As always, the show must go on, with embattled telco Vodafone Australia opening up pre-orders for Samsung’s newest hit smartphone: the Galaxy S II.

If there’s a list of “best telco rants”, the Vodafail musical tribute that features Lady Gaga’s “Telephone” track has got to be a contender for one of the best!

It’s the day before the official iPhone 4 launch in Australia, with Telstra promoting its MasterChefs and serving up apple-related food, Vodafone and 3 partying it up at the Ivy, Optus pop starring it up with Kelly Rowland and Virgin Mobile getting Branson in on the act.

Potentially feeling the heat from questions over network performance, something Optus has stridently defended in an email to iTWire earlier today, Optus has decided to up its iPhone offering by being the first Aussie telco to confirm each iPhone 4 customer will get a free bumper – if they want one.

To Optus or not to Optus with your iPhone 4? With concerns by some that Optus had become Droptus and Dialuptus, an Optus spokesperson has stridently defended its network, promising to send me a micro SIM to test it out for myself, which I’ll be very keen to do against Telstra, Vodafone and 3 Mobile. Is the force with Optus?

3 announced some minor changes to its iPhone pricing just ahead of putting the device on sale.

Slightly late to the party, 3 has announced its pricing for the iPhone 3G and 3GS. The carrier will begin selling Apple's iPhone this Friday, July 17.

Anticipation over an iPhone 3GS launch is still not over for 3 Mobile customers who have to wait just over two weeks before they can buy one, with exact pricing still to come!

3 mobile broadband customers now receive a free 12 month subscription to AVG Internet Security.

Optus is offering the iPhone 3GS for $0 upfront on a (net) $69 plan. The change appears to be in response to a Vodafone offer.