14 DAY TRIAL // Apple took the wraps off the iPhone SE yesterday as part of a press event that also brought us the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and new Apple Watch bands.
Set to go on sale later this month, the iPhone SE will be available starting at $399 for the 16 GB version, but if you’re planning to buy the new model in Europe, you’ll have to pay a lot more than that.
As PhoneArena noted, the entry-level iPhone will go on sale in Europe at €490 ($550), so those living on the Old Continent have to pay nearly $150 more for the new iPhone. If you want the version with more storage, the 64 GB is sold in Europe for €590 ($665), while in the United States it can be yours for just $499.
In case you’re wondering why the difference, it’s all because of taxes, but overall, the price increase in Europe goes up to 33 percent as compared to the United States.
Almost the price of a Galaxy S7
Interestingly, due to all these price increases, the iPhone SE becomes almost as expensive as other top-of-the-range devices running Android, such as the Galaxy S7, which comes with a 5.1-inch display and 32 GB of storage space in the entry-level configuration.
Samsung is selling the Galaxy S7 on Amazon for €634 ($710), so it’s only €44 more expensive than the cheapest iPhone SE with 16 GB of storage and a 4-inch display.
Without a doubt, Apple specifically wanted the iPhone SE to be more affordable and this is one of the reasons the company wanted to make it available in so many markets as fast as possible. The device is projected to go on sale in 100 countries by the end of May and this rather small price should help it compete against more affordable devices running Android.