Apple Release iTunes 9, iPod and iPhone Upgrades

Apple Cost Cuts & Online Shopping Know-How Could Save Cash This Xmas

Sep 10, 2009 Carol Finch

Apple has announced upgrades & price cuts to some flagship products. Consumers could get some surprise Christmas bargains, especially if they look online for savings.

Apple remain the company with the "must have" products for many consumers. Many will already started making plans to buy iPods, iPhones and access to iTunes downloads as part of their Christmas shopping. The good news is that things may just have got a little cheaper for them.

At a recent press event the company announced a range of upgrades to their flagship products and, perhaps most importantly for consumers, a range of cost cuts. So, what is on offer?

Apple Upgrades and Price Cuts

The company has launched a range of changes and upgrades to iPods, iPhones and iTunes. These include:

Upgrades in iPod capacity: The classic iPod will be given an upgrade to 160GB and the Touch to 64GB.
Free software updates: Owners of a Touch or an iPhone can upgrade the new firmware version (3.1) free of charge. This promises to fix some existing bugs and add some new features.
Hardware changes to the Nano: New Nanos will now come with a larger screen, video camera, pedometer, extra voice features and an FM tuner with live pause built in.
Shuffle upgrades: The colour options on offer for the Shuffle have been increased and now include a steel case. The Shuffle has also been given support for third party handsets.
iTunes upgrades: The company has also announced some changes to the iTunes media player. iTunes 9 (free to download) will now include a Genius Mix feature that can build better playlists and iTunes LP options that allow users to download sleeve notes, artwork and lyrics. Users will also now be able to use iTunes to share libraries with others via their home networks and to manage Apps on an iPhone and Touch. The iTunes store has also had a redesign.

The company also announced a range of price cuts on their iPod ranges including a Touch priced at $199 which could be beneficial to their figures as Christmas approaches.

How to Maximise Cost Savings

Many consumers will be pleased that Apple are cutting prices. This may make the company's products more affordable for some but many will still be concerned at the relatively high costs involved in buying this kind of technology. There are, however, general cost cutting measures that could help many consumers to buy Apple products at the best available costs.

In today's difficult economy retailers and e-tailers have to compete hard to persuade consumers to spend. Researching price comparisons and shopping online may well be good ways of helping consumers to find the lowest cost options if they wish to take advantage of Apple's new features and discounted prices. Looking for any relevant online discount vouchers could also help them save some extra cash.

Consumers in the UK may also be aware that buying technology products over here may not be as cost effective as buying in other countries. Finding a bargain price in the US, for example, may be simple to do but placing orders may be harder. Many American online stores will not ship overseas unless the customer has a US based address. Using companies like MyUS who can act as an intermediary and then ship goods to buyers in the UK may be an alternative worth looking at.

Sources: "Steve Jobs strides back on to Apple stage", Reuters, Thursday September 10th 2009

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