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.
Wednesday March 19, 2025 6:55 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps.
Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly. It has been three and a half years since Apple first announced the...
While the iPhone 18 Pro models are still around a year and a half away from launching, there are already some early rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap some key iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far.
Under-Screen Face ID
In April 2023, display industry analyst Ross Young shared a roadmap showing that iPhone 17 Pro models would feature under-display Face ID. In May 2024, however, Young said ...
Wednesday March 19, 2025 5:29 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Serial leaker Sonny Dickson today shared an image of what he claims is a first look at a third-party case for Apple's iPhone 17 Air. "If you didn’t know an Air was coming, you'd swear it was a Google Pixel case," he said.
Case manufacturers often obtain design specifications of upcoming iPhone models before their release by collaborating with Apple through official partnerships or...
Thursday March 20, 2025 12:01 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost.
The new perk is the ability to create invitations in the Apple Invites app for the iPhone, which launched in the App Store last month.
In the Apple Invites app, iCloud+ subscribers can create invitations for any occasion, such as birthday parties, graduations, baby showers, and more. Anyone ...
All four iPhone 17 models launching later this year will feature an upgraded 24-megapixel front-facing camera, according to analyst Jeff Pu.
In a research note today with investment firm GF Securities, Pu shared a chart in which he reiterated that the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with a 24-megapixel front camera. By comparison, all four ...
Apple is planning some of the "biggest iOS and macOS redesigns in its history," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman reiterated that iOS 19 will have a visionOS-like design with more transparent interfaces:The new interfaces will adopt the design principles introduced in visionOS, the software for Apple's Vision Pro headset. That includes greater...
Thursday March 20, 2025 6:52 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Is Apple experiencing a "Vista-like drift into systemically poor execution?"
That was a question posed by well-known technology analyst Benedict Evans, in a recent blog post covering Apple's innovation and execution, or seemingly lack thereof as of late. He is referring to Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system, which was widely criticized when it launched in 2007 due to software bugs,...
Tuesday March 18, 2025 11:33 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today released a firmware update for the 25W MagSafe Charger that is compatible with the iPhone 12 and later and the latest AirPods. The updated firmware is version 2A146, up from the 2A143 firmware that came out earlier this year. In the Settings app, the new firmware is version 136, up from 133.
Apple launched the 2024 MagSafe charger alongside the iPhone 16 models, and it is able to ...
Wednesday March 19, 2025 10:26 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
The European Commission today announced a long list of changes that Apple is legally required to implement in future iOS 19 and iOS 20 updates.
The announcement clarifies interoperability requirements that Apple is required to adhere to in the EU, under the Digital Markets Act, which has been fully enforced since March 2024. The changes will further open up the iPhone and its technologies to ...
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.
