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It’s that time of year again folks, so crack out your calculators as we wade through the confusing quagmire that is Aussie telco iPhone pricing.
All in all, the iPhone pricing in 2010 shows how far Australia has come in regards to cost versus value. Even if you compare last year’s plans you’d find that the starting price for both the 16GB and 32GB models were higher and the data inclusions much lower. We’ve done our best to match up pricing tiers between the different carriers, but remember that these pricing charts don’t take coverage or service into account; a factor which in itself has immense value.
The bits that don’t fit well in tables
- The Optus AU$59 and AU$79 plans include unlimited national SMS messaging, so the Calls and Messaging value on these plans will only be used by voice calls.
- All Optus plans include unmetered access to Facebook, Twitter and a range of other social-networking sites.
- Vodafone and 3 data values include the bonus 1GB of data available on selected smartphone contracts, including the iPhone 4.
- The total minimum cost listed excludes the additional handset repayment cost, which is an extra 24 times the listed handset repayment cost for either a 16GB or 32GB.
- Handset repayment costs are per month for the life of the contract with all telcos except Telstra, which charges an upfront repayment fee.
- Virgin Mobile will offer the iPhone on both its Easy Caps and Smart Caps plans. These plans feature similar price points but offer different calling value vs. included data.
Mid-range plans — 24 months
| Telco | Monthly spend | Handset — 16GB | Handset — 32GB | Calls & messages | Data | Min. cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vodafone | AU$49 | AU$5 | AU$10 | AU$450 | 1.5GB | AU$1181 |
| Three | AU$49 | AU$5 | AU$10 | AU$450 | 1.5GB | AU$1181 |
| Optus | AU$49 | AU$8 | AU$15 | AU$450 | 1GB | AU$1184 |
| Virgin | AU$49 | AU$5 | AU$20 | AU$450 | 500MB | AU$1181 |
| Virgin | AU$49 | AU$5 | AU$20 | AU$300 | 2GB | AU$1181 |
| Telstra | AU$49 | AU$149 | AU$299 | AU$400 | 500MB | AU$1325 |
| Optus | AU$59 | AU$0 | AU$10 | AU$550 | 2GB | AU$1416 |
| Virgin | AU$59 | AU$0 | AU$18 | AU$450 | 2.5GB | AU$1416 |
| Vodafone | AU$69 | AU$0 | AU$5 | AU$650 | 1.75GB | AU$1656 |
| Three | AU$69 | AU$0 | AU$5 | AU$650 | 1.75GB | AU$1656 |
High-use plans — 24 months
| Telco | Monthly spend | Handset — 16GB | Handset — 32GB | Calls & messages | Data | Min. cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optus | AU$79 | AU$0 | AU$0 | AU$800 | 2GB | AU$1896 |
| Telstra | AU$79 | AU$0 | AU$199 | AU$750 | 1GB | AU$1896 |
| Vodafone | AU$79 | AU$0 | AU$0 | AU$800 | 2GB | AU$1896 |
| Three | AU$79 | AU$0 | AU$0 | AU$800 | 2GB | AU$1896 |
| Optus | AU$89 | AU$0 | AU$0 | Unlimited | 3GB | AU$2136 |
| Optus | AU$99 | AU$0 | AU$0 | Unlimited | 5GB | AU$2376 |
| Telstra | AU$99 | AU$0 | AU$0 | AU$1000 | 1GB | AU$2376 |
| Vodafone | AU$99 | AU$0 | AU$0 | Unlimited | 3GB | AU$2376 |
| Three | AU$99 | AU$0 | AU$0 | Unlimited | 3GB | AU$2376 |
Important things to remember
- Telstra’s upfront handset repayment may have the appearance of being more expensive, but you’d be surprised. If you compare AU$49 per month plans, Telstra’s AU$299 upfront payment for a 32GB iPhone works out cheaper than the AU$360 you’ll pay Optus, Vodafone or 3 over 24 months.
- Don’t be lured by enormous data allowances. Unless you’re going to regularly tether your iPhone to a laptop and share the data, then 1GB or less is sufficient for most people’s mobile browsing needs.
Updated at 4:06pm, 29 July 2010: to include Virgin Mobile iPhone pricing.
