14 DAY TRIAL // As the Japanese yen continues to weaken, Apple has been forced to raise the prices for iPads and iPods in the country. A standard iPad now sells for close to $500 (€384) in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Takashi Takabayashi, a spokesman for Apple Japan who was reached by phone today, said, “We made some pricing adjustments due to changes in foreign exchange rates.”
Bloomberg says the spokesman declined to elaborate, but it’s really all the confirmation you need. A quick trip to Apple Japan’s web site will reveal that the entry-level iPad with Wi-Fi connectivity and 16 gigs of Flash storage now retails for 49,800 yen, which translates into around $493/€379 at current exchange rates.
Previously, the tablet would cost 42,800 yen, or just over $400/€325 (at that time).
The iPod shuffle is also more expensive now. Apple’s low-end music player now sells for 4,800 yen, which is about $48/€36. Previously, a shuffle would cost just 4,200 yen ($42/€32).
To be noted that even at 4,800 yen ($48), the shuffle is still less expensive in Japan than it is in the U.S., where it costs $49/€37.