Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Friday, 18 July 2008 17:43
Your IT -
Mobility
Page 2 of 3
It must be said that Telstra’s version of the iPhone works on the 850MHz network, a frequency the other Aussie telcos don’t offer, which allows 3.5G data speeds across up to 99% of Australia’s population.
For some users, the range of Telstra’s network and its 3.5G nature make all the difference, with those users already having to pay the same data rates on non-iPhone devices.
But with most people living in the major cities and only travelling to rural and regional areas on occasion, Australian iPhone buyers are clearly happy to put up with slower GPRS speeds in rural and regional areas, although Optus has outfitted some regional areas with 2100MHz networks anyway, instead of the iPhone incompatible 900MHz some regional areas are getting instead.
In the US, iPhone fans have been queuing at Apple stores because AT&T stores have run out of stock.
New stock comes on a relatively regular basis according to some stores that have been called by US reporters, but the phones immediately go out to those who pre-ordered them, leaving those who walk in a store walking right back out again, likely in disgust, either leaving a pre-order of their own, or looking for an Apple store.
The only stores seemingly guaranteed to have stock that you can buy “on the spot”, after having waited in line, are Apple stores, so that’s where iPhone 3G seekers can be found, “on hold” as it were, until an Apple operator can take their in-person “call”, so to speak.
It’s quite a coup for Apple to still have queues a week after the iPhone launched. Normally queues dissipate after the first day launch of virtually any device. But not the iPhone!
There could yet be another reason why Australians will find themselves queuing up again soon... and it’s called 3 Mobile.
Continued on page 3.
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