Did you know Harry Potter’s wand costs the same as an iPhone? Let me prove it to you.
The math for this analysis is based on the following statements from the first Harry Potter novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Sorcerers Stone in the U.S.).
The cost of the Daily Prophet, which is delivered to Hagrid on Harry’s 11th Birthday.
“Give him five Knuts,” said Hagrid sleepily.
“Knuts?”
“The little bronze ones.”
Harry counted out five little bronze coins, and the owl held out his leg so Harry could put the money into a small leather pouch tied to it. Then he flew off through the open window.
And, the cost of Harry’s wand, purchased in Diagon Alley at Ollivanders.
Harry shivered. He wasn’t sure he liked Mr. Ollivander too much. He paid seven gold Galleons for his wand, and Mr. Ollivander bowed them from his shop
So a newspaper costs 5 Knuts.
And we know a Sickle is equal to 29 Knuts.
So that’s 5.8 newspapers for one silver Sickle.
We also know that a gold Galleon is worth 17 Sickles.
That makes it 98.6 newspapers for a Galleon.
Harry’s wand cost 7 Galleons.
7 x 98.6 = 690.2
So a magic wand costs the same as 690.2 newspapers.
If we assume your average newspaper costs a dollar then we can assume that Harry potters wand cost $690.20.
An unlocked 16GB iPhone 4 in the U.S. (before sales tax) costs $649.00 (After 7 percent sales tax the cost would be $694.43)
So, in conclusion, Harry Potter’s magic wand costs almost exactly the same as an iPhone. The real question is: which one is more magical?
The math pretty much checks out so far as I can tell.
Do you think this could be the source of Steve Jobs power?
Maybe he has an Elder iPhone (from an earlier, more magical, stage of development).