Would You Pay Close To RM4,000 For An iPhone 6s?
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On Wednesday, Apple fanboys around the world clamour about their Macbooks as Apple unveiled their latest iPhones, along with an updated version of its Apple TV, which now comes with its own app store and a voice-controlled remote control, and a 12.9-inch iPad Pro at a San Francisco media event.
The new phones, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, look like their predecessors that debuted last year, but with newer and cooler features that include an improved camera, a speedier processor and a new feature called 3D Touch that lets users make different commands and reach shortcuts and menus simply by pressing down harder or going softer on the screen.
Also, the phones now come in rose gold, on top of its existing selection of silver, grey and gold.
The release date for Malaysia has not yet been announced by Apple yet, so those of you who can’t wait to get your hands on the latest iPhones will likely be getting it from Singapore, where the phones will be available from September 25 onwards.
However, with the falling Ringgit (which is 3.04 against the Singapore dollar at this time in writing), it is now more expensive than ever for Malaysians to own an iPhone.
For instance, the cheapest 16GB variant of the iPhone 6s, which retails at SG$1,048 (RM3,188.98) will cost you approximately 36.80% more if you bought it from Singapore today than a 16GB iPhone 6 would have cost you in 2014.
But let’s face facts – you would probably want to get at least 64GB worth of storage. An iPhone 6s of this variant would today set you back by about RM3,706.28, that’s almost RM1,000 more than what you would have paid for a 64GB iPhone 6 a year ago.
Here’s a (highly depressing) comparison of how much more Malaysians will have to fork out for the latest iPhone models today:
| Model | Price of iPhone 6 in 2014 | Price of iPhone 6s in 2015 |
|---|---|---|
| 16GB | S$919 (RM2,331) | S$1,048 (RM3,188.98) |
| 64GB | S$1,086 (RM2,755) | S$1,218 (RM3,706.28) |
| 128GB | S$1,198 (RM3,039) | S$1,388 (RM4,223.58) |
| Model | Price of iPhone 6 Plus in 2014 | Price of iPhone 6s Plus in 2015 |
|---|---|---|
| 16GB | SG$1,086 (RM2,755) | SG$1,218 (RM3,706.28) |
| 64GB | SG$1,198, (RM3,039) | SG$1,388 (RM4,223.58) |
| 128GB | SG$1,347 (RM3,418) | SG$1,558 (RM4,740.88) |
*Conversion rates for SGD to MYR stood at roughly 2.54 in September 2014, and 3.04 in September 2015 (at the point of writing).
Why is it so expensive?
With new improvements come a heftier price tag. Let’s take a look at some new and improved iPhone features:
1. 3D Touch
According to Apple, the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus introduce the 3D Touch that will allow users to navigate and experience the iPhone by sensing pressure to enable new gestures – Peek and Pop™ – so you can dip in and out of content effortlessly.
Press lightly to “peek” at a photo, email or webpage, and press a little harder to “pop” into the content itself. With these functions, the 3D Touch provides shortcuts to let you send a message or take a selfie with just a simple press from the home screen.
2. Camera innovations
The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus both come with a new A8 processor and an upgraded 12-megapixel rear camera (from its previous 8-megapixel), and is able to shoot 4k (3,840 x 2,160 pixels) videos and “Live Photos”.
These live photos essentially turn photos into GIF-like short videos and is achieved by capturing moments before and after a picture was snapped, which is really quite cool.
The front-facing camera also received an upgrade with a 5-megapixel camera, a major boon for the selfie lover (or if you’re Kim Kardashian). Further, the iPhone camera can now fire a flash using the phone’s display, and is able to shoot panoramic pictures as well as slo-mo videos.
3. Technological upgrades
As predicted, the new iPhones come with a new processor. This time around it is the 64-bit A9 chip, which is 70% faster than the A8, and 90% faster when it comes to graphic performance.
That A9 chip is paired with an M9 motion co-processor that collates health and fitness data to help the A9 run more efficiently and focus on other tasks.
In addition, the second-generation Touch ID fingerprint sensor is also up to two times faster.
The new iPhones also support up to 23 LTE bands — the most in any smartphone — for better worldwide roaming.
Further, it comes with improved Siri features and more powerful built-in apps, including a new and improved news app for better news reading experience. Software updates for the new iOS will also require less space to install. It also comes with more advanced security features to further protect our devices.
4. Currency
Like it or not, our falling currency has had a direct impact on burgeoning iPhone prices (among other things). For instance, the new 16GB iPhone 6s only costs S$129 more than the 16GB iPhone 6 in 2014.
However, the conversion rate for the Singapore dollar to the Ringgit has risen from 2.54 to 3.04 over the past year.
So while the actual price difference between the two iPhone models is only S$129, when you take today’s exchange rate (3.04 at the point in writing) into account, the price difference in Ringgit is much more significant – at roughly RM857.98 more!
Had the exchange rate stayed at 2.54, the 16G iPhone 6s would have cost Malaysians just RM2,661.92, or RM527.06 less than what we would be paying today.
Will you buy the new iPhone? Are the new features worth the heftier price tag? Or are the new prices a deterrent? It does come in rose gold…and it takes pretty pictures…
Dream of owning the latest Apple gadget, but is fazed by the hefty price tag? Instead of parting with a kidney, check out these cool credit card hacks. The Maybank 2 cards for instance, lets you pay for big-ticket items with an easy, interest-free instalment plan.
