Vent It: Apple's iPhone -- Will you buy it?

Telstra and Optus have both released their iPhone plans. Will you rush out and buy one?

Australia will be among the first countries to receive the new iPhone 3G which hits the shelves next Friday, July 11. An 8GB and 16GB model will be available in either black or white, and on a variety of pre-paid and contract plans.

Telstra and Optus have both released their range of pricing plans for the new iPhone 3G, with only Vodafone yet to come to the party.

3 Mobile is the only Australian mobile carrier not offering the new iPhone, but hopes its online Web petition will convince Apple to allow it to sell it very soon.

The much anticipated iPhone 3G has end users and corporate types alike salivating over its new features and enterprise functionality.

(See Apple's 30-minute online video guided tour of the iPhone 3G, and the slideshow "iPhone 3G at a glance")

But not everyone is convinced. The enhanced security features built into Apple's new iPhone 3G will enable the devices to be connected more securely into corporate networks. But that doesn't mean they should immediately be given the same kind of broad access to internal applications that PCs typically enjoy, according to Gartner analysts.

(See also iPhone 3G not there yet for widescale business use, and How to make the new iPhone work at work)

With all the fanfare we ask what do you make of Telstra and Optus' pricing plans for the new iPhone 3G?

Is it overpriced or worth every penny? Will you be upgrading from your current phone?

And what about the new enterprise features - has Apple done enough to break BlackBerry's hold on the enterprise smartphone market?

Is the new iPhone 3G ready for wide-scale enterprise adoption or is it lacking on the security front?

Let us know what you think,
click here...

More about: 3 Mobile, Apple, BlackBerry, Gartner, Optus, Telstra, Vodafone
References show all

Comments

1

andrewhendry

Fri 04/07/2008 - 12:17

iPhone can KMA

personally I think the iPhone is an over-hyped heap of junk, and wouldnt use one unless Apple dumped it on my lap for free, and even then it wouldnt last long.
My greatest aversion to it is that it will follow in the failed footsteps of every Apple portable device that has entered our family home so far - screen failures, freezing, rapid battery depletion, and breakages at the first drop beyond half a foot.
And if you look at the plans offered so far, you're looking at shelling out between $1700-2000 over 2 years on the contracts being offered, by which time the flimsy POS will have a battery that lasts half a day, a screen that doesnt work, and enough security holes to sink the titanic. Give me a blackberry any day.....

2

laugher

Fri 04/07/2008 - 15:58

Customers beware!!!

Australians needs to stop taking this charade of over-charging telcos from overcharging their customers.

Do the Math;

1. Buy an iPhone from the US for USD$199 (8Gb) and up to USD$299 (16Gb). You will find places that sell the unlocked phones. Current exchange rate converts this to AUD$207 (8Gb) and AUD$312 (16Gb). In Hong Kong, not so cheap but you at least get another idea of what our Telco's are doing - they are selling 8Gb iPhone for HK$2938 (or AUD$392) and 16Gb iPhone for HK$3738 (or AUD$499).

2. Customs might add arond 15% on top of this cost for GST and duty. This means the 8Gb iPhone now costs approx AUD$240 and 16Gb iPhone now costs approx AUD$360.

3. UPS Expedited delivery costs around AUD$110. But if you can wait, you can pay as little as AUD$35 delivery. Assuming you pay UPS to get it to you within 3-5 days, the 8Gb iPhone now costs you AUD$360 and the 16Gb iPhone now costs you AUD$470.

This is the total cost for an iPhone from the US to end up in your hands here in Oz.

4. Now compare Optus pre-paid (LOCKED) 8Gb iPhone for AUD$729 and 16Gb iPhone for AUD$849.

I recommend everyone boycott our Telco's offerings, buy from overseas or just go into a holding pattern.

If the fault is with Apple, the telco's need to sort it out with Apple. Steve Jobs did say USD$199 for an iPhone. I'm still waiting for <strong>that</strong> iPhone.

Customers beware!

3

metre_@hotmail.com

Fri 04/07/2008 - 16:13

Trinket

*#%* the iphone - it doesn't offer enough functionality to replace a laptop nor does it have the same ergonomics. It has bugger-all storage so it won't replace music players, yet it's sold as a next gen multimedia device.
It's just another toy; a status symbol to appease the egos of shiny gadget collectors with too much money and not enough sense.
The Nokia 5110 does the trick. One conversation says 1000 emails.

4

marthill@iinet.net.au

Fri 04/07/2008 - 18:51

Trinket tanked it

"Nokia 5110 does the trick"

Ah the old Nokia 5110 from 1998 - now there was a classic brick of a phone.

Now the question is - is your comment serious or an attempt at parodying Slashdot's infamously misguided review of the original iPod "No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame."

If you are serious, then I'm afraid you're similarly misguided. :-)

-Mart

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