Update: Optus iPhone Pricing Details ‘Wrong’
Update: About half an hour ago I received an angry phonecall from Optus about this story. I was told, in no uncertain terms, that the pricing tip I received was “wrong”. No more information was given, other than the fact that the story was incorrect.looks like we still have a little wait before we know what we’ll be paying for the iPhone…
The biggest question on everyone’s lips now that the iPhone has been announced in Australia is how much it’s going to cost you. Well, a friendly tipster has stealthily procured those details and sent them through to Giz AU. Thanks Tipster!
So, if you’re an Optus customer, here’s what you can expect we were told:
- *The iPhone is only available on a 24 month contract – you can’t purchase it outright
- *The 8GB model will cost $220, the 16GB $330
- *Only the 16GB is available in white
- *Optus won’t be selling accessories – they will be sold through the Apple store
- *There will be two plans available: a $79 cap with 1GB data and $300 worth of calls; and a $99 cap with 3GB of data and $400 worth of calls
- *Both plans include Visual Voicemail
- *30c flagfall; 35c per 30 seconds talk, 25c SMS messages
Now, as with any tip, this isn’t 100 percent confirmed yet – I’ll be chasing up with Optus in the morning to get confirmation. But the source seems legit from my end, and the pricing all sounds about what I was expecting.
What do you guys think? Is $79 for 1GB worth of data good enough value for money for a portable internet device?
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Comments
THAT IS TOTALLY AWFUL! What a complete rip off. Once again Aussies get totally raped to death on shit house pricing, with shit data, OMFG that is the worst plan I have ever seen! Totally wont be getting a phone at that price! Aussies must be out of their tree paying so much for so little!
Why can’t they have data plans that can be added to lower call plans? I’m on the $30 Virgin plan at the moment and I’d gladly move to Optus for similar and pay $20 extra for 1GB of data, but even still that’s only $50.
$79 is a bit rich for me seeing I won’t personally go close to 300mins of calls per month.
Shane.
I know this is early, but I wait to see the catch – how much per MB when you go over the 1GB or 3GB limit?
US plans are unlimited data and email.
Flagfall of 30c per call doesn’t seem right. A quick check of other optus plans show their usual rate as 35c.
What? 1GB of data?
What a rip off. Vodafone better bring some competition is this market.
Couldn’t they just do what the US does, and have a plan and then pay $20-$30 on top for unlimited data?
$29 dollar cap and $20 for unlimited data? Yes please!
the fact i cant buy this outright from optus will minus 1 sale from their numbers.
i want to be able to buy this thing outright and use it on my existing network, which i am locked down to. dont they relise a large number of people wanting this phone are already locked into contracts and may need to wait a year until they can either change plans or buy one off ebay?
just give us a option to buy one!
Bah, I thought this might happen.
‘Hey that iphone will sell shitloads, why don’t we only release it on expensive caps and charge massively overpriced amounts for data?’
‘good idea bob, those idiots will buy it’
‘Yeah i mean afterall, its only $220, thats cheap right?’
Goddamn phone carriers. Offer it on ever cap for shits sake. It’s not that hard.
If this is true, it’s not surprising at all. Americans are paying US$200 (around $220) plus US$70 per month for AT&T. Granted, that gets them unlimited data, but 1GB is still pretty good. This is a phone, not a desktop computer after all!
HMMM not happy Jan
Nice work!
$79 is acceptable. It costs enough that everyone won’t buy one and at the same time it is reasonable.
I smell a rat. The objective of Apple is to sell as many of these units as they can. By introducing a pricing plan this expensive, it will totally limit the adoption.
If this is indicitave of what the carriers are going to offer, numerous people will simply buy a phone OS and use them here.
I am currently on a $20 optus plan and enjoy my free talk time. I was hoping just to upgrade my handset. I have already placed a $50 deposit on my optus iPhone. I hope I dont have to ask for a refund.
What the??! Is this a joke?!? This deal is the worst deal in the world so far! Optus must have their hands on it to expect such a deal for the masses, 1GB of DATA, what an total joke! at this price I would expect 10GB of DATA! Australia is such a backwater with worse deals than South Africa, even they have unlimited data! OMG this is so bad!
Wow…
What a rort.
I may still end up importing an iPhone from the US yet…
Thank goodness Vodafone will be doing them pre-paid (i.e. outright) – As long as it’s no more than say ~$600 I’d rather buy one outright.
79cap for 1GB?!!!! WT*? that is the biggest ripoff ever…..and no outright? what happen to prepaid plan? I thought they say you can buy it with prepaid? they charge 79 and we still have to pay 220 for the phone…thts BS
Yup, that’s me out of the game. No way am I ever being locked into another 24 month plan, just doesn’t make sense.
And 1GB of data will be smoked considering all the push mail calls, web browser is not optimised for mobile (it pulls regular pages, full image, javascript, ads etc, these can be 100k+ per page easy), gMaps is not really tiny either.
I’ll be waiting for it to be unlocked or the Android platform.
even telstra can offer a unlimited data plan for 30 bux via hiptop…i would rather pay a 29 cap and then a $30 data plan which would make it only $59. wht exactly is optus thinking? this is the biggest rippoff
This is fake. Visual voicemail wont be available at launch.
1gb?!
EPIC FAIL.
Ouch! That is sooo expensive! Seriously, I don’t think they will sell as much as they can if the prices are that high.
Where the frack is MMS.
How am I mean to Picture message flirt now?
Lame.
I agree we always get ripped off
I have a iphone 1.0 and use it on Telstra. I pay $49.00 for $200.00 standard voice calls and $29.95 for 80mb data. Anything is better than that. Telstra can not even work out when you use wifi, they charge for everything.
Also why make ipod touch users pay again. ex apple fanboy
Come oooonnn Vodafone! we need info!! i think vodafone will put it on the $79 cap…which is ok…id pay that
My word.
If anyone signs up to this i will be shocked.
This is why apple should have never let the iPhone be subsidised!
If the rumors are true, and Vodafone offer prepaid, Optus won’t sell a single Iphone.
This is a rip off… good on ya Oppy, trying to give it up the @$$ to the lil ozzie battler.
Lol. 80 bucks for 1 GB/month (AU) vs. 70 bucks for _unlimited_ data (US) ? There is no justification for this. Not even the exchange rate which is close to 1:1 these days anyways. Why does Oz still have to life in the dark ages of digital data transfer ? I wanted to get an iPhone 2.0, but not under these conditions. I don’t get it, they offer all these cool technologies (mobile streaming TV for example) and then they cap you at 1 GB ??? Shame on you Oz data providers. I think its time for the government to step in and bring Oz to 2008.