New figures show that Apple’s new iPad is costing customers in the UK far more than their international contemporaries.
European prices for the iPad are much higher than in other regions of the globe and the UK is being hit even harder with high prices for the must-have gadget of the day.
The cheapest place to get an iPad is in Apple’s native USA, which is not particularly surprising for anyone who keeps their eye on exchange rates and the cost of imported goods. The iPad is also a lot cheaper if bought in Australia or Asia.
Analyst firm CommSec has revealed that in the UK, consumers will be spending up to 25 per cent more for their iPad than someone shopping for the tablet computer in the USA. According to CommSec’s Craig James, the same is true if you are living in Italy, France or Germany, with many European consumers facing far heftier retail prices for the iPad.
Mr James suggested that Apple might have put the iPad on the market at a price point that will make it unattractive for its European customers from a financial point of view. He also said that the falling value of the Pound and the Euro might bring international prices in line with those in the US, although this could still take a long time.
In the US, the 16GB Wi-Fi only iPad is selling for $499 (£349), whilst in the UK it is on shelves for the equivalent of $620 (£429).
