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I live in the country with the most expensive Apple products on the planet

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Re: I live in the country with the most expensive Apple products on the planet

#131

Post by acchow »

lozenge wrote: post #56
ksec wrote: post #47

iPhone 13 cost R$ 7,599.00, or Roughly $1500 in USD. Compared to $799 in US. On a 30% Import Tax, and a maximum of VAT for Import product alone makes it ~$1250 already. For unstable currency ( comparatively speaking ) Apple tends to hedge at least 15% rate, that makes it around $1437. Apple tends to add a few pcenctage more for those countries with extra consumer protection. ( As in EUR ). So I dont think it is that…

You call it the unstable currency adjustment, somebody else can call it the "phone is already unaffordable, let's go further to make it a luxury status symbol" adjustment.

But the same iPhone 13 in India costs 1048 USD, which is almost completely explained by their 22.5% tariffs.

So why doesn't Apple apply your supposed "luxury adjustment" in India? Why only in Brazil?

Re: I live in the country with the most expensive Apple products on the planet

#132

Post by eMSF »

rob74 wrote: post #104
FabHK wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not in India, that's the point: https://www.apple.com/in/shop/buy-iphone/iphone-se/ It is INR 43900, or around USD 570. ETA: In Brazil, it is BRL 4199 or USD 825. https://www.apple.com/br/shop/buy-iphone/iphone-se/ And that's at market exchange rates. Adjusted for purchasing power or wages it would be even more expensive, I assume.

A few years ago Apple used to "only" charge the same price in Euros as they did in USD. Well, not anymore! The German prices of the iPhone SE start at 519 € - around 571 USD (source: https://www.apple.com/de/iphone-se/ ). So India definitely isn't alone with the inflated prices...

That comparison is slightly misleading because the German price includes the local VAT. Tax-free price (unless I'm mistaken) would be approximately 436 euros, so more than in the US, but not 150 dollars more.

Re: I live in the country with the most expensive Apple products on the planet

#133

Post by ThePowerOfFuet »

rob74 wrote: post #104
FabHK wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not in India, that's the point: https://www.apple.com/in/shop/buy-iphone/iphone-se/ It is INR 43900, or around USD 570. ETA: In Brazil, it is BRL 4199 or USD 825. https://www.apple.com/br/shop/buy-iphone/iphone-se/ And that's at market exchange rates. Adjusted for purchasing power or wages it would be even more expensive, I assume.

A few years ago Apple used to "only" charge the same price in Euros as they did in USD. Well, not anymore! The German prices of the iPhone SE start at 519 € - around 571 USD (source: https://www.apple.com/de/iphone-se/ ). So India definitely isn't alone with the inflated prices...

The EU prices are inclusive of ~20% local sales tax.

Re: I live in the country with the most expensive Apple products on the planet

#134

Post by Pmop »

I still think the reason are custom duties (which I think is something immoral), and anything else is just a consequence. Buying an Apple product from elsewhere is more expensive than buying one here. If that wasn't the case, people would just import the products, and the local businesses would have to adjust or risk bankruptcy.

Re: I live in the country with the most expensive Apple products on the planet

#135

Post by gwmnxnp_516a »

Brazil has only itself to blame. Not only Apple products, but several other technology items are pretty expensive due to the VAT (Value Added Taxes), namely, ICMS - state vat tax, IPI - federal vat tax for manufactured products, IOF - federal government tax that incurs on financial trasactions, and high import tariffs. All tariffs and taxes almost doubles the price of everything imported and whenever a product is sold to a distributor and the final seller, state and federal VAT taxes adds up increasing the price even further. Unlike the global north, most of taxes revenues in Brazil come from VAT taxes since brazilian middle class is not willing to pay higher income tax and at the same time they want US-style taxes and European-like lifestyle, such as ree healthcare and free college that are paid in Europe mostly through income tax revenues and dividend tax revenues. So despite higher taxes, it it is not that bad for the upper class and those who can afford Apple gadgets as they would have to pay higher income taxes if they moved to Europe, US or other countries. In Brazil even dividends are not taxed, while in US and Erope they are taxed and companies have to use stock buybacks in order to avoid double taxation.

Re: I live in the country with the most expensive Apple products on the planet

#136

Post by reaperducer »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #119
MthN wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

cost from apple.com/uk/in/us store macbook air US - $999 India - ₹92,900 ≅ $1,213 India(without GST) = ₹78,728 ≅ $1027 UK - £999 ≅ $1316 UK(without VAT) - £832.5 ≅ $1,096 iPhone 13 US - $799 India - ₹79,900 ≅ $1,043 India(without GST) - ₹67,711 ≅ $884 UK - £779 ≅ $1,025 UK(without VAT) - £649 ≅ $854

Most places in the US will have an additional ~7%+ sales tax on top of the above quoted prices.

8%+ is more common than 7%. It's around 10.5% in some cities.

Re: I live in the country with the most expensive Apple products on the planet

#137

Post by nextaccountic »

Brazil also has world's most expensive cars. We build cars in Brazilian factories and sell them in other countries cheaper than we sell in the local market.

https://www.automotiveworld.com/uncategorised/89068-brazil-h...

And the reason for that is.. that we pay the price. For some reason we accept to pay a higher price than any other country, even though there's a lot of competition (maybe the companies form a cartel here? But why here and not in the rest of the world?)

Re: I live in the country with the most expensive Apple products on the planet

#138

Post by LexGray »

wtmt wrote: post #13

A few comments on this from an Indian perspective. Apple products are quite expensive here too, when compared against U.S. prices (plus sales tax). It may seem as if this is because of customs duties, but that’s not the entire story. Many companies tend to have geographically differentiated pricing to expand their market and make more money. Even if the prices aren’t completely matching the local currency equivalent…

From what I have heard the prices go up in Brazil and India are special cases because the governments mandate local parts and manufacturing. Their goal was never about cheaper electronics, rather to subsidize local expertise. The Apple cut is the same on a now more expensive item.

Those that smuggle devices often experience unhappiness about how they cannot get warranty repairs for foreign purchased phones because repairs must be made with more expensive locally manufactured parts and Apple refuses to eat the difference. I have heard there are papers that can be used to prove foreign phones can use foreign parts without fees, but the local shops/repair depots are unwilling/untrained to help process that paperwork (and the replacements need even more time to be imported).

Even when repairs were authorized shipping and parts issues would take weeks. And no home shipping because issues finding trustworthy delivery so often six hour drive to the store often to be refused service or have to drive six hours weeks later. I am sure Apple could smooth out these issues (and hopefully has) but a lot of the issues likely arose from being cautious to avoid extreme fines.

I would rate both those countries as near Russia on how fun it is to own an Apple product in need of repair. (Samsung I have heard does not have the same issues is the same region).

Re: I live in the country with the most expensive Apple products on the planet

#139

Post by laurencerowe »

bigDinosaur wrote: post #84
gambiting wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> In Europe where 2 year warranties are mandated UK prices for a MacBook Pro 14 base model In UK all Apple products come with a 1 year warranty. Yes the consumer rights act gives you the right to have a product repaired or replaced(by the seller) if it becomes faulty due to manufacturing defects in 2 years after purchase....but after the initial 6 months it's the consumer who has to demonstrate that the fault is a r…

One must remember that Apple is notorious for refusing to repair certain defects within their one year warranty until the relevant class action or sufficient media coverage occurs, so the extent to which their warranty is a 'real' warranty can be somewhat debated. Anyway, it's absolutely known as a 'statutory warranty' in places like Australia https://www.apple.com/au/legal/statutory-warranty/au/ and people certainly…

It's almost 15 years ago now, but I found Apple (or at least staff in the London Oxford Road Apple store) to be very responsive when the battery for my perhaps 3 or 4 year old MacBook Pro expanded and broke.

I think there may have been a recall (which had expired by that point) but on bringing it in the staff member just unboxed a new £100 battery and sent me on my way. Various employers have purchased maybe 5 new Apple laptops on my behalf since so probably a good call.

Re: I live in the country with the most expensive Apple products on the planet

#140

Post by 2143 »

chupasaurus wrote: post #87
2143 wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or maybe the Russians might invent something of their own? They did have those space programs which were a big deal at the time.

If we count China out, the all-Russian phone would be in a suitcase form-factor. The best tech process for chip making in Russia is 110nm, even though 90nm was bought a decade ago.

> the all-Russian phone would be in a suitcase form-factor

You don't know that.

If China didn't make phones, wouldn't you have said "all Chinese phones would be shaped like a pyramid"?

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