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Apple Raises Prices in Europe and Canada as U.S. Dollar Remains Strong
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I think they are out of their mind. They made the 5k model $200 cheaper, but in Holland (EU-zone) it's actually 30 euros more expensive. It also looks like they increases the prices for options as well. I see now +360 euro voor 512 GB flash, used to be +300 euro.
720 euro for 32 GB SDRAM ?
I can buy 96 GB for that.
Yeah, the value of the rMBP is getting terrible - even in US pricing. The original 15" rMBP, one of the first computers with a HiDPI display and fairly early in the SSD game was 2199$ US in 2012. Now the 2015 model, has a CPU that benchmarks a measly 15% higher, doubled the RAM, faster SSD and the new trackpad for 1999$ US. Let's not forget they even removed the dGPU from the base model.
Yep, I was planning to upgrade my 13" rMBP to a 15" this summer (assumed new CPU would be announced). But it's not gonna happen with these new prices. It's $500 more than it was last year and it's not like I got a 20% raise.
Also in Mexico! They raised the price for the equivalent of more than $100 (almost $150).
BTW, I called Apple Store US to buy a new 15" Macbook Pro (I would have it delivered to the US), and the girl that answered the call refused to help me because I am from Mexico. She was like, I won't help you because you need to buy from Apple Store Mexico. I told her that I wanted to buy it there, and she just refused. I told her to get a supervisor, and she also refused! WTF!! She didn't even let me explain to her anything at all, and hung up on me.
I really got upset! So now because I am mexican I can't buy an Apple product in the US?? First of all, it's not the first time I would buy a Mac by calling and ordering it by phone! What the hell?!
BTW, I called Apple Store US to buy a new 15" Macbook Pro (I would have it delivered to the US), and the girl that answered the call refused to help me because I am from Mexico. She was like, I won't help you because you need to buy from Apple Store Mexico. I told her that I wanted to buy it there, and she just refused. I told her to get a supervisor, and she also refused! WTF!! She didn't even let me explain to her anything at all, and hung up on me.
I really got upset! So now because I am mexican I can't buy an Apple product in the US?? First of all, it's not the first time I would buy a Mac by calling and ordering it by phone! What the hell?!
It's all well and good blaming this on currency but when the dollar weakened did prices drop? No. Apple just profited from it.
I'd expect movement on UK prices at the next model refreshes, but its making me seriously question whether Mac is the right choice for me now.
I'd expect movement on UK prices at the next model refreshes, but its making me seriously question whether Mac is the right choice for me now.
The difference was not that high. prices in US are pre-tax. Prices in Europe include taxes. If you do the math, there's almost no difference
1. angela's sign-on bonus must be paid somehow
2. eddie's failure to make anything useful out of the high cost of the Beats acquisition must be compensated for
3. spaceship campus cost overruns must be covered somehow
4. largest apple store in the world, which is planned for Dubai (50,000 sqft), must be built quickly enough so that its opening can be well before the 2022 World Cup in the region so that there will be enough balloons.
2. eddie's failure to make anything useful out of the high cost of the Beats acquisition must be compensated for
3. spaceship campus cost overruns must be covered somehow
4. largest apple store in the world, which is planned for Dubai (50,000 sqft), must be built quickly enough so that its opening can be well before the 2022 World Cup in the region so that there will be enough balloons.
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Glad I live in the United States.
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Actually, yeah, good point. I always forget that.
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The CPU isn't much faster because the revision was to reduce power consumption. The battery life is much better now. The CPU's integrated graphics are also scoring much higher on benchmarks. I still think the 13" model is usually the better laptop to get.
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Actually, yeah, good point. I always forget that.
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The CPU isn't much faster because the revision was to reduce power consumption. The battery life is much better now. The CPU's integrated graphics are also scoring much higher on benchmarks. I still think the 13" model is usually the better laptop to get.
I don't think Apple is trying to shift blame away from high prices to VAT. Pretty much all tech sellers list the amount of VAT or at least the non VAT price as most businesses can claim that back. You could argue that Apple and all US sellers of any product there hide the real cost after tax from their products to make their prices seem lower. That's just the (idiotic) way they 'price' things over in the US versus how objects are priced in the UK and EU.
Other tech companies don't do this price adjustment because they don't have to - their prices are fluid based on supply and demand of the components, not frozen in time like Apple's are.
In march, they raised the prices of different products than today. The desktop Macs stayed the same then, now their prices are being adapted too.
If you do the maths, you'll get to quite similar numbers, except Apple won't sell something for odd numbers like 2237,43 obviously.
For example, the 15" Retina MBP base model:
- US price: 1999 $ (excluding VAT), stayed the same for almost 2 years
- In mid 2014, 1 *was about 1.3 $ then, so 1999 $ / 1.3 = 1.537.69 , plus VAT for example in germany 19 %, so 1537.69 / 0.81 = 1898.38 , now that's still a 100 less than the actual price of 1999 , but that difference is 5 %.
- In march 2015, 1 *was less than 1.05 $, so 1999 $ / 1.05 = 1903.81 , plus 19 % german VAT that's 1903.81 / 0.81 = 2.350,38 . With an actual price of 2249 in march, the 15" MBP base model was even 100 cheaper for german customers.
- Today, 1 *is about 1.13 $, so 1999 $ / 1.13 = 1769.03 , plus VAT 1769.03 / 0.81 = 2183.99 , while the entry price of the new model remains 2249 . As you see, there's always fluctuation, sometimes in favor of Apple and sometimes in the customer's favor.
Also interesting thing - and I hope this will just confirm spec bump tmrw or new spec in irish apple online store there is only 1- non retina 27" iMac on offer for a staggering 2149 with only gt775m gpu and without any option of upgrading to 780gpu.
In Brazil, BRL/USD ratio is even better today than in march, but prices also increased. It seems that they're simply testing the market. If sales decrease, prices will drop in the next release. The best atitude is refusing to buy. Otherwise, Apple is right on increasing their prices.
I wonder why Apple insists upon charging more for the same product in Europe. Even more if you know they work through Ireland to avoid taxes and social benefits.
They don't charge more, and never have. At least not much more...
US prices don't include VAT, as it varies extremely between US states.
EU prices however do include VAT, about 20 % in most EU states.
Simple as that.