The Apple iPhone 5 and Israel

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After months and months of speculation, Apple released the iPhone5 on on September 21, 2012. The new iPhone features a slightly larger screen, a faster processor and a number of software and hardware upgrades. More than 5 million units were sold in the first week, making this the most successful iPhone launch, ever. But how does this affect the Jews?

One of the noticeable changes in the iPhone5 and iOS6 operating system upgrade is the replacement of the built in Google Maps app with a homegrown Apple product. Many were unhappy with the replacement of a mature map app and it’s neat-o street view with the less mature and reportedly buggy Apple version, but the loudest kvetching came from the Jews. Why?

Well, it seems that the iOS6 Apple Maps feature shows no capital city for the State of Israel. Jerusalem is just left there with no national affiliation. Furthermore :[t]he World Clock function, which allows users to pick a city and set the time on their device according to the local time zone, lists Jerusalem as a city with no affiliated country.” Fuckers.

That’s already pretty bad but to make things worse, Israel itself is not getting the iPhone5 until December, and when we do get them, they will cost nearly twice as much as what they cost in North America! A base-model, unlocked, 16 gb iPhone5 can be had for about $700 (2800 nis) in the US whereas in Israel it will cost about $1,225 (7000 nis). Israelis will also have to purchase new Nano-sims to work with the phone so that’s another $25 to add to the total. Apparently, duties on an iPhone 5 in Israel run about $240 on top of the cost of the phone, so that might explain part of the massive markup. But the rest? Pure chazer-like behavior. The only good news is that regular stores will be able to import and sell iPhones without having to obtain Ministry of Communication approval (remember when the iPad was banned in Israel?) – so from now on iPhone’s will be available at places other than the big cell phone companies. Maybe that will help keep costs down? Or not. Who knows. We’ll see I suppose.

But seriously now, does anyone really need a $1225 phone?? Really???