US price comparison: Macs and iPads 2013
Australia always pays at least a little more for tech products. We break down the price difference between Australia and the US for the new iPads and Macs.
Australia always pays at least a little more for tech products. We break down the price difference between Australia and the US for the new iPads and Macs.
Last month, we saw the launch of Apple's latest set of iPhones and noticed that there was quite a noticable price discrepancy between Australia and the US. This is pretty normal for Australia; although the House Committee inquiry found that Australia was being grossly overcharged for tech, little has changed.
When it comes to the iPad, though, Apple is generally pretty consistent with its pricing, and this year, the pricing is pretty close — once 10 per cent GST is factored in, which US buyers normally don't have applied until point of sale, the highest discrepancy is still less than AU$40 or around a five per cent increase — which seems fair once shipping is accounted for. Interestingly, the 128GB iPad Airs even seem to be a little cheaper to buy in Australia.
| iPad | Australian price | US price | US price + GST, converted | Difference |
| iPad mini Wi-Fi 16GB | AU$479 | US$399 | AU$450.57 | AU$28.43 |
| iPad mini Wi-Fi 32GB | AU$598 | US$499 | AU$563.49 | AU$34.51 |
| iPad mini Wi-Fi 64GB | AU$699 | US$599 | AU$676.29 | AU$22.71 |
| iPad mini Wi-Fi 128GB | AU$799 | US$699 | AU$768.19 | AU$30.81 |
| iPad mini Cellular 16GB | AU$629 | US$529 | AU$597.20 | AU$31.80 |
| iPad mini Cellular 32GB | AU$749 | US$629 | AU$710.09 | AU$38.91 |
| iPad mini Cellular 64GB | AU$849 | US$729 | AU$822.86 | AU$26.14 |
| iPad mini Cellular 128GB | AU$949 | US$829 | AU$935.74 | AU$13.26 |
| iPad Air Wi-Fi 16GB | AU$598 | US$499 | AU$563.49 | AU$34.51 |
| iPad Air Wi-Fi 32GB | AU$699 | US$599 | AU$676.29 | AU$22.71 |
| iPad Air Wi-Fi 64GB | AU$799 | US$699 | AU$768.19 | AU$30.81 |
| iPad Air Wi-Fi 128GB | AU$899 | US$799 | AU$902.05 | -AU$3.05 |
| iPad Air Cellular 16GB | AU$749 | US$629 | AU$710.09 | AU$38.91 |
| iPad Air Cellular 32GB | AU$849 | US$729 | AU$822.86 | AU$26.14 |
| iPad Air Cellular 64GB | AU$949 | US$829 | AU$944.35 | AU$4.65 |
| iPad Air Cellular 128GB | AU$1049 | US$929 | AU$1058.27 | -AU$9.27 |
With its new Mac Pro and MacBook Pro line-ups, though, pricing seems a little more askew. It doesn't seem too dire with the MacBook Pro — the biggest gap is AU$237.22 on the MacBook Pro, a rise of about eight per cent.
The Mac Pros stand out, though. The quad-core Mac Pro has a price difference of AU$612.70, or around 18 per cent, while the 6-core model has a gap of about 17 per cent.
| Mac | Australian price | US price | US price + GST, converted | Difference |
| Mac Pro quad core | AU$3999 | US$2999 | AU$3386.30 | AU$612.70 |
| Mac Pro 6 core | AU$5299 | US$3999 | AU$4514.92 | AU$784.08 |
| MacBook Pro 13 inch 2.4GHz 4GB | AU$1599 | US$1299 | AU$1466.59 | AU$132.41 |
| MacBook Pro 13 inch 2.4GHz 8GB | AU$1849 | US$1499 | AU$1692.39 | AU$156.61 |
| MacBook Pro 13 inch 2.6GHz 8GB | AU$2199 | US$1799 | AU$2031.07 | AU$167.93 |
| MacBook Pro 15 inch 2.0GHz 8GB | AU$2499 | US$1999 | AU$2278.06 | AU$220.94 |
| MacBook Pro 15 inch 2.3GHz 16GB | AU$3199 | US$2599 | AU$2961.78 | AU$237.22 |
Apple had no explanation for these prices when it stood before the pricing inquiry committee, and we doubt it will have one now; however, CNET Australia has contacted the company for comment and will update this story if we receive more information.
Currencies were converted on 23 October 2013 at a rate of 1 AUD = 0.974313 USD.