iPhone 5: two million pre-orders in 24 hours at a real cost of 900 euros
The iPhone 5 drew two million pre-orders in 24 hours, with an estimated unlocked price of 600 euros and monthly plans pushing the real cost to 1,380 euros over eighteen months.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The iPhone 5 sells out at 900 euros while the minimum wage falls short
A phone that costs over 900 euros and sold two million units in pre-orders in a single day. That is the figure that leaves anyone checking their end-of-month payslip stunned. The paradox is nothing new, but every Apple launch makes it bigger: the same device used for sending free WhatsApp messages and taking the odd snapshot becomes an object of mass desire in a country where the minimum wage barely covers the rent.
The price debate starts with an awkward correction: the 199, 299 and 399 dollar figures announced are carrier contract prices in the United States, not the unlocked price. In Spain, the contract-free handset is estimated at around **600 euros**, and with a data plan and lock-in period the real outlay soars. One calculation doing the rounds in the comments puts the total cost at **1,380 euros over eighteen months** between monthly fees and the device itself. No small amount.
The real unlocked price of the iPhone 5 versus the contract price
The confusion between subsidized and unlocked prices is the first trap in the story. The unlocked handset is estimated at around **600 euros**, while the figures of 199 to 399 dollars correspond to the US carrier model. The comparison with France adds another layer: there the price is almost identical, but the minimum wage is far higher than Spain's. The difference is not in the store, it is in the payslip.
Some argue the outlay pays for itself through use. One case described in detail: buying the phone in installments over two years with a major department store card, with hardly any interest, and adding a **60 euro monthly** data plan to pay only 300 for the device. The arithmetic sounds reasonable until you add it all up. The savings evaporate in the monthly fee.
What you are really buying when you buy an iPhone
The strongest defense of the device is not about hardware. Whoever buys it, the argument goes, is not just getting a screen and a processor: they are getting an operating system, an app store and an internal consistency of interface that other brands cannot match. Accessibility for blind users and the fluidity of the system are cited as differentiating advantages that justify part of the premium.
The counterargument comes in the form of an accidental experiment. A US television program handed passers-by an iPhone 4S passing it off as the new iPhone 5. Those interviewed found it brighter, lighter and faster than the previous model. It was the same phone. Perception matters more than the spec sheet.
The minimum wage, France and the argument that falls apart
The comparison with the neighboring country serves for more than just lamenting. The French minimum wage exceeds Spain's, but the price of the device is practically the same. Hence the thesis that the problem is not Apple, but purchasing power. The response from another corner of the debate is that the minimum wage explains nothing: Germany has no statutory minimum wage and its average wages are among the highest in Europe.
The discussion drifts toward the role of the state in the economy. It is argued that public intervention and subsidies create dependency and impoverish, and that the Spanish economy suffers from a antiestéticar of competing. That is a current of opinion, not a fact. What is a fact is that the debate over the iPhone's price always ends up talking about wages.
The buyer profile: unemployed people with an iPhone 4S
The most repeated anecdote takes the shape of a contradiction. People without a job with an iPhone 4S in their pocket. It is not a statistic, it is an observation made over and over. Added to this is the case of someone who replaces a stolen iPhone with a low-cost smartphone and discovers, with surprise, that it does the same thing for 400 euros less.
The pattern repeats itself: first it is bought as a fashion item, then its purpose is figured out. Free messaging coexists with refusing to answer a call so as not to spend a few cents. Appearances weigh more than usefulness, and the device becomes a status symbol before it becomes a tool.
Two million pre-orders in 24 hours, double the previous model. The market says one thing and household arithmetic says another. How many of those two million checked the monthly fee before the camera?
A phone that costs over 900 euros and sold two million units in pre-orders in a single day. That is the figure that leaves anyone checking their end-of-month payslip stunned. The paradox is nothing new, but every Apple launch makes it bigger: the same device used for sending free WhatsApp messages and taking the odd snapshot becomes an object of mass desire in a country where the minimum wage barely covers the rent.
