【Italy】

When Phil Schiller announced the iPhone 7 on ItalyWednesday, he proudly pointed out that its price is the same as the launch price of its predecessor, the iPhone 6S.

Not so in the UK.

There, the iPhone 7 prices are significantly higher than the iPhone 6S were at launch: The cheapest variant of the iPhone 7 costs £599 ($801) versus £539 ($720), which was the price of the cheapest iPhone 6S at launch.

As you go up to the pricier models, it gets worse. The most expensive iPhone 6S Plus cost £789 at launch ($1054), a whopping 130 pounds less than than the priciest iPhone 7 Plus, which costs £919 ($1228).

Now compare that to the prices in the U.S., where the most expensive iPhone 7 costs $969.

Somewhat ironically given Apple's commitment to going wireless, the UK also got a horrible deal on the company's upcoming AirPods wireless earbuds. Those cost exactly the same amount in pounds (£159 or $212)) as they do in dollars ($159). That's a $53 difference for a pair of in-ear headphones.

Even worse for the Brits, Apple yesterday increased the prices of some of its old gadgets, like the iPad Pro, which now starts at £549 ($734) vs. £499 ($667) just a day earlier.

Yes, the prices of Apple devices have always been more expensive in Europe than the U.S., but why bump them even higher in the UK? The answer is likely Britain's slumping pound, whose value sharply fell after the Brexit "yes" vote.

The iPhone 7 arrives in the UK on Sept. 16, the same time it does in the U.S., with pre-orders starting Sept. 9.

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