If thats what i have been waiting all this time to see, then Vodafone just lost themselves a customer. I wish Telstra would hurry up. Optus is looking pretty good at this stage

I fully agree... have they not heard of competition... you have to try and beat your opposition not be complacent and just charge whatever.

How can 3G data with one of those USB things be $39/month for 5GB but to get 1GB on your phone it costs like $100/month.

Insane... I just don't think I'll bother now.

Is Apple going to start redirecting stock away from Voda AU now? like what the did with Rogers Canada. WTF Vodafone WTF

Still better than Vodafone are giving us in NZ!

We still have to pay $500+ for the phone on the cheep plans

Well, having seen the Vodafone Kiwi pricing plans, it's no surprise that Vodafone AU probably won't be matching Optus. BTW, our Kiwi cousins are getting seriously screwed over. An $80 plan with only 250MB!? You gotta be kidding me.

Be interesting to see what Telstra can come up with...

wow i think optus have a broader range of prices (all the way down to $19) so i'm gonna stick with them

Shame there not giving us all the info so at least we can compare all the carriers. But have to say, I thought they would have done a better job than whats above.

$70 cap is the minimum?

Yeah, fantastic pricing structure for Australia yet again. Lets see.. do I go on a ridiculously overpriced cap for a mobile phone or do I afford petrol this week and stick with my $30 cap with Three?

If these prices are correct then Vodafone have missed the point and everyone will be queuing tonight at optus. How can they hold off for so long on releasing pricing they know everyone elses!!

Yea agreed, this is not cool. Vodafone ripoff, Telstra most likely be a rip off, not happy. I'm just going to buy Optus phone outright, and switch to Three, rather than bend over for Vodafone or Telstra.

I'm a Vodafone user, and if this be true I won't be for much longer. Fo'shame V-dawgs.

lol what a comlete rip off the optus plans are very competive, even with the US.Im most likely gonna get the 39$ yes plan with optus as i like the idea of not having to pay an outright 189$ at the begging and i sdo not use much phone calls

what dodgey pricing

Been waiting patiently for weeks. And then this. Vodafone, you really suck! Looks like Optus can keep me as their customer. Optus plans are so much more flexible.

... and no prepaid?

I hope it's a mistake, coz otherwise Voda just lost a customer of ten years to Optus. Optus' deals aren't too good, but these deals are crap.

Most people I know have at least glimpsed these prices and no one is happy about them. Maybe its a way for them to test the waters to feedback from the community - who knows.

Either way its looking more and more likely that I'll buy it outright and use my plan from 3 which given me 1gb of data for less $$

I have been a loyal Vodafone customer since I got my first mobile phone a decade ago.

But this nonsense game they are playing, combined with the prices shown above make me seriously think about lining up outside the OPTUS Sydney City store tomorrow night.

I have word from someone 'high up' in Optus that Telstra will be the best not only for coverage & speed, but value for money (data + price). Will be worth hearing what they have to say...

Vodafone, what a let down.

Aren't Vodafone also releasing data allowances for their cheaper plans? I thought they announced this.

I don't see how it's fair to judge, they've obviously pulled it down because it wasn't right.

i hope vodafone lose money on this. i urge everyone (even if they are already on vodafone) to switch to optus. vodafone will only learn the hard way.

i really hope 3 release the iphone. right now im kicking myself for being 3 months into a 49 cap which will last another 21 months :(

i was vodafone since 1998, and they lost me to 3 this year after they stuffed up my 49 cap pricing for the past few years.

vodafone should fire their execs for this.

wow...never thought i'd be going with Optus...Voda seems to be going out of its way to blow this launch...who knows, maybe Telstra will come out with competetively priced plans!
That is, if the Voda pricing wasn't a mistake...

Hey Rem, you smoking crack? 2 holes in your crazy comments..

Firstly, someone in Optus wouldn't be telling you that Telstra has better plans and secondly, Telstra and Value for money don't go together, EVER.

WOW !!! I thought this was Tel$tra pricing for a minute.

I'll be keeping my iPhone "classic" and the Vodafone pre-paid sim and enjoying my pre-paid cap value. No 3G, sure, but Vodafone's 3G is hardly ubiqutous anyway. No GPS, yeah, I like battery to last more than 6-7 hours.

As much as I normally love to bash Apple for it's downright arrogance in dictating to it's customers, they must be bleeding over what these carriers are doing to the iPhone in countries outside the USA. By including NO usable data allowances they are crippling the usefulness of the device MASSIVELY beyond a simple phone and iPod.

