One letter at the end, a different price

You are comparing two offers for the same headphones; the picture looks identical, and so does the name in the heading. Only when you look closely do you notice that the model number of one offer ends in "-B" and the other in "-W". One offer is twelve euros more expensive. Small suffixes like these at the end of a model number look insignificant, but they often stand for a real difference, such as the colour, the storage size or the region the device is intended for. If you overlook them, you end up comparing two variants that only look the same on the surface.

What the suffixes usually stand for

Manufacturers rarely put their model numbers together at random. A base code identifies the product family, usually followed by one to three characters for the specific variant. These often stand for the colour, such as "B" for black or "W" for white, for the storage size, such as "128" or "256" for gigabytes, or for the region, such as "EU" or "UK" for the intended market with the matching plug or wireless standard. Which scheme a manufacturer uses varies from brand to brand, so with a new product range it is worth taking a quick look at the full technical description before drawing conclusions from the model number alone.

Why two almost identical model numbers can still mean different products

Not every difference in a model number is obvious. Sometimes two variants differ by just a single digit, but that digit means a different processor generation, a different battery or a different screen resolution. A price difference of twenty or thirty euros between two otherwise identical-looking offers is then usually neither a coincidence nor simply down to the shop's pricing, but reflects a real technical difference that becomes clear once you compare the full model number.

A worked example

Say a robot vacuum cleaner with the model number X200 costs 249 euros, and a variant numbered X200S costs 299 euros. The extra 50 euros seems arbitrary at first, but the specifications explain it: the S model comes with an automatic emptying station that the basic model lacks, and which would cost more like 70 to 80 euros to buy separately later on. In this case, then, the 50-euro premium is cheaper than buying the missing feature on its own later, a comparison you would never have noticed without looking at the full model number.

How to put two model numbers side by side

• Identify the shared base code of both numbers to see whether they belong to the same product family at all.
• Look up the differing characters at the end one by one, usually in the technical description or on the manufacturer's page for the product.
• If in doubt, compare the EAN of both offers, because different EANs reliably confirm that they are two different variants.

These three steps usually make clear within a few minutes whether a price difference is justified by a real difference or whether two shops are simply pricing the same product differently.

Regional variants: the same name, a different device

With electronics there is often another layer: the same model family exists in an EU version, a UK version and a US version, which can differ in the plug, the supported frequencies or the pre-installed software. A temptingly cheap offer from another market may, on closer inspection, carry a model number pointing to a variant that does not suit the country where you live. Before you order, it is therefore worth checking whether the model number contains a region code, and whether that code matches where you live.

When checking the model number is especially worth it

The comparison matters most for purchases where several very similar-looking variants are sold side by side, such as laptops, smartphones or household appliances with several levels of features. For simple everyday products without real variants, it is hardly worth the effort, because there are usually no relevant differences between the model numbers. A look at the relevant category often already shows how many variants of a product are on sale at the same time.

Model numbers on refurbished devices

Another trap lies in wait with used or refurbished goods. Some sellers add an extra suffix such as "-RFB" or a slash with a letter to the actual model number to indicate the condition, while others do not change the visible model number at all and only mention the condition in the body of the description. A lower price with an identical-looking model number can therefore simply be because the device is refurbished rather than new, which matters at least as much for your decision as a different storage size or colour.

If you see two offers with the same model number side by side, you should therefore also read the condition stated right next to the number before putting the price difference down to the shop's pricing alone. Often there is a separate, clearly named category of goods behind it, which differs from new goods in warranty and appearance but works in essentially the same way technically.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I find a product's full model number?

It is usually in the specifications on the product page, often under "Model" or "Product name". On physical devices it is also often printed on a small rating plate on the device itself or on the packaging.

Does a higher number in the model number automatically mean more features?

Not reliably. Some manufacturers order their numbers so that a higher number stands for more storage or features, others use letters or codes with no recognisable order. The technical description is more reliable than guessing from the number alone.

What if a shop does not give the full model number at all?

Then it helps to look at the product photos, if a rating plate can be made out on them, or to ask customer service before you order. Without the full model number, you cannot reliably compare the prices of two offers.

Are different colour variants always priced differently?

No, each colour variant of a model often costs the same, and only the colour code in the model number differs. Price differences between colour variants do happen, but they are much rarer than price differences caused by other technical features.