Optus are holding an event right now unveiling their iPhone 3GS pricing. The jewel in the crown: a $99 ‘Yes’ Timeless Plan with unlimited standard national calls and text, 1.5GB of mobile internet browsing, tethering included.
It’s slightly more complicated than just that $99 monthly fee over 24 months. It’s only available for customers signing up to the $99 iPhone 3GS plan who take the $15 monthly Mobile Internet pack, although that $15 a month fee is credited back each month. After your 24 month contract is up, you’ll start paying the $15 again though.
Tethering is included in the Timeless plans above, but will be the $10 monthly fee for all the other plans on offer. One of the reasons for this is to ensure network quality apparently. Also worth noting is the fact that the only reason (according to Optus) the iPhone has a tethering charge while other phones don’t is that the iPhone is the only device with data included in the price.
This pricing structure is a limited time promotion for about three months or so. Minimum price over 24 months is $2,376 on the $99 Timeless plan. There’s a heap of other plans available, as you can see below:
As you can see, the only way you can get a new 3GS for free is via the Timeless plans above. You can pick up an 8GB iPhone 3G on a $59 cap plan though, which isn’t too bad an option I guess.
For what’s included with each cap, you can head over to Optus’ website, although the $99 Timeless options looks to be the way to go if you’re looking at Optus for the new iPhone.
UPDATE: A few of you have asked about pre-paid pricing. Short answer is that it doesn’t exist. Longer answer is that it’s something Optus will be looking at, but not for launch…
[Optus]
Simon
June 22, 2009 at 9:34 AM
No upgrade options announced for existing Optus customers. I’m hearing that will be Wednesday.
Report PermalinkTimothy O'Connor
June 22, 2009 at 10:13 AM
wow, a whole 1.5 gig. I use that much in a day :-)
Report PermalinkSam
June 22, 2009 at 10:55 AM
Don’t worry about using 1.5gig in a month on Optus, they’re so slow you won’t be able to :-)
Report Permalinklazydesi
June 22, 2009 at 10:14 AM
All the Plans sucks
Optu$ too costly, I am waiting for 3
Report PermalinkJack
June 22, 2009 at 11:24 AM
THREE sucks I am waiting for Virgin!
Report Permalinkboyakasha
June 22, 2009 at 1:23 PM
Virgin sucks I am waiting for British Telecom!
Report PermalinkKeegan
June 22, 2009 at 1:26 PM
Virgin has the same garbage network as optus. Heres hoping vodafone have some reasonable business deals. or telstra…okay maybe not
Report PermalinkMatt Toyne
October 9, 2009 at 12:37 AM
3 and optus are slow as hell,
Telstra is just telstra, and I wont use them on principal, but vodafone is fast as.
Even on fast internet, 1.5gb on a phone is pretty hard to use. Unless you plan on downloading a shedload of apps, and itunes purchases.
I get 1gig on the plan I’m on with voda and last month, after using the net HEAPS (music, shoutcast radio, apps, etc,etc I didnt even use half of my 1gig allowance.
Report PermalinkJackie 11
June 23, 2009 at 10:58 AM
THREE is so expensive and so is optus
Report PermalinkAbe
June 22, 2009 at 10:17 AM
Where’s the promised update on the other plans? Keen to know so that I can sell my old one, or keep it. I just want to know if yes time is still kept as a bonus, or do you have to pay more for it.
Report PermalinkScott
June 22, 2009 at 10:52 AM
Abe: Go to the Optus site.
On a $49 cap plan the 16gb 3GS is $13 a month and the 32gb is $19 a month.
I’ll be getting the 32gb on Friday but damn you Optus, $19, really, damn you.
