Most expensive iPhone ever: What you could buy instead of Apple’s newest smartphone

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Previously, the most expensive iPhone was the iPhone 7 Plus with the maximum storage option of 256 GB, which ran you $1,309 in Canada – $250 more than the entry level 32GB 7 Plus.

The asking price on the iPhone X is $1,529 for the 256 GB model in Canada, and $1,319 for the 64 GB version. If you added the fancy wireless AirPods, that's another $200 or so. So a fully rigged iPhone X is now setting you back about $1,700, before taxes and potential carrier activation fees.

But the carrier subsidy lowers that price, right?

For subscribers: Wireless carriers' new problem: How to sell a $1,300 iPhone

Bear in mind that you still end up paying the full amount, and then some, through high wireless rates over the term of your contract, and also be aware that if you have to replace the phone through some non-warranty issue that will be at the purchase price.

So what else can you get for $1,300 to $1,700 in Canada?

Google Pixel XL

The Google Pixel XL with the max 128 GB storage option hits $1,179 in Canada; if you buy the optional "oops" protection warranty it drives the price up to a little more than $1,300.

Two BlackBerry KEYOne's

The BlackBerry branded KEYOne (manufactured and sold by Chinese smartphone maker TCL) sells for about $700 in Canada, so two of them would still be less than a fully loaded iPhone X.

13-inch MacBook Pro, $1,729.99

This is the one with the stingy 128GB SSD, but still you have a very powerful machine here for actual work, not just Snapchat.

All the newest gaming consoles

The brand new PS4 Pro 1TB console is $499 in Canada, the Xbox One S 1TB console is $450, the Nintendo Switch is $400. Yep, all three for $1,350 before taxes, and you still have enough left over to buy a few games.

All of Amazon's Alexa smart-home devices

Let's say you buy the original music-playing voice-enabled Echo, the new Echo Show (with built-in screen), the Echo Look (has a camera for totally not creepy reasons), the portable Echo Tap, a couple Echo Dots (slimmed down Echo), the Fire TV (so Alexa can turn your stories on) … you'd still need to a third-party smart-home thermostat like Canada's ecobee3 to get to $1,200. Add in a year of Prime membership in Canada and you're closer to $1,300.

20 per cent of one Bitcoin

Maybe a little more. Currently the cryptocurrency goes for about $5,100 dollars in Canada, but people do pay for stuff with fractions of bitcoin.

A literal gold bar

A 1 oz. gold bar from the Royal Canadian Mint now sells for about $1,600 on sites like Kitco.

One month's rent in a one-bedroom apartment in downtown Toronto

Lots of listings on Kijiji for one-bedroom spots for about $1,500 to 1,600, and if you're willing to accept a roommate, you can get some two-bedrooms in the same price range. So you might get two months out of the deal!

70 to 100 bottles of Maple Syrup

Canada's sweet gold is not cheap. A one-litre bottle of Costco's Kirkland Lake brand is $17. Depending on the model of phone you buy, you could trade it in for 70 bottles of distilled sap. That could work out to more than 90 kilos of waffle topper!