Brexit has been a worldwide topic for some time now. It has been established that the event is bringing in ripples and waves of impact to different industries, and one of the most recent effect of Brexit is Microsoft's product pricing in the UK. As per recent reports, the company has increased the Surface Book's cost in the country due to Brexit.
Brexit's Effect On Microsoft's Products
Microsoft had already previously changed the costs of some of its enterprise products following UK's referendum to exit the European Union. Furthermore, the impulsive decline in the value of the country's currency has led the company to change its consumer price tags as well. According to a report by Tech Crunch, a tipster has informed them of the considerable price rise of Microsoft UK's Surface Book. The base model in the country went from being listed with a £1299 price tag to having a £1449 price. The £150 price hike is a sizeable increase for a laptop of any kind. Considering that in the US Surface products continue to get discounts, the price increase in the UK is quite a big deal.
The company also managed to explain what happened, and indeed, the reason for the price hike is Brexit. According to a spokesperson from Microsoft, they are adjusting the pound prices of some of their software and consumer hardware to so as to align with the country's market dynamics. Nevertheless, Microsoft confirms that the changes in price only affect products that are bought by individuals alongside organizations without volume licencing contracts. Additionally, for sales made by partners and third-parties, the final prices will still be determined by these vendors.
Microsoft's Stand On Brexit
Microsoft did take a side in the Brexit debate and they shared their opinion that the UK should not exit the European Union. Nevertheless, as per ONMSFT, despite the company's opinion on the matter, CEO Satya Nadella clarified that Microsoft would continue investing in the UK in spite of all the political changes. Do note that the Surface-maker isn't the only tech company who has increased consumer prices due to Brexit. Sonos and Apple were also reported to bump up some of their prices in the wake of UK's political changes.
