$200 iPhone cap? Not in Greece...

[Stratoukos]

So, the iPhone has finally come to Greece. Normally that would be good news, but after I saw the plan/prices of Vodafone, which is an exclusive provider in Greece, I can't even try to express my disappointment.

So here's the cheapest possible plan listed on Vodafone.gr (all prices converted from Euros to Dollars with today's rates).

For a monthly fee of $52 you get 100 minutes of calls, 150 SMS, and 250mb of 3G data. And the price of the iPhone? 8gb: $553, 16gb: $667.

That's right a horribly overpriced plan and the price of the phone 2,5 time higher than the US price.

Didn't Steve said on his last keynote that there would be a global $200/$300 cap on the prices?

So, just another blow to the Greek Apple community, which already suffers from overpriced Hardware and terrible support. Do you even know another country where there hasn't been a single Apple commercial?

I really can't express my anger/disappointment/whatever.

 

[prism]

Wow, that is seriously steep, I paid about $580 for a 16gb iphone on Swisscom's prepaid plan which means that I have $0 monthly payments to make!

 

[acvball92]

damn that blows, in colombia its about the same
my family in colombia wants to get iPhones but they're just to damn expensive outside of the US.

 

[Pressure]

A fully legal unlocked iPhone 3G is $1025 for the 8GB version and $1143 for 16GB version here in Denmark.

Otherwise you can get the iPhone with a monthly subscription that cost $118 and includes free SMS, free MMS (yeah...for real), free minutes as long as it is within the same provider and 300 minutes with any provider and 300MB monthly data. With this option the iPhone 3G 8GB is $216 and $335 for the 16GB version.

The problem being that the provider has the worst 3G coverage of all providers in Denmark.

 

[11800506]

You have to remember though that because of the horrible exchange rate between the euro and the dollar those prices aren't quite as bad as they seem (although they are horrible).

 

[vega07]

we all know what SJ said about the price cap is all a lie. He should be made responsible for that claim.

 

[CD3660]

I paid about $580 for a 16gb iphone on Swisscom's prepaid plan which means that I have $0 monthly payments to make!

Don't you ever use the iPhone then?

 

[Small White Car]

You have to remember though that because of the horrible exchange rate between the euro and the dollar those prices aren't quite as bad as they seem (although they are horrible).

Yes, using exchange rates to say how expensive the phone is doesn't really mean much. I would like to see this sort of info from other countries. No one of these is perfect, but once you see them all together, you start to get a feeling for it.

Here in America I bought a 16 GB iPhone for $299. It cost me the same as one of these:
77 Gallons (291 liters) of gas
120 Gallons (454 liters) of Milk
115 cans of soup
27 Theater tickets
16 DVDs
302 iTunes Songs
1.5 months of my car payment
4 days of my home mortgage payment
1.5 weeks worth of groceries for a family of 3
20 Dinners for two a fast-food restaurant
10 Dinners for two a chain restaurant
4 Dinners for two a very nice restaurant

 

[RobLikesBrunch]

Wow, that is seriously steep, I paid about $580 for a 16gb iphone on Swisscom's prepaid plan which means that I have $0 monthly payments to make!

I'm paying $183 for my 16GB iPhone w/ Swisscom...and a contract @ $50/month. So Swisscom's plans aren't bad. I just still haven't gotten my iPhone yet >: (

Apparently, I'm first in line...so I should get it tomorrow ....I'm forced to get white....for the black one...I'm behind 192 other people...

At least Swisscom has 3G coverage all over Zurich =]

 

[aristotle]

So, the iPhone has finally come to Greece. Normally that would be good news, but after I saw the plan/prices of Vodafone, which is an exclusive provider in Greece, I can't even try to express my disappointment.

So here's the cheapest possible plan listed on Vodafone.gr (all prices converted from Euros to Dollars with today's rates).

For a monthly fee of $52 you get 100 minutes of calls, 150 SMS, and 250mb of 3G data. And the price of the iPhone? 8gb: $553, 16gb: $667.

That's right a horribly overpriced plan and the price of the phone 2,5 time higher than the US price.

Didn't Steve said on his last keynote that there would be a global $200/$300 cap on the prices?

So, just another blow to the Greek Apple community, which already suffers from overpriced Hardware and terrible support. Do you even know another country where there hasn't been a single Apple commercial?

I really can't express my anger/disappointment/whatever.

The VAT tax in greece is 19%.
http://www.worldwide-tax.com/greece/gre_other.asp

The pre-VAT price would be 447.93 USD for the 8GB based on your figures.

Could you proved the original Euro prices?

 

[prism]

Don't you ever use the iPhone then?

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I already had an existing plan with Swisscom (which comes to $25 per month with 100mb of data included) so I just switched the sim cards and that was that

 

[Niiro13]

Didn't Steve said on his last keynote that there would be a global $200/$300 cap on the prices?

Actually, he didn't say global. All he said was:

The iPhone started off at five ninety nine for an eight gig iPhone. It now sells for three ninety nine for an eight gig iPhone. And we want to make it even more affordable. Now I'm really happy to tell you that the iPhone 3G is gonna sell for one ninety nine.

