Eight-Year Change in iPhone Prices: Comparison between the USA and Türkiye

How has the change in iPhone prices taken shape in the last eight years? We examined the price difference and tax burden between the USA and Türkiye.

Apple's upper segment models in the smartphone market have witnessed significant price changes in both global and local markets over the years. Especially the issue of change in iPhone prices continues to be on the agenda of users and technology followers.

The starting price of $999, which started with the iPhone X introduced in 2017, has been replaced by an increasing trend in recent years, although it was maintained for a long time. During this period, pricing in the Turkish market followed a different course due to fluctuations in exchange rates and tax regulations.

Eight years of price adventure and market differences

Apple reached the $999 price level with its revolutionary model iPhone X and managed to maintain this level for many years. The starting price of high-end iPhone models remained constant at $ 999 until the iPhone 17 Pro model was released in 2025.

Apple increased the starting price to $1,099 with the iPhone 17 Pro, and added another $100 to this figure for the iPhone 18 Pro model, reaching $1,199. The total increase in the US market during this eight-year period was 200 dollars, that is, approximately 9,684 TL.

In the Turkish market, the situation draws a very different picture and prices increase regularly without exception. The starting price in Türkiye of the $999 iPhone

At that time, the dollar exchange rate was around 3.96 TL, and this was one of the main factors determining the accessibility of the device. Today, the Türkiye starting price of the $1,199 iPhone 18 Pro, which is available for pre-order, has reached 137,999 TL at the exchange rate of 48 TL.

In light of this data, the starting price of a high-end iPhone model in Turkey increased by 131,900 TL in eight years. While this rate of increase corresponds to a difference of $ 2,725 in dollar terms, it represents an increase of approximately 2,163 percent in percentage terms.

Effect of tax burden on pricing

One of the main reasons for the high pricing in Turkey stands out as the various tax items imposed on the device. According to the data shared by tax expert Ozan Bingöl, the tax-free price of the iPhone 18 Pro is 67,775 TL.

By adding 1 percent of the Ministry of Culture Share to this tax-free amount, a cost of 678 TL is created. Then, the 12 percent TRT Bandrol Fee comes into play and this item is reflected in the device price as 8,213 TL.

The tax burden is not limited to this and 50 percent Special Consumption Tax (SCT) is included in the calculation. This tax item brings a serious additional cost of 38,333 TL to the device.

Finally, 20 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) is added and an additional amount of 23,000 TL is calculated. When all these items are collected, the total tax burden on the device reaches 70,224 TL.

This table proves that technology prices in Turkey are directly affected not only by the exchange rate but also by the tax structure. How do you think this rapid increase in smartphone prices affects users' device renewal preferences?