Liessa.[net nl eu]

iPhone pricing

A lot of people have been talking about the astronomically high price of about 1000 euros for a non-simlocked iPhone which was rumoured to be introduced in France. While this is a lot of money I think those people are aiming their complaints at the wrong bit of the price: it’s all about how 600 euros is way too much for leaving out the simlock part. Why all the noise about a generally accepted concept?

I don’t know how this works elsewhere but I suspect ’similarly’: when you get a new subscription you can usually get a phone for free in The Netherlands, with the more expensive models requiring a bigger monthly commitment on using telephone services. If you just want the device it costs up to about 600 euros, at least for models that are comparable in functionality to the iPhone. In my opinion, the problematic part of that 1000 euro price tag therefor is not the 600 euros it cost more if you don’t get a phone service subscription, but the bit where they charge you about 400 euros (or dollars in the US) when you do!

Ultimately though, all parts of the whining over prices are crap: stuff costs whatever people are prepared to pay for it. If it’s too expensive just don’t buy it. Would I love to have the phone? Probably, but as long as I don’t have the money just laying around I won’t get too worked up about it