Long Live the Classic iPhone...

ive been a loyal vodafone customer, close to nine years now, and they have lost another customer. i was thinking of renewing my contract with them, but after seeing those prices, jeez..

no chance! NONE!

plain and simple..
optus = win vodafone = lose.

Joeee =P yeah thats what i thought when he told me.
But as we are friends it was (at least i think) a truthful comment.

It may not necessarily come to to you spending less $$$ a month, but i think what i should have said is, the amount of data, the speed and coverage make it the best value for money.

We will see if he was telling the truth sometime soon. I guess he wouldn't know for sure, but is voicing the opinions of some Senior Optus staff.

Is this a big marketing scam ?

I still have the window open. Aus telcos suck for data. It looks like I'll be going to Tel$tra *shudder* - simply for the free Wi-Fi points.

If Vodafone are seriously considering "THAT" as their pricing structure, it begs the question of what the hell did they take so long to announce it? Competitive my rosy butt cheeks.

I'm with Voda right now, and wanted to stay with them.... but if this is for real, I'll be switching myself and my family to Optus next week.

Sorry, Vodafone. You suck.

Vodaphone might just have the best deal available, get a low plan and add on the 5gb data plan for $39 to give you all the data you need!! I hope the other providers will have a deal as good as that

I was really wanting an iPhone, so much so that when I went to America earlier in the year that I made a point of checking one out whenever I could (yes, very nerdy, I know).

I knew that we would have to pay more for the iPhone, but seriously, if Telstra does a deal for the iPhone like they have with the Hilltop Slider with unlimited data and whatnot they'll have sold me (hoping that it's around $60 a month).

I hate Telstra, and I'll go back to them if they have that deal there. I'd even go with Vodaphone. I did a price comparison on the iPhone the other day, where Optus's $19 plan will actually cost you over $15grand if your a heavy user of data, calls, sms (which the iPhone is programmed for!). I'd prefer to buy a new car thanks.

I don't know, I think I'll wait for the new phones with Android on them by Google. I've lost my iPhone love unfortunately.

I have been with Vodafone for 9 years (also).

Like nearly everyone - I am excited by the iPhone 3G and how Vodafone would price it...

As Samantha from Sex And The City would say "I just lost my hard on..."

Helloooooo Optus!

Just view these prices on their staging server...

http://vodafone.2000.au.com/iphone/

Long term customer. Good-bye Vodafone.

well well - they will loose me - thats for sure if this is true.
Vodfone used to be the company in the telco industry that 'got it' - now it seems just like Telstra

Why not old cap $79 + 3G data plan $39 for 5GB - $118 .. or even round it off to $120. Ill pay that !

But $99 for 500mb - they have to be joking

I will patiently wait until Apple sell them without being tied to a carrier... then take my shiny new toy to Three... the only carrier that charges a "Reasonable" rate for their service.

Patience is a virtue - early adopters always get Scr##wed.

If you clicked on the "Other plans" link there were...other plans. One starting at $29/month, although no details of what's included. I did send screenshots into Giz but they didn't make it to up apparently.

Wow! For Vodafone's sake, let's hope these prices are not correct. They make Optus look generous!!!!

Perhaps it's just a marketing exercise so when the 'real' prices are announced they can make themselves look good.

Te$tra's plans wont be competitive with Optus. If they were they would be out by now. Same with Vodafone. Its just that Voda stuffed up and put the plans online for a minute or two. I guess they are just hoping early adopters will pay anything. After Optus sell out of all their stock there will be plenty left over at Telstra and Voda so they make $$$. but in the long run it'll hurt more then help their bottom line. Such bad, bad plans Vodafone!

Nice to see giz got a mention in the Sydney Morning Herald with the "Vodafone Pricing" scoop!

"Vodafone has yet to announce its pricing plans but this morning its website was listing some of the details. Vodafone quickly pulled them off the site but Gizmodo caught a screenshot here."

http://www.smh.com.au/news/iphone-insider/its-no-circus/2008/07/09/1215282884148.html?page=2

You can't add the 5GB for $39 a month, that's only for the USB dongle.

So I take it Vodafone AU aren't offering prepaid like NZ ?

Attn - Teqno Haxor
You can add the 5gb by using that sim card, all that is inside that usb attachment is a 3g simcard. I have a friend that is on the road a lot and just takes two sims with him

2 things
with the say 500mb of data can that be used just browsing the internet on the iphone or is it charged seperatly

also wifi is free anyway isnt it?
could i use my iphone on my wifi network for free?