Report PermalinkChris
June 22, 2009 at 1:32 PM
hahaha Virgin uses Optus, so not really much difference
Report PermalinkJB
June 22, 2009 at 10:44 AM
All of Optus’ 3GS plans are outlined here:
Report Permalinkhttps://personal.optus.com.au/web/ocaportal.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=Template_woRHS&FP=/personal/mobile/iphone3G/iphonepricing&site=personal
Hammo
June 22, 2009 at 10:56 AM
Prices are here now:
Report Permalinkhttp://personal.optus.com.au/web/ocaportal.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=Template_woRHS&FP=/personal/mobile/iphone3G/iphonepricing&site=personal
Al
June 22, 2009 at 11:17 AM
What are the data allowances for the new cap plans?
Report PermalinkLalala
June 22, 2009 at 11:18 AM
What about outright prices?
Report PermalinkPinballLes
June 22, 2009 at 11:22 AM
What’s the price to buy the phone outright and not on a contract. I prefer to pick a plan with a carrier that suits me, not be forced fed a plan that doesn’t suit my requirements.
Report PermalinkBen
June 22, 2009 at 11:57 AM
Well tethering is a rip…6gb for $49p/m. Won’t be doing that! 250MB data on a $49 cap won’t do it for me either.
Report PermalinkAsh Cooper
June 22, 2009 at 11:59 AM
Yeah keen to know the data allowances for the plans…12 month plans are so sexy but those handset repayments are filthy.
Report PermalinkRex
June 22, 2009 at 12:02 PM
Thanks for that. Top stuff. Does anyone know what the outright price will be?
Report PermalinkPete
June 22, 2009 at 12:10 PM
I can’t see anywhere that the internet pack is credited back. It looks like it is an additional fee “‘yes’ Timeless $99 Plan when you take the $14.99 Mobile internet Pack for iPhone 3G ($113.99)” and I don’t think that the 1.5GB of data is even usable for tethering. You need to pay at least $9.99 extra for a tethering bolt-on. “Included data on your ‘yes’ Timeless iPhone plan is not available when the iPhone is used as a tethered modem, unless you have selected iPhone as Modem Access”. It’s pointless having that much data if you can’t use it for tethering. You should be able to use your data anyway you want. Nice way to double dip on charges optus.
Report PermalinkNick Broughall
June 22, 2009 at 12:25 PM
At the event they gave us a pamphlet with the T&Cs for the $99 Timeless plan. It’s as confusing as hell, but here are some excerpts:
“Customers will be connected to the ‘yes’ Timeless $99 Plan for iPhone when you take the $14.99 Mobile Internet Pack: The $14.99 access fee for the Mobile Internet Pack will be credited back with 24 bill credits of $14.99 starting on your first or second bill. After 24 months standard access charges for the Mobile Internet Pack will be charged”.
That quote does sound like you can’t use the data for tethering, although they did emphasise that the tethering will be included in the $99 plan. I guess that’s the “unless you’ve selected iPhone as modem access”.
Report PermalinkPete
June 22, 2009 at 12:58 PM
Ok cool. That’s good to know. Seems as though you must have an updated T&C as the one on the website doesn’t mention crediting back and the guys at the Springfield Lakes QLD optus store also took it that additional data packs were required for tethering. Now that $99 plan from the event sounds more inviting.
Report PermalinkJohn
June 22, 2009 at 12:34 PM
Any information about the cost of the iphone 3gs pre paid from Optus?
Report PermalinkBowds
June 22, 2009 at 1:57 PM
I can’t believe how bad these Australian plans are, i’ve just come back from living overseas and in Amsterdam you can get the iphone with unlimited data downloads for around 30 euros a month over two years.
Report PermalinkPinballLes
June 22, 2009 at 4:25 PM
The plans you’re speaking of seem reasonable. The price of the plans here ridiculous.
Report PermalinkAdamHC
June 22, 2009 at 5:48 PM
Yea prices in Aus are shitt. I was looking at the AT&T website cause I wanted to get a bit of an idea of how much the 3gs would cost. They can pay something like $15 a month for unlimited text messages, and I think there’s something similar in New Zealand :O
their plans are so much more simple. Sorta add what you want rather than being forced to get specific plans that come with stuff you pay for but dont need/use. I wish some Aussie company could do something similar.
