The most expensive iPhone will be even more expensive in other countries.

Welcome to First Click, an essay written by The Verge staff in which we opine on lives lived in the near future.

The iPhone X is an expensive phone. I knew that when I placed my order in October. What I didn't realize at the time was just how quickly the costs would climb.

First, I live in Europe, so the base model iPhone X which costs $999 in the US starts at €1,159 here in Amsterdam, or about $1,378 by today's exchange rates. Yes, that price includes the tax, but it includes a bunch of import markups too. But hey, I hadn't upgraded my iPhone in years because I'd been holding off for that (mostly) all-screen anniversary design that had been rumored since 2015. Besides, my family is firmly locked into the Apple ecosystem. So I went for it, even splurging for the 256GB model at a cost of €1,329, or about $1,580.

Fortunately, I'm guaranteed a two-year warranty in Europe so I didn't opt for the €229 (about $273) AppleCare protection package. However, I did buy a case — for the first time in a decade of iPhone ownership — due to the risk of front and back glass breakage and the higher repair costs introduced with the iPhone X. It only cost $25 to buy and ship the Caudabe Veil XT case over from the US. It's far from the most protective case available (the top glass is still exposed) but it's a good compromise for my needs: it adds a modicum of protection from bumps, drops, and scrapes without obscuring the beauty of the device or interfering with the side-swipe gestures. My iPhone X had now cost me close to $1,600.

Next I had to solve the headphone jack problem

Next I had to solve the no-headphone-jack problem. Despite having other Bluetooth headphones at my disposal, I decided to splurge on a pair of AirPods my nerdy friends were so enamored with. They're great, especially with a little hack to improve the bass. But now my iPhone X had cost me $1,800.

Then I got to thinking how convenient wireless charging must be — something my Android friends had been enjoying for years. So after Dieter Bohn espoused the glories of the angled Qi dock from Samsung, I had to get one for my bedside. Then I bought another for my office. My iPhone X was now approaching $2,000.

Yesterday was Cyber Monday, a stupid "holiday" that prompted me to buy a 24-watt Anker USB-C charger and an Apple USB-C-to-Lightning cable to enable fast-charging on my iPhone X. I also upgraded my Philips Hue lighting with a HomeKit-compatible hub now that I have an iPhone that passively listens for "Hey Siri" commands. Naturally, this led me to purchase a HomeKit controllable power socket for the Christmas tree.

$2,200 spent on iPhone X related purchases

All in, I'd say that my desire for an expensive $999 iPhone X has resulted in nearly $2,200 spent on iPhone X related purchases, including a few AR games and apps I bought to see what all the fuss was about. It doesn't, however, include the extra $84 per year I have to pay for the additional iCloud storage needed to host all the new photos and 4K videos I've been taking (something Pixel owners get for free).

Do I regret it? Hell no, I'm a human male living in a society of conspicuous mass consumption. The more I spend the more my frail ego feels compelled to defend my purchases.

Verdict: 10/10, or X out of X, if you prefer. Would spend too much again.