Telstra is increasing data allowances for the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, HTC Desire and Nokia N97 starting midnight tonight until November 1. How much more? Between two and six times more depending on the plan. Mmm… tempting.
The offer applies to customers that sign up or re-contract within the three-month period on the Consumer Next G Cap and Ultimate II plans:
$49 Consumer Next G Cap Plan – 500MB (up from 200MB)
$79 Consumer Next G Cap Plan – 1GB (up from 500MB)
$99 Consumer Next G Cap Plan – 1GB (up from 500MB)
$129 Consumer Next G Cap Plan – 6GB (up from 1GB)
$55 Ultimate II Plan – 500MB (up from 200MB)
$85 Ultimate II Plan – 500MB (up from 200MB)
$110 Ultimate II Plan – 1GB (up from 500MB)
$150 Ultimate II Plan – 6GB (up from 1GB)
It’s still not a whole lot, but it brings Telstra’s iPhone 4 data allowances a little bit closer in line with that offered by Optus, Virgin and Vodafone/3. Well played, Telstra.
Is it enough to tempt you?
[Telstra]
Stu
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 12:02 PMIts for the term of the contract not 3 months btw.
Frosty
Friday, July 30, 2010 at 6:37 AMno it’s not Stu, it’s Telstra’s usual rubbish to make them look competitive
check out Telstra’s website, “until 1st November unless extended by Telstra”
http://www.telstra.com.au/mobile/phones/iphone/pricing.html
Nicholas
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 10:08 PMYo. Read your own link broseph.
“Bonus data allowance applies for the full term of the customer’s eligible contract plan.”
AJB
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 10:15 PMFrosty,
If you read the fine print further, you would have read … “Bonus data allowance applies for the full term of the customer’s eligible contract plan.”
Yes, the offer is available until Nov 1st, but you have to contract by then to get the bonus.
Michael
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 10:47 PMActually, if you got the full line and read it, the bonus data OFFER is in those periods, not the bonus data itself:
“Bonus data offer available 30 July-1 November 2010 unless extended by Telstra. Offer available to new or re-contracting customers who purchase an iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, HTC Desire or Nokia N97 mini on a Next G™ Cap Plan or Ultimate II Plan ($55 or above) for 24 months.”
So when you sign you get it for the whole contract term.
Tom
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 12:09 PMPretty good move by Telstra. The data is still not as nice as Optus and Vodafone, but hey, it’s so much better than their current offerings. And is it just me but 6gb is ridiculously massive?
Quasio
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 12:10 PMomg.. i… actually dont believe it.. i must say.. This is amazing… Thodey has single handedly turned around my views on Telstra!
Good job Thodey.. i’m nearly become a fanboi.
David Anderton
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 12:11 PMstill only a quarter of the data you get on virgin!
$49 smartcap – 2Gb
$59 smartcap – 2.5Gb
$69 smartcap – 3Gb
etc…
Greg
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 5:25 PMThat would be great, if you could actually get a signal!
David Anderton
Friday, July 30, 2010 at 6:36 AMTis exactly the same as Optus i have never not had signal in Perth.
Voda for me
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 12:12 PMAh economics 101… competition is a great thing! I bet it was a mad scramble at Telstra last night after they saw the other providers plans…
Rhys
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 12:12 PMGG telstra wins. 49 cap is looking mighty tempting.
Jainash Prakash
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 12:21 PMim tempted as im currently pondering between iPhone 4 16gb with Optus (and antenna problems) or HTC Desire with Telstra (under the $49 plan with the new 500mb limit)
any thoughts
trent
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 12:32 PMGet a galaxy s on the Optus $49 cap
Jainash Prakash
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 12:50 PMhow does the galaxy s compare to desire (or iP4 for that matter)
Andrew Haynes
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 3:32 PMMy wife hates my iPhone 3G and went out an got an HTC Desire and loves it. I must say Android does look pretty good.
SirWalrus
Tuesday, August 3, 2010 at 11:22 AMHey I bought a HTC Desire – it lags like crazy compared with IOS 4 . Now that the Jailbreak is out and so easy for Iphone 4 (which I now have) and am on Virgin, its fine and on pre paid for like $19 a month I get 1.6 gig which is fine … just my 2 cents.
Ben Menzies
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 12:27 PMSo check out what just popped up
http://www.memberslounge.com.au/virgin/images/stories/V1001517_iPhone4%20DL%20Brochure-2.png
StevoTheDevo
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 1:36 PMSo for $44 ($39Cap+$5 Phone) you get 300Mb and $300 Calls, Vs
$44 ($29Cap+$15 Phone) where you get only 100Mb and $190 Calls
That stupid pricing structure applies to all their low end plans with every combo (except the 32Gb and the $39SmartCap), might as well go for the middle plan as a minimum!
Top work Virgin, you’re geniuses!!
Normandy
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 12:28 PMthey still fail..
I just rang Telstra and got the most disinterested sales guy out! I was ringing to see of Telstra might be competitive enough to move my accounts to, and to get a new iphone 4, it went like this….
I said I have 3 accounts with optus, and I get free calling between my accounts, and I pay this much, get this much data, calls and free sms’ and mms, on this plan with optus, and I can order over the phone and get it delivered to my house, as I live 100kms from a Telstra shop, can you match the prices etc…. OR even offer me something thats competitive to that to switch my accounts,
he said, “NOPE, cant do any of that or even close sorry, AND YOU HAVE to come into a shop, we are not doing online sales till September”
Me: “Ok thanks for your time, I will be signing with Optus again then”
he wasn’t even interested in giving any deal or incentive or anything, and even said “take it or leave it”!
With that attitude I wont be calling them back again, I havnt talked to Telstra in years, and I guess I wont be again.. good to see nothing much has changed!
