iPhone Plans Announced
25/06/09 09:00 PM Filed in: iPhone News
OK.. finally!
Most major carriers have announced their iPhone 3GS plans...
Only Virgin Mobile hasn’t released any details of plans as yet.
And, as usual, Telstra has come to the party with the most underwhelming offers imaginable.
In a nutshell, here’s a brief summary of the offers
Vodafone
For the 3GS 16 GB
First glance standout is: Free iPhone 3GS 16GB on the $69 Cap. This includes 1 GB data and $400 credit.
AND, to do us Aussies proud they are not levying a ridiculous un-Australian ‘tethering’ fee, they are already out in front by a mile in the initial 3GS sprint...
No point really going for their $59 Contract Cap, as you pay $59 for plan and $10 for phone cost, with less included usage and data.
Their ‘all you can eat’ plan is the $114 Contract Cap for $114 pm, with unlimited usage and 2GB included data. Would like to see more data included but this is an impressive offer.
For the 32GB iPhone 3GS all allowances and data are the same, the difference is that there is an ‘iPhone Cost’ for each plan as follows
$59 Contract Cap - $15 pm for iPhone
$69 Contract Cap - $15 pm for iPhone
$79 Contract Cap - $10 pm for iPhone
$99 Contract Cap - $5 pm for iPhone
$114 Contract Cap - $0 pm for iPhone
Yes you read that last bit correctly. The 16GB and the 32GB models cost THE SAME with the same allowances and data. So obviously you would pick the 32 GB! (..we hope the sales reps honour this and talk people out of getting the 16GB model on the $114 Cap).
Optus
Best first glance standout offer is their $59 cap for the 16 GB 3GS, with $8 iPhone cost, $680 total usage and 700MB of data. So, you pay $67 pm , but really only receive $330 of usage, as the rest of the $680 is $350 of ‘Optus to Optus ‘ usage. I prefer to not count this kind of cynical ‘bundling’. Unless most of your business buddies and friends are on Optus, you’re getting only $330 of usage pm.
Their ‘all you can eat’ plan is the $119 ‘Timeless’ plan with a $0 handset payment, unlimited usage and 1 GB of data for the 16GB model. For the 32 GB model they actually impress with their $129 Timeless plan, with unlimited calls and text, plus 3 GB of data and $0 handset cost.
They also have the strange situation of having two plans with identical cost and allowances for both 16 and 32 GB models. Theirs is the $99 ‘Timeless’ plan with unlimited national calls and text and 1.5 GB of data - that’s right, for both models. So again, you would naturally take the 32 GB model and ask them why they are offering the 16BG model with this plan..
Optus are also offering either $50 or $100 bonuses for ordering online.
Telstra
Yet again the great unwashed masses are being offered plans that seem literally insulting compared to Vodafone and Optus.
Here’s an example:
$79 Cap plan - pay $169 for the 16GB model, which includes $450 of voice calls, but you pay .25c per text and NO DATA! But wait- if you want some ‘data’ you can buy a ‘Browsing Pack’. How about browsing some 300 MB per month - that’ll be $29 for the month!
In other words, here’s the total offer so we’re all clear:
iPhone 3GS 16 GB model - Pay $169 upfront; then pay $79 per month for Calls, then pay an extra $29 PM for a crappy 300MB of data. Yes folks, that’s $108 per month for $450 of calls only and 300 MB of data- and you still pay for sms at .25c a pop!
Say no mo-ore
More on the plans soon, and a simple plan comparison table is in the works..
Most major carriers have announced their iPhone 3GS plans...
Only Virgin Mobile hasn’t released any details of plans as yet.
And, as usual, Telstra has come to the party with the most underwhelming offers imaginable.
In a nutshell, here’s a brief summary of the offers
Vodafone
For the 3GS 16 GB
First glance standout is: Free iPhone 3GS 16GB on the $69 Cap. This includes 1 GB data and $400 credit.
