New Zealand often gets the short end of the stick when it comes to tech, but here’s something where the country actually fairs pretty well: iPhone prices.
That may come as a surprise to those who have just shelled out NZ$2,799 on a 1TB iPhone 13 Pro Max, but bear with us.
A study from Self has revealed that in the intervening 14 years since the original iPhone launched in 2007, Apple’s smartphone prices have risen by 81%. “This means that in 2021, the latest flagship iPhone model costs [US]$437 more to buy in each of the 38 countries it’s available in than it used to,” the site explains.
Crucially, this isn’t just down to inflation, which iPhones have been 26% ahead of in each region, on average. That means that the iPhone costs US$154 more in real terms than the original 2007 handset.
But this is where Kiwis get to enjoy a rare tech victory dance. Because while most countries have seen the price of iPhones skyrocket compared to local GDP — by as much as 110% if you live in the UAE — in New Zealand, the price relative to GDP (PPP) per capita has actually dropped by 1%.
Take that, Canada (+72%), Australia (+58%), United Kingdom (+50%) and the United States (+12%)!
Although, admittedly others have dropped even more significantly compared to GDP, with South Korea (-24%), the Philippines (-26%) and Ireland (-32%) leading the way in (relative) iPhone bargains.
The interactive map is quite fun to play with, not only demonstrating how late each country was to the iPhone party, but showing which years were especially harsh/pleasant in each region. For example, 2017’s iPhone X was a particularly tricky one for Kiwis, costing 3.1% of the country’s GDP (PPP) per capita. This year, it’s ‘just’ 2.26%.
You can definitely pick at the methodology. Aside from anything, what is the ‘average’ iPhone in 2021, given there are five current models on sale, including the still current 2020 iPhone SE? But it’s still an interesting analysis of where we’ve come in 14 years of iOS.
