Telstra has beaten its competitors to the punch by revealing its pricing structure for the iPhone 4, to be released this Friday the 30th.

There's three cap plans: $49, $79 and $99. Here's the breakdown.

	iPhone 3GS 8GB	iPhone 4 16GB	iPhone 4 32GB
$49 Cap	$0	$149	$299
$79 Cap	$0	$0	$199
$99 Cap	$0	$0	$0

	Inc. Value	Inc. Data
$49 Cap	$400	200MB
$79 Cap	$750	500MB
$99 Cap	$1000	500MB

Annoyed that there's no 1GB data cap included. Forces some of us to tack on an extra pack. I'll likely go with the $49 + a $20 500MB pack.

The intranet article says the staff cap options will be announced later on.

android > iphone

I'm now tossing up which one to get for my mum between 3Gs and 4..... If they drop 3Gs massively I might get that one instead because really she won't be using all the 4 will offer, plus the reception problems and the all glass constructions doesn't kinda weight against it..

People who have been using it on Next-G haven't had any issues with reception. Ed Dale, in particular, says he gets better reception and one particular drop-call spot under his garage is now call-drop-free with it.

I'm not sure how Optus would fare though.

People who have been using it on Next-G haven't had any issues with reception. Ed Dale, in particular, says he gets better reception and one particular drop-call spot under his garage is now call-drop-free with it.
I'm not sure how Optus would fare though.

Cool, though I have no idea who Ed Dale is. :) But still though, 3Gs still has nearly everything 4 has except for the obvious things, which she'll never ever use and from what I heard 3Gs construction is more durable than 4 (not sure if this is really true).... I'm gonna wait to see if they'll drop massive price on 3Gs, I spoke to her about it and she just went.. meh as long as it's an iPhone she doesn't care which version lol

I assume this is a 24 month plan?

Sounds like it won't be worth switching if your going to be using a lot of data.

is the $149 a fee at the start?

I think that must be it, domino. I hope the other telcos follow suit and price their handsets in a similar way - I'd much prefer to pay a total handset fee upfront rather than pay it off in bits and pieces.

http://personal.optus.com.au/web/ocaportal.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=Template_woRHS&FP=/personal/mobile/mobilephones/iPhone/iphoneplans&site=personal

Optus plans out, much better, though you get optus s***ty service

I think that must be it, domino. I hope the other telcos follow suit and price their handsets in a similar way - I'd much prefer to pay a total handset fee upfront rather than pay it off in bits and pieces.

Telstra's cap plans have a $20 ($9, $79 cap) or $30 ($99 cap up) per month MRO bonus. This means that you get $20-$30 a month of handset payment credit.

Over 24 months thats $480 towards a handset. If you want a more expensive handset, you either pay the difference upfront (eg telstra value the ip4 16gb at $480 + $149 = $629) or you can elect to split the difference over 24 months as an additional handset payment.

Not sure why you would prefer to pay upfront rather than spread the cost, it costs no more.

Android > Iphone
Samsung Galaxy S > Iphone

The Galaxy S is a f***ing beautiful phone to use.

isn't the antenna on the iphone 4 broken?? if so why would you bother?

teq's already walking around like a half open pocket knife in anticipation for this, he'll be there at midnight for sure

isn't the antenna on the iphone 4 broken?? if so why would you bother?

it has a better antenna than the 3GS - anecdotally a lot of people in the US who were in poor service areas are now fine. The trade-off is a sensitive spot on bottom left of the phone. "Don't hold it like that" and you'll have superior reception.

ic

http://www.apple.com/au/antenna/

I expect my apple payout in the mail within 30 days.

http://www.apple.com/au/antenna/

I expect my apple payout in the mail within 30 days.

actually apple has been saying phones have the same problem when they don't. Articles about droid x but i think there were others

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2366979,00.asp

Pricing isn't bad but im up for a new phone now and i dont think ill be getting another iphone considering its problems might try android now after the iphone see if its any good.

Well I just read a review of the Galaxy S and now I think i'll just get an iPhone 4. It'll be on Telstra so will be fine, whereas the only standout thing the Galaxy S has for it is streaming media, which isn't something I need my phone to do, and the s*** battery life, crackling audio in calls cheap feel to it, problems with multitasking and hanging is a real turnoff. I spent several years running WinMobile and smartphone nokias, i'm not being trapped back in that world of daily pain again - and if i'm not getting an iphone why would I want an iphone wannabe?

actually apple has been saying phones have the same problem when they don't. Articles about droid x but i think there were others

They have vids in that link that show otherwise?

