IPad E-Book Prices Are Cheaper Than Expected, Bestsellers $9.99

Remember that whole Amazon/publisher pricing war that went down right around the time the iPad was unveiled and its e-book prices were revealed? Well, if a new report on AppAdvice is to be believed, it looks like Apple was just f-ing with Amazon in a big way. A leaked preview of iPad book pricing shows that the overwhelming majority of bestsellers, including all of the top 10, are priced at $9.99, the same low-ball price that you’d find on the Kindle.

When the iPad first came out, the price of its first e-book was given at $14.99. Apple’s pricing, expected to range from $12.99 to $14.99, reflected a shift toward a more publisher-centric model in which the books were priced higher, as per what the publishers wanted.

Amazon, on the other hand, had traditionally sold bestsellers and new releases for a loss at a price of $9.99. After Apple announced the iPad, publishers began pressuring Amazon to institute higher pricing. Though Amazon pays wholesale prices for the books, publishers feel $9.99 hurts the market value of books in general. Macmillan was successful in raising prices.

Now,  it looks like Apple will be competing with the original $10 price. [via AppAdvice]