The Iphone is finally here!
And people don't have to hack them!
I have had an Iphone for a while now, and I'm really pleased with it. It does what I want it to and is really easy to use.
I mostly use the Organiser, Email, SMS, and Ipod on a daily basis and it allows me to keep intouch with my customers really easily.
I have say I feel sorry for those that are looking at buying an Iphone in NZ and having to wear the outragoeus plans that Vodafone have put out. Australia has much more reasonable plans than NZ has, so it just shows that New Zealander's are getting hood-winked yet again.
I think that the only winners here are Vodafone and Apple because customers must sign up to a 24-month plan charging $250 per month for just an 8GB Iphone and only 1GB of data if they want to pay the NZ$199.00 price tag.
In the U.S. and U.K. cheaper plans are available for unlimited data, you can read about that here http://www.stuff.co.nz/4610626a28.html.
If your interested there's a petition that's asking Vodafone this "We call upon Vodafone New Zealand to reverse its decision to only offer the forthcoming iPhone 3G as part of an “On Account” plan at its launch into the New Zealand market on July 11, 2008. We ask that Vodafone New Zealand provide an alternate option for “prepay” customers wishing to purchase the iPhone exclusive to any ongoing contract or data plan."
You can see the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/nzmac/petition.html.
There are other plans but the price of the phone goes up until eventually you get to a you choose plan but pay the full price of the phone with the 8GB model costing NZ$979.00 and the 16GB model costing NZ$1129.00, that's alot more than I paid for my Iphone.
BIG warning folks, If you decide to pay the full price for the Iphone and hook into a "You Choose plan" make sure you check the contract in the selected services part of the contract if it has GPRS Casual usage plan and the GPRS service in it, watch out!!
This could mean that you will get hit hard for any data that the Iphone uses and I mean hard @ NZ$10.00 per MB. When I first got the phone I got hit with an extra NZ$60.00 for 6 MB, this was looking at two websites and the rest was from data came through on the phone network before the wireless connect kicked in at the office and home, Owww that hurt.
I was able to get Vodafone to take the GPRS off as I made it clear when I signed up that I didn't need a data plan because I use the wireless.
Firstly they tried to tell me that they couldn't do it, but after a couple of calls to their technicians they found out they could.
I was very please with the service and professionalism that the young lady who helped me in the Vodafone store showed.
And I have to say I was happy that Vodafone didn't try and fight the issue too hard. Perhaps the commerce law that states that people shouldn't be sold something that they didn't ask for helped?
So, becareful out there when buying an Iphone.