Smurfs, French Fries and the most expensive iPhone in the World

10 Jul

Posted by Tom Andries as Finance & Stocks, Tech and Gadgets

Remember the Elton John song "Just like Belgium" or the movie "This must be Belgium"?

Well Belgium has scored another point with the iPhone. We’ve got the most expensive one one the Planet!

Belgians need to shell out a massive â‚¬ 525 / $ 825 (8GB) and â‚¬ 615 / $ 966 (16GB) for the much hyped phone.

How come? Well, thanks to a law intended to protect customers. Makes sense?
Actually there are two laws, one that prohibits selling at a loss and one against coupling products and subsidizing products by charging more for a related item.

Minister Van Quickenborne (who owns a black market unlocked iPhone) will move to adjust the law in September… Hopefully a promise the politician can keep.

Next to the most expensive iPhone, one of the most expensive government forms (we’ve got 7 different governments!, 6 parliaments and a Senate), Belgium also has the most expensive and restrictive broadbandconnections (thanks to a duopoly of broadbandproviders "Telenet" and the stateowned "Belgacom".

In the end you’d wonder wether we’ve even got electricity over here… Lol… We do, but expensive!

Oh well, us Belgians still have the Smurfs, Chocolate AND French Fries!!! Yup, they’re actually from Belgian origin going back to the 17th century. Bet you didn’t know THAT right?

Belgians have so much going for them, haven’t they?

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2 Responses

mutley dastardly
2:06 pm on July 10th, 2008
It’s amazing that a zero is made to a hero - mr. Q is not as smart as you believe he is!

This law is very usefull and should realy be protected - and even be more widely used!

In short term the prices seem to be higher - at the longer term it gives you freedom to do with the iphone whatever you want!

Is it serious that you have to use mac-soft on windows/mac to activate the iphone at home?

I won’t buy it for that reason - i use linux & linux only!

This law protects normal buyers from getting locked in by vendors in contracts that are not so easy to escape!

People who don’t know mr. Q - don’t know that in the past he was in favour of smoking Pot!
Tom Andries
1:26 am on July 11th, 2008
Thanks for your comment. Believe me I’m not a fan of mr. Q either, but I do like his proposition the change the law and allow iPhones coupled with a 1 year contract alongside unlocked iPhones free to use with any provider.

As for the Mr. Q, the politician in question I think he’s a populist, promising heaps, realising little and only thinking short time. Which seems to be a trend with Belgian politicians lately.