version of the update that came out today. With the addition of support for the new standard, iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models will work with Qi2...
Top Rated Comments
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"
The ASP is higher today because consumers are choosing more high end models. The cost to get into an iPhone is not “up 80%”
Note: I'm talking normal inflation before the USA printed 30% of all currency in circulation in 1 year
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.