iPhone 3G S pricing in Australia - surprise coming?

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Wednesday, 10 June 2009 13:54

Opinion and Analysis

With $0 deals in Australia for the HTC Magic “Google Android 1.5” smartphone, Google’s iPhone clone, coupled with $99 monthly voice plans from 3 Mobile and Vodafone’s $114 “unlimited voice ” and 2GB month plan, could the iPhone 3G S pricing truly be radically different?

Unless Optus or Vodafone plan on surprising with some really generous pricing and even larger data limits to snap up all the new iPhone 3G S buyers, iPhone 3G S pricing will be more of the same as we have now.

When it comes to surprises, I think the telcos have really left that up to Apple, because the usual surprise a telco delivers is bill shock!

Sometimes telcos come out with memorable offers.

Telstra BigPond once offered a true unlimited service, but no longer. Vodafone kicked off 5GB of data on a wireless broadband plan at $39.95 per month. 3 Mobile brought the idea of “capped plans” in Australia.

The iPhone itself was offered with “unlimited” data in the US, but helped to ignite the expectation much more wireless data with your voice plan for all 3G phones, with 3 Mobile bringing its  X-Series mobile broadband to market at greatly affordable prices, while also making Skype on a mobile a telco offered reality!

So… the telcos do have a capacity to surprise every now and then in far more positive ways than bill shock.

Still, with an iPhone 3G S seemingly far more advanced than, say, an HTC Magic or the $1299 HTC Touch HD thanks to up to 32GB storage, a new processor, more memory and more, what does it cost to build?

Apple has legendarily been able to secure great pricing due to large purchases thus giving itself great profit margins, so we’re yet to discover what analysts truly think the iPhone 3G S’ build costs are, but there’s no doubt Apple’s still doing very well.

But a really great voice and data offer for the iPhone 3G S in Australia? Really surprise us, telcos, we dare you!