2023-09-24 06:07:26
Who dared to say that iPhones were getting more and more expensive? This is false and archival if we are to believe this study carried out by perfectrec. This product comparator has adjusted the price of all iPhones released since 2007 by taking into account inflation.
And surprise, the iPhone 15 offered across the Atlantic at $799 excluding VAT is the cheapest iPhone in a long time. Only the original model does better. If we take into account inflation over the last 16 years, its public price today would be $732. In this game, the basic iPhone, the most expensive in history, is the iPhone 12 which would then cost $943!
This development is even more striking on the Pro models. The site rather rightly considers that the iPhone X was the first iPhone Pro in history. Over the years, the price of this range has continued to fall. Adjusted for inflation, the iPhone X costs $1,248, almost $250 more than the 15 Pro.
Unsurprisingly, we see a similar development on the Pro Max models, even if the iPhone 15 Pro Max is not the cheapest in the line. This is the 14 Pro Max, but this development is logical, with Apple seeking this year to move this model up a little further.
Although this study is interesting, it presents a certain number of biases. First of all, it is in dollars. Apple is often more aggressive in its home market. The prices are also excluding VAT, which is understandable given that each American state has its VAT rate, but this may have varied over time and had an impact on consumers’ pockets.
This study would undoubtedly present somewhat different results if we transposed it to France. Between 2007 and 2023, cumulative inflation in the United States is 48%. During this same period, inflation is 49% in the euro zone, but this is an average. In France, for example, it is a little less than 30%.
We might also approach this problem in another way. Instead of basing it solely on its price, we might, for example, calculate the number of hours of work necessary for a person earning the minimum wage to afford the Apple phone.
When it was released in France at the end of 2007, the iPhone EDGE was sold for €649 to which was added 100 euros if you wanted to unlock it. Depending on the scenario, it took 76 hours of work or 88. Twelve hours for a simple unlocking, that’s not nothing… And if we take the iPhone 15 sold for €969, which is sold unlocked by default , it takes approximately 84 hours of work for a person on minimum wage.
But in a certain way, and even if at first glance, let’s admit, the result is quite surprising, we would be tempted to agree with the authors of this study, for two reasons. Not only is the price more or less the same, but the 2023 iPhone is a much more complete device than the 2007 one. The camera is the perfect example.
From iPhone EDGE to iPhone 7 Plus: 100 times more powerful processor, 10 times faster network chip
The second reason is the lifespan of both devices. The first iPhone was obsolete quite quickly, while the iPhone 15 will be far from ridiculous in five years (provided you change its battery). From an accounting point of view, you can amortize it over a longer period of time and that makes all the difference.
But then why does the iPhone give the perception of being sold so expensive? In 2007, there was no device capable of offering services identical to the iPhone. Sixteen years later, we find devices comparable in terms of specifications, sold significantly less expensive.
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