Amazon has finally opened its digital doors in Australia, with a variety of products available to buy right now. Although we found the current range to be a tad disappointing, hopes are high that the number of products on offer will keep increasing… and perhaps be joined by slightly more competitive pricing, as well.
To see exactly how the latter stacks up, we’ve dug through a sampling of Amazon Australia’s products and compared the online giant’s prices against other major Aussie retailers to give us an idea of what shoppers can currently expect from the marketplace.
Nintendo Switch: The price of the Nintendo Switch console is quite competitive on Amazon Australia, where it’s currently selling for $399. Given that retailers like Harvey Norman and Mwave have it listed at around the $450 mark, that’s a seriously great price.
UPDATE: Although JB Hi-Fi usually sells the Switch for over $469, the retailer has dropped the price of the console to match what has Amazon's $399.
Fitbit Charge 2: Keeping tabs on your fitness regime isn’t going to be any cheaper on Amazon, however. The Fitbit Charge 2 is currently listed at $137 on Amazon Australia (albeit for a US model), with Bing Lee the only Aussie retailer to slap a lower price tag of $135 on the fitness tracker. JB Hi-Fi has the Charge 2 listed at the same $137 price as well, although it also has a special edition of the Charge 2 on sale for $199.
Sonos Play:1 home speaker: Sonos dropped the Australian price of the Play:1 in November to $229, which is what the speaker is currently retailing for on Amazon Australia and at JB Hi-Fi. It’s priced $1 cheaper (at $228) at Harvey Norman, although the streaming speaker can be found for a slightly lower $225 at smaller retailers like Todd’s Hi-Fi.
Sonos Play:5 home speaker: The latest from Sonos’ range carries a premium price tag of $749 on the manufacturer’s Australian website, while Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi have it retailing at $745. It is, however, about $100 cheaper on Amazon, where the Play:5 is listed for $640… albeit from a third-party AU seller, and not from the retail giant directly.
Netgear Orbi AC3000 tri-band Wi-Fi system: One of the best mesh Wi-Fi systems available in the market, the Netgear Orbi AC3000 retails for nearly $600 in most Aussie stores, including Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi. However, it’s cheaper at Mwave and OfficeWorks, where you can get the set of routers for $533 and $567, respectively. Amazon Australia has an even more competitive price for the Orbi tri-band mesh Wi-Fi system though, listing this two-device kit at $514, with free shipping.
Ring Wi-Fi enabled video doorbell: Smart home technology comes in little packages like the Ring video doorbell that features video footage recording, two-way communication and motion sensors, and usually retails for about $197 at Harvey Norman and OfficeWorks. But it’s copped a high price on Amazon, where the Ring doorbell is listed for $248.
It's Prime time
Amazon has also announced that the company’s Prime shipping service will soon launch in Australia, but no date has been set as yet. However, the retail giant is offering a free trial period of seven days after launch, followed by a special introductory membership price of US$2.99 a month (about AU$4) for six months.
If you’re happy with the service, which includes access to Amazon’s Prime Video streaming service, the monthly subscription jumps to US$5.99 a month (about AU$8) after the first six months. Prime Video is, however, available right now.
