Following Apple’s launch of the iPhone 4S yesterday, NSW Fair Trading Minister Anthony Roberts is calling for the company to align the pricing of its Australian products with the strength of the local dollar.
Roberts welcomed news of the new iPhone, but said it’s time Apple did the right thing by local consumers.
“With the Australian dollar having spent many months well above or close to parity with the US dollar, it has become increasingly obvious that Australian consumers are getting short shrift in regards to the pricing of many Apple products.”
Roberts suggests Apple should use the iPhone 4S’ local launch as an opportunity to realign pricing across its range to reflect the strength of the dollar.
“Local consumers are savvy and I expect that many previously loyal Apple fans would be considering the increasing number of quality alternatives when looking to buy smart phones, tablet computers and digital downloads.”
Local consumers are noticing the price differences in Apple’s offerings from country to country, Roberts said, as “the rise of online retailing has created a free trade in more traditional media such as books, DVDs and CDs, retailers such as Apple are using technology to restrict consumer choice when it comes to digital media.”
