Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Retail, Rumors, Apple Financial, Apple, MacBook, Deals
Rumor: Apple to sell subsidized notebooks in the UK?
This would be an interesting deal -- rumor has it (that crazy rumor always has something, doesn't it?) that Apple may start selling subsidized MacBooks in the UK, with O2 including the notebooks with their wireless plans. Quite a proposal -- the idea, of course, would be for O2 to pick up a subscription by offering a discount on the already (relatively) cheap $999 MacBook. This plan has been rumored for a long time with iPhones (and I still believe it'll happen eventually), but with mobile broadband subscriptions on the rise, O2 and other services might start giving kickbacks on notebooks, too.Of course, whatever discount you saved early on would cost you in the end with the continued cost of the broadband subscription. Which makes this deal as unlikely for people to buy into it as it does for Apple to agree. But you never know -- analysts especially are leading the call for cheaper and cheaper MacBooks, and a subsidy might be just the thing (even if it isn't actually popular with consumers) to push the MacBook down to around the $800 price where stockholders want it to be.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jake said 4:31PM on 10-20-2008
The macbook isnt $999 here in the UK
Its $1232
Lovely how apple rips us off isn't it
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darren said 4:40PM on 10-20-2008
Yes, Jake. Just like every other US company out there. Apple while just as bad as the others aren't the only ones by a long shot and they definitely aren't the worse offenders IMO.
Rich UK said 5:17AM on 10-26-2008
But as wages are paid in pounds you don't really have to worry about it..
I get bored of hearing these complaints over here. You also pay more for tropicana orange juice over here but do I complain when i go to the stores? In a way its a benefit that we can go abroad and get it for less than americans do with respect to the percentage of our wage.
If you live in the UK and are getting paid in dollars or do complain about every product which we pay more for than the USA then apologies!
Stu J said 4:57PM on 10-20-2008
but $999 + 17.5% tax is around $1180, so it's only $50 more (or 29) difference.
And seen as there are many many different factors you have to take in, it's not like they are totally 'ripping' you off.
James said 4:24PM on 10-20-2008
pcworld.co.uk have been doing this sort of thing for about a year now you can get a discount on any laptop if you sign up to mobile broadband. Of course you do have to buy a laptop from pcworld to take advantage of it (they don't have the best reputation for support)
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lakiolen said 4:26PM on 10-20-2008
You could at least show the proper macbook model the rumor mentions.
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Murphy Mac said 4:33PM on 10-20-2008
I hope Apple doesn't start pricing products based on where analysts think they should.
Analyst: a job that requires nothing more than an opinion. There's a thin line between analyst and blogger. :)
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nil.bureau.bitbucket said 4:50PM on 10-20-2008
Who are these mystery stockholders you speak of who want the MacBook prices to go down to an $800 entry point? I haven't heard of any; in fact, the only people I've heard advocating for this are so-called "analysts" and assorted pundits with no knowledge of the Mac market or even Apple's business strategy. Warren Buffet has millions of shares and not even he's made any such statement or advocated for it.
If you're going to make such statements, back them up with names and links to where they are specifically making these statements. No analysts or pundit links allowed; they're not stockholders.
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Dave Barnes said 5:01PM on 10-20-2008
I agree. Who are these stockholders?
I would bet that most stockholders want increased PROFITS as those will drive the stock price up.
Pyrofer said 5:02PM on 10-20-2008
I wont moan about the price difference between US/UK, but please! If your going to write about it on a 'reputable' site at least check your facts and get it right.
Im SICK of sites telling me the Macbook has gone down in price and is now only $999, when in actual fact the UK price has risen. Its not hard to pick the UK store from the apple site, and not hard to look at the exchange rate. Especialy when writing about the UK, in fact why didnt you quote UK prices anyway? Do you really beleive we all deal in $'s all day?
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william said 5:44AM on 10-21-2008
Bet Jobsy makes us use EDF electricity too power it,he likes a kickback.Also his calculator is whack!
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jozue06 said 7:58AM on 10-21-2008
already has been happening in Lithuania for about a year, the largest mobile company Omnitel, is bricking vodafone usb mobile modem adapters with sim cards and macbook pros. not to many takers tho.
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Jon said 5:28PM on 10-20-2008
yeah, even if it's subsidised O2 plans will be a rip off too. i'm so seeing a deal with iphone and macbook plan... but it just doesn't seem to add up being tied with a 18 month contract.
and let's fix the title fit for british consumption for our american friends, "Rumour: Apple to sell subsidised notebooks in the UK?" LOL, don't take offence. it's been a long monday.
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Chris Stevens said 6:08PM on 10-20-2008
By your logic, customers wouldn't sign up to this deal because it would cost them more over time.
If people didn't go in for that sort of deal then nobody would every buy anything with credit.
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Deepak said 11:05PM on 10-20-2008
Well at least here in India, every single notebook has seen an upward price revision of 20-30%. Even MacBook White which lost 100$ in the US, has had its price marked-up by 120$ in India. And this is without even including taxes and levies. Here is how the old and new models stack up in India price-wise:
http://www.imacusers.com/new-macbook-prices-in-india-verdict-expensive/
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Alpha-Sphere said 4:48AM on 10-21-2008
Nothing new to the dutch crowed. Notebook/laptop are being subsidized for some time now with a data plan. The discount varies between 200 to 400 euro's depending on which provider you take (T-Mobile, KPN, Vodafone, Telfort).
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Level 5 said 8:50AM on 10-21-2008
Hmm.. I wouldn't bite, that's for sure. Without an internal WWAN option, it absoultely would kill the form factor of an Apple notebook.
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Legion11 said 5:48PM on 10-21-2008
Hmm.. Dont want to get involved in the whole R.O Britain argument (but most of the time we are.. PS3 etc) BUT for once we must admit we got the sweet deal with the iPhone contract if you look at what the US & others got.
As for the subsidized laptop from O2.. Dont bother, the signal from mobile broadband from O2 is appalling. There isn't that many places I can go that I get a 3G signal on my iPhone, so unless O2 get there coverage up-to Vodafone standards I wouldn't want to pay 25 per month for mobile O2 broadband from them.
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