Here’s why buying the iPhone X could come with a free trip to New York

7 months ago

It turns out you could buy the iPhone X in the US and get a holiday to New York for the same price of buying an iPhone X this side of the Atlantic.

Apple’s 10th anniversary flagship product was announced this week, but its starting price of £999 ($1,335) turned a few heads and makes it the most expensive phone the tech giant has ever made.

This price issue has been exacerbated for techies on this side of the Atlantic as the phone will cost $999 in the United States, despite exchange rates – which some have pointed out gives you the quirky option of flying to the States to buy one for the same money.

Before you go thinking this is just a phenomenon in euros, it’s possible in pounds too.

The higher spec, 256GB model of the phone costs £1,149 ($1536.37) in the UK, gives you a difference of $387.37 (£289.70) to play with when you subtract the $1,149 (£859.30) US price.

Perusing flights from London to New York near the iPhone X release date, November 3, you can find a return will set you back as little as £235.

Taking these example flights of the 6th and 7th, you would still have £54.70 ($73.14) left to spend on a place to stay for the night.

A quick look at Kayak.co.uk for prices on those dates shows that’s enough to not only pay for a night’s sleep, but should even leave you with the money to travel to and from the airport.

Travel, a nice phone and the satisfaction that you’ve beaten the system – could anything be sweeter?

Alternatively, the $999 price tag for the 64GB model equates to £747.35 at current exchange rates, which works out as a difference of £251.65 – more than enough to pay for the flights.

Of course you could pay just a little more while you’re over there buying your phone and stay a little longer – you’ve still effectively got your flights for free.

Despite the iPhone X’s hefty price tag, analysts believe the phone will still be a success.

“It will still sell in enormous volumes because Apple has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to persuade consumers to shift their overall spending to place a greater share of their disposable income towards a smartphone purchase,” said technology expert Ian Fogg, from IHS Markit.

The phone is Apple’s first with an edge-to-edge screen and facial recognition technology.