Those plans are looking shit, I need Telstra for their reception and I don’t think they will offer better pricing :(
Report PermalinkJosh
June 22, 2009 at 9:13 PM
As if! The US plans are like $100+ a year for anything… At least here we get the phone on a plan that doesn’t cost a mortgage
Report PermalinkGregory Opera
June 22, 2009 at 8:59 PM
You sound surprised – us Australians have ALWAYS been MASSIVELY ripped off (I’m assuming you’re not Australian here – my apologies if you are)…
I have friends in the States and UK that get UNLIMITED (and when I say “unlimited”, I mean U-N-L-I-M-I-T-E-D… Not this “Fair Go” crap that Optus is offering!) voice-calls and/or data for about $AU30-50!
Everyone’s always complained about how expensive we are, but yet they still keep happily paying these stupid prices and therefore it’ll NEVER change…
Report PermalinkJordan
June 22, 2009 at 4:09 PM
God what a confusing shitstorm.
I’ll be happiest if i can get the 16GB, outright, and put it on a 12month plan with at least 1GB a month of data. Just left to decide which network is better, Virgin or Optus.
Never again will i go back to Three. They’re not the magic number.
Report PermalinkPat Brown
June 22, 2009 at 6:27 PM
Id like to know what the “special offer for existing Optus customers” is, mentioned in the email Optus sent to those who registered interest on their website. See quote below…
“Existing Customers
Report PermalinkIf you are an existing Optus customer, and you want a New Apple iPhone 3G S, make sure you open the emails we send as there is a special offer just for you coming soon.”
Brendan
June 22, 2009 at 7:59 PM
I can’t believe I am saying this but I doubt I will get one. I have a vodafone 3g USB modem at $39 a month for 5gb. I was soooooo hoping that I would be able to drop the USB modem and have 3 – 5 gb plan with the iphone. That would have made it an easy choice but at $44 why would I?
I was so geared up to be there front and centre but once again Optus just hasn’t quite got there.
Something that ticks me off – the call pricing should be underneath EVERY plan and as clear as day to read. Why would I take a $119 timeless when I can have a $99 timeless? are they timeless or not? The devils in the detail!!!
Report Permalinkamanda
June 23, 2009 at 1:17 AM
If i HAD to go with an optus plan i would choose the $57/m 32gb one for 12months. It works out to be about $684 plus a data pack which isnt that bad seeing as thats how much it’s probably going to cost to buy outright anyway. or am i missing something…
Report PermalinkStevoTheDevo
June 23, 2009 at 7:45 AM
You realise that’s $57/month on top of the $59/month plan cost right?
Report PermalinkConnor
June 23, 2009 at 10:10 AM
No Way! Optus is very very Doggie!!!
I used Optus for my first iPhone. They charge me like 23 cents extra on what i am supposed to be charged. I used the $19 cap for 12 months, plus handset cost $60 per month. I am supposed to pay 79 per month, then they make the bills as complicated as it could, like seperating the GSTs, rounding up every single items. Finally I have to pay for $79.23 per month. I dont mind but think it this way, if they have 500,000 users, each got 23 cents charges extra, Optus could earn $115,000 extra a month…….see how doggie this company is!!!
Another thing is their customer service, when i try to disconnect my service, they have to put me through 3 times to the right department, which i have to give my details to them 3 times before i can make my request……
Optus is probably the most doggie company in Aussie, not to mention their poor signal reception and expensive services charges….
Anyone got any bad experiences with them?
Report PermalinkRex
June 23, 2009 at 9:31 PM
I have been with Optus for ten years. Whilst there have been a few issues, it is better value over all than Telstra, at least for urban customers. But I wish they would announce the prepaid price. And Optus tell me the price is set by Apple, not the carrier. If true, Apple have a lot to answer for, not Aussie telcos.
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