Apple’s local website rather predictably went down during the announcements this morning, but it’s back up (albeit a little spotty) right now, and with it, the local pricing for the iPhone 4S, new iPod nano and touch models has appeared.
More:
- Apple iPhone 4S: Everything You Need To Know
- Apple Event Meta Liveblog: All The News As It Happened
- iPod Touch Is Back In White (And Cheaper!)
- New Fitness-Centric iPod Nano Doubles As A Watch
Not much more to report than the prices. The new iPhone 4S (outright) will cost you $799 for the 16GB version, $899 for 32GB or $999 for the new 64GB variant. iPhone 4 survived the cull, albeit only in an 8GB version, which will cost $679 unlocked, and the surprise news that the iPhone 3GS also survives means it’s still available too, at $449.
On the Pod side of things, the 8GB iPod nano costs $149, the 16GB $169, while the iPod touch is $219 in 8GB, $329 in 32GB and $439 in 64GB. [Apple]
Marco
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 7:42 AMWhy things in Australia are so expensive?
Jordaan Mylonas
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 11:00 AMWe call it the “Middle of Nowhere levy”
games that cost $50-$60 US cost $100-$110 over here (in retail, that is.)
Paul
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 12:03 PMThat still shouldn’t mean they can make us pay $3-400 then what they do, that’s a shit ton of money for what?
Brendan
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 7:53 PMThe US prices are locked to contracts, Australian prices are for buying the phone outright… even so it we get some very poor currency conversions from Apple.
Riley
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 10:42 PMAlso, US cost of living is almost half of what ours is because their wages are such a horrible, horrible joke. Even though the dollars are so similar at the moment, $50 buys a lot more there than it does here.
Mark
Thursday, October 6, 2011 at 2:32 PMActually- the wages arent horrible – once you get past minimum wage- the salaries are very comparable to Australia. In fact, I think the wages here are a joke. Professionals (doctors, etc.) don’t get compensated nearly enough – doctors, dentists, etc. in USA, and especially Canada get paid twice as much as they do here- and the cost of living is MUCH cheaper. It’s just the Aussie’s that are getting constantly ripped off because they just accept it and don’t ask questions.
Ant
Thursday, October 6, 2011 at 2:41 AMthe gayest bit, is when we download a game from EA, and it costs just as much as buying the physical copy in australia. so much for saving on the shipping cost.
Drew
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 5:12 PMBecause they can. They run a business not a charity.
Lachlan
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 5:28 PMThe US prices don’t include tax because they vary from state to state in the US (Stupid government). But yes, there is a little bit of a makup, but not as high as $400 – $500, maybe $100 – $150.
Lachlan
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 5:29 PMmark-up*
yuuKi
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 8:58 PMthey will be selling the 16 gb iPhone 4s for around $199 – $299 (according to most websites) in Australia it will cost $800 on contract or $679 unlocked which is a ridiculous mark up…
Mark
Thursday, October 6, 2011 at 2:33 PMActually it’s not stupid that state taxes vary – if you understood anything about economics then you’d probably realize WHY they do that
Ken
Thursday, October 6, 2011 at 3:24 AMbecause of the GST and TAX.
wait until next year roll out the carbon TAX then even more expensive.
Simsy
Thursday, March 1, 2012 at 12:50 PMCarbon tax has nothing to with that, they don’t manufacture anything here therefore don’t produce CO2 therefore they don’t get taxed.
Clay Weston
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 8:05 AMYou know what, I going Android!
Ash
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 10:21 AMAt least spell correctly while you do it.
Tim
Thursday, October 6, 2011 at 1:59 AMWhere was the spelling mistake? Are you instead referring to his grammar? Maybe think about how to articulate a correct response before having a go at someone else’s?
lambomann007
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 8:21 AMWhat the fuu? Is this a joke? The 16gb version is 4 times more expensive here! $799 AUD vs $199 USD. The 32gb is 3x as expensive ($899 vs $299) and the 64GB is just over 2x ($999 vs $399)! Actually, looking closer they appear to have $600 dollars to the price for each iPhone 4S, $580 for the iPhone 4 8GB, and $449 for the 3GS! Don’t tell me it costs $600 to ship each iPhone here Apple, cause that’s complete bull.
