When Apple raised iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus prices in Canada due to exchange rates, Rogers, Fido, Bell, Virgin and Sasktel followed shortly and increased prices as well for customers signing up on contracts.
Now, TELUS and Koodo have increased their prices to reflect the changes as well, with the entry 16GB iPhone 6 now starting at $350 and iPhone 6 Plus at $480 on a 2-year contract:
As for the iPhone 5s, it has increased in price as well, now starting at $230 on contract:
These iPhone 6 increase are also live on Koodo’s website too:
What’s crazy is the iPhone 5s is now the same price as it was when it originally launched almost two years ago. The iPhone 5c though, remains ‘free’ on contract.
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I don’t see anything crazy about the 5s remaining the same price. It’s an older model, and carriers and retailers have ample stock left from when they paid the older price.
The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus prices increased because they’re still selling out, and getting new inventory from Apple is now at the higher price.
This is also why the latest generation iPads haven’t increased in price yet to reflect the lower dollar: plenty of inventory left at retailers. This year’s new iPad *will* have a higher $CAD price though.
The 5s’ that carriers have are not stock from their release. The 5s is still manufactured in 16GB and 32GB options from Apple. They are “discounted” as an option to someone who won’t spend the extra on a 6. With this increase the discount is essentially gone compared to a year ago.
6 and 6 Plus see increases not because of selling out but because of an opportunity to exploite a weakened Canadian dollar. When the dollar goes up its a long time to see the reflection in prices but when it goes down the price difference is seen instantly. It has nothing to do with inventory, it’s just “good business”.
Yes there’s definitely some exchange rate exploitation going on, but your whole second paragraph ignores the fact that the current generation of iPads have not increased prices. “Good business” would have seen the $499 USD 16 GB iPad Air 2 jump from $549 CAD to $649 the same time Apple increased iPhone prices.
Instead, its price is unchanged and now selling for the equivalent of $439 USD.
So although inventory turnover isn’t the sole reason for the price discrepancy, there’s no logical reason to dismiss it entirely, or to blame higher prices solely on “good business”.
It is good business, iPad sales have slowed … Why discourage potential customers further? I believe they’ll keep iPad prices where they are as long as they can.
“Good business” was the euphemism you used for exchange-rate exploitation. If your claim on iPads is to hold true, the next generation iPad, assuming they start at $499 USD, must also remain $549 CAD. To not discourage potential customers.
I’m willing to bet what will *actually* happen is they will start at around $649 CAD, and the current-gen iPad Air 2 will remain $549 CAD.
It could start there, it just depends on what they believe the market will pay for it in Canada.
Wait, a 128GB iPhone 6 in the US is U$400 and in Canada is now C$600? With the exchange being 0.8, it should be C$500. What’s the $100 premium coming from?