Danny Gorog04 August 2008, 2:50 PM
UPDATED | Want to buy an iPhone 3G? We've gone through all the plans from all the telcos to find the best of the best.
Page 7 - The winners: best iPhone plans
By the time you read this most consumers will hopefully have forgotten the frustration that came with wanting to own an iPhone on day 1.
Overall, Optus offers the best value for money plans across the spectrum. It offers low-end ($19/month) plans for people who really just want to keep their existing phone and keep the iPhone in their pocket for occasional web browsing, mapping and app use, as well as new 'Timeless' plans with 2GB of data and unlimited voice calls.
However, for people who want to use their iPhone often, and never worry about hitting a data cap, Optus-owned Virgin Mobile provides a great option in its $100 deal with 5GB data included. That deal would also be perfect for use with the Nullriver NetShare app which allows you to use your iPhone as a 3G modem for your laptop. Currently, however, NetShare is not available on the iTunes Store Australia.
3 is also offering iPhone plans with the caveat that you need to buy an iPhone from another telco, get it unlocked and then sign up with them for 24 months. For all that trouble they'll ">give you $300 back, and provide you with very generous plans (voice and data). But step out of their coverage zone and you'll be up for lots of money in roaming fees.
The other bit of advice we've got is start on a cheaper plan then you think (but one that covers your call/sms requirements) and move up if you see yourself using more data. Optus is offering unlimited data till the end of August 2008 for all iPhone 3G users — so have a look at what you've actually used at the end of the month and choose a plan accordingly. Of course, don't go too low with your plan, or you'll end up paying a high monthly repayment for the iPhone itself.
All plans from each telco offer various other bonuses which may weigh on your decision to stick with a particular carrier. For instance, Vodafone offers one free monthly bonus on its personal cap plans. Options like unlimited calls to your Vodafone BestMate, 100 standard free TXT, 100 free Vodafone to Vodafone calls. Optus also offers similar bonuses like Yes Time which provides free 20 minute phone calls to other Optus mobiles after 8pm, and free phone calls to another Optus mobile on the same account for 5 minutes 24 hours a day. Virgin lets you call other Virgin mobile users free, all the time -- a great option if various family members want to get an iPhone. These aspects of the plan may help you determine which plan is best for you.
And remember, all comparisons here are for 24 month contracts — and so far, only Optus offers the iPhone 3G on a 12 month — certainly something to consider considering Apple will most likely offer an updated iPhone within a year.
Whichever plan you go on, just remember that telcos are basically mean — once they've got you on a contract they'll make you bleed if you exceed their terms — like going over your data or voice cap. That's why getting it right at the start is critical. Good luck!
Best value Australian iPhone plan overall
And the winner is... the Optus $59 iPhone Cap. It gives you $350 worth of calls (80c per minute with 35c flagfall), 500MB of data usage, and you can get an iPhone for just $2 a month for 24 months (a total handset payment of only $48).
For heavy iPhone internet users
Virgin Mobile $100 iPhone capped plan -- 5GB of usage and $520 worth of calls provides a generous calling allowance as well as a 'practically unlimited' amount of data.