Brexit hikes Apple computer prices by up to £500 in UK
02 Nov 2016
Apple has attracted criticism after it jacked up prices of its computers by up to £500 citing Brexit and the fall in the value of the pound after the vote to justify its move.
The huge hike comes on models that had not been upgraded for a while, the 13-inch MacBook Air – the least expensive laptop Apple, first introduced in 2015, now costs up to £949 from £849.
The basic price of the high-powered Mac Pro went up from £2,499 to £2,999. The pound had slipped 20 per cent against the US dollar since the referendum, providing a boost to exporters as it has made UK goods cheaper abroad.
However, it also meant Apple was making less money from selling the same computer in the UK than selling it in the US.
The hike means prices in the UK are now more in line with the US after currency conversion and with the addition of UK VAT.
According to Apple, it set product prices factoring in several parameters 'including currency exchange rates, local import laws, business practices, taxes, and the cost of doing business'.
However, this failed to cut ice with business experts.
However, in the US, the price of the MacBook Air, is still $999. The iMac 4K and 5K now retail at £300 more in the UK.
The 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pros with Retina displays – the older model of MacBook Pro – were still on sale, starting at £1,249 and £1,899 respectively and on Thursday, those computers cost £999 and £1,599.
Meanwhile, Apple on Thursday unveiled a refreshed lineup of notebook computers in a bid to spur sluggish Mac sales.
Some of the new MacBook Pro computers come with an innovative touch-sensitive strip-shaped screen above the keyboard, rather than the traditional function keys. The area which Apple calls the Touch Bar, is meant to display different keys and functions depending on the programs being used or the activities being done.
