The iPhone X was the most expensive version of the device ever made at its launch in November 2017, costing $999. Outside of the US, it was usually even more expensive due to sales and import taxes. Although many feared the phone might be a flop due to the high price, it was reported Apple Early May saw better-than-expected results for its second business quarter. The company remains on track to surpass the trillion-dollar mark in market capitalisation.
Although the phone is a financial success for Apple, it remains unaffordable for average earners in large parts of the world. The Swiss bank UBS has an analysis The device price for average earners in 15 different professions in large cities was conducted. It was found that someone in Zurich, which is incredibly wealthy, would have to work for almost five consecutive days to get the iPhone X. An average New Yorker would need 6.7 days for that.
If that sounds like a lot, then think about the people in Africa who dream of that Flagship smartphone to buy from Apple. Lagos, Nigeria, is one of the fastest-growing cities in the world and the most populous metropolitan area on the African continent. Wages there are still extremely low, and someone on an average wage wanting to buy an iPhone X would have to work for a total of 133 days. In the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, the situation is a little better. Here, an average earner has to work for 72 days to buy the device.
Further infographics can be found at Statista