The price debate starts with an awkward correction: the 199, 299 and 399 dollar figures announced are carrier contract prices in the United States, not the unlocked price. In Spain, the contract-free handset is estimated at around **600 euros**, and with a data plan and lock-in period the real outlay soars. One calculation doing the rounds in the comments puts the total cost at **1,380 euros over eighteen months** between monthly fees and the device itself. No small amount.
The real unlocked price of the iPhone 5 versus the contract price
The confusion between subsidized and unlocked prices is the first trap in the story. The unlocked handset is estimated at around **600 euros**, while the figures of 199 to 399 dollars correspond to the US carrier model. The comparison with France adds another layer: there the price is almost identical, but the minimum wage is far higher than Spain's. The difference is not in the store, it is in the payslip.
Some argue the outlay pays for itself through use. One case described in detail: buying the phone in installments over two years with a major department store card, with hardly any interest, and adding a **60 euro monthly** data plan to pay only 300 for the device. The arithmetic sounds reasonable until you add it all up. The savings evaporate in the monthly fee.
What you are really buying when you buy an iPhone
The strongest defense of the device is not about hardware. Whoever buys it, the argument goes, is not just getting a screen and a processor: they are getting an operating system, an app store and an internal consistency of interface that other brands cannot match. Accessibility for blind users and the fluidity of the system are cited as differentiating advantages that justify part of the premium.
The counterargument comes in the form of an accidental experiment. A US television program handed passers-by an iPhone 4S passing it off as the new iPhone 5. Those interviewed found it brighter, lighter and faster than the previous model. It was the same phone. Perception matters more than the spec sheet.
The minimum wage, France and the argument that falls apart
The comparison with the neighboring country serves for more than just lamenting. The French minimum wage exceeds Spain's, but the price of the device is practically the same. Hence the thesis that the problem is not Apple, but purchasing power. The response from another corner of the debate is that the minimum wage explains nothing: Germany has no statutory minimum wage and its average wages are among the highest in Europe.
The discussion drifts toward the role of the state in the economy. It is argued that public intervention and subsidies create dependency and impoverish, and that the Spanish economy suffers from a antiestéticar of competing. That is a current of opinion, not a fact. What is a fact is that the debate over the iPhone's price always ends up talking about wages.
The buyer profile: unemployed people with an iPhone 4S
The most repeated anecdote takes the shape of a contradiction. People without a job with an iPhone 4S in their pocket. It is not a statistic, it is an observation made over and over. Added to this is the case of someone who replaces a stolen iPhone with a low-cost smartphone and discovers, with surprise, that it does the same thing for 400 euros less.
The pattern repeats itself: first it is bought as a fashion item, then its purpose is figured out. Free messaging coexists with refusing to answer a call so as not to spend a few cents. Appearances weigh more than usefulness, and the device becomes a status symbol before it becomes a tool.
Two million pre-orders in 24 hours, double the previous model. The market says one thing and household arithmetic says another. How many of those two million checked the monthly fee before the camera?
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (94 replies).
More summaries
-
Second-hand Mercedes: the fine print of German luxury
Reliability rankings and mechanics agree: modern Mercedes and BMW cars are a money pit. Second-hand luxury comes at a high price.
-
iPhone 12 starts at €809: Price hike sparks backlash
The iPhone 12 mini starts at €809, reaching €1,609 for the Pro Max. Apple raises prices and removes chargers, betting on 5G.
-
Spain's shower timer cuts water when time runs out
A Spanish utility model shower valve closes automatically after a set time, targeting the 12% of national water use attributed to households by INE.
-
Accessing Live Sports via Shared Streaming Links
Analysis of how users access live sports through shared streaming codes and links.
-
Lidl sells a callus remover for €13 that Scholl charges almost €40 for
The Scholl callus remover costs almost €40 at the pharmacy; Lidl's is €12.99, and according to those who have tried both, it removes calluses just as well.
-
Anti-dandruff shampoos: the 3-euro ketoconazole flying off pharmacy shelves
Generic ketoconazole costs around 3 euros at the pharmacy, according to one forum user. Selenium sulfide and 65-cent Lagarto soap are alternatives that work.