| Vodafone NZ announce iPhone 3G price plans |
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| Written by Philip Roy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tuesday, 08 July 2008 11:42 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This morning Vodafone New Zealand announced their plan prices for those purchasing the new iPhone 3G, whilst also stating that the 16Gb model iPhone 3G will start at a base price of $349 for those on a plan. However, what has become clear is that the $199 and $349 purchase prices for the iPhone 3G are only if you commit to a data plan that runs to $250 per month. Go for any of the lower cost contract plans and the initial price of the phone increases considerably.
Plans are based on a minimum contract of 2 years and include 120-600 minutes, 600 texts, 250Mb-1Gb of data, with additional costs when going over those amounts.
From their press release...
Vodafone New Zealand will offer three iPhone plans – iPhone 250MB, iPhone 500MB and iPhone 1GB. These plans are inclusive voice, data, and text.
In addition Vodafone subscribers can use the iPhone on all other post pay rate plans when they sign up to a dedicated 200MB or 1GB broadband plan for mobile.
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Comments (58)
B Gallagher
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24-month contract prices: iPhone 250 (8GB): $2,469.00 iPhone 250 (16GB): $2,619.00 iPhone 500 (8GB): $3,569.00 iPhone 500 (16GB): $3,719.00 iPhone 1GB (8GB): $6,199.00 iPhone 1GB (16GB): $6,349.00 |
MCD
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Seriously...takes 5 mins to ring and tell customer service how much you dislike the offering....ring 777 and let them know  A few hundred phone calls lodging complaints will at least get some attention....although i'm sure it will translate to no action....at least then they know how much it sucks |
Maxim
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WTF.... I cant believe... I was so afraid about yesterday but now.....but anyway i will go to the midnight auction and have a look how many People want to buy this gadget with this horrible prices.... I thought only Canada has this problem but now new zealand is also in the line with..... Im very dissapointed so i have to wait until my parents in law sent me one from switzerland.... Vodafone.....this is a bad decission and i hope the people dont buy this device and you will see what you have done....... |
brenz
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Funny how they don't advertise their prices like this, as Brett did above: iPhone 1GB (8GB): $6,199.00 iPhone 1GB (16GB): $6,349.00 Imagine if they did? NO ONE would buy one. |
Dylan Jay
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When they say that we can use their dedicated broadband prices with other On Account plans, wouldn't it be better to pay $83 a month for 1GB of bandwidth with 25 minutes and 600 texts if you wanted some extra bandwidth. I don't need that many minutes.. |
optical
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Here is a good letter that explains why the small iphone plan data allowances in canada, scandinavia and now here, are a farce: http://www.ehmac.ca/ipod-itune...apple.html |
iamEdmond
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What a joke... I hope no one will turn up for their mid-night opening on Friday... I certainly won't be there.  |
Cuby
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Crazy! Those prices are just ludicrous! I doubt they're going to get many sales out of that. The plans are far too heavy going too I feel. Most people probably wouldn't even use up the 120 minutes on the base plan... They need some really cheap plan for normal people. (Prepay would be idea!) Yeah, Vodafone really needs to have a think about how kind they are to us kiwis. Not very, I'd say. Cuby |
Fastred
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You can buy the iPhone without a plan... 8GB model - $979 16GB model - $1129 You can then use any on account plan + the Broadband Mobile plans. |
MCD
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Make the effort to call and tell them. The more that do there is a chance for some kind of amendment to the pricing. Slim chance but corporates rely on people doing nothing so buck the trend and give them a call.....777 and throw in the words Fair Go, Campbell Live and your local MP. |
itchyaudi
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Did you guys see this on resigning? you can qualify for discounts ... VODAFONE: What if i'm allready on a plan? |
optical
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According to a quick look at this: http://arstechnica.com/journal...-countries we have the most expensive handset prices BY FAR - about US$416 for the 8gb and US$530 for the 16gb. The next most expensive is Hong Kong US$377/$479 - and they get a heap minutes/txts/data for US$24/month (vs. NZ$80/US$60!!!). We are getting RIPPED!.... |
writeups
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lol What an absolute joke.The pricing structure is way out of step with what the rest of the world is paying and the upfront price for the 8gb on the cheapest contract is ridiculous being greater than the price of the 16gb in the USA! Vodafone have made a major mistake here - I hope they realise their mistake and offer a data plan, like that in Norway with unlimited downloads and a small number of texts but charges for calls.  |
optical