Well I just read a review of the Galaxy S and now I think i'll just get an iPhone 4. It'll be on Telstra so will be fine, whereas the only standout thing the Galaxy S has for it is streaming media, which isn't something I need my phone to do, and the s*** battery life, crackling audio in calls cheap feel to it, problems with multitasking and hanging is a real turnoff. I spent several years running WinMobile and smartphone nokias, i'm not being trapped back in that world of daily pain again - and if i'm not getting an iphone why would I want an iphone wannabe?

Don't have any problems with mine. Works fantastico. Batt is fine too.

Pricing isn't bad but im up for a new phone now and i dont think ill be getting another iphone considering its problems might try android now after the iphone see if its any good.

+1 for trying android.

Optus pricing:
http://trog.qgl.org/up/iPhone4OptusPlans.png
Can't see any info there about handset repayments though???

hmmm I really, really wanted an iphone 4 - mainly because I rekon they look awesome sauce and secondly because 'it just works' heh I know that's lame, but frankly I'm not going to customise the f*** outta it like you can with android phones.

and realistically apple have the runs on the board with the 3g and 3gs being awesome phones and there are apps for nearly everything!

The plans don't mention an MRO. Where'd you get that idea, or why is Telstra not mentioning this?

teq's already walking around like a half open pocket knife in anticipation for this, he'll be there at midnight for sure

loools, I'll be @ Telstra getting one this Friday come 9am ;)

I'll be waiting for the white one. My poor black 3G can just keep chugging along till then.

I'll be waiting for the white one. My poor black 3G can just keep chugging along till then.

Did you see there are production issues with the white one? It won't be ready until the end of the year/next year. something about there is no carbon in white plastic therefore it is weaker and it's causing some sort of production issues.

I'll try to find the article I read with the info

my 3gs has turned to s*** since ios4 came out.

locks up at least once a week and 3-4 times a week the UI lags so bad it is easier to just turn it off and reboot it than to wait for it to catch up.

absolute rubbish, but i guess it just works.. oh wait a second.. it doesn't

My 3GS is fine. Maybe try a Restore??

Just got this email from Optus.

http://heardy.net/qgl/iphone4.xps

I used the internal document printer within win7 to create that file

EDIT and there was this in the SMH - http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/iphone/iphone-4-australian-launch-guide-20100727-10t65.html

That Optus $59 plan looks the goods .. generally use my work mobile for all calls but NEED it to trade on the WoW auction house. I am the only one in my family that does not have an iPhone - I give in to the beast!

http://www.cnet.com.au/optus-and-apple-release-iphone-4-pricing-339304800.htm

Just called optus and my contract expires in December, and apparently I can only break contract in september. Now my wife will have an iphone 4 before I do :(

optus has the worst 3g network this side of jupiter
f*** optus and their blackholes that they know about + won't fix
I'm going to pay the extra $10 for a service I can actually use where ever I might be

Heya, why are you guys interested in iPhone 4?

It just seems to me like such a poor choice considering the Android handsets available now.

I read Heardy's comment about aesthetics, and that's a pretty good reason if you think the phone looks good. At the end of the day you have to use the bastard though, and Android phones are a lot more flexible.

Heardy, you say that you don't want to 'customise the f***' out of it but noone is making you do that. Yeah, it's an option for those that like to hack, but I haven't even touched any of my HTC Desire customisation features or rooted the phone (yet...I'm a hacker at heart, I will eventually no doubt).

Just to be clear for the TL;DR people: I can't think of any functional reason why you would prefer and iPhone 4. Feel free to enlighten me.

The main reason to get an Android handset is that Android has all the momentum now and the development system is very open compared to Apple. It doesn't matter that you are not a developer, what matters is that it's attracting more and more developers who are making applications that you can use!

Source: AdMob Metrics
http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/797/195058osunitedstatesmar.jpg

Heardy, you say that you don't want to 'customise the f***' out of it but noone is making you do that. Yeah, it's an option for those that like to hack, but I haven't even touched any of my HTC Desire customisation features or rooted the phone (yet...I'm a hacker at heart, I will eventually no doubt).

I haven't done any customiation on my Nexus One and I reckon it kicks the living s*** out of the iPhone even just from the perspective that I never have to use iTunes to do anything with it ever. The only area I reckon it falls down in is games quality and variety but I don't really care about that that much and I reckon it'll get resolved soon anyway.

