Apple Launches New Online Stores for Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, UAE

[MacRumors]

Apple today launched new online stores for four new countries: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and the United Arab Emirates.

The new online stores are advertised prominently on the respective country-specific main Apple pages, which display welcome messages on top of confetti in each country's national colors.

Czech Republic, Hungary




Poland​

The new stores allow users to purchase directly from Apple, offering standard Apple pricing for the markets and integration with Apple sales and support services. With the four new stores, Apple now offers online stores for 38 countries, with several of those countries seeing their stores offered in multiple languages.

(Thanks Martas!)

Article Link: Apple Launches New Online Stores for Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, UAE

 

[SPNarwhal]

i like the different colors of the same confetti picture.

 

[EricNau]

The confetti was made to look like real hole-punches. Cute.

Interesting how the colors are different but the arrangement of confetti is identical in each graphic. ...And how each country has at least red and white included in their national colors.

 

[KazuSnow]

you do realise that the colours represent the country of origins Flag colours.....wait let me guess you american?

 

[cudo]

Thank you!

This is the moment I, and many people in Poland, have been waiting for. No more waiting, higher prices and wanky support. Thank you Apple. It took you like 25 years but here you are. Dzięki!

 

[harsh8848]

India??

Still no Online Store for India. How long will we have to wait Apple?

 

[kevinkt]

Yay! (claps hands)

 

[Nermal]

This is the moment I, and many people in Poland, have been waiting for. No more waiting, higher prices and wanky support. Thank you Apple. It took you like 25 years but here you are. Dzięki!

Are the prices better? When Apple launched here in NZ a few years ago, there were immediate price drops across the board

 

[Angra-mainju]

this is the most beautiful moment... FInally Poland has the store

 

[Azorro]

no more (…) higher prices

From what I see the prices are actually higher. The low-end iPad 2 (16GB, Wi-Fi) costs 1998 PLN if you buy it from Cortland (Apple Premium/Authorised Reseller) or 2099 PLN if you buy it from Apple.

 

[bobrik]

Great, finally Czech Republic has an Apple Online Store. Now just give me the iTunes Music and Video Store, the iBookstore, Photo Book printing, GarageBand lesson purchase, etc., and it will be magnificent Hope Apple Online Store today is just a start.

 

[blesio]

I have no such thing when I go to the Apple Store, no Polish welcome screen..... nothing....

EDIT: ok, nevermind, I found the link, the page didn't change automatically to my native Polish shop....

EDIT2: the prices are similar to the ones in iSPOT stores (iSPOT is a authorized reseller of Apple in Poland) ie, the iPad2 32GB WiFi is the same price as in iSPOT but the iPad2 16GB WiFi+3G is cheaper in iSpot about 40 bucks....

EDIT3: as for accessories, the prices are the same as in iSpot stores.... something fishy here....

 

[cudo]

From what I see the prices are actually higher. The low-end iPad 2 (16GB, Wi-Fi) costs 1998 PLN if you buy it from Cortland (Apple Premium/Authorised Reseller) or 2099 PLN if you buy it from Apple.

Actually, you are right, probably they haven't got the time to update the prices yet ;-) I am really thinking in the long run we will all benefit form the opening of the official store. Let's just hope we iTunes, iBookstore will follow.

----------

I have no such thing when I go to the Apple Store, no Polish welcome screen..... nothing....

http://www.apple.com/pl/

 

[G77]

Prices

Prices are same or better in Czech Republic.

Unlocked iPhone in apple online store is actually cheaper ten subsidized iPhone from czech operators...

 

[toughboy]

Where's the official store for Turkey?? How long do we have to wait for the real Apple?

 

[lesiu]

but the prices ... :|

the Apple Store prices sucks unfortunately

exchanging from the local currency the MacBook Air 13' 256GB is 1620euro+ ..
(

anyway having the choice is good, , hope the prices will be more aligned to EU average with the next product iterations and the market development for Apple in our countries down here ..

 

[Azorro]

in the long run we will all benefit from the opening of the official store.

I surely go along with you on that one.

 

[rerelease]

This is the first signal of a long-awaited Eastern European expansion from Apple. Nice to see them finally coming to their senses and admitting that they might have a market here.

 

[haXis]

Thank you Apple! Hello from the Czech Republic

 

[blesio]

Let's just hope we iTunes, iBookstore will follow.

I vote on this one definately, I'm using Ovi store for music at the moment, and I just can't wait till we get iTunes here in Poland....

 

[volodymyrqa]

strange that store for Ukraine does not exist... but Russian App Store accepts credit cards from Ukraine...

We need our store too !

 

[rafaltrus]

The Apple products are much more affordable in the U.S. than in Poland. 5,299 PLN for a regular MacBook Pro 13"

5,299 / 3.11 (current exchange rate) ~ $1,700

I am a college student from Chicago; I bought my first MacBook Pro using the money I made this summer during my internship (and I still had a bit of money left). I have talked to my friends in Poland and they cannot think of a summer job/internship one could get to make enough money and buy a MacBook Pro without the unceasing feeling of guilt.

$1,199 is already a lot for a laptop. But I get it. It's the brand, the software, the support, the superiority in hardware, but where is this $500 difference coming from?

 

[cudo]

The Apple products are much more affordable in the U.S. than in Poland. 5,299 PLN for a regular MacBook Pro 13"

5,299 / 3.11 (current exchange rate) ~ $1,700

$1,199 is already a lot for a laptop. But I get it. It's the brand, the software, the support, the superiority in hardware, but where is this $500 difference coming from?

The only way there are same prices across all EU countries is common currency in form of euro but since Poland is not going to be ready for if for the next 20 years, which in my opinion is a positive thing, we are forced to look for alternatives sources of Apple hardware or pay way more then others...sad but true..

 

[rafaltrus]

Euro currency? They'd better get ready for the UEFA Euro 2012...lol

 

[GulGnu]

The only way there are same prices across all EU countries is common currency in form of euro but since Poland is not going to be ready for if for the next 20 years, which in my opinion is a positive thing, we are forced to look for alternatives sources of Apple hardware or pay way more then others...sad but true..

Prices are impacted by many other factors than the currency used - perhaps most importantly taxes.

When corrected for VAT rates, the US price becomes more like 1200 * 1,23 = 1476 USD.

The true difference when VAT is taken into account is about 200 USD. Noticable, but not a tremendous difference, given that the cost of doing business per customer in Poland is most likely higher than in the US for Apple. (The US is their home field, after all...)