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Letter to Vodafone I just sent the letter below to Vodafone here - you should write too: http://vodafonenz.custhelp.com...er/ask.php Your iPhone plans just announced are surely a joke. I was expecting competitively priced plans with reasonable (preferably unlimited) data allowances, and competitive handset prices to bring us in line with most other plans announced around the world. Instead we get presented with tiny data limits, expensive plans and exorbitant handset prices ($699 for a handset on a 2 year $80/month plan?!) Vodafone has evidently learnt well from Telecom how to abuse a (hopefully temporary) monopoly position. I would like you to explain to me how 250mb, or even 1gb is a useful amount of data for a device such as the iPhone - bearing in mind the iPhones youtube and google maps apps, built in quicktime player, not to mention soon to be available third party apps that will surely make heavy use of data - explain why you have crippled this device with totally unsuitable plans. I'd also like to know why the iPhone handset prices are far above ANY other country? (http://arstechnica.com/journal...-countries). |
yuutamichael
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Said if before, I'll say it again Get in touch with the media. Make this a black eye for Vodafone and things'll get changed. Contact Campbell Live: http://www.tv3.co.nz/TVShows/NewsandCurrentAffairs/CampbellLive/ContactUs/tabid/241/Default.aspx Use the form, or better yet give them a call. Explain how we're the most expensive in the world! Contact New Zealand Consumer Affairs at the Ministry of Economic Development: http://www.med.govt.nz/templates/Page____156.aspx or http://www.consumeraffairs.govt.nz/ Give them an email at: \n This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it '> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or \n This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it '> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Or give them a call at: 04 474 2750 Contact Vodafone at 777, their webpage is a mess and impossible to place complaints through, but if you can, do it. Go in to any Vodafone store you happen to pass and let the staff know how disappointed you are with the pricing. |
munrog
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Hmmm, rough calc means that if you dont use 3G part of the contract it costs you over $1 a min to use the phone over the period of the contract on the 250Mb plan. ie. 120 mins incl per month = 2880 mins over life of contract. Which means calls cost you 86c / min if you use all the incl mins on your phone each month. AND DONT FORGET...3G is a bit of a disaster anyway. Compared to your wireless access 3g is slow and high latency. Its not much use for anything - the dedicated 3G network in the UK (aptly named '3') struggled for customers until they opened their firewall to allow porn sites! Sure websites will load faster than dialup, but not as fast as broadband and most websites are not optimised for 3g presentation. Its all a bad joke.  You would be much better off to be able to buy the handset just as if you were buying an ipod and then slip your existing SIM into it and NOT use any data. |
yuutamichael
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Just a note on whom to contact. Consumer Affairs wrote me back saying that they can only deal with issues that potentially effect consumer health or safety. The Commerce Commission at http://www.comcom.govt.nz/ is actually the correct branch of government that can be contacted on this, although there's not much they can do. You can contact them via telephone 0800 943 600 or on email: \n This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it '> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it They noted that probably the best organization to get things changed would be Consumer.org.nz |
Philip Roy
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Yep...there's a big difference between "I'm not happy with the plans" and "I was harmed by the plan" (and I don't mean financial there. I'm not sure you'll get much from Consumer other than an agreement to perhaps do price comparisons. |
danbob
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From the vodafone website, at http://vodafonenz.custhelp.com...faqid=6511 "If you are eligible to resign your contract you can: Sign up to an iPhone plan Sign up to any of our compatible On Account plans (eg. You Choose) and a compatible Broadband plan for mobiles. Please note: You will only receive the Broadband plan subsidy if you sign up to the Broadband plan at the same time that you resign to the standard On Account plan." Is that saying that you can buy the iPhone handset, sign up to a post-paid plan of your choosing, and not have to sign up to a Broadband Plan as well? And if I read it correctly, possibly by signing up for the post-paid plan will entitle you to some discount on the iPhone even without the Broadband Plan and it's discount. Am I imagining things, or... could you do it that way? |
lowededwookie
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Interestingly if you purchase the cheapest plan and then pay the /Mb rate over that initial 250Mb you will still have saved yourself around $100 but you won't get the 600mins. I'm thinking of going that but then if I can get a deal for a contract resign then I'll look into that as well because I already have a dataplan on my account. |
lowededwookie
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Gordon said: AND DONT FORGET...3G is a bit of a disaster anyway. Compared to your wireless access 3g is slow and high latency.Actually this is a bit wrong. The iPhone uses HSDPA modems which means that when you are in a UMTS zone you will be getting broadband speeds of around 1Mbps which in many cases is better than some broadband providers (ARE YOU LISTENING TELECOM???). It's only when you hit a 3G area that isn't UMTS that you get slow connections but even that isn't so bad as it's made out to be. Of course anywhere there isn't 3G is going to be a nightmare but then Vodafone is pumping $500 million into rolling UMTS to 97% of the country by 2010 or in other words a year and a half and the majority of the country will have some form of broadband connection including rural areas. |
itchyaudi
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did you see how many people are unhappy! man, check out Nz Herald's Your Views Section Your Views: What do you think about Vodafone's iphone pricing? |
Dylan Jay
