Apple fans in Japan hit with hefty iDevice price hikes

By Trevor Mogg June 3, 2013

Japan-based Apple fans who’ve been taking their time deciding which kind of iPad or iPod to buy will be kicking themselves for not grabbing the product earlier, as the devices were hit by some pretty hefty price hikes over the weekend.

The increases are down to fluctuating currency rates, Reuters reports, with the Japanese yen weakening significantly against the dollar in recent months.

Previously retailing for 42,800 yen ($425), the 16GB Wi-Fi-only iPad is now going for 49,800 ($495). The 16GB Wi-Fi-only iPad Mini jumped from 28,800 yen to 32,800 yen.

Moving up the scale, the 64GB iPad (Wi-Fi only) will now cost 69,800 yen, up from 58,800 yen, marking an increase of 11,000 yen. At the top end, the 128GB iPad has risen from 66,800 yen to 79,800 yen – that’s an overnight jump of 13,000 yen ($130). Yikes!

Apple’s smaller devices were also hit, with the 32GB iPod Touch increasing from 24,800 yen to 29,800 yen. The Nano and Shuffle music players also received new price tags, with the Nano rising by 2,000 yen and the Shuffle 600 yen. As for the iPod Classic, that rose too, from 20,900 yen to 24,800 yen.

Prices for other Apple products, such as its range of computers, have up to now remained unchanged. But consumers in the Asian country eyeing an iMac or MacBook Pro will no doubt be wondering if they should jump in now rather than risk witnessing another round of similar wallet-denting price changes.

The value of the yen has been tumbling for much of the year as a result of monetary easing measures introduced by the government of Shinzo Abe in a bid to fight deflation.

[Source: Apple Insider] [Image: Apple]

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Contributing Editor

Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…

Mobile

How much will iPads be on Prime Day 2023? Our predictions

iPad Pro 2020 Screen

If you're in the market for a new iPad and you're on the hunt for iPad deals, you have an important choice to make. We're in that time of year where Prime Day 2023 is likely looming. We don't know when it will be, but we do know that products like the Apple iPad will get some sweet discounts. You have to choose whether you should buy an iPad from today's tablet deals, or hold off and hope for a better Prime Day 2023 iPad deal.

We've done some legwork that will help you make that decision. We've looked back the peaks and valleys of the price of various iPad models on Amazon. Below you'll find a table showing several iPad models' full price, current price, price on Prime Day 2022 and price on Black Friday 2022. Finally you'll see a prediction for what we think the price for Prime Day 2023 might go to. "NA" indicates that the iPad either hadn't launched yet or didn't have reported data.

Mobile

iPadOS 17 has a hidden surprise for fans of the original iPad

The original iPad wallpaper in iPadOS 17.

There were a lot of exciting announcements yesterday at WWDC 2023, Apple's yearly developer conference, especially with things coming to iPadOS 17. But one small Easter egg seems to have made its way in with the software update for longtime Apple fans.

Fans of the original iPad will remember the wallpaper that Apple's first tablet had by default that was used in all of the promotional ads and marketing. Now, with iPadOS 17, it seems to be making a comeback.

Mobile

Don’t miss your chance to get an Apple iPad for $130

Apple iPad 9.7 on a table surface.

If you keep looking at iPad deals and wishing they could be cheaper, we've spotted the offer for you. Over at Woot, you can buy the iPad 6th generation with a 9.7-inch screen for just $130. Now, there's a slight catch to this. Besides being the older 2018 model, this is a refurbished B-grade model which means it's experienced a moderate level of wear and tear. That can mean a few scratches, dents, and dings, but it's still in full working order and there's a 90-day limited warranty with Woot. If you're fine to have something a little more rugged, this is an excellent deal. You can always add on a case to cover up any marks. Here's what else you need to know before you hit the buy button.

Why you should buy the Apple iPad 9.7
The Apple iPad 9.7 might not be one of the best iPads any more but it's still worth checking out, especially this cheaply. It featured as one of the best products of 2018 thanks to its strong set of features. It has a 9.7-inch Retina display with wide color and true tone support. Alongside that is an Apple A10 Fusion processor that was also used within the iPhone 7 range. While it's not exactly fast any more, thanks to iPadOS being so well optimized and there being thousands of apps to try out, you won't miss out too much.