The iPhone seems a bit more expensive compared to the meal in China than here...
Well, it is the famous "kidney phone". Figuratively speaking, it costs an arm and a leg. And someone is dedicated enough to turn that into a reality by selling one of his kidney to black market so he can afford one.
Well, it is the famous "kidney phone". Figuratively speaking, it costs an arm and a leg. And someone is dedicated enough to turn that into a reality by selling one of his kidney to black market so he can afford one.
It's just the vastness of that cost of living comparison that always gets me.
$12 USD is in the range of what you might pay for lunch in the US, but an iPhone7 is $650 to $850 (depending on memory) here. Meaning that, compared to the cost of basics like food, an iPhone is an order of magnitude more expensive. Hell, in places like New York City, which is famous for everyone having iPhones, a single month's rent in a halfway decent apartment is getting close to the price of an iPhone.
In one of my part-time jobs when I was younger, we had a ton of Eastern Europeans come over during the Summer to work. They all wanted a new computer or something like that. It's because working for minimum wage as a cashier for a couple months would make enough money to buy a new computer, whereas they'd need to work for a couple years back home to import one.
Conversely, if you take your computer with you, food and rent is so cheap in places like that you could live off of savings for years.
It's just the vastness of that cost of living comparison that always gets me.
$12 USD is in the range of what you might pay for lunch in the US, but an iPhone7 is $650 to $850 (depending on memory) here. Meaning that, compared to the cost of basics like food, an iPhone is an order of magnitude more expensive.
Indeed, and in poorer countries, an iPhone is more like two or sometimes even THREE orders of magnitude more expensive. In Mexico an ordinary lunch costs something more like 2 US dollars, but the iPhone still costs a good 700-900 USD. That's why the iPhone is a symbol of wealth and luxury in poor countries, because only rich people there can afford one.
It's also the reason why iPhone theft is rampant in these countries. Despite being poorer, Apple's publicity campaigns target the whole country regardless of whether a significant fraction of their people (like the US) or only the richest people (like Mexico) can afford one. So what happens when those who are too poor to afford an iPhone are exposed to rich people advertising? They feel jealous and resentful, they dream of having one day an iPhone, and since they have nothing to lose they just go ahead and steal one. Apple is fine with that, because every stolen iPhone is usually a new iPhone someone will buy to replace the one they lost.
I was scammed outside and am in need of money to go home. Is there any good Samaritan willing to donate me 8000 bucks? 12 bucks to get myself some food, the remaining 7988 bucks to buy an iPhone 7 and contact my family!