It just seems to me like such a poor choice considering the Android handsets available now.

Just to be clear for the TL;DR people: I can't think of any functional reason why you would prefer and iPhone 4. Feel free to enlighten me.

my iPhone connects to my macbook, my mac mini, my airport express
I can control different music zones in the house, I can play media from the couch using any iphone in the house, from anywhere using the wireless 'net provided by the express

I can tell my mac mini, via my iphone over wireless, to "turn on" the speakers that are plugged into the airport express and play music from any itunes library in the house

the "me.com" service is completely in a league of its own
being able to track your phone anywhere, disable it, wipe it's contents, play a sound to it even if its on silent mode should you lose it down the side of the couch or in your backyard/car/where ever

Pinky, while I'm still planning on checking out an Android phone before I get the iPhone 4, I highly doubt I'll be swayed. Some of the reasons are that I already have the iPhone set up exactly how I want it, I've used iTunes for years and I quite like it, and I've already invested cash in apps to do what I want to accomplish. On top of that, I am definitely considering getting an iPad (most likely the 2nd gen), which means better integration. As for functionally, I have tinkered with trog's Nexus, and it's a nice phone and all, but it's simply not as nice to use as the iPhone.

Also, while I appreciate the importance of what Google and Android stand for, I'm not buying a device for ideological reasons. I respect when people do that, but, personally, I'm all for Apple's domination of the world if it means I keep getting beautiful shiny devices that really suit my life and productivity.

As for that graph you posted, I'm pretty sure it's been posted before and we all decided it was quite misleading based on the way they collected their data.

my iPhone connects to my macbook, my mac mini, my airport express
I can control different music zones in the house, I can play media from the couch using any iphone in the house, from anywhere using the wireless 'net provided by the express

I can tell my mac mini, via my iphone over wireless, to "turn on" the speakers that are plugged into the airport express and play music from any itunes library in the house

the "me.com" service is completely in a league of its own
being able to track your phone anywhere, disable it, wipe it's contents, play a sound to it even if its on silent mode should you lose it down the side of the couch or in your backyard/car/where ever

Sounds like lots of hard work over nothing.

MatchFixah, do I need to refer you to that billion page thread where all the android users was asking basic questions like "how do I get rid of these Telstra ads?"

iPhone car key looks another good reason to get this phone

pinky - it's mainly due to the fact that 3 of my brothers have one and I've used theirs and I like the interface on the apple device.

Having said that I haven't used an android device, to be honest before I run out and buy an iphone 4 I'll be looking at the alternatives and waiting for people like teq to report back in n the 'antenna' issue or lack there of.

I read a little about the antenna issue and it's funny, the country with the most complaints is America and I believe the AT&T network is somewhat s***haus. I've not seen, read or heard any issues from Europe, in fact my friends in Ireland are using one and don't have any issues with dropouts and what not when being on the phone.

So I guess I just take the wait and see approach and maybe wait another couple of weeks before diving into the smart phone arena.

I am happy enough with some dodgy old nokia and prepay at the moment, the only thing that s***s me is not being able to use it for mobile internet (look up train times or footy scores) nothing earth shatteringly important.

iPhone car key looks another good reason to get this phone

Only if you live in the US, Canada and China and own a Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick or GMC.

Where do i sign up? and more importantly, when do i get to relocate?

sign here ....... and you get first dibs when this app goes global.

MatchFixah, do I need to refer you to that billion page thread where all the android users was asking basic questions like "how do I get rid of these Telstra ads?"

Telstra 'ads' don't bother me. You see it once at start up. The apps can be removed from the desktop and just sit there in the apps section. If it bothers people so much then don't get a Telstra exclusive phone. Get it from overseas. Big whoop.

im using Blizzard battle net authenticate app on iphone which works great... problem is that you have to now put a password and authenticate password in everytime u log into the account

Some good points above.

The whole "corner the market with my closed development system" has been done to death so many times. I just wish consumers would vote against it using their wallets.

BillyH, when you say, "...I've already invested cash in apps to do what I want to accomplish." you are actually clearly indicating that you are a victim of the closed-system problem!

You are passively accepting a system which is actually not working for you at all. Surely the most desirable goal is that you should be able to run any application you want on any system you want (computing resources permitting).

