Apple has slightly raised iPhone and iPad prices in Germany on January 1, likely to comply with new private copying levies agreed to by German trade association Bitkom and ZPÜ collecting societies such as GEMA in December 2015.
iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus and iPhone 5s prices increased by around 5 euros for each model, while iPad Air 2, iPad Air, iPad mini 4, iPad mini 2 and iPad Pro models each rose by around 8 euros compared to December 31 prices on the Apple Online Store.
The price increases are in line with Germany's new private copying levies that manufacturers and importers must charge on purchases of recordable media devices. Apple is a Bitkom member, so it pays a reduced rate in the amount of 5 euros for mobile phones and 7 euros for tablets. Non-members are required to charge fees of up to 6.25 euros per mobile phone and 8.75 euros per tablet.
Germany allows consumers to make private copies of songs and other recordable media, which can be stored on devices like iPhones and iPads, and private copying levies exist to provide royalties to songwriters, composers, music publishers, recording artists, musicians and record companies for those private copies of music. Many other European countries charge similar private copying levies on recordable media devices.
Apple has paid a similar private copy levy of 10.55 euros on Macs in Germany since 2010.
Update: Apple confirmed to The Associated Press that the price increase is linked to the new copyright levy.
Top Rated Comments
Next thing you know some of their Apple Stores are raising in-store prices, because the janitor of the mall got a raise.
Just eat it up Apple. I know the bad PR likely won't spread too wide, but really?
Those in the know who do all the friends and family ads for you for free don't get a massive kick out of this.
Then again, keep pouring oil into the fire, maybe one day your penny pinching will finally come to a collapse because some lucky day Average Joes sees right through it again, just like in the 1990's, or did that never happen?
I'm salty enough about my government already and I have been for the longest time.
Also the tax is not completely new, they just widened the products this applies to.
But to see Apple penny pinching and really having the audacity to up the price right away is ridiculous.
This shows how shareholder-controlled Apple is now, this is a long shot from Steve's ethos.
Hell, just eat it up and save yourself this weird PR effect.
But as I said, Apple isn't targeting educated buyers too much anymore. So why care.
Glassed Silver:mac
If Apple were to buy USB flash drives or blank CDs in Germany to use for their business do you think they should insist that he seller of the USB flash drives or CDs should eat the cost of the new German levy?
As an aside, I would not be surprised that, if you were to check you would find that other smartphone sellers in Germany, including Motorola and HTC likely raised their prices to allow for this new tax, also. Greedy bastards! /s
Second, you are absolutely correct about the iPhone in that it should not be "the default choice in smartphones." There should be no "default choice in smartphones." It's a consumer product, and each consumer should make the decision about which product serves their needs. Period.
But the fact is that the marketplace has spoken, and continues to speak. The iPhone is, without any confusion, ambiguity or controversy the number one selling single smartphone in the world. Period. If you don't see the value in it over other phones that's completely your business. Don't buy one. Of course, hundreds of millions of people, including myself disagree with you. I've owned multiple Android devices, and used even more for work. I will say unequivocally that none of them comes close to the quality and usability of the iPhone, for me.
^lefty who hates the Union :)