While the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max went up for pre-order last Friday, the company also revealed that its full lineup of 2020 iPhones is heading to more countries on November 20, including Brazil. Although this might sound insignificant, Brazil will once again have the world’s most expensive iPhone by far — but it may lose first place in the ranking over the next few weeks.
iPhone 12 pre-orders will begin on 13 November in Brazil, one week before the phone hits the shops. Apple has announced local rates, and it’s not too exciting for the Brazilians.
More than that, Brazil’s Tecnoblog website has found that Brazil has the most expensive iPhone 12 in the world relative to other countries where Apple’s new smartphone is already available.
Customers planning to buy a 64 GB iPhone 12 mini in Brazil would have to pay R$6,999, which is equal to US$ 1,270. Italy ranks next for the same model, but with a much lower price: €839, or US$ 996. In the United States, the iPhone 12 mini will launch at $729 if you consider the full price.
When comparing the 512 GB iPhone 12 Pro Max rates, the disparities are even more striking. Once again, Brazil has the most expensive phone in this segment, which costs R$13,999—or the equivalent of US$2,535—for Apple. This time, however, India is second to the same model with the price set at 1.59.900, or US$ 2.159. In the US, the most expensive iPhone 12 Pro Max edition is $1,399.
Here are some highlights of Tecnoblog’s report for the price of the iPhone 12 mini (64GB) around the world:
- Brazil: US$1,268
- Italy: US$996
- Portugal: US$984
- Mexico: US$967
- France: US$961
- India: US$944
- Japan: US$795
- Hong Kong: US$774
- United States: US$729
And for the iPhone 12 Pro Max (512GB) price:
- Brazil: US$2,535
- India: US$2,159
- Italy: US$1,946
- Portugal: US$1,934
- France: US$1,911
- Germany: US$1,851
- Japan: US$1,602
- Hong Kong: US$1,523
- United States: US$1,399
It is worth noting that Brazil may lose first place in the ranking as soon as the iPhone 12 has not yet been released in Argentina, which usually has even higher prices. Apple doesn’t explain how they set their prices around the world, but they differ depending on the taxes and currency of each region.
In Brazil and India, for example, the government imposes high taxes on devices that are not produced in the country. Apple has manufactured iPhones in these two countries to include some tax benefits, but there are still other high taxes in addition to import charges that have an effect on the price of these goods.
The local currency of these countries also has a major effect on the prices of goods such as the iPhone, as Apple needs to set higher prices to ensure that there are no losses with frequent currency fluctuations — which is extremely normal in Brazil.