AND, to do us Aussies proud they are not levying a ridiculous un-Australian ‘tethering’ fee, they are already out in front by a mile in the initial 3GS sprint...
No point really going for their $59 Contract Cap, as you pay $59 for plan and $10 for phone cost, with less included usage and data.
Their ‘all you can eat’ plan is the $114 Contract Cap for $114 pm, with unlimited usage and 2GB included data. Would like to see more data included but this is an impressive offer.
For the 32GB iPhone 3GS all allowances and data are the same, the difference is that there is an ‘iPhone Cost’ for each plan as follows
$59 Contract Cap - $15 pm for iPhone
$69 Contract Cap - $15 pm for iPhone
$79 Contract Cap - $10 pm for iPhone
$99 Contract Cap - $5 pm for iPhone
$114 Contract Cap - $0 pm for iPhone
Yes you read that last bit correctly. The 16GB and the 32GB models cost THE SAME with the same allowances and data. So obviously you would pick the 32 GB! (..we hope the sales reps honour this and talk people out of getting the 16GB model on the $114 Cap).
Optus
Best first glance standout offer is their $59 cap for the 16 GB 3GS, with $8 iPhone cost, $680 total usage and 700MB of data. So, you pay $67 pm , but really only receive $330 of usage, as the rest of the $680 is $350 of ‘Optus to Optus ‘ usage. I prefer to not count this kind of cynical ‘bundling’. Unless most of your business buddies and friends are on Optus, you’re getting only $330 of usage pm.
Their ‘all you can eat’ plan is the $119 ‘Timeless’ plan with a $0 handset payment, unlimited usage and 1 GB of data for the 16GB model. For the 32 GB model they actually impress with their $129 Timeless plan, with unlimited calls and text, plus 3 GB of data and $0 handset cost.
They also have the strange situation of having two plans with identical cost and allowances for both 16 and 32 GB models. Theirs is the $99 ‘Timeless’ plan with unlimited national calls and text and 1.5 GB of data - that’s right, for both models. So again, you would naturally take the 32 GB model and ask them why they are offering the 16BG model with this plan..
Optus are also offering either $50 or $100 bonuses for ordering online.
Telstra
Yet again the great unwashed masses are being offered plans that seem literally insulting compared to Vodafone and Optus.
Here’s an example:
$79 Cap plan - pay $169 for the 16GB model, which includes $450 of voice calls, but you pay .25c per text and NO DATA! But wait- if you want some ‘data’ you can buy a ‘Browsing Pack’. How about browsing some 300 MB per month - that’ll be $29 for the month!
In other words, here’s the total offer so we’re all clear:
iPhone 3GS 16 GB model - Pay $169 upfront; then pay $79 per month for Calls, then pay an extra $29 PM for a crappy 300MB of data. Yes folks, that’s $108 per month for $450 of calls only and 300 MB of data- and you still pay for sms at .25c a pop!
Say no mo-ore
More on the plans soon, and a simple plan comparison table is in the works..
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New iPhone 3G S
09/06/09 11:48 AM Filed in: iPhone 3GS
News from Apple that the much anticipated new iPhone will be released in Australia on June 26.Named the iPhone 3G S, Apple executives say that the ‘S’ is for ‘Speed’. Some industry pundits are not sure what it then means for future releases - “does this mean in 2011 we’ll have the iPhone 3G RFF ?” asked one insider who then needlessly spoke the obvious meaning of his future model type. However most realise that the new addition to the model name is merely a cool sounding letter in the vein of Porsche 911S.
In terms of specs, the new iPhone sports some long awaited new features:
- 3 MP Camera
- Hands Free voice control
- New iPhone 3.0 Software
- Video shooting & In Camera Editing
- Compass (in the phone, not the heel of your Bata Scout)
- Open GL based Graphics (sharper graphics)
- Cut, copy and paste functions
- other stuff
Obviously a lot of the new features have come as a result of user feedback (outcry) following the release of the iPhone 3G, whilst some new features are quite impressive.
Pricing and plans yet to be released in Australia. Watch this site.