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Ok, almost finished drawing up the table for pretty much every aspect of getting an iPhone plan sorted out. The guy at Vodafone customer service was really helpful, for once. The TALKer and TXTer plans are eligible to be used with the iPhone and includes the corresponding subsidies for buying the handset on a 24 month term. I'll upload the info sheet sometime in the next 15 minutes. |
yuutamichael
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Contacting Apple I've also decided to contact Apple directly and complain about the price and the opportunity Apple would have to transform the New Zealand market. You can contact them also using this form: http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html |
jaeming
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Well, I've been thinking it over and have decided there's no way I'll be purchasing an iphone from vodafone EVER. Also, I'm a bit put out that Apple would allow vodafone to tie the product to such ridiculous rates. I've let both companies know how I feel and told them I would not be purchasing anything from either company as I don't do business with people who try to cheat me so deliberately. |
yuutamichael
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Campbell Live Well, I don't know if we had anything to do about it but Campbell Live will be talking about the iPhone Vodafone plans tonight. The promo stated that the iPhone is coming but the plan costs $6,000. |
Philip Roy
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And see the forum...I may or may not be on Radio NZ tomorrow morning about the prepay petition. My brother (producer for Target) said that TV3 at this stage see it (data plans etc) more as a news item than consumer affairs item. Then again, I can build websites and know all his childhood secrets...so I may be able to convince him otherwise  And yes, I'm joking. I do still think the fact that Vodafone are selling prepay in 3 other countries on Friday is pretty poor. |
optical
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Why would you want an iphone on prepay when the casual (prepay) data rate is $1000/gigabyte? - thats ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS. |
Philip Roy
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There are 3 parts to an iPhone...iPod, Phone and Data/Surfing etc...only one of those needs Vodafone. The phone part. You keep forgetting it has wi-fi. You don't need VFNZ to use your iPhone!! I spent $250 on prepay last year. I don't need their network to use the iPhone other than to make the small number of calls and text I make. Other than that, I'm around wi-fi virtually all the time.... http://www.nzmac.com/community-blog/772-what-a-sad-day.html You could make it $2000/gigabyte and I'd still want it on prepay....as I won't be using their data. I have no need for it. |
brenz
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Hear hear Mr Roy. I want a prepay iPhone too, and not to make phone calls. I spent $20 on prepay last year (yup, I'm on the plan that requires only a $20 topup per year) and use the phone only in rare instances. It's a 10-year old Sagem and it does what I need it to do. Still considering an iPod Touch ... but I'd love some of those new WebApps to run on it. |
yuutamichael
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Well this has been a rough day. The Campbell Live spot was wonderful and John Campbell really hammered the Vodafone exec on why things are so expensive here in New Zealand. The executive came off looking incredibly slimy and his grin at the end was the look of someone who could only see dollar signs. The sad truth of it is that the price plans are exactly in line with what current rates in New Zealand are. Rates have been too high for too long and it's because we're looking at two companies with two separate monopolies. Vodofone has a monopoly on sim card based phones and they're abusing the market. I think many of us were expecting the iPhone to bring about a revolution (or at least an evolution) in New Zealand voice and data mobile rates. It didn't deliver. The pricing is ridiculous. One would think that the pricing would scale so that you'd get a great deal more for only a slightly higher payment. Instead it's just 1 to 1. No other phone company in the world does that. This has highlighted the problem with New Zealand mobile telecommunications providers, and that is the only thing I've come away from today grateful for. The government, the commerce commission and consumers need to start fighting for more competition in the mobile markets here. The rates for the iPhone are disgusting but so are all mobile communication pricings. Our economy is entering a new era and we should have a telecommunications infrastructure and pricing that facilitates that. The government fought hard to bring an end to Telecom's terrible pricing for broadband. Now it's time to do it again with mobiles. The political party that fights for my consumer rights will get my vote. |
Iprone
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You know what? I have exhausted myself almost all day looking for better deals, complaining on every site, to my friends to Vodafone, Campbell live (not to mention signing a petition) and just generally being angry at Vodafone and I have just given up... Vodafone have lost me forever unless they make a massive change to the pricing plans. I was reading the petition and since 11am this morning there have been well over 1000 votes to lower the price. According to the pricing plans above, Vodafone can kiss away over 6 million dollars (execs notice stuff like this!)... bad move VF, bad move... Mike |
davis
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Guys - that guy last nite on Campbell live - meantioned - Plans starting at $50??? what plan is he talking about?? Or is he meaning you buy the phone for the crazy price of 1 mill, then get a basic plan? if anyone knows can you help me figure this one out? |
brenz
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As I understand it, he meant that you buy the phone with no plan (ie, $979 for the 8GB), then use it on a Choose 20 plan ($19.95/mo) with the $29.95/mo Mobile Data plan. |
