My $2,000 iPhone X

The iPhone X is an expensive phone. I knew that when I placed my order in October. What I didn’t realize at the time was just how quickly the costs would climb.

First, I live in Europe, so the base model iPhone X which costs $999 in the US starts at €1,159 here in Amsterdam, or about $1,378 by today’s exchange rates. Yes, that price includes the tax, but it includes a bunch of import markups too. But hey, I hadn’t upgraded my iPhone in years because I’d been holding off for that (mostly) all-screen anniversary design that had been rumored since 2015. Besides, my family is firmly locked into the Apple ecosystem. So I went for it, even splurging for the 256GB model at a cost of €1,329, or about $1,580.

Fortunately, I’m guaranteed a two-year warranty in Europe so I didn’t opt for the €229 (about $273) AppleCare protection package. However, I did buy a case — for the first time in a decade of iPhone ownership — due to the risk of front and back glass breakage and the higher repair costs introduced with the iPhone X. It only cost $25 to buy and ship the Caudabe Veil XT case over from the US. It’s far from the most protective case available (the top glass is still exposed) but it’s a good compromise for my needs: it adds a modicum of protection from bumps, drops, and scrapes without obscuring the beauty of the device or interfering with the side-swipe gestures. My iPhone X had now cost me close to $1,600.

Next I had to solve the no-headphone-jack problem. Despite having other Bluetooth headphones at my disposal, I decided to splurge on a pair of AirPods my nerdy friends were so enamored with. They’re great, especially with a little hack to improve the bass. But now my iPhone X had cost me $1,800.

Then I got to thinking how convenient wireless charging must be — something my Android friends had been enjoying for years. So after Dieter Bohn espoused the glories of the angled Qi dock from Samsung, I had to get one for my bedside. Then I bought another for my office. My iPhone X was now approaching $2,000.

Yesterday was Cyber Monday, a stupid “holiday” that prompted me to buy a 24-watt Anker USB-C charger and an Apple USB-C-to-Lightning cable to enable fast-charging on my iPhone X. I also upgraded my Philips Hue lighting with a HomeKit-compatible hub now that I have an iPhone that passively listens for “Hey Siri” commands. Naturally, this led me to purchase a HomeKit controllable power socket for the Christmas tree.

All in, I’d say that my desire for an expensive $999 iPhone X has resulted in nearly $2,200 spent on iPhone X related purchases, including a few AR games and apps I bought to see what all the fuss was about. It doesn’t, however, include the extra $84 per year I have to pay for the additional iCloud storage needed to host all the new photos and 4K videos I’ve been taking (something Pixel owners get for free).

Do I regret it? Hell no, I’m a human male living in a society of conspicuous mass consumption. The more I spend the more my frail ego feels compelled to defend my purchases.

Verdict: 10/10, or X out of X, if you prefer. Would spend too much again.