It's not often that Apple bows to external pressure, but according to Pali Research analyst Richard Greenfield, that's exactly what the Cupertino company has done. According to Greenfield, to appease uneasy movie studios and secure additional support from the likes of 20th Century Fox, Apple will raise the average selling price of iTunes movies to $15 a pop.
The $5 price hike will reportedly get Apple more of the latest movies (as well as a substantial backlog) from various major studios and support for iTunes on enchanved DVDs, which typically command a premium retail price. One possibility for the decision Greenfield strangely overlooks is the correlation between any price hike and iTunes movie rentals and high definition content. With a new version of Apple TV rumored to support the latter and mounting evidence that the company will shortly announce the ability to rent movies through iTunes, it seems likely that this concession (if true) played an integral role in making both of those features a reality.
[Via Electronista]
Photo: Flickr/Mat Honan
