French blog iGeneration.fr reports that, accordingly to an anonymous distributor, the iPad should be sold in France (and hence, Europe) at a considerably more expensive price then the US. While I have to admit I can really see that coming, seeing it written on paper (web, actually) is still a painful stab in the back.

These are the reported rates:

- 16 GB Wi-Fi: 549 € / $ 499

- 32 GB Wi-Fi: 649 € / $ 599

- 64 GB Wi-Fi: 749 € / $ 699

- 16 GB 3G Wi-Fi: 679 € / $ 629

- 32 GB 3G Wi-Fi: 779 € / $ 729

- 64 GB 3G Wi-Fi: 879 € / $ 829

The Italian Job

Now, considering that the iPhone 3GS (16GB) is sold in the Italy at 599,00 Euros at the Apple Store, I can’t really imagine Apple pricing a phone more than a tablet device in Italy. Call it culture, call it whatever you want, I can’t picture Italian people buying such a revolutionary product for less than a phone. The phone should cost less, the tablet more, or this new device is not so magical otherwise. Price indicates power, in most cases. At least, that’s how the average Italians see things. If we follow this way of thinking, Apple could cut the price of the iPhone, price the iPad at 549 and be happy that way. But there are so many other things to consider.

First, we have two different iPad flavors: Wifi-only and Wifi + 3G. While Apple wants people to buy the iPad anyway, carriers that will receive the iPad want people to buy it in some way. Looking back to when the 3GS was announced, I remember the rumors, the speculations about Italian carriers. Yes, here’s the main difference: 3 different carriers sell the iPhone here. Plus the Apple Store. How’s that supposed to change with the iPad? Simply, it won’t - and we’ll be stuck in this pricing war once again. Does Vodafone offer the best pricing? But wait, 3’s got a better network. Yeah, same old story.

My best guess is that Apple will revise the pricing plans for the standalone iPhone (no carriers), let the carriers fight themselves and price the iPad way more than the US one. On the other hand, the worst scenario is that Apple doesn’t revise the iPhone, iPad is priced incredibly high and carriers wait many months before announcing their plans.

Of course, if Apple announced a perfect Dollar - > Euro conversion it would be just great. But that’s not gonna happen.

[Disclaimer: for the most part, you can apply this to most every other European country.]