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…

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