Idealogical reasons are enough, and any perceived losses in functionality are negligible.

you can't deny that apple are smashing it at the moment. android reviewers note some pretty important things to me - such as android 2.2 keyboard still being painful to use, general hardware quality being clunky and suckful, carriers having their way with preinstalled crap. iphone 4 reviewers simply have to hold themselves back from gushing. it's the phone to beat atm. I'll look at switching when all of the little things iphone does well are taken care of, and there is some sort of major notable benefit for me.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/148219/iphone-current-usage-new-plans-preview.jpg
Telstra 16GB $49 Cap +$10 data pack looks like the way to go for me. (Of course that spreadsheet is very much tailored to my needs, but I thought I'd share, you may find it interesting I guess). $1,565 total cost over 2 years is good. I may need to pull back on calls a bit, but that's very doable as I'm on a massive cap so I pretty much go to town with it at the moment.

Did you see there are production issues with the white one? It won't be ready until the end of the year/next year. something about there is no carbon in white plastic therefore it is weaker and it's causing some sort of production issues.

I know it's going to be delayed, but I'm hoping the white paint excuse is part of Jobs' reality distortion field, and that it will launch in October with a hardware fix for the antenna. Either way, I can wait. I've had a black 3G for 2 years, everyone has a black one. I want a white one.

Just to be clear for the TL;DR people: I can't think of any functional reason why you would prefer and iPhone 4. Feel free to enlighten me.

When it first came out it was groundbreaking. Now I'm locked in with all the apps I've paid for and like. Unless another phone company makes something drastically groundbreaking before the white iphone, then I'm sticking with what I know. No real reason to change.

ahh that's a fair point Furgle and one I didn't think of (the fact that it might be a smoke screen for a new and improved / hardware revision).

Initially I loved the white and wanted it but I think I'll probably go for black.

You are passively accepting a system which is actually not working for you at all. Surely the most desirable goal is that you should be able to run any application you want on any system you want (computing resources permitting).

I'm ignoring your point a little, but can you run any Android app on a non-Android phone?

You are passively accepting a system which is actually not working for you at all. Surely the most desirable goal is that you should be able to run any application you want on any system you want (computing resources permitting).

I'm ignoring your point a little, but can you run any Android app on a non-Android phone?

there is an open system on iPhone - the mobile web. you can have your app work over android and iphone. add it to your home screen, store data locally, access some phone apis even. but anyway, I don't care, the iPhone app store is the most profitable mobile app store currently, the best apps are being made there.

Heya, why are you guys interested in iPhone 4?
It just seems to me like such a poor choice considering the Android handsets available now.

Still yet to play with an android phone that beats the iPhone in terms of user experience, and I've had a decent play with the G1, G2, Droid, Nexus One and Droid Incredible. The notification system is a lot better, but thats really about it.

My biggest issue is there are so many bloody models out there, and people are getting screwed over. The market is so very fragmented, different screen sizes, different features, different operating systems (with a lot of early gen android phones stuck on 1.x), different UI layers on top. Its just a mess, reminds me of Windows Mobile 6. At least with an iPhone your guaranteed to have at least 12 months as the top of the line phone, and then another 12-24 months of full support and OS updates. Safe to assume any phone thats out now (except maybe the nexus one) won't support Android 3.0.

The *MAIN* 3 things going for Android apps wise are Google Voice and Google Maps Turn by Turn, and Verizon: *NONE* of which have any relevance within Australia.

You are passively accepting a system which is actually not working for you at all. Surely the most desirable goal is that you should be able to run any application you want on any system you want (computing resources permitting).

For 99% of people, the iPhone does run any application they want.

As for those Admob stats, well they might be legit...but seeing Google owns Admob, and Admob are directly competing with Apple iAds, I'll ignore their stats :)

Hey Teq, I can turn my TV, amp and Xbox on with my phone so f*** you. :)
IR port FTW.

The douchey way that Apple make 3 different phones with only cheap flash memory being the difference is a major obstacle for me to get over in order to consider owning an Apple product. That and the way they snub industry standards in favour of proprietary implementations and take an aggressively anti-competitive stance against third party software.

In short if Apple released only one 32GB version phone that had a micro USB port and allowed users freedom of choice for which applications they wished to use then I'd be all over the iphone if it wasn't a phone for the gays and straight people were actually allowed to own one. Sadly I doubt that any of that will ever change, especially the gay part, when it comes to protecting the iphone they can be fierce.

info is finally on the telstra site - http://www.telstra.com.au/abouttelstra/media-centre/announcements/telstra-to-bