Recently, I came across a data comparison showing that the iPhone 17 Pro's global pricing is basically unified at around $1,099, but the working hours needed by laborers across different regions are drastically different—absurdly so.
Workers in the United States only need 4 days to buy one. Luxembourg and Switzerland are even more extreme, with just over a day's wages getting the job done. But in India? People need to work continuously for 160 eight-hour shifts to afford it—a full 40 times more than the US.
What's the reality behind these numbers? India's average monthly salary is just $310, with hourly wages under $2. Meanwhile, in places like the US, Australia, and Singapore, iPhones are like everyday consumer goods—upgrading every two years is completely normal. In India, this device has almost become a status symbol, not a life necessity.
The situation in other countries tells a similar story—buying an iPhone 14 Pro requires 22 days of work in China, 11.9 days in South Korea, 10.5 days in Japan, and 5 to 13 days in Australia and Singapore respectively. These numbers reveal something quite straightforward: global wage discrepancies are directly reflecting into purchasing power. The same phone is a fast-moving consumer good in some places, yet an unattainable luxury in others. Economic inequality is being quantified into individual work days.
Recently, I came across a data comparison showing that the iPhone 17 Pro's global pricing is basically unified at around $1,099, but the working hours needed by laborers across different regions are drastically different—absurdly so.
Workers in the United States only need 4 days to buy one. Luxembourg and Switzerland are even more extreme, with just over a day's wages getting the job done. But in India? People need to work continuously for 160 eight-hour shifts to afford it—a full 40 times more than the US.
What's the reality behind these numbers? India's average monthly salary is just $310, with hourly wages under $2. Meanwhile, in places like the US, Australia, and Singapore, iPhones are like everyday consumer goods—upgrading every two years is completely normal. In India, this device has almost become a status symbol, not a life necessity.
The situation in other countries tells a similar story—buying an iPhone 14 Pro requires 22 days of work in China, 11.9 days in South Korea, 10.5 days in Japan, and 5 to 13 days in Australia and Singapore respectively. These numbers reveal something quite straightforward: global wage discrepancies are directly reflecting into purchasing power. The same phone is a fast-moving consumer good in some places, yet an unattainable luxury in others. Economic inequality is being quantified into individual work days.