After receiving complaints about the “Error 53” issue which bricked some iPhones and iPads repaired by a third-party, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has fined Apple $9 million for misleading Aussie customers about the issue.
Apple has announced a new "global flagship" retail store will be opening in Melbourne, Australia. It will have over 500 square meters of public space that will connect Federation Square with the Yarra River and Birrarung Marr.
Mac notebook and desktop computers purchased in Australia or New Zealand now come with warranty coverage for up to three years from the original date of purchase, effectively bypassing the need for an extended AppleCare coverage.
Lane guidance, a tremendously useful feature added to Apple Maps with iOS 11, has expanded to five additional countries following its initial launch in September.
After five years, Pandora today shut down its service in Australia and New Zealand in a cost-cutting move that will let the company sharpen focus on the US market.
If you live in Australia, Spain or Switzerland, you can no longer try out Apple Music for three months for free. In those countries, Apple Music's three-month trial now requires a small payment. In Australia, three months of Apple Music is now AUD 0.99. In Spain, Apple Music trial is now a € 0,99 value and in Switzerland it comes in at SFR 0.99.
The trial was still free in those countries as of May 14, according to The Verge. In an email statement to the publication, Apple said: “Pricing and promotions for Apple Music vary from country to country.”
AppleInsider thinks the move may have something to do with Apple trying to recover some of those costs with paid trial periods.
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In all other countries, Apple Music's three-month trial remains available at no charge.
Apple Music lunched in 2015 with a fairly generous three-month free trial allowing customers to try the service before paying a monthly subscription.
It's interesting that rival Spotify also does not offer a free trial in Australia, Spain and Switzerland, charging the same fee for three months of its service in those markets.
On the other hand, Spotify's trial costs 99 cents elsewhere, too, including in the US and Canada.
The New Zealand Herald's analysis of the local subsidiary's financial statements has revealed that for the last ten years, Apple paid taxes to the Australian Tax Office instead of New Zealand's Inland Revenue. The Cupertino company appears to have paid out $37 million in income taxes from sales generated in New Zealand, but to Australia's tax authority.
Apple today kicked off its annual Back to School promotion across Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Advertised under the “Back to Uni” tagline, these deals offer students, teachers and university staff members an Apple Store credit in exchange for a qualified iMac, Mac Pro, MacBook/Air/Pro or iPad Pro purchase made from February 7 to March 16.
The promotion is combinable with educational pricing discounts on Macs, iPads and AppleCare products. Built-to-order Mac models qualify for these deals as well, but refurbished devices and lower-cost computers like Mac mini do not.
Apple has launched its Black Friday deals today in Australia and New Zealand through its online store and retail locations in both countries ahead of similar one-day deals scheduled to launch in other markets tomorrow. The one-day shopping event in Australia and New Zealand offers customers free Apple Store gift cards worth up to A$200 or NZ$215 with the purchase of certain products like select models of the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac and Apple TV.
As local outlet 7 News reported, Australian surfing instructor Mat Jones said he had left his iPhone 7 under clothes in his car while taking a surf lesson. Upon returning to his vehicle, he was shocked to discover it filled with smoke and burned up in the same area where he'd placed the phone.
“His pants, which he had wrapped the iPhone 7 in before heading to his lesson, were still on fire when he got to his car,” Fortune added. Could Apple have a massive iPhone 7 overheating problem on its hands akin to Samsung's exploding Galaxy Note 7?
New Zealand has just joined the ranks of Apple Pay enabled countries on Wednesday, following suit after neighbouring Australia finally introduced the service in May through ANZ Banking Group.
The foray was met with great customer praise in May, when ANZ became the first major bank in the region that decided to buck the trend of openly colluding with rival banks in an effort to prevent Apple Pay from hitting the shores. While Kiwis will undoubtedly be eager to embrace the technology, implementation is not likely to gather significant momentum until the same large players barring Apple Pay from the Australian market (most notably Commonwealth Bank, National Australian Bank, Westpac) come to an agreement over the cut Apple makes with every micro transaction and join ANZ in rolling out the service in both countries.
Telstra, Australia's #1 wireless carrier, is following in the footsteps of T-Mobile's Binge On by announcing that customers on its Go Mobile plans can now listen to songs, albums and playlists on Apple Music without using their monthly data allowance, said the company.