New Lower Japanese Pricing in App Store (Yay!)

I just went to the App Store today and was amazed to see the new prices… I had contacted Apple Japan by email, feedback form and finally by phone in an effort to ascertain why prices were so fracking expensive.

For example, until the new pricing came into effect, Japanese customers (me included) were paying nearly 50% over the odds… Due to the really high yen.

The Yen, as it stands is currently at an unfathomably high ¥78 per US$1.

For example.

• $0.99  was ¥115  =  $1.47 at current exchange rates.
• $4.99 was ¥580 = $7.34
• $9.99 was ¥1150 = $14.70
• $49 software was ¥5800 = $73.41

Now, thankfully things are far more reasonable.

• US$0.99 software is now ¥85 = $1.07
•  US$4.99 software is now ¥450 =  $5.69
• US$9.99 software is now ¥850 = $10.75
• $49 sofware is now ¥4500 = $56.90

This represents a rather impressive 25% price cut.

Fanstastic. A rare bit of good news!

RIght, I’m off to the App Store.