You silly bunch of suckers - talk about being "had". You are falling for the oldest trick in the book. They pretend to release their pricing accidentally and then pull a pricing rabbit out of the hat just before launch day for maximum impact. The Vodafone PR people think outside the square - you consumers need to too !!!!

RE: Josh
I know it's just a SIM card, I have the Vodafone 3G USB dongle. However you still need to sign a 24 month contract and get the stupid dongle, and then switch SIM cards every time you want to go on the net, hardly practical.

I've been a very happy Vodafone customer since 1999. But with pricing like this I think the Telstra Next G is calling. Seems crazy to pay all that and not get complete 3g coverage. At least with Telstra I should get access to the 850mhz Next G network.

Everyone phone up and ask what it would cost to bail out of contract - that should put the wind up them. Worst marketing I've ever seen. When Sol Trujillo is doing a better job its time for Vodafone management to leave!!

I was reading on the Telecommunications Ombudsman that all companies are required to disclose pricing 7 days prior to the 11th which is what Optus and Telstra have done. I am surprised that Vodafone will get away with it as I doubt the Ombudsman will do anything about it. Also spoke to friend who works at Voda and she confirmed these prices and said they will not be allowed to talk about anything until the 11th. There is surly something dodgy going on.

Regardless of whether or not the prices are real, or just some "shrewd" marketing ploy. All these delays are doing are making it more likely I'll go with the Optus plan I've already decided fits my needs. Telstra and Voda are going to have to pull something pretty special out to sway me at this point.

If Vodafone was putting up fake prices only to reveal better pricing the day of launch, that'll be the dumbest marketing move because the rest of us will be in the Optus/Telstra lineup signing up for contracts.

New Zealand gets screwed on all pricing. It's a country by size but only a city by real population. Kiwis are used to getting screwed on telco pricing because it's not profitable for all the large carriers to build there. And unlike Australia, New Zealand is not a country where smart business people want to go - until that happens you won't have business competition to bring down prices.

Well I doubt it is a Scam from Optus Michael B because a Vodafone Spokesperson confirmed on www.news.com.au that these will be the prices.

http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,25642,23992868-5016091,00.html

If they go back on this that's deception and surly illegal. Don't forget everyone a 250mb download limit won't last a week even if you don't download anything as the Iphone will always be on and doing things in the background. So be smart and go with someone else.

can 3 please bring out the iphone! with 2 gb of internet, unltd email and tv for $40 bucks you cant go wrong with their awesum hard 2 beat caps!!!
telstra, optus, vodafone= rip customers off coz its all abt profit and no customer satisfaction!

Replying to:
Richard Clement
Posted July 9, 2008 3:54 PM
Everyone phone up and ask what it would cost to bail out of contract - that should put the wind up them.

Richard - I've tried that, Vodafone seemed shocked and offended that I'd heard of the pricing being released this morning.

What they didn't do was make any attempt to assure me that the informationI'd seen was incorrect......hmm speaks wonders

Oh man, I feel it for the Voda online team - it happens to the best of us.. someone did not get the right info/approval.

I wrote to Vodafone's head of PR, without response, asking just exactly what their PR plan was (if they had one). As it turns out, they didn't have a plan. They've lost me. What a bunch of Wallys.

i've been a vodafone customer ever since one-tel went down and was going to be sticking with them for the iphone but not if these actually are the final deals, let's hope they got pulled because they were horribly wrong and they are working on getting the real more reasonably priced deals out to us. Don't disappoint me Vodafone

I pre-signed with VF as I have a current 3G W880i on a plan with over half the contract to go. I had asked VF what the cost would be to switch the contract to an iPhone and they said wait and see. When the Optus plans came out I sat up and took notice. I will certainly bite the bullet, pay out the existing contract, and head for Optus given the above. I have a good tax cheque coming so will buy outright and then pick an Optus plan that fits my needs. I would really prefer to be able to walk into the AppleStore in Sydney and buy it over the counter but that seems to be a long off option; if ever.

I just wit till apple have to drop the price by $200.00 and buy from apple store online
An plug what ever sim i want in.

iphone is not the only phone vodafone sell....why would they care what you think about the pricing. and just relax, it is a god damn phone you are talking about..

Up our way there is no 3G coverage. Why pay data charges?

well if telstra will offer 3g/next g coverage everywhere i go (98ish %)i will go to them anyone outside a major city need not worry about data if they go with optus or voda cause it would take too long to download any thing...

