iPod touch Are iPods native to the country you buy them in?

[urban.spaceman]

For example, I'm from the UK, and I had an iPod touch 3rd gen (until it was pick pocketed a few weeks back), which I bought in the UK, but when I was in the US this year all I could access was the UK app store & iTunes etc.

So is it native to the country you buy it in or can you change it to wherever you go? I'm living in New Zealand now and I'm planning to buy the new iPod, but not sure whether to buy it from Amazon UK or US (us Brits are constantly being ripped off...) or in a shop over here....

Cheers

 

[Nermal]

My NZ-bought iPod is very old (first gen, OS 3.1.3) but I can access the US music and app stores with my US account. Were you still trying to use your UK account or do you have a US one?

As of today's update, the NZ iPod prices are cheaper than in the US (once you remove GST since the US prices don't include tax).

 

[urban.spaceman]

I was trying to use my UK account to download apps which turned out to be only in the US app store... Is there a way to change that on the iPod or iTunes then?

I might end up buying it here if it ends up cheaper, though Amazon UK is offering free delivery to NZ until the end of October, and it's usually a few quid off normal price too.....

 

[Ivan P]

When you create an Apple ID to use with iTunes, you select what country's store you want that account to be tied to - generally it will be the country you live in. Of course, since you need your Apple ID to be able to download music and apps, whenever you are signed in with that account it will show the store for the country that your account is tied to. The only way to get stuff from the US store is to create a brand new account and specify the US as your desired store (and even then, you will still need a credit card with a United States billing address or a US iTunes Card to be able to purchase anything that's not free).