The iPhone 7 is now more expensive in the UK than the iPhone 6S was at launch, despite the price of the flagship remaining the same of its predecessor in the US.
Apple has seemingly adjusted the pricing of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in the UK as a result of Brexit, which has caused the value of the sterling to drop due to the decision to exit the European Union. With the pound now being weaker than it was around the release of the iPhone 6S, Apple has drastically altered the pricing of its latest flagship smartphone, with models being up to £100 more expensive than previous iterations.
Though Apple has upped the storage capacity of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, removing the 16GB option in favor of making 32GB the basic option, in the US the company has not increased the price of the device as a result of this change. However, in the UK the 32GB model of the iPhone 7 now costs £599, compared to the £539 the basic iPhone 6S model cost upon its release. This price gap increases even more when you look at the top-end, 256GB model of the iPhone 7 Plus, which costs £100 more than its iPhone 6S equivalent at £919.
Apple hasn’t officially confirmed that this change in pricing is as a result of the EU referendum, though it’s not difficult to make the conclusion that the tech giant has increased these prices as a result of the pound growing weaker. Other companies in the tech industry have taken similar actions with their products, with the HTC Vive’s price rising by £70 due to Brexit while the OnePlus 3’s price jumped by £20.
Meanwhile, the iPhone 7’s wireless AirPods are also more expensive in the UK, with them costing £159 compared to their $159 (£119) pricing in the US. The company has also altered the pricing of its older products following the iPhone 7 reveal, with the 9.7-inch iPad Pro now costing £549 instead of £499. Apple CEO Tim Cook has previously stated that fluctuations in currency have a “very meaningful impact” on the company’s revenue, forcing them to adjust their pricing.