I got really screwed over by Optus a couple of years ago so I switched to Voda and my bills went down by 70%.

I really hope Voda releases some good pricing because it's either them or Telstra (and I ALMOST dislike telstra as much as optus)!

This launch has to be the worst international marketing blunder ever!

I spoke to Optus Sales wed afternoon and was told that I can buy an extra 'Bolt On' 3Gb of download for $39 on top of preferred plan or 5Gb extra download for $50/month. They said it wasn't final but to check back thursday afternoon. $49 plan plus $39 or $50 plus $2 or $12 for phone still works out to $90 or about $111 depending on wether you get 8Gb or 16Gb phone!

Has anyone that signed up for "Pre-registration" on the Vodafone website actually been contacted by Voda?

I've been signed up for 2 weeks and not heard a peep by phone or email.

I think if I end up swapping my "classic" iPhone for the new 3G model, I'll go with Optus. Best deals so far.

Vodafone just lost YET ANOTHER customer. Especially after the $2000 bill i got from my first month using my iPhone. Seems the iPhone was pinging Voda's net servers every 10 seconds to keep the connection alive and Voda charge 15cents every time it does this.

Vodafone = fail!

You think those are bad, check out the NZ Vodafone deals. http://www.vodafone.co.nz/iphone/plans.jsp

I wouldn't hold your breath for Telstra's pricing. They are the markup specialists.
Apple can keep their hyped up toy - I'm waiting for the HTC Touch.

I signed up almost as soon as I was able to, and have only gotten one email from them, on the 20th of June:

The new iPhone 3G – it’s all happening.

Hi Jonathon,

Here at Vodafone, we’re eagerly counting down the days until the launch of the new iPhone 3G - and we bet you are too! We are keen to make sure that we can give you the very best deals on your new iPhone 3G and we are putting the finishing touches to these offers.

So, what next?

Since you have taken the time to pre-register, you are now at the front of the line. We will be rolling out these exciting offers very soon, so make sure to keep an eye on your inbox to stay ahead of the game.

Stocks will be limited so you will need to be quick.

Regards

The Vodafone Direct Deals Team

Please do not reply to this email as it is only intended to inform you.

I will not be screwed by another greedy Australian Telco again.

Shove you're bloody iPhone 3g where the sun don't shine!!!!

I too got the Vodafone email on the 20th June, and that was the first and last thing I heard about it. I signed up as soon as it was available online to do so... I just got off the phone with them now. It will NOT be available on pre-paid at the launch, although I was told that it will be "soon". I think that they've lost me as a customer as well. These plans are a joke. I can only hope this was a marketing ploy and that they have adjusted their pricing. At this stage, Optus is looking good.

Prices are back up - http://store.vodafone.com.au/iphone/

I just wrote a big response and the page ate it. The salient points:

Not sure about $29 on a contract, but $29 on prepaid allows for no data whatsoever with Vodafone. I don't mean you'll use it up immediately, I mean it's not available at all. Zip, zilch, nada, none.

I haven't received a response after pre-registering either, and when I asked about this I was told by a sales rep that pre-registering just allowed Vodafone to gauge how many handsets they'd need to send to each store - that's all. Lovely.

I've been a Vodafone customer for 10 years now, and whilst I won't be leaving immediately, I certainly won't be buying an iPhone from them in the near future. I'll just stick with my dinky little Nokia until a better pricing plan for the iPhone catches my eye.

there is a link to a voda petition here http://www.petitiononline.com/vodaau/petition.html have a look

You can get a USB dongle for mobile internet at $15 a month for 1Gb. That would be enough for the average user. Why not just add that to the cost of any pre existing voice plan...

I would sign up in a second!

Dont know what the big fuss is all about they arent that much more expensive than Optus.
If every looked at the plans mor carefully you would notice that even on Optus' $79 cap you still have to make repayments each month on top of the Plan.
If you people dont like it so much shut up and dont go with Voda

I think I have just been conned by vodafone - I got an email invite to purchase a 16GB iphone, entered my credit card details answered all their unnecessary questions - got a receipt with "Amount charged to card" and told I'd get a confirmation email.

I got the email alright it says "Hi Sean ...

We have attempted to validate your credit card details but were unable to do so. If you’d like to try again with another credit card please visit the Vodafone Online store on Friday, 11 July."

The card is valid and has heaps of credit - I smell a rat...

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