“In addition to updating the Apple Store in the US and elsewhere for pre-orders of the new iPad mini on Thursday, the company has also been rolling out adjustments to foreign App Stores, including adding to the list of countries that show pricing in native currencies and raising prices throughout Europe,” iPodNN rpeorts.
“Countries on the Euro, for example, are seeing a new minimum app prices of €0.89 ($1.15), up from €0.79 (approximately $1). Apple is also updating iTunes Connect to reflect the changes in currency calculations,” iPodNN reports. “More expensive apps have seen higher price increases, up to €1 for apps over the €6 mark.”
iPodNN reports, “While Apple hasn’t commented on the reason for the price increases, the fluctuation of the now-weaker Euro means that exchange rates have changed significantly over the last year, and the increases are likely adjustments to respond to that.”
Read more in the full article here.
As a European from Germany I need to stress two things: Ok with the small price increase, such things can happen when the Euro is weak, no big deal. But terrible non-communication. Not before, not after. No explanation, no word whatsoever.
Apple is losing so much positive feelings over the last time from selfmade mistakes, a lot of people start thinking this way over here. Somebody should explain Apple the major role of communication which consists of more words than “great”, “impressive”, and again “great”, like Tim in his presentation.
I am starting to miss that reality distortion field. See “The lost Interview” for good communication. How often Steve spoke about his own mistakes and what he did better next time. Great learning curve.
Sure, I ordered my two iPad minis today, so financially everything is fine for Apple, they still get a lot of my money. But it is not all about the money, Tim.
I agree that there should be more communication. Apple is too big for things like this to fly under the radar. However, being from Canada, I have seen price fluctuations here. $0.99 apps used to be cheaper than the USA when the CAD was weaker than the USD.
However, now that it’s trading higher than the USD, apps are technically a few cents cheaper in the US. For products, the most recent change made all the products $dollar(CAD) for $dollar(USD) identical, which is nice.
For the pricing, I think it’s pretty fair, as prices in the Eurozone include the sales tax, don’t they? They probably should’ve communicated something, but I think it’s pretty common knowledge that prices are going up in general in the Eurozone due to the Euro’s devaluation.
Companies do not normally announce, explain or apologise for price increases. They just change the price tickets. Why should Apple be different?
Because Apple is not “other companies”? Because we, that love it, hold it to higher standards, and that’s a good thing for it and for us?
+1
I agree totally. Except not to the point where they should behave apologetically
about making money. Prices go up (technology hardware is an exception). There seems to be a perception that charging for apps at all is a dirty or grubby practice, never mind trying to make profits. I resist anything that feeds into that perception, such as the unprecedented practice of them shouting rises from the roof tops or alert users that they’ve had the gall to adjust a price without full disclosure of the reasons, as if it were wrong.
Maybe it’s to pay for the Apology ads in the UK and the lame lawyers they have retained that have lost many lawsuits.
Apple only charges 30%. It is the developers who raise their prices. This story seems to be missing important details.
I may have this wrong, but I’m thinking I read that there’s been a change in how sales tax is collected on download sales in the Eurozone. As I understand it Apple has historically charged the low Luxembourg rates, due to iTunes etc. being based there. However, if my suspicions are correct download sales taxes are now levied according to where the customer lives, which would mean Apple are charging more in order to average out the cost across the Eurozone.
Sorry about the ifs, buts and doubt, I’m not certain if the law change came into effect or was discarded.
Actaully didn’t Steve Jobs say iTunes was not for profit ?
What changed ?
Is apple getting greedy ?
If they are they are following the path set by Microsoft / Yahoo and so on …
Or the stronger dollar?
I wonder if they lower the price if
It goes the other way.