Import could save a lot of money
In China, prices are generally lower not only because of different sales volumes, missing certifications, and shorter warranty and update periods, but also because there are more storage options to choose from. The cheapest 12GB/256GB storage variant at TradingShenzhen costs €1,007 and is therefore likely close to half the price of the EU version. Other well-known retailers turned out to be slightly more expensive in our research: AverageDad charges €1,112, Wondamobile €1,093, and Trinity Electronics about €1,130 converted from HKD. Shipping is added in all cases, although taxes and customs are officially included at TradingShenzhen and AverageDad.
256GB of storage is probably too little for most people, but the 12GB/512GB variant at €1,107 from TradingShenzhen could be the sweet spot for many. Here too, the other retailers are somewhat more expensive, while AverageDad and Trinity Electronics do not offer this option. The 16GB/512GB version costs €1,207 at TradingShenzhen, €1,229 at AverageDad, €1,226 at Wondamobile, and about €1,240 at Trinity Electronics when converted. Last but not least, the 16GB/1TB China version, which is comparable to the global model, costs €1,377 at TradingShenzhen. That would still make it 45 percent cheaper, assuming the €2,000 price for the EU version turns out to be accurate.