The real question is, does Vodafone require a contract? The non-contract price that AT&T is later allowing is $599/$699.

The $199/$299 and the $399/$499 prices for the iPhone 3G still requires a two year contract for AT&T users.

 

[Apple Ink]

@ the OP
Dont be bothered about that price cap! The iPhone retails for ~$750 and ~$850 in India and NZ (India doesnt subsidize so the Indians ONLY have the $850 option while NZ has some real stupid plans!)

 

[doodads]

Yes, using exchange rates to say how expensive the phone is doesn't really mean much. I would like to see this sort of info from other countries. No one of these is perfect, but once you see them all together, you start to get a feeling for it.

Here in America I bought a 16 GB iPhone for $299. It cost me the same as one of these:
77 Gallons (291 liters) of gas
60 Gallons (227 liters) of Milk
115 cans of soup
27 Theater tickets
16 DVDs
302 iTunes Songs
1.5 months of my car payment
4 days of my home mortgage payment
1.5 weeks worth of groceries for a family of 3
20 Dinners for two a fast-food restaurant
10 Dinners for two a chain restaurant
4 Dinners for two a very nice restaurant

I live in the DC area and I have NEVER seen milk for $5.00 a gallon.

 

[lavrishevo]

AT&T rate

$324.56 after taxes for the 16gb 3G plus $86.00 a month for 600 anytime and unlimited night / weekend + unlimited data / 1500 text

Not to shabby.

 

[Small White Car]

I live in the DC area and I have NEVER seen milk for $5.00 a gallon.

Oops, took the unit price and use it and then forgot that I buy 2 gallon containers. My mistake, I've corrected it.

 

[mkrishnan]

Oops, took the unit price and use it and then forgot that I buy 2 gallon containers. My mistake, I've corrected it.

Please review your definition of "very nice restaurant" with my girlfriend. I like your definition better than hers....

Seriously, though, the cost of individual products and services just doesn't always translate from country to country. It would be more sensible to talk about the cost of the iPhone in Greece vs. comparable (to the extent that such exist) devices sold in Greece, and not vs. the iPhone in the USA. If it's too expensive in Greece, vote with your wallet and teach Apple a lesson.

 

[Stratoukos]

@ aristotle:

The original prices are 375€ and 459€ for the 8gb and 16gb respectively. These prices include VAT which is indeed 19%. You can also purchase them at 499€($734) and 569€($837) with no plan.

@ Small_White_Car
For the same price of an iPhone I could get
400lt of gas
328lt of milk or
57 Movie tickets

So you can see there's quite a difference. For the same price you also get a pretty good (extraordinary with greek standards) plan which at least has unlimited data. If you want a good laugh you can see the plans i can choose between here (The columns from left to right are: plan, monthly fee, free calls, free sms, data, 8gb price, 16gb price)

@ Nirro13

I'm pretty sure he did mention a global cap of $199/$299. I'll watch the keynote and post back.

In Greece all apple products (maybe except iPods) are completely unknown to the greek people (a girl that worked on tech-support actually asked my brother "what version of windows is this" on his MBP...). Therefore the guys on the official greek apple reseller (yup, no official Apple store in Greece) can charge whatever they want for macs, since the only people that care about macs are those who are going to buy them no matter the price.

So I was hoping that since iPhone was supposed to be a mainstream product, this practice would change and it would be reasonably priced. That would really bring attention to the apple products and hopefully help to change the situation in Greece. That's why I am so disappointed

I mean, if I, that most people would call a "mac zealot" and that I'm watching excited for every rumor and little info on iPhone since day 1, am not getting an iPhone who the hell is?

 

[RobLikesBrunch]

I mean, if I, that most people would call a "mac zealot" and that I'm watching excited for every rumor and little info on iPhone since day 1, am not getting an iPhone who the hell is?

People with considerably more money than you.

 

[Stratoukos]

Sorry for the double post but I watched the keynote and about a minute after he announces the new price he sais "In almost every one of these countries the price is a maximum of $199. All around the world".

--EDIT: Hmm not a double post after all...

 

[gdeputy]

Sorry for the double post but I watched the keynote and about a minute after he announces the new price he sais "In almost every one of these countries the price is a maximum of $199. All around the world".

--EDIT: Hmm not a double post after all...

so he said ALMOST, which means not every country.,

 

[TEG]

I believe the cap only exists in those countries with subsidies, where the phone is also locked to a carrier. I believe that Italy and India have prices comparable to the Hellenic prices because the phones, by law can't be locked to a carrier, and therefore can't be subsidized. You'll notice those prices are on par to unlocked phones available in other markets.

The real travesty about the iPhone in Greece is that there is no Greek keyboard on the iPhone. So the Hellenic users are forced to use a latin character set in what some news outlets are calling "Greek-lish".

TEG

 

[bushido]

i paid 249 € for my 16GB iPhone + 29 € monthly plan (50 minutes, no free sms and 500 MB data) in germany

 

[CD3660]

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I already had an existing plan with Swisscom (which comes to $20 per month with 100mb of data included) so I just switched the sim cards and that was that

I was only pulling your leg.