PC World > Feature

Vodafone announces eye-watering 3G iPhone plans

Vodafone has confirmed that the new 3G iPhone will start at a price of $199 on a two-year contract but the cheapest contract wil cost $80 per month for 250MB of data. The iPhone will go on sale at one minute after midnight this Friday morning.

By Ted Gibbons / Tuesday, July 08 2008

• 10 Technologies That Should Be Extinct (But Aren't)
• Sony Ericsson Xperia X10
• 10 tell-tale signs your PC is infected
• Who is the average Kiwi gamer?
• Microsoft simplifies Visual Studio
• Is Google itching for a face-off with Facebook?

LATEST Feature

• Apple releases redesigned iPod nano, shuffle
• Trend Micro brings encryption to the cloud
• Chrome jumps into hardware speed-up game
• 10 Technologies That Should Be Extinct (But Aren't)
• Toshiba working on Android tablet
• Canon signals end of the road for SED TV dreams
• Google Chrome tablet due for November release?
• How to spot Facebook scams like 'dislike'
• Beware the Facebook "Dislike" button scam
• Droid 2 on sale in US on Thursday

Vodafone has confirmed that the iPhone will start at $199 on a two-year contract. However, that price only applies on the top plan. If you opt for the base plan the 8GB phone will cost you $549 and the 16GB phone will cost you $699.

Vodafone will offer three iPhone plans. The cheapest, at $80 per month, offers 250MB of data. The next plan up offers 500MB of data for $130 per month. The top plan will provide 1GB of data for a whopping $250 per month.

The plans include voice and text as well as data.

The Vodafone plans do not compare favourably to those announced in Australia by Telstra and Optus.

Optus will give you an 8GB iPhone for not upfront cost if you sign up to a A$79 a month two-year contract. This contract offers 700MB of data a month. And if you want 1GB of data a month you will pay A$149 per month.
If you don't want to sign up to one of these plans, Optus will sell you an 8GB phone fopr A$729 and a 16GB phone for A$849. You can then choose to sign up to any Optus plan, with the cheapest of the data plans offering 50MB for $40 a month.

Telstra has offered fewer details but on a $30 per month two-year contract will sell you an 8GB phone for A$279, or a 16GB phone for A$399. If you pay A$80 per month you can get the 8GB phone free, and if you pay $100 per month you can get the 16GB phone free. Data caps on these plans have not been announced.


The iPhone will also be available on other post-pay mobile plans from Vodafone as long as you sign up for a 200MB or 1GB mobile data plan. However, what the purchase price for the iPhone itself will be on these plans has not been announced.

The iPhone will go on sale at one minute past midnight on Friday morning through stores at 171 Queen St, Auckland, 358 Lambton Quay, Wellington and 681 Colombo St, Christchurch. The iPhone will also be available through the Vodafone online store at the same time.

At 9am further stores will begin to sell the iPhone. Check the map for store details.

Stocks are strictly limited, according to Vodafone, so get ready queue.