Report Shows How Many Hours You Have to Work to Afford An iPhone 14

Working Hours Needed to Afford a 128GB iPhone 14 Pro Max Around the World

If you think people are done with overpriced and overhyped Apple products by now, think again. Apple still has many fans wrapped around its finger, as evidenced by the public’s reception of the recent launch of the iPhone 14 series featuring the iPhone 14, the iPhone 14 Plus, the iPhone 14 Pro, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max. 

While many people seem to have qualms about the iPhone 14 baseline models due to their similarities with the previous year’s iPhone 13, there is much demand for the Pro and Pro Max models. According to trend predictions by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the estimated delivery time for iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max is five to six weeks after the September 7 launch date, indicating that many people have pre-ordered the units. However, the iPhone 14 was in stock in major stores during the September 16 release date, demonstrating that people were not so excited about iPhone 14. While people’s reception of the iPhone 14 Plus popularity is yet to be seen on the October 7th release date, the demand for it seems as lackluster as that of the iPhone 14. 

The iPhone 14 Series: What’s New?

Here’s a peek at what makes the iPhone 14 models a must-have: 

Naysayers quickly say that the iPhone 14 is just a glorified version of the previous year’s iPhone 13 and is not worth upgrading to. While there is a grain of truth in that statement, the iPhone 14 does offer a little extra, such as a 5-core GPU, 6GB memory, camera sensors, video stabilization, emergency SOS via satellite, and car crash detection. The iPhone 14 Plus, however, is merely a more significant iteration of the iPhone 14 with longer battery life, perfect for gaming, watching, and shooting photos and videos. 

On the other hand, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max have a more pronounced improvement over the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max models. The new ones come with the A16 Bionic CPU, a 48MP wide camera, the Dynamic Island feature to replace the notch, and new always-on displays.

A Hole Through Your Pocket

Like clockwork, kidney for iPhone memes poking fun at the newest iPhone models have resurfaced around the time of Apple’s Far Out event. During this event, Apple launched the iPhone 14 Series alongside the unveiling of other products such as the Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch Ultra, and the AirPods Pro 2.

Besides being funny, the memes, some of which are recycled versions from previous years, are just plain relatable — making them even more amusing. Just imagine: having a 1TB iPhone 14 Pro Max can set you back by $1599, and that’s before AppleCare+ and accessories. 

Here’s how much the iPhone 14 Series models sell for:

Selling your kidney (or any other body part for that matter) for a flashy high-end gadget — even if it is the newest Apple iPhone — might not be the best thing you can do for your health, as then 17-year-old Wang Shangkun found out. And be careful with the memes. Some people might just take them at face value, as some Thais did over one such kidney-for-iPhone meme.

How much do people from different countries need to work to get the iPhone 14 Pro Max?

We got curious about how many hours the average Joe — and people from other countries — need to work to afford an iPhone 14 Pro Max, so we shined our glasses, put on our thinking hats, and scoured the internet for answers. 

Here are some of our findings:

(Based on the iPhone 14 Pro Max 128GB retail price of $1,099)

Citizens of Switzerland — land of chocolates, world-class watches, cheese, the Matterhorn, the Alps, and what-have-you — have an hourly salary of $31.81. Blessed with luck and fat pockets, the Swiss need to work only 35 hours or 4.5 days to afford the 128GB iPhone 14 Pro Max. Imagine getting the latest iPhone in less than a week. Sweet!

Following Switzerland’s lead are Singapore, Australia, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates. Small wonder, though, as these countries are among the top ten wealthiest countries. 

Interestingly, the iPhone 14 prices differ according to country. Japanese web developer Jun Saito surveyed iPhone Pro Max prices in 37 countries, naming the United States as the country where it’s cheapest to buy Apple’s latest top-tier smartphone. The survey tags Turkey as the most expensive country to buy an iPhone Pro Max 128GB from, as a single unit sells for US$2,399.05 — which is plain ludicrous if you ask us.

• Americans get the most bang for their buck since the iPhone is from the United States. To buy a 128GB iPhone 14 Pro Max, the average American needs to work only 52 hours or 6.5 days.

• The Turkish, however, need to spend at least 167.5 days (1,340 hours) at work to afford the 14 Pro Max. It makes you wonder why people in Turkey, whose local currency has collapsed, would even consider getting an iPhone.

And then we have Sri Lanka, whose hourly income averages $0.81. Sinhalese must put their noses to the grindstone for 1,352 hours or 169 days to earn enough and get the latest iPhone 14 Pro Max. Its exorbitant prices are probably why the iPhone isn’t very popular in the country, accounting for only a 9.08% share of mobile web traffic.

Joining Sri Lanka at the bottom of the pack are Pakistan, Nigeria, Venezuela, and Nepal. Notably, these countries rank below 100 in the list of wealthiest countries according to their GDP per capita in relation to their purchasing power. Pakistan ranked 138th, Nigeria placed 144th, and Venezuela and Nepal secured the 142nd and 151st spots, respectively. It is interesting, though, that Sri Lanka — the country that can least afford the iPhone 14 Pro Max — took the 98th position.

Winning the Popularity Game

Trumping Android

For the first time in the history of mobile devices, there are more iPhone users in the US than any other smartphone type. This phenomenon is a milestone for Apple, as the iPhone had always trailed after early mobile phone brands such as Nokia, Blackberry, and Motorola. Android took the lead soon after it entered the smartphone scene, leaving the iPhone behind. 

According to a study by Counterpoint Research, the iPhone market share has hit a record high of more than 50% in the US. Apple attributes this rise to last year’s iPhone 13 camera capabilities and the growing base of new users, plus the loyal iPhone users of old. 

The Big Why

Why the iPhone remains a fast-selling product every year even if the new versions don’t seem to deviate much from the previous models remains a mystery to non-iPhone users. Even if aficionados were to explain what makes the iPhone their smartphone of choice, stalwart Android supporters still wouldn’t get it. 

While many people are quick to point out that the expensive iPhone is merely a mark of status or something to brag about, the device can hold its own against Android and other brands regarding functionality, design, and longevity. Many love the iPhone for its sleek and clean interface that’s easy to learn and get used to, not to mention the various apps and features that come with it. If you’re the kind to hold on to things until their last ounce of life, then you’ll find that the iPhone — provided you take proper care of it — can serve you for many years.

And then there’s Apple’s magnetic pull: the consistency that ties the iPhone together into a product that people love and other people love to hate because they can’t have it. Some call it marketing; others call it lovemarks. But whatever name you might want to call it, Apple’s loyal customer base is hooked and shows no signs of letting up.

Methodology 

We collected the global average monthly income from Numbeo and divided it by the average number of working days (22) in a month to get the average income per day. Then, we divided the income per day by 8, the average work hours in a day, to get the average hourly wage per country.

We then visited the Apple Store website to get the prices for the 128GB iPhone 14 models (iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max). 

We divided the iPhone price (per model) by each country's average income per hour to get the number of working hours it takes to afford the iPhone 14 model. However, the summary uses only the data for the 128GB iPhone 14 Pro Max to compare expected hours worked per country.