The price Apple charges for upgrades has been criminal for a long time. Charging $225 for a $60 upgrade is an obscenity.
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Apple Slaps Up to 10% Price Increase on Built-to-Order Mac Configurations in Many Countries
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The price Apple charges for upgrades has been criminal for a long time. Charging $225 for a $60 upgrade is an obscenity.
Zero chance USD is allowed to stay this strong for too long lol. Last time USD was this strong against the other major currencies it was so bad for the US economy the finance ministers of the leading global economies signed the Plaza Accord to deliberately weaken it and help the US' balance of trade out the gutter. Considering Trump's stance on Balance of Trade if things don't normalise on their own, it's likely a similar thing will happen here.
Feel free to take advantage of the ignore user feature this forum has to offer if my check on reality offends you.
Some currencies are pegged against the US $ yet still a 10% increase over US prices
EG: $1 = AED 3.67 (fixed)
A maxed out MBP 16" is $6099 in US or AED 22383 before state taxes
A maxed out MBP 16" is $ 6627 in UAE or AED 24322 before 5% VAT
Import duties are only 7% in UAE, probably less than US and distribution etc cost will be less
So I do not believe it's just currency corrections for some, it's more like subsidies and price fixing on a global scale
Many countries do not even get the same level of service, support or return windows yet pay more than the US
EG: $1 = AED 3.67 (fixed)
A maxed out MBP 16" is $6099 in US or AED 22383 before state taxes
A maxed out MBP 16" is $ 6627 in UAE or AED 24322 before 5% VAT
Import duties are only 7% in UAE, probably less than US and distribution etc cost will be less
So I do not believe it's just currency corrections for some, it's more like subsidies and price fixing on a global scale
Many countries do not even get the same level of service, support or return windows yet pay more than the US
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Exactly. And the thing is Apple for sure gets components at a lower cost than us end users because Apple buys in bulk.
When I purchased my Lenovo 2-in-1 18 months ago I opted not to pay the BTO price for upgrading the RAM or SSD because they were too high (very close to what Apple charged for upgrades at the time). Instead I purchased the upgrades after-market and installed them myself; I saved hundreds of dollars. But this isn't an option with most of Apple's products.
At an absolutely minimum the SSDs ought to be user-replaceable.
I could almost hear the metaphorical slap!
Could this be because of the extra labour it requires, when there are so many layoffs?
Weird that you can give away millions to charity to combat supply shortages, but not write off the overhead of a CTO option. Seems to negate their act of generosity?
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Well look at that, they increased it in Canada too, its an extra $20 for the 32gb ram upgrade on a 16" MBP...
Weird that you can give away millions to charity to combat supply shortages, but not write off the overhead of a CTO option. Seems to negate their act of generosity?
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Well look at that, they increased it in Canada too, its an extra $20 for the 32gb ram upgrade on a 16" MBP...
You do have a choice: change operating systems.
Access to MacOS is not a fundamental human right or life saving treatment. It’s a consumer choice in a free market.
So you and others are saying Apple should, immediately upon being made aware of currency fluctuations, change their prices? Most posters were / are not going to buy the BTOs anyhow, so what specific date the prices change shouldn't matter.
Hate when facts get in the way. It simply does come down to economics. Apple products have always been a premium, but look at the recent trend in pricing for many products: iPhone 11 came in $50 less than the XR with better specs. iPad Pro 2020 comes with twice the base storage for the same price as the base 2018 iPad Pro. The MacBook Air comes in with twice the base storage at $200 less than the 2019 model.
Is the VAT Apple pays also disgusting? Also, once again for our UK posters, please be aware that in the US we pay that list (suggested retail price) price PLUS a sales tax, which varies for each state from 4 or 5% to 9.5%.
There are no free rides anywhere.
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Because most people didn't buy BTO prior to this. Not a big leap.
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"It's not clear what provoked Apple to raise BTO Mac prices for consumers outside the U.S., although fluctuations in exchange rates, supply constraints, and labor shortages can't be ruled out."
If the pricing changes are just outside of the USA: Then it's almost certainly only fluctuations in the exchange rate. This also seems probable as exchange rates right now are experiencing unpredictable fluctuations, so Apple would be wise to increase their hedging threshold.
If the pricing changes are just outside of the USA: Then it's almost certainly only fluctuations in the exchange rate. This also seems probable as exchange rates right now are experiencing unpredictable fluctuations, so Apple would be wise to increase their hedging threshold.
WOW. who running APPLE?
who is making these decisions?
Tim Cook? he is probably as rich as most movie stars now.
APPPLE has completely lost touch with most of its Mac users.
They think we are all millionaires that just want gorgeous over priced Macs
When you could actually build your own for much cheaper and end up with a faster machine.
I guess the future is Hackintosh.
and A MASS EXODUS FROM THE MAC when they switch to ARM Processors.
who is making these decisions?
Tim Cook? he is probably as rich as most movie stars now.
APPPLE has completely lost touch with most of its Mac users.
They think we are all millionaires that just want gorgeous over priced Macs
When you could actually build your own for much cheaper and end up with a faster machine.
I guess the future is Hackintosh.
and A MASS EXODUS FROM THE MAC when they switch to ARM Processors.
A friends MacPro config went from £15K to £16k. He argued with various people and they honoured the original quote.
Yeah but maybe not as much as I argued with him that he didn't actually need it for photography! At the very least I insisted he didn't put it under his desk so he could smile as he walked past it (at lot).
Yea, that is quite a purchase!! I assume he makes money with it and can expense part of it.
Nothing he could do with a normal iMac. He can get the tax back as he's still working a bit but he's nearly 60 and worked very hard all his life, so good luck to him. To think I thought my iMac Pro was expensive and I'm a full-time freelance – well, I was until the last few weeks!
There is a bottom line for some commentators: I can so I can speak about it, if you can't, just shut up. I have an idea how to wish them to spend their money, but it probably goes against the forum guidelines
Yea, times may be tough going forward. Are things in Hampshire as chaotic as they appear to be in London?