If you visited to the App Store this morning, you may have noticed that prices seem cheaper than usual. Apps that used to cost $1.19 are now 99 cents, while $2.49 apps and $3.99 apps now sit at $1.99 and $2.99, respectively.
This isn't a special promotion. The prices are apparently here to stay, with apps more closely matching their pricing in the US; just as it should be.
Curiously, the price-matching does not extend to Apple’s third level of prices, with the more expensive apps costing around 50 cents more than their US counterparts. While they remain more expensive than in the US, premium apps have still received a price-cut, with $8.99, $9.99 and $11.99 apps dropping to $8.49, $9.49 and $10.49, respectively. Movies and music, meanwhile, remain unchanged.
In recent months, Apple has come under fire from consumer watchdogs, angry customers and even the Australian Government for its local price markups.
We could never muster a lot of outrage over the App Store's "price gouging" - after all, we're only talking about a dollar or two. Still, the new pricing is definitely welcome news.
