Since Jobs Unveiled the iPhone, Prices Have Gone up More Than 80 Percent

BY Chandraveer Mathur

Published 14 Oct 2021

Steve Jobs introduces original iPhone

Since the first iPhone debuted in 2007, they have grown pricier by over 80 percent, according to a new study.

According to a study conducted by Self, the price of the iPhone has shot up 81 percent, an increase of over $400, since 2007. The study looked into the smartphone’s price over the years from all around the world and treated the price of the original iPhone that Steve Jobs famously unveiled. It noted:

“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.”

The price increase is accompanied by technological advancements and regular increases in production costs. Moreover, the price increase is accelerated by inflation and Apple having to jack up prices.

“However, many countries have experienced inflation and growth in purchasing power in the years between, and our research shows that Apple has 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.”

Self also created an interactive map that highlights the changes in iPhone pricing as a percentage of the GDP over 14 years in 30+ countries around the world. The map revealed that the UAE witnessed the largest increase in the iPhone’s price. In the UAE, the latest iPhone model costs twice as much as the original iPhone did because prices rose 110 percent faster.

The Irish have seen iPhone prices fall by 29 percent because local inflation rose faster than the iPhone’s price. The iPhone 13 is the costliest in India where the average citizen would have to part with 14.75 percent of their average purchasing power to own one device.

[Via Self]