lazy industries

Just a quick post (written using Worpress for the iPhone) to let you know that this blog is now optimised for the iPhone.

A quick update to my previous post from June 10 on the iPhone. I have had an off the record conversation with a friend of mine at Vodafone and it would appear that the iPhone won’t be as cheap in Australia as it is in the USA. Whilst they have not heard a firm price (Vodafone exec’s are *VERY* tight lipped), the rumours circulating the halls are to expect prices to be somewhere between $500 and $700.

More interestingly from my perspective are the data plans they are going to offer. Again the rumours are to expect data plans similar to existing modem based plans (2Gb for $30 per month).

Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple announced on June 10 the availability of the iPhone 3G. This is the very same phone that mobile providers Optus and Vodafone will be selling as of July 11 in Australia. The cost of the new units are half that of it’s predecessor at USD199 (AUD210) for the 8GB version and USD299 (AUD315) for the 16GB.

Steve Jobs has been quoted as saying that “the pricing would apply internationally”.

Really?!?!?!

An Optus spokesman was quoted at CeBIT on the 20th of May saying he estimated…

“the price tag would likely be around $700 or so.”

$700 or so is hugely different from the AUD315 as quoted by Jobs. Even if we allow for a 20% premium applied by Optus or Vodafone that still only equates to AUD378.

I hope for the sake of all Australian’s that this doesn’t turn into a money grab by either of the mobile providers. If it does retail for the $700 or so, my advise would be to source your iPhone 3G from eBay or a friend overseas. Hell it might even be cheaper to fly to Bangkok and buy it from there.

Source: Optus gives iPhone release date and price - Current.com.au Cheaper iPhone on sale in Australia next month - Herald Sun