Apple and others will have to do in Australia what they should do in Brazil: justify their prices

Some may even think so, but it is not only in Brazil that consumers complain about the prices of Apple and other companies. The difference, as many know, is that in other places people usually take steps to change that, instead of simply “cursing a lot on Twitter” and then submitting to installments in “12 interest-free installments”.

In Australia, this initiative is now coming from the government itself, because the Australian dollar (AU $) is very strong. Today, US $ 1.00 is worth AU $ 0.97 and, at the same time, R $ 1.97.

Apple store in Sydney, Australia

Based on these monumental values, we make some comparisons converting everything to the base of the American dollar: a 16GB fourth-generation Wi-Fi iPad costs US $ 499 in the United States, US $ 556 in Australia (11% more) and US $ 888 in Brazil (78% more). Likewise, an entry-level MacBook Air costs US $ 999 in the US, US $ 1,133 in Australia (13% more) and US $ 1,878 in Brazil (88% more).

Did you feel the discrepancy between Australia and Brazil? Well, people don't even want to know: the government opened an investigation not only against Apple, but also against Microsoft and Adobe, forcing all of them to justify the prices they practice in the country.

"These firms should have cooperated and prepared to be more open and transparent about their pricing strategies," said Ed Husic, Australian minister. An audience open to the public will be held on March 22, at the Australian Parliament House in Canberra.

If something like this were done around here, I don't know who would have to explain more: the companies involved or our own government.

(tip from Robson Pinheiro, via Telegraph)