20 March 2015
Apple has reacted to the falling value of the Australian dollar by raising the Recommended Retail Price of its iPhones by $100-$200.
This price increase was effective in retail outlets from last week and also applies to all phones which are on back-order through network carriers such as Telstra.
A base-level 16GB iPhone 6 now has an RRP of $984, compared to $869 at the Australian launch in September last year.
The price of the mid-range 64GB iPhone 6 has risen past the $1,000 mark to $1,128, which is $129 higher than its $999 launch price.
The top-line 128GB iPhone 6 has risen $100 to $1,296.
The larger iPhone 6 Plus models have also had a price increase - the 16GB variant is now $130 more expensive at $1,128; the mid-level 64GB model is now $1,296 compared to $1,190; and the largest 128GB iPhone 6 Plus will now cost $190 more at $1,440.
Competitor phone manufacturers such as HTC and Samsung has not lifted prices on current models. However new models have been released at a higher price point then previously and may have had currency fluctuations factored in.
After trading at a high of US$1.10 in May 2011, last week the Australian dollar was trading at US$ .76 cents. The drop has been dramatic since January 2015 falling in three months from US$ .93c.
Meanwhile the iPhone 5C is being discontinued, with the exception of the 8GB model; and the iPhone 6 has been "on constraint" with availability continuing to be patchy.
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