[DaiPlusPlus]

> I think this is partly to avoid price arbitrage such as going to buy an iPhone in a cheaper country.

There isn't much arbitrage for new Apple products: if anything, iPhones are more expensive in other countries, especially LEDC countries due to import tariffs (e.g. Brazil and India) and VAT.

That said, I can understand phone companies, in general, not having worldwide warranties because localized phones will have different radio hardware (well, prior to LTE...).

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I just found Apple's current warranty doc for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod and it does mention international coverage ( https://www.apple.com/legal/warranty/products/ios-warranty-d... ). It would be bad PR for Apple if tourists and businesspeople in foreign countries couldn't get their phones repaired on holiday or during a critical business trip.

[selectodude]

The price arbitrage is USA -> basically everywhere else on earth.

[DaiPlusPlus]

That still benefits Apple though as it means the profits from the sale is already repatriated - as opposed to being stuck overseas (see: Apple's cash hoard stuck in Dublin or the Netherlands).