Virgin's iPhone 4S plans take the cake, and pop the cherry

David Swan
Wednesday, 12 October 2011 20:37

Your IT - Mobility

Virgin Mobile Australia has entered the iPhone 4S fray with easily the best value plans of the bunch.

The iPhone 4S was launched last week to a decidedly mixed reaction, but consumers have had the final say with demand for the device far exceeding expectations.

The device is set to launch in Australia at 8am Friday morning, but there are a slew of different plans and carriers to choose from.

Virgin Mobile, in choosing to wait 'til last to announce its pricing for the handset, has had the last laugh with the best value plans on offer.

Users can grab an iPhone 4S on Virgin's Fair Go $29 plan with $180 included credit and 250MB data, along with $26 in monthly handset repayments.

More active users could go for the 'Topless' plan, which includes unlimited calls and texts, along with 4GB of monthly data. That adds up to $92 a month, including handset repayments.

Virgin Mobile runs on Optus infrastructure, which has generally been regarded as solid and trouble-free, if unspectacular.

The iPhone 4S will take advantage of Vodafone's upgraded 850MHZ network, but the carrier is still being dogged by claims of call dropouts and related network issues.

Vodafone Australia announced its plans yesterday, which start at  $44 per month including $28 for the cap and $11 handset repayments for the iPhone 4S 16GB model.

Vodafone is also offering the 4S on its Infinite plans, with the iPhone 4S 16GB model $17 per month on top of the entry-level $59 Infinite plan over 24 months.

Telstra's plans are decent too, although the new handset is not compatible with the telco's much hyped 4G network.

Some lucky Apple fans in Europe have already received their orders, with one publishing speed/performance tests online of the device.

For a full rundown of Virgin's plans, see the next page.