Is this the world's cheapest Apple iPhone 3G plan?

Davey Winder
Sunday, 31 August 2008 16:55

Your IT - Mobility

How much does your Apple iPhone 3G cost you every month? I bet it is more than the Japanese are paying...

In Japan, like so many markets, there is only one carrier as far as the Apple iPhone 3G is concerned. All too often this kind of monopolistic mobile phone offering can lead to prices that are less than consumer friendly.

However, the same cannot be said of Japanese carrier Softbank Mobile which has taken the concept of a consumer friendly monopoly to new lows. Literally.

Softbank Mobile has announced that "in order to make Apple's iPhone 3G available to an even larger public" it is to revise the ‘Packet Flat-rate Full’ pricing plans it operates.

The revisions will add two ceilings to the plan, and the fixed charge will vary according to individual usage, but the bottom line appears to be that after August Japanese iPhone 3G users will be able to enjoy their Jesus Phone for as little as YEN 2,990 (AUD $32) a month.

Forgive me if I am wrong, but a quick look around the world of global pricing plans for the iPhone would suggest that this makes Japan the cheapest place on the planet when it comes to monthly iPhone 3G ownership costs.

It is all rather complicated though, not least due to my poor Japanese and the sometimes confusing translations to English of press releases and quotes. However, it would appear that Japanese iPhone 3G users can get the following for their small monthly outlay:

Unlimited domestic voice calls between 1:00 and 21:00 to other SoftBank handsets

24 hours free sending/receiving of mail to all operators

Unlimited use of web browsing, video services and map services

Of course, all this comes in the face of other Japanese carriers lowering payment plan rates, particularly those relating to data transfer, in order to fight off the Apple iPhone 3G threat.

NTT DoCoMo, the undisputed mobile market leader in Japan, has already announced similar cost service plans for example.

Still, price wars are good news as far as I am concerned. Here's hoping they filter across to Australia, the UK and USA real soon now...