danbob
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As I understand it, he meant that you buy the phone with no plan (ie, $979 for the 8GB), then use it on a Choose 20 plan ($19.95/mo) with the $29.95/mo Mobile Data plan. On that note - I am finding that Vodafone are not saying specifically in some areas that if you get a YouChoose plan for the iPhone you MUST also get a Mobile data plan. Sounds like it's recommended but not necessary. Below, from the Vodafone website: "Question If I want to keep my existing On Account plan, e.g. You Choose, and get iPhone 3G what data options are available to me? Answer You can keep your existing You Choose plan, but to use data you will need sign up to a Broadband plan for mobile. If you have an On Account plan that is not You Choose for example Get or Motormouth, you will not be able to add a Broadband plan for mobiles which is compatible with the iPhone. You’ll need to upgrade your plan to either an iPhone plan, or a compatible On Account plan (You Choose, talkZone or Corporate) with a suitable Broadband plan for mobiles." In other words... to use data on the Vodafone network, you'll need a Mobile Data plan - but it doesn't appear to be a mandatory requirement. |
Dylan Jay
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Danbob's got it right. Thing is, the handset subsidiaries are much smaller on plans that aren't iPhone250,500 or 1GB. |
Philip Roy
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In other words... to use data on the Vodafone network, you'll need a Mobile Data plan - but it doesn't appear to be a mandatory requirement. Wow...with expressions like that, you should work for Vodafone! You'll need a mobile data plan but it's not a requirement...evn though you'll NEED one?? How about this.... http://vodafonenz.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/vodafonenz.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=6513 I am a Vodafone Prepay customers – can I get iPhone 3G on Prepay |
brenz
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I thought his point was to use data, you need a mobile data plan, but you can still use the iPhone as a phone and an iPod and a WebApp user (on wifi) without a data plan. If that's the case, and you usually spend $20/mo on prepay, then you can do the same with a Talk20 plan but with a contract. Or did I miss the point? |
Philip Roy
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Right, but the other way of saying that is...hey, the workaround for not wanting to go on a contract is go on a contract. There's a chap in this thread that says he uses $20 per year. I probably get close to the $20 per month but it fluctuates...sometimes I never use it. I don't want to use Vodafone's services other than when I want to. When I don't...I don't want to be forced in to paying. |
brenz
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I totally agree with you (and I'm the "chap" in question... chapette?). I don't want to go on account because I only use $20 per year. I want a prepay option too (although, at this stage, I might just wait to see what Telecom *gasp* has to offer come later this year when their new network is up and going. But if a person doesn't mind being tied to a contract, it appears that he could just pay the $19.95/mo and use the iPhone. |
danbob
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In other words... to use data on the Vodafone network, you'll need a Mobile Data plan - but it doesn't appear to be a mandatory requirement. Perhaps I should have made that "In other words... to use data on the Vodafone network, you'll need a Mobile Data plan - but it doesn't appear that you HAVE to sign up to a data plan if buying the phone from Vodafone". How about this.... The iPhone not on prepay bit I don't get - sure, Vodafone can refuse to sell you the phone if you don't buy a contract of some description with it, or not sell it to you on it's own - but there's no technical reason that prevents a SIM on prepay being stuck in the phone, is there? Of note, check out www.toshcomputers.co.nz - they're taking pre-orders for the iPhone 3G, and aiming at a NZ$999 price for the 16Gb handset. Buy one of them, stick a prepay SIM in it... you're away laughing? |
lowededwookie
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What's funny is everyone saying "Vodafone has lost me forever" and "that's one customer Vodafone won't get" blah blah blah. Who do you think you're going to be going to? Telecom? If you think Vodafone's data plans are a joke Telecom's is pure extortion. Incidentally the government has made steps into breaking the monopoly of Vodafone and Telecom. When they sold the spectrum for cellphones the government said that part of the band MUST be reserved for anyone wanting to create a third network. As such anyone can come in and setup a network and Vodafone and Telecom can do nothing to prevent it unlike currently. |
munrog
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I believe TELSTRA are on their way again... Orcon keep mentioning a cellphone system too... But I think they are relying on existing infrastructure providers. |
Iprone
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Does anyone know if the Data, calls and txt amounts unused get added to the limits the following month? Would be cool to know Mike |
Philip Roy
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I agree about those "I'm going to Telecom" comments. I do find them reactionary. I love Vodafone...always have. It's just that (snif, snif) they don't love me...and I'm certainly not a great customer for them. Why? Because I'm cheap! I love Apple more. And that's why I want an iPhone the most. Re parallel imported, I'm holding my breath. I'm waiting to see how the activation process is going to impact imported phones. There's lots of discussion about the activation process, but it's still not clear what the difference is for someone buying a prepay in a country that has them and those going on contract. |