Matt
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 8:23 AMThe US pricing is on contract. Wait for the local telcos to announce their pricing.
Guerre
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 8:23 AMThe US prices are only on 2 year contracts – the Aussie prices are outright!
Paul S
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 8:25 AMPretty sure an iphone 32GB at $299 is a cost being subsidised by the carrier.
MrsTaco
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 8:26 AMDear Trolly Trollerson Lambodude.
As you well know, the US prices you quote are for subsidised phones bought from a telco on a two year plan – and in the case of AT&T, forever locked to that telco. The Australian prices you quote are outright ownership, no contract, unlocked. Thanks for trolling, have a lovely day.
lambomann007
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 9:06 AM*sigh* perhaps I should look at these things more before I open my big mouth…
Now I have egg on my face.
Nick
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 10:09 AM+1 for actually having the balls to admit that you were wrong. Tragically it’s the first time i’ve seen it happen on this site…
boo
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 10:59 AMrespect +1
luke
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 1:35 PMprops +1
lambomann007
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 3:24 PMThanks guys :)
Salty
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 5:22 PM+1 for egg.
TJ
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 12:34 PMYou all jump on this guy’s back but don’t fool yourself in to thinking that they won’t still add the standard “being an australian sucker levy” just as every other giant corporation does with products sold here.
Expect to pay at least $100 more than customers in every other nation on earth.
smurfydog
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 3:44 PMI don’t know the price differences on the iPhone as it’s on contract in American markets, but the 64GB iPod Touch will be $449 here in Aussieland (price includes GST) and $399 in USA (No tax).
Add 10% GST to the USA price to bring it in line with Aussie pricing requirements and it’s only $9 difference. Shipping from US would probably cost you more than that.
So your “being an australian sucker levy” is actually pretty slim.
Don’t get me wrong – Aussies are still suckered big time on tech prices, but Apple have gone some way to norrow the gap. Now we just need the rest of the tech world to follow!
Rojy
Thursday, October 6, 2011 at 12:36 AMYea, but we still pay more for songs, ebooks, and everything else that they actually don’t pay tax on. Here OR there.
Cameron
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 8:23 AMSo the cheapest iPhone 4 is $679, how is that in any way competitive with Android phones of similar specs?
spk
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 8:45 AMBecause it’s an iPhone
understands
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 9:08 AMGood that someone understands how it works. The amount of times I get asked that from Android users. Good on you spk
spk
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 9:42 AMI doesn’t really matter what is inside the iPhone. It can compete against higher spec’d android devices because it is an iPhone and running iOS… The same way lower spec’d Macbooks can compete with PC’s.
liam
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 10:20 AMthat Kogan website is selling 16GB iphone 4 for $639, unlocked. I don’t get how apple can have an 8GB iphone 4 for a higher price?
Nathan
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 11:03 AMKogan will start to come down a reflect those prices once the 4S gets to general release.
Richard
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 9:01 AMI think Australia does very well with iPhone prices locally actually. The US prices are in addition to signing a two year contract as already noted. Chances are there will be quite reasonable plans offering the handset at no or very low repayments which I think beats the socks off some of the US prices.
kampung
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 9:04 AM@lambomann007:
It is because in the US you are locked into a 2year contract where as Apple.au is selling the device outright.
“Requires new two-year wireless service contract”
stevothegoddamneddevo
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 10:19 AMapple are raping everyone outside the US.. motherfuckers… while they take your money with one hand, they pickpocket you with the other…
Steve
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 6:03 PMI don’t think that’s how rapists work…
lorcan
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 10:43 AMThings cost money. Oh no!
Jordaan Mylonas
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 11:03 AMOr for the same cost I could outright buy an iPod Touch, a Samsung Galaxy Player 5 AND a Dell Venue Pro (I just need the Galaxy Player 5 and I have that, actually).
Stephen
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 11:22 AMSuch a let down after the hype,
I can see why Apple is suing Samsung – to hold back real competition, and why Steve Jobs stood down – to save face.
Richard
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 12:32 PMIt’s probably as large an update, if not larger (if you include iCloud), than the 3GS was under Steve’s watch.
Steve
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 6:06 PMiCloud is a software service that is completely compatible with the iPhone 4. All the best features from this keynote are things that you can use on your current iPhone right now.
Apple seems to know this, hence they pulled the Siri app, making it a now 4S exclusive. Which… is a really cheap way to make your current device look more attractive, by artificially limiting its predecessor. Oh who am I kidding, IOS4 ran like shit on pre-IP4 devices.
Richard
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 6:52 PMYes, but the big things to come with the 3GS were also software related.
Besides, as far as I can tell the only major spec changes that were rumoured that didn’t make it are the larger display (which would have been great mind you) and the case redesign (which IMHO is not that big a deal). I think the phone has most of the other realistic specs people had in mind for an iPhone 5 release anyway.
I guess NFC is missing too, but thats so niche right now I doubt anyone will notice for some time.
ChrisH
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 11:50 AMHas anyone noticed that on the australian apple store site the fine print says that the prices are only if purchasing with a 2yr plan? So it looks like it will be more expensive if you want to buy it without a plan. The phone will still be unlocked either way.
Christopher
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 12:12 PMHas anyone noticed that on the australian apple store website the fine print says that the prices are only if purchasing it with a 2yr plan? So it looks like it will be unlocked but only availible at that price with a plan, suggesting higher price for unlocked without carrier plan.
amy
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 1:39 PMMeanwhile, Google is prepping their next gen Nexus Prime phone which they have partnered up again with Samsung. Competition is good, guys!
Annelie
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 1:53 PMI suspect the 2yr plan fine print is a copy n’ paste error from the US website. I just called up Apple Store Australia and the girl I spoke to said that the phones bought through Apple would be unlocked. She didn’t seem 100% sure when I pointed out the fine print on the website though.
shayn
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 1:59 PMI think the price for the iphone 4S will be the same as the current prices for the the iphone 4.
Presumably the carriers will lower their prices for the 4 by 5-10$ /mth on their plans.
For the iPhone 4 – i must say virgin seems to offer the best price with their plan.
@chrisH – No thats not the case. The prices for the phones outright are stated quite clearly and u do not have to get a phone plan with it.
Annelie
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 2:09 PMWell, now they have changed the fine print to say a new one or two year contract is needed and listed Optus, Telstra and Vodafone. Seems a bit odd if the listed prices are outright prices.
Gray
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 2:39 PMChris you’re right too. Was talking to someone about this moments ago. I’m abroad right now but someone should take a screen shot and send it to Giz for a bit of investigation.
It must be a typo or something for the aussie site to say the contract bit.
craig
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 7:06 PMsamsung G2 is still a better phone than the iphone 4s, ( which was a cheapie to sell to china)apple knows many fools will buy the 4s so why release a 5 when they can make money from the 4s for the first 6 mths first.
Rituparno
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 9:04 PMAfter copying the designs of iPhones and iPads, Samsung says it may scrap Australia tablet plans if ban persists – http://liveoncampus.com/wire/show/3114258?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=Seeding&utm_campaign=Ritu
Is that further going to affect prices?
Scott
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 11:44 PMThe fine print that Christopher is referring to also has references to US state codes and associated state taxes. I’d say it’s a cut-paste and hasn’t been localised for Aus first. I can’t imagine they’d make punters hand over $800 AND lock them into a two year contract. It would be essentially handing the market over to the competition based on price alone.
daniel
Friday, October 7, 2011 at 11:43 AMwait. so if an australian buyer bought an unlocked iphone 4s from apple shipped over would it be cheaper then just buying it here from aus???
confused.
Raku
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 1:24 PMCan anybody tell me the 16gb factory unlocked price of iphone 4S here in aus..smbdy sayin 799$ smbdy sayin 850$(which includes GST)..whichnis right please help me out!!’..:(