The iPhone 4S is finally here, putting endless months of rumour and speculation to bed. It is, in essence, an iPhone 4 with a faster processor, better camera and a swathe of new and improved software (check out our unboxing gallery here).
The 4S can be bought outright from Apple and its partners with prices starting at $799. But what kind of deals will you get if you’re buying one on a contract? Read on for an overview of plans offered by each mobile phone network provider. For the sake of clarity, we've concentrated mainly on the 16GB 4S model.
Also read: Our First Look at the iPhone 4S
Telstra
Telstra announced its pricing for the Apple iPhone 4S earlier in the week, with all versions of the phone available on a $59 Freedom Connect Plan. Monthly handset repayments cost $4, $8 or $13 on this plan (for the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models respectively). The $59 Freedom Connect Plan comes with $550 in calls and MMS, unlimited text, and a 1.5 Gigabyte monthly data allowance.
The iPhone 4S is also available on Telstra's $79, $99 and $129 plans, with the usual leaps in call and data allowances (for an overview of Telstra's assorted pricing plans, click here).
Vodafone
The cheapest 16GB iPhone 4S deal you’ll get from Vodafone is $44 per month, which is a $29 per month cap plan with $15 per month handset payments. If you don’t think you’ll use a lot of mobile data then Vodafone offers a good entry-level deal, assuming that the $29 cap is enough to meet your needs for calls and texts.
Vodafone's cheapest Infinite plan is $62 ($45 per month, plus $17 monthly handset repayments). Like all Infinite plans, this includes 'infinite' calls, txts and social networking within Australlia, plus a data allowance of 500MB.
Optus
At first, Optus had planned to charge $6 in monthly repayments for the 16GB 4S on its $59 cap. It has since revised these repayment plans to fall in line with Telstra's cheaper offerings.
The Telstra rival is now selling the 16GB iPhone 4S for free on a $59 cap. On the same plan, the 32GB model now costs $6 per month and the 64GB model $11 per month, compared to previous prices of $11 and $15.
Virgin
Last to the table with iPhone 4S pricing was Virgin, which announced its plans yesterday. Its Fair Go plans are the cheapest of the bunch, with pricing maxing out at $59. However, its handset repayment plans are costlier than the other telcos. Data allowance is also good.
Here's how the various 16GB iPhone 4S plans compare:
|
Carrier |
Price |
Data |
|
Telstra (Freedom Connect plans)
|
|
|
|
|
$59 (+ $4 handset) |
1.5GB data |
|
|
$79 (+ $0 handset) |
2GB data |
|
|
$99 (+ $0 handset) |
2.5GB data |
|
|
$129 (+ $0 handset) |
3GB data |
|
|
|
|
|
Vodafone (Cap plans)
|
|
|
|
|
$29 (+ $15 handset) |
200MB |
|
|
$49 (+ $5 handset) |
1.5GB |
|
|
$59 (+ $0 handset) |
2GB |
|
|
$79 (+ $0 handset) |
3GB |
|
|
|
|
|
Vodafone (Infinite plans)
|
|
|
|
|
$45 (+ $17 handset) |
500MB |
|
|
$65 (+ $7 handset) |
2GB |
|
|
$85 (+ $0 handset) |
3GB |
|
|
$100 (+ $0 handset) |
4GB |
|
|
|
|
|
Optus (Cap plans) |
|
|
|
|
$49 (+ $10 handset) |
1.5GB data |
|
|
$59 (+ $0 handset) |
2GB data |
|
|
$79 (+ $0 handset) |
3GB data |
|
|
|
|
|
Optus (Timeless Extreme plans) |
|
|
|
$99 (+ $0 handset) |
5GB |
|
|
$129 |
6GB |
|
|
|
|
Virgin (Fair Go plans) |
|
|
|
|
$29 (+ $26 handset) |
250MB |
|
|
$39 (+ $13 handset) |
500MB |
|
|
$49 (+ $8 handset) |
2GB |
|
|
$59 (+ $5 handset) |
3GB |
As we've mentioned previously, things are never clear-cut when it comes to comparing mobile phone plans. For a more comprehensive comparison of the various 4S mobile phone plans, check out www.whistleout.com.au.
Plus, you also have to factor in phone reception and network performance when it comes to choosing a carrier. Rather than trying to save a few dollars, you should look at which network offers the best performance where you need it most.
Also read: Our First Look at the iPhone 4S