They are still not competitive!
I have good coverage and speed with Optus, so the line of we have better speed and coverage doesn’t wash with me !
adam
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 3:28 PMu’ve gotta call telstra again! to report that sucky attitude guy! ^__^
sometimes I wonder how telstra doesn’t go bankrupt.. coz had a few lousy, irritating dramas with them.. it seemed endless..
anyway..I don’t go for telstra,, too pricy..
Nick
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 12:45 PM6GB on Optus is a lot of data for smartphone – but with free tethering it means free mobile internet on your laptop! Boom!
SirWalrus
Tuesday, August 3, 2010 at 11:25 AMand with MYWI on with the new JB you can tether all your devices over WIFI – DOUBLE BOOM! :p
Simon Reidy
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 12:56 PMI really don’t care how bad Telstra’s customer service is, once you’re signed up how often do you need to speak to them?
I’m currently with Virgin and I’m sick of poor network performance (AND bad customer service).
What matters to me is reliable and widespread coverage, high data speeds and original unaltered pictures (unlike Optus\Virgin).
Now that the data cap has been raised to 500MB on the $49 cap it’s a no brainer for me. I’ll be lucky to use 300MB a month so it’s perfect.
Richie
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 1:22 PMThe first line says it all.
Folks can bitch and moan, but Ive never had to call Telstra about poor performance on my internet. Not once. The only times Ive called were to switch plans, and even then the service was top nothc, going so far as to explian what was happening, how it was happening and what I can do to change things back.
I’ll be switching AWAy from Optus at my first possible chance, Im sick to death of poor network coverage (north of perth)and can only see benefits by having all my accounts with the big T.
Whats also excellent to note is that Telstra seem far more willing to start “playing” the game of late. Better ADSL plans, increased IP4 plans. Hell, 12 months ago they would have simply shrugged their shoulders. Now…its a different company.
Whether its the roll out of the NBN, or their new CEO< I dont know, or care. Im liking it though.
steve
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 2:07 PMActually I can bitch and moan, Ive had enough issues with them in the past that I know how bad their customer relationship services are.
there is a reason so many people complain about them, its not just made up!
Mr Alex
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 1:13 PMI was going to go on the $79 cap because I wanted the extra Internet, now I think the $49 cap sounds great :) thanks Telstra.
Sam
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 2:03 PMSame here. The new plans confirm that I’m going on the $49 cap now. Great move by Telstra.
Shahrez
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 2:06 PMHmm still undecided between optus and telstra. I don’t think I can remember the last time where I had coverage issues (Perth). Right now my reception bar is showing one or two bars and yet everything seems to be working fine,3g is going strong. Even in BUnbury it’s brilliant. And that’s 160km away from the city of Perth! I was gonna go on the $99 timeless plan with optus, 5gb Internet and unlimited Calls to landlines, any mobile, unlimited texts etc. Telstra gives 6gb with $129. That is $720 more over the period of two years for 1gb extra Internet and you still have to pay for calls and messages. Somehow for my experiance with optus coverage, it doesn’t justify swapping to telstra. Perhaps for others.
David Anderton
Friday, July 30, 2010 at 6:35 AMYeh i have been on Optus, virgin or Voda for years and haven’t had a problem. I have even driven from Perth to Adelaide and my signal only dropped out passed Kalgoorlie…
Iwanttheonewiththewifis
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 3:17 PM@Normandy
Did you say that Telstra told you that they aren’t doing online sales till for the iphone 4 till September? :( :( :(
Does anyone know if I could still call them up and order over the phone or if T-life stores that aren’t on the ‘open on midnight Thursday’ list will do orders in-store from Friday? There aren’t any ACT stores on that list right now.
Jase
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 4:05 PMThis is enough to get me to swap from Optus. I’ve had a 500mb limit for the last two years and never gotten close to using it. With the $49 telstra cap I can save money AND have better coverage. The 2gb you get with optus sounds great and would be handy for tethering but not owning a laptop, it’s not a dealbreaker.
TomG
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 5:19 PMSadly you STILL can’t sign up for the plans if you’re account is in the ‘old’ billing system.
TB
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 5:20 PMI think a lot of users will bite into their data plans with the ‘new’ FaceTime feature.
Shahrez
Friday, July 30, 2010 at 6:35 AMAgreed. Facetime as well as heaps of HD video/movie downloads and uploads of your own videos, lots and lots of browsing the net etc will chew up ur data. The Retina display mixed with HD compatibility will make you want to use your iphone a lot more. I personally reckon that if you have a laptop ( tethering videos, downloading music, files , instead of the just browsing the net ). travel a bit and are very fond of the internet ( i use the internet on my iphone everytime i take it out of my pocket). Then the optus data upgrade is for you. Otherwise, Telstra it is. There is no really “better or worse” it merely comes down to personal choice, experience and/or opinion of either telco.
Mark
Friday, July 30, 2010 at 6:36 AMFacetime is only WiFi for now, so it won’t bite into their data plans yet. Unless you know something the rest of us don’t? Please tell us Facetime is going 3G at launch here. :)
SirWalrus
Tuesday, August 3, 2010 at 11:24 AM*WRONG* – now that jailbreak is out you can Facetime over 3G (I realise you were correct at the time of posting :) )
Jesse Harris
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 8:33 PM@TB, FaceTime is wifi only.
Nicholas
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 8:53 PMGood point people are making on the HD content thing, but I think I can be content with this. Ever since I read the plans on Tuesday I’ve been thinking to myself, if only they’d double the data… if only… and now! Two days later the decision is made. iPhone 4 on telstra 49 plan for me :D
Hey any word from anyone, what’s the tethering policy for Telstra? Would be great to have, even if it is only 500mB.