From the very moment of the presentation, iPhone of the eleventh generation have become the most talked about smartphones. Given the experience of previous years and the impact smartphones Apple have on the industry, there is nothing surprising about this hype. However, in recent years, in addition to the very fact of the release of new products and their capabilities, a lot of noise is also caused by the question of the exorbitant price tag, which Apple has been put on their devices for the third year in a row.
However, in matters of price there is one important nuance – prohibitive, or, if you prefer, barriers, prices are in Russia, while in the USA and Europe the price can be called simply high. Moreover, one should not forget about such a parameter as the ratio of the level of income to the price of a new Apple smartphone, according to which Russia is traditionally almost at the end of the list.
It is difficult to say why this is happening, but in our country apple devices have always been distinguished by an inflated price tag, which automatically translated them into the category, if not a luxury, then certainly a status product with a touch of some elitism. Most likely, it is for this reason that in Russia, the possession of devices from Apple has become synonymous with success, wealth, and often ostentatious.
But today, not about the phenomenon of a 'successful person', but about prices.
Price comparison
Let's pay attention to how much money will have to be paid for new items from Apple in Russia.
For example, the most affordable option for those who want to join the apple ecosystem with minimal losses for the budget and taste its fruits is iPhone 11 with a minimum amount of permanent memory of 64GB.
The price of such a ticket to the world Apple in Russia is set at 59,990 rubles.
I have such a price tag only causes shock and desire to twist a finger at my temple. Indeed, in fact, this is last year's iPhone XR, in which the already 'very-very-very processor' was updated, which did not need to be updated, and an additional camera module was inserted. Yes, last year's XR also did not differ at a humane price, but the current almost sixty thousand rubles for 'cosmetic changes' is too much.
I do not want to enter into a controversy about what the user will receive for this money, and how much will the competitors' offers that offer much more for comparable money, or a comparable set of features for a much lower price tag, will cost. There are thematic forums for such reasoning, since this is a matter of taste and personal preference.
Let's better talk about the expediency of purchasing a device from Apple in Russia, and for this we will consider the possibility of purchasing an apple smartphone in his homeland (no, not in China, in the USA).
So, keeping in mind the price tag of 59,990 rubles, we go to the American website Apple and see the price for the exact same version of the device without operator locks and hidden fees – $ 699.
When buying 'as is', you will have to pay tax, which for most states is about 10%. If you act more cunningly and place an order for an address in a tax-free state, then the price of such a purchase will not change and will remain equal to $ 699.
At the time of submitting the material, the dollar exchange rate for on-line purchases is 65.23 rubles. (the rate at the most massive bank in Russia – Sberbank), which in terms of the Russian price of a smartphone in dollars will give us an amount of $ 919.67, which is $ 220.67 higher than the 'American' price.
That is, in a country with “the highest salaries and the highest standard of living” (sarcasm), the cost of a smartphone is almost 24% higher than in a country where the standard of living and income, alas, is not comparable to ours in their favor. A quarter more expensive …
In terms of rubles, the difference in price turns out to be tangible for the wallet – more than fourteen thousand rubles. For this money, you can buy a good smartphone Xiaomi.
One could argue that the price in Russia is influenced by logistics, taxes, etc. etc., but the devices are not manufactured in the United States, and they arrive there not by teleportation, but just like in other countries – by sea and by air from China.
This leads to a natural question – why buy in Russia? I have no answer to this question. Rather, I answered this question for myself a long time ago – I do not buy electronics in Russia. At all.
There are several reasons, the main one is the price, which, as we have seen, very often turns out to be significantly lower in foreign stores.
Among other things, the terms of warranty service, which do not stand up to criticism, as well as service below the floor, when in every second electronics store, sellers try to impose a bunch of unnecessary junk on you, often going in direct violation of the law, cheating about conditions and 'selling' additional services and accessories , conditioning the purchase of one by the need to buy another.
Risks
When shopping in foreign online stores, it is possible to note such risks as the lack of a guarantee, the risk of loss (theft) of the order at the delivery stage, and the risk of getting something else that you ordered.
All this takes place, however, the most important risk is the loss of time and nerves, since in most cases money can be returned without problems. If you buy in trusted places, and pay for the purchase through verified payment systems.
Regarding the guarantee, the question is difficult, since on the one hand, the awareness of the possibility of freeing up a sudden breakdown or marriage warms the soul and gives confidence. On the other hand, a glance at the statistics of breakdowns, among which non-warranty damage to the display is in the lead, sharply reduces the value of this very warranty.
There remains only the risk of loss at the delivery stage, which is mentioned just above.
And here there is one more reason against – delivery, or rather its complexity and cost, as well as long terms.
If we talk about the delivery of goods from the USA, then in the case of iPhone 11, the need to look for an intermediary to whose address Apple will agree to send the order, as well as the risk of getting a customs duty from – for exceeding the duty-free threshold, which currently amounts to a modest 500 euros.
In fact, these issues are solved quite simply, for example, with the help of forwarding companies, or with the help of group purchases through trusted private intermediaries who can indicate an underestimated value.
Image source: shopfans.ru
But, even without these tweaks, even with delivery, even if you have to pay a duty for exceeding the limit, which is calculated from the excess amount, and not from the full cost, the total cost is lower by about 10 thousand rubles, which in modern conditions remains a tangible benefit for the average Russian.
If you take the desired device iPhone 11 Pro, in monetary terms, the profit is even higher, which further increases the attractiveness of buying apple technology abroad.
Instead of a conclusion
Yes, for different products Apple, the value of the warranty is different. For example, for laptops Apple with a new keyboard mechanism, the value of the guarantee many times outweighs the benefit that a buyer who makes a purchase in an overseas store will receive, since in the case of current apple laptops there is a very high probability of getting to repair the keyboard several times for his an account that can bust.
If we talk about smartphones Apple, which are quite reliable devices, which means that the risk of getting paid repairs instead of being minimal, buying them in Russia is seen as a dubious event. Of course, except for the case when you do not have the entire amount at once, which means you need an installment plan or a loan, which is very problematic to get in foreign stores.
Another not obvious, but very pleasant addition is the presence of fully functional services that can be blocked on the territory of Russia due to paranoia or a whim of some department. What has already happened with a system powered by a U1 chip that allows a smartphone to pinpoint the location of other devices Apple with the same U1 chip. This feature, which works on ultra-wideband technology, was blocked on iPhone 11/11 Pro / 11 Pro Max, intended for sale in Russia, while everything works fine on devices for the US market.
Thus, despite the need to look for delivery options and resolve the issue of duties, buying iPhone abroad turns out to be more profitable than buying in Russia in almost all respects, including available options.
I invite you to comment on the feasibility of such savings and the nuances of pricing in Russia.