In case you missed it, yesterday Apple unveiled its brand new range of flashy Macbook Pro laptops.
There have been a number of hardware tweaks and alterations, but the flagship feature was a touch-sensitive strip across the top of the keyboard. Apple call it the Touch Bar. It can turn into a kind of conveyor belt for emojis. It’s pretty cool.
But while techies marvelled at the latest overhyped and ultimately unnecessary gimmick exciting innovation from the world’s biggest company, they very sneakily decided to substantially hike up the price of their devices in the UK.
It’s worth nothing that the cheapest entry-level Macbook Pro now costs £1,449.00. In the previous range, you could pick one up for a much more affordable £999. If you want the Touch Bar version, you’re going to have to fork out an eye-watering £1,749.00.
So the new devices cost more than the old ones. Nothing too shocking about that, right?
Well what if we told you that Apple has also bumped up the cost of its older hardware, too. The 13in Macbook Air – the paper-thin laptop line that now looks all but obsolete after last night’s announcements – will continue to be sold in stores, but it’s now retailing for £949, rather than £849 as it was previously.
Dongles, adapters, old hardware architecture and an absolutely ridiculous price conversion to the UK. Thanks but no thanks @Apple
— Bobby (@_bobbyanderson) October 28, 2016
The Mac Pro desktop computer – last updated way back in December 2013 – now costs £2,999, up from £2,499. That’s an absolutely whopping increase for what is ageing technology, and it’s not one that looks to have been mirrored in other countries.
Last night Apple quietly raised the UK prices of its computers to reflect the fall in the pound. So a 4K iMac that was £1,199 is now £1,449
— Ed Conway (@EdConwaySky) October 28, 2016
Other Mac prices changed today:
mini starts £479 (was £399)
Mac Pro £2999 (£2499)
iMac 4K £1449 (£1199)
iMac 5K from £1749 (£1449)— Alan (@alstonebridge) October 27, 2016
Patrick O’Brien, analyst at the Verdict Retail consultancy, told the BBC: “Apple has to recalibrate prices after significant currency fluctuations, and since the EU referendum, UK prices are out of sync with the dollar.
“Apple has taken the hit up until now. While price increases won’t look good to the consumer, it’s difficult to blame Apple.
“Once you strip out UK sales tax (VAT) and the currency conversion, the new UK prices could still be viewed as fair.”
Apple isn’t the only technology company to make such increases. Since the British public voted to leave the European Union, prices have begun shifting in relation to the decreasing value of the pound. It’s more noticeable this time because of Apple’s popularity.
Rival company Microsoft has recently announced that prices for some of its services will go up by 22% in 2017 to account for the pound’s weakened value against the Euro.
The post-Brexit price changes are far from ideal for those of us looking at updating our tech in time for Christmas.
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