Global iPhone 15 pricing is outrageous
The perfect storm
There are plenty of reasons why iPhones sold in the US are some of the cheapest globally. Abroad, some of those prices are outrageous, especially compared to the local purchasing power. The example with France, given above, is not even the most egregious one and doesn’t make it in the top 10 countries with most expensive iPhones.
| Country | iPhone 15 Pro Max price in USD | iPhone 15 Pro Max price (local currency) |
|---|---|---|
| Turkey | $2,721 | TL 89999 |
| Brazil | $1,942 | R$ 10999 |
| India | $1,910 | ₹ 159900 |
| Poland | $1,809 | zŁ 7199 |
| Denmark | $1,706 | DK 11799 |
| Sweden | $1,684 | kr 17995 |
| Norway | $1,652 | kr 17990 |
| Hungary | $1,635 | Ft 599990 |
| Finland | $1,618 | € 1499 |
| Portugal | $1,618 | € 1499 |
Granted, the US is a huge market, and the iPhone is so popular here, often as a status symbol, that half of Americans are kitted with one, but that’s not the whole story. It’s not even just patriotism, like South Koreans donning Galaxy phones at more affordable prices.
Apple is, however, an American company, and the US is one of the most visible markets in terms of marketing reach, so it is pretty careful how it prices and positions the iPhone here. For the rest of the world, though, Apple is simply trying to maintain the margins between the price and production costs, while adjusting for import and sales taxes, as well as for currency fluctuations.
The reason for the high global iPhone prices compared to the US, Taiwan, or Japan, where Apple handset prices are lowest when expressed in USD, is a combination of all taxes plus the inflation rate and local currency fluctuation.
iPhone 15 Pro Max price in Turkey discounted to $2,500 | Image credit – Adil Khan/YT
Brazil, for example, was a longtime leader in iPhone prices. However, the combination of a 15% import duty with 7% state tax and 10% federal tax on top of it all doesn’t really return the 80%-100% markup on the Apple iPhone there compared to the US. The inflation rate and local currency depreciation, however, are what Apple also takes into account when pricing its goods in a country, otherwise when both are high, it would be selling at cost.
This explains why Brazil passed the torch for most expensive iPhones to Turkey, whose average inflation rate last year was the whopping 53%, while its currency depreciated 28% in the first half of 2024 alone, forcing Apple to adjust its iPhone prices mid-cycle.
Global iPhone 16 Pro Max price may be a pleasant surprise
No 10% hike again
After reaching a nadir of parity against the dollar, and even briefly falling below parity, the euro has now recovered against the dollar, from the doldrums that lasted nearly two years. Apple is also now complying with the new hardware and software rules and regulations of the European Union.
