The iPhone SE will go on sale in France, Germany, and the UK on March 24.
Image: CNET
Apple’s new iPhone SE might be smaller and cheaper than the iPhone 6S, but it’ll still set Europeans back well over $400 to buy one.
In the US, the new iPhone SE is launching with a nicely-rounded $399 before state taxes. But in Europe the listed price, which includes value-added tax or VAT, doesn’t look so pretty, and will still cost more than in the US once taxes are removed and exchange rates factored in.
So for example, in the UK, before 20 percent VAT is taken off, the 16GB iPhone SE will cost £359 or $512, while the 64GB model at £439 translates to $626.
In Germany, the iPhone SE 16GB model costs €489. Remove the €84 VAT and in US dollars this equals $454. The 64GB model costs €589, including €100 VAT; excluding VAT, the US dollar equivalent is about $549.
In France, where Apple is marketing the iPhone SE as a ‘Petite révolution‘, the 16GB model will cost €489 with VAT of €90 while the 64GB model will cost €589 with VAT of €114.
The iPhone SE will go on sale in the UK, France, and Germany on March 24. It is available in a silver, gold, grey, or rose-gold finish. The device will go on sale in other European markets in early April.
While the new small iPhone looks just like the iPhone 5S, the iPhone SE, which stands for Special Edition, offers essentially the same performance as the iPhone 6S. Apple said yesterday that it had sold 30 million iPhones last year that measured four inches or smaller.
The new 9.7-inch iPad Pro is also joining Apple’s iPad lineup, starting at $599 in the US before taxes. The entry-level 32GB Wi-Fi iPad Pro costs £499 ($712) in the UK, including VAT. The 128GB model costs £619, while the 256GB model costs £739. With cellular, the devices respectively cost £599, £719, and £839.
In Germany, the 32GB 9.7-inch iPad Pro costs €689 including taxes, while the 128GB costs €869, and the 256GB model costs €1,049. The cellular models respectively cost €839, €1,019, and €1,199.
The iPad Pro 9.7 inch will be available to buy in the UK, France, and Germany on March 24. It will be available in early April for other European markets.
Another item now available in the Apple store in Europe is the USB-C to Lighting Cable, which solves the problem of not being able to connect an iOS device to Apple’s 12-inch MacBook, which only has one USB-C port. Until now, connecting required an adapter.
Another benefit of the new adapter, as noted by AppleInsider, is for owners of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which has a fast-charge feature that can used when connected to the 29W USB power adapter for the MacBook, which is higher than the 12W adaptor for the iPad.
The one-metre cable costs £25 in the UK while two-metre cable £35.