At leat $928 USD if you smash your new iPhone Xs Max
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This week Apple launched 3 new iPhones to much fanfare.
The ‘budget’ iPhone X(10)R (presumably R standing for reduced). The small/standard iPhone X(10)s (S presumably for second edition) And the plus sized iPhone X(10)s Max. By far the most popular and advanced model.
What Apple announced to must less fanfar was its updated Service Pricing to cover the iPhone XS and iPhone Xs Max, and the user response has been rather hostile.
While the iPhone Xs retains the same extortionate costs for screen repair ($279) and “Other damage” (smashed rear glass) of ($549) as the iPhone X, these have been pushed up to an astonishing $329 and $599 respectively for the iPhone Xs Max.
This means if you drop your new iPhone and the front and back glass smashes you will be left with a $928 bill. What’s worse is that Apple don’t do exchange rates so in Europe this jumps up to an eye watering €928 and in the UK a shocking £928 ($1’217 USD).
$599 is the same cost Apple now charges for an iPhone 8, and $150 more than Apple charges for an iPhone 7.
In fact, teardown specialist IHS Markit last year priced the entire bill of materials (BOM) for building an iPhone X at no more than $370.25.
IHS Markit has yet to tear down the iPhone XS Max, but with supply constraints (and therefore pricing) on OLED displays falling since last year, the iPhone Xs Max is unlikely to cost much more if anything.
By contrast, noted YouTube teardown specialist JerryRigEverything reveals you can repair premium Galaxy displays for as little as $20 with Samsung making them easy to swap out yourself.
Of course, the solution Apple offers to its own repair price problem is for you to buy AppleCare+ but you’ll also find this is more expensive for iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max owners as well.
At $269/€269/£269 depending on country it is at least $40 more than any other iPhone, and you still need to pay the first $99/€99/£99 for “Other damage” (such as rear glass damage) resulting in a total outlay of $368. Just $82 less than an entire brand new iPhone 7.
iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max owners will pay more for new batteries compared to all other iPhones as well.
Yes, this includes the iPhone X which is structurally identical to the iPhone Xs and has a virtually identical battery capacity. Meaning you are paying for the ‘S’ label alone. (Which in a case is visually unidentifiable).
None of which is to say Apple’s new iPhones aren’t impressive. They are. But with the iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max costing as much as £1’500 and pushing £2’000 ($2’623 USD) with AppleCare+ and one bad drop, you’d have thought Apple could’ve found it in its heart to include a $9 headphone dongle and fast charger in the box… but nope.
When you compare Performance V Durability V Repair Costs V Purchase Costs V Reliability the best iPhone on the market today still remains the iPhone 7 Plus 128 GB edition by a very long way.
The worst value for money undisputedly being the iPhone Xs.
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A.Abdulaziz@alsahawat.com | Editor
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