Breaking: iPhone Launching on NextG
Just received the email everybody’s been expecting for weeks… Telstra will be selling the iPhone 3G, along with Optus and Vodafone, on July 11.
They’ve also announced some pricing information:
iPhone 3G will be available from Telstra on July 11 with a range of specially designed Next G™ iPhone 3G plans that meet the needs of any customer. The Next G iPhone 3G plans start at $30 per month with an upfront cost of $279 for the 8GB model and $399 for the 16GB model. Customers will receive the 8GB iPhone 3G model at no cost with the $80 plan and either the 8GB or the 16GB model at no cost with plans starting at $100 per month. All plans include free Wi-Fi access at Telstra hotspots and require a 24-month contract.
Obviously, this doesn’t go into detail of how much data will be included, although the added benefit of Telstra hotspots is nice – there’s one of those at most Starbucks and airport lounges around the country.
Full press release after the jump – I’ll go rabbiting for more info in the meantime.
30 June 2008 179/2008Telstra and Apple to bring iPhone 3G to Australia on July 11
MELBOURNE, Australia -June 30, 2008-Telstra, Australia’s leading telecommunications and information services company, and Apple today announced that the highly anticipated iPhone 3G will be available to Telstra’s over 9 million Australian customers on July 11. iPhone 3G combines all the revolutionary features of iPhone with 3G networking that is twice as fast* as the first generation iPhone, built-in GPS for expanded location based mobile services, and iPhone 2.0 software which includes support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and runs the hundreds of third party applications already built with the recently released iPhone SDK.
“Australians are very excited about iPhone 3G and we’re delighted to bring this product to them on Telstra’s high-speed Next G™ network,” said David Moffatt, Telstra’s consumer group managing director. “With iPhone 3G on the country’s largest and fastest 3G network, providing coverage to 99 percent of the population, more Australians will enjoy the iPhone 3G experience in even more places.”
“We’re thrilled to work with Telstra to bring iPhone 3G to Australia’s largest 3G network,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s COO. “iPhone 3G is an amazing product and we think Telstra’s over 9 million mobile customers will love it as much as we do.”
iPhone 3G will be available from Telstra on July 11 with a range of specially designed Next G™ iPhone 3G plans that meet the needs of any customer. The Next G iPhone 3G plans start at $30 per month with an upfront cost of $279 for the 8GB model and $399 for the 16GB model. Customers will receive the 8GB iPhone 3G model at no cost with the $80 plan and either the 8GB or the 16GB model at no cost with plans starting at $100 per month. All plans include free Wi-Fi access at Telstra hotspots and require a 24-month contract.
Customers can find further information and register their interest in iPhone 3G by visiting a nearby Telstra Shop, calling 1800iPhone or going to www.telstra.com/iphone.
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Comments
yeah but what about data costs!
The free wireless hotspots does tempt me….but i just swapped over to vodafone not long ago because i cannot stand telstra….so i dont think il be switching back to telstra!
Hopefully now that a carrier has released some sort of pricing, optus and voda will look at what they had planned and try and better telstra free hotspot offer! Ive heard voda plans might be out on July 2nd…
OMG, another carrier i will have to register my interest with.
Yes thats great news I cant wait the best phone plus fastest mobile network in the world = great experience… Great News
Is that $279+$30/month for the phone (ie $999 for the phone over 24 months) plus a plan on top? or $279 for the phone plus a $30/month plan??
If it’s the latter, I suspect it’ll be their $30/month plan, ie $25 calls/month. Which is absolutely ridiculous.. no iPhone user is going to make less than $25/month usage of their phone..
once again aussies get screwed…. have they looked at US / aussie dollers recently.. + the fact that importing to aus.. is actually closer for us… + import duty… I don’t think so ppl….
and look at telstras 3G data costs..to use the gps on the iphone for an hour would cost…. 30 odd dollers…. give me a break
Dont get your hopes up ppl. I have a family member who runs a Vodafone store and they have been told the first release wil only be around 5 iphones per store. It may be the 22nd August before substantial stocks are actually shipped to stores.
quite happy with that pricing. now we wait for the interesting bit. what’s the data like?
This may sound like a dumb question, but I dont understand the free wireless hotspots bit. If there are telstra wireless hotspots at places like Starbucks, isn’t that up to Starbucks to decide whether their customers can receive free wireless? How is it Telstra’s decision? And how do telcos differentiate between wireless usage at someone’s home (which obviously is free) vs wireless in a public place (which they can charge for)?
YES! cant wait! i love the NextG (when compared to other 3G) it’s perfect for me :):):):):):):) yay Apple yay Telstra!
This casts further doubt on Vodafone/Optus’ assertion that the iPhone will work fine on their new 900Hz network :-(
Unless Apple is releasing both 2100/900 and 2100/850 models (fat chance).
The devil will be in the detail with Telstra, that’s for sure. No point having a $30 plan if flagfalls are 35c, calls cost .80c a min and there’s no data included. Nice wifi iPod you got there, Sol! :)
Awesome. But the data is what I think I will make my decision over, so I still have to wait…
Ah as expected, looks like Telstra is just going to sell this as if it was any other phone… no special rates, so special data. I don’t Think you can really expect anything else from australian carriers. That being said, i am considering it for the better coverage in NQ and the free wifi.
Dilemma: HTC Touch Pro or iPhone 3G? AARRGGHH!
@ Alex
the $199 & $299 price was USD and BEFORE VAT (GST) so the price is about right
@ Wayne
Telstra owns and runs these hotspots, they have deals to share costs with McD and Starbucks etc
Dan,
Don’t be expecting too much wifi coverage up there at cape york ! :)
Hi Fellow Iphone Fans
Well, Australians are being screwed again as far as pricing goes. I just received details from Optus (one of the big 3 phone carriers) in Australia about 3G iphone pre-paid and post-paid plan pricing.
Pre-paid plan pricing of AU$849 for the 16GB model and AU$729 for the 8GB model seem incredibly high. See urls to the plans and tariff rates below:
http://www.optusiphone.com.au/getdoc/fe459345-d9c4-437d-a665-f36ec10c7cb8/pre-paid-pricing.aspx
http://www.optusiphone.com.au/getdoc/3727f208-955d-4c4a-ad38-b860c9b14e56/post-paid-pricing.aspx
What happened to US$199 and US$299 pricing? What happened to the promise from Steve Jobs that 3G iPhone would be made more accessible to a broader range of people.