Contrary to earlier reports and analyst predictions, Apple’s new iPhone XS flagship did not see a $100 price drop from the last generation.
Instead, the iPhone XS starts at $999 — the same retail price as its predecessor. The larger-bodied, 6.5-inch OLED iPhone XS Max retails for $100 more at a new $1,099 price tier.
That means the most expensive stock iPhone you can buy from Apple in the U.S. is now the 512-gigabyte iPhone XS Max. The device will cost U.S. consumers $1,449.
But, of course, consumers in other countries will typically pay more money for the newest iPhone than U.S. consumers, as we saw with last year’s iPhone X. That’s largely due to international currency valuations and import fees.
It’s worth noting that many countries, unlike the U.S., include sales tax in the final cost. While sales tax varies depending on the state, U.S. consumers can expect to pay (at most) about $1,099 for an iPhone XS once the tax has been applied.
While not true across the board, in some countries, you’ll be paying a lot more for a new top-tier iPhone XS Max. For example, that device retails for a staggering $1,971 in Italy.
The Verge on Thursday published this handy table showing what the top-tier iPhone costs around the world, compared to the base tier and iPhone XS Max and the iPhone X at its launch.
How Much the
iPhone XS Max Costs
Around the World
| 2017 iPhone X | iPhone XS (64GB) | iPhone XS Max (512GB) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | $999 | $999 | $1,449 |
| Japan | $1,008 | $1,008 | $1,473 |
| Hong Kong | $1,094 | $1,095 | $1,592 |
| China | $1,224 | $1,269 | $1,868 |
| Russia | $1,380 | $1,292 | $1,868 |
| U.K. | $1,322 | $1,309 | $1,898 |
| Poland | $1,385 | $1,352 | $1,956 |
| Italy | $1,416 | $1,389 | $1,971 |
On the other hand, the publication notes that international iPhone pricing appears to have “settled” a bit in certain countries — particularly on those that paid the most for the 2017 iPhone X.
In Russia, the iPhone XS retails for $1,292, an actual $100 price drop from how much the iPhone X cost last year at launch.
The iPhone X sparked criticism last year because of its high price compared to other devices, but it appears that the entire industry is moving toward Apple’s premium tier. Last month, Samsung debuted its latest Galaxy Note 9 phablet at $999.
Of course, Apple also debuted the iPhone XR this year — a mid-range handset that still manages to sport many of the premium tier features of the iPhone XS. That device starts at $749, pitting it more closely against flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S9.
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