Sorry but the other commenter is correct. I've seen this first hand because with every new phone I've ever bought since even before smart phones were a thing I've always negotiated how much I paid up front for the phone vs the monthly contract and run the maths to see how much difference the contract would be. In every instance, even during my last upgrade which happened ~12 months ago, the amount I paid up front wasn't proportional to the amount my bill reduced by.
For example, If I paid for £1000 phone up front the monthly contract would be £40. So if your argument was correct then that same contract should be £40 + (£500 / 24months) == £61. But it wouldn't be. It would be more like £75 a month. Sure that's only £10 a month more. But over 24 months that works out £240 extra. So that £500 ends up costing £740.
These are just made up figures but they're roughly in the same ballpark as what I've experienced.
On occasions when I've asked for a pen and paper so I can make a note of the differences over the contract term, the sales people have even literally said "So if you go on this contract, your phone will cost £x more". So I don't think it's even a fact they try and hide.
If I go to Verizon.com right now and select iPhone 13 Pro Max I can get a base phone for $30.55/mo over 36 months. That is equal to 1099.8 which is the the same price (if not less) than the 1099.9 if I bought it out right.
That $30.55 DOES NOT include the price of the contract, which costs an additional $85.00 for 5G Ultraband. I would have to pay $85 whether or not I bought a 0% interest phone, bought it at full retail or brought my own phone.
So no, I don't see where the "double" is coming from. It's just math.
I mean that's kinda on you if you want to contract for cellular service + handset in this way, but even in the UK the cellular market has offered iPhones at 0% over two years with option to find cheapest rolling 30 day contract you can - the iPhone upgrade program is run in the UK under very similar terms to the US one, and is still sim free/0 percent.
I've also seen the handset cost separated at 0% APR with separate service charge from major UK telcos too.
There aren't that many Apple stores in the UK, a lot of cities don't even have one. Whereas every mobile network will have a shop in nearly every town. So I'd wager most iPhone owners aren't even aware this program exists.
Plus the standard way to buy a phone since long before Apple entered the market was to buy from the network. So it's a habit that still persists today.
The other thing to note with that is you're continually trading in your old phone to access that scheme. Whereas mobile networks let you keep your phone (I mean, you literally own it). People often then sell it or hand it down to a family member. One of my friends went ~5 years without buying a new phone because he had my hand-me-downs.
"The United Kingdom (UK) is home to more Apple stores than any other country in Europe, with 38 stores in operation as of November 2021."
I bet you those 38 stores are located strategically to cover a vast majority of the population.
You're simply nitpicking. The reality is, you can get an iPhone for 0% interest. It's not some kind of insurmountable quest. You don't even need to go into the store, you can simply order it from Apple.com.
> I bet you those 38 stores are located strategically to cover a vast majority of the population.
I'm sure they are but if people have to travel when there's a competitor on their door step, they'll generally buy from the competitor. This is a fact that's as old as commerce itself.
> You're simply nitpicking. ... It's not some kind of insurmountable quest.
How am I nitpicking? I'm literally just stating how the UK consumers shop. You might not agree with their logic but telling them they're wrong on some random tech forum none of them would visit is about as productive as pissing in the wind. What I've described is literally how things work in the UK. Sorry if that seems egregious to you but it's a fact.
> You don't even need to go into the store, you can simply order it from Apple.com.
...and now we're back to my point that most iPhone users are unaware of that offer. Most wouldn't even visit Apple.com. I wasn't even aware of that and I'm a techie so none of my non-technical friends would have been aware. The way people buy phones in the UK isn't and hasn't ever typically been to buy direct from the manufacturer. So most people wouldn't know or even think to check apple.com for offers.
Please remember that the UK is a totally different country so some behaviourisms will differ from what you're used to. And telling me I'm nitpicking because an entire country of people shop differently to what you consider sensible (or perhaps "normal" in your country) is, frankly, ridiculous.
Honestly though, I'd be interested to know how many people in your own country are aware of that offer. I suspect it might be less than you'd like to believe. Are you going look down on them for being out of the loop too?
> The reality is, you can get an iPhone for 0% interest.
I'm not disputing that. I'm stating why most UK iPhone users don't take advantage of that. You can argue that fact to your blue in the face but it means jack shit if the actual consumers either aren't aware of it, or are too lazy to take advantage of it. THAT is the real issue, not whether the 0% interest offer exists or not.
Are you buying the phone through the carrier? God knows what scummy tactics they will use and it's not a fair comparison. You can buy the phone through Apple and only pay for the phone, no extra (unless you upgrade after only 1 year).
I can't speak for the US but in the UK they're transparent about the costs and thus you can compare their costs with that of buying directly from the Apple store. So there isn't really any room for trickery there.
Even the contract you sign has to have terms explained by the sales person because that contract can be contested if the customer claims they were duped into signing something they didn't understand. We have a lot stricter consumer laws in Europe.
For example, If I paid for £1000 phone up front the monthly contract would be £40. So if your argument was correct then that same contract should be £40 + (£500 / 24months) == £61. But it wouldn't be. It would be more like £75 a month. Sure that's only £10 a month more. But over 24 months that works out £240 extra. So that £500 ends up costing £740.
These are just made up figures but they're roughly in the same ballpark as what I've experienced.
On occasions when I've asked for a pen and paper so I can make a note of the differences over the contract term, the sales people have even literally said "So if you go on this contract, your phone will cost £x more". So I don't think it's even a fact they try and hide.