New research reveals American workers need just 4 days of work to afford Apple’s flagship iPhone 17 Pro, ranking the US third globally for iPhone affordability behind only Luxembourg and Switzerland.
The iPhone Affordability Index, conducted by UX design agency Tenscope, analyzed 33 countries to determine how many 8-hour workdays the average person needs to buy the iPhone 17 Pro (128GB). The study exposes a dramatic 53x gap between the world’s most and least affordable markets. Here are the key findings from the report:
* The US ranks #3 globally: American workers need just under 4 days of work, trailing only Luxembourg (3 days) and Switzerland (3 days)
* Massive global divide: While Americans work 4 days, workers in India need 160 days – over 5 months of salary – for the same phone
* European dominance: Eight of the top ten most affordable countries are in Europe, with workers typically needing less than a week
* Asia hit hardest: Developing Asian markets like the Philippines (101 days) and Vietnam (99 days) require 3+ months of work despite longer weekly hours
“These numbers reveal the massive challenge Apple faces in emerging markets,” said Jovan Babovic, cofounder and creative director of Tenscope. “When your flagship product costs 5 months’ salary in major economies like India, you’re essentially pricing out billions of potential customers. This explains why we’re seeing Apple experiment with more aggressive pricing strategies in China and introduce lower-cost models like the iPhone SE. The data shows that premium pricing, while profitable in wealthy markets, creates significant barriers to global market penetration.”
The study used official Apple pricing and International Labour Organization wage data across 33 countries.
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Article provided with permission from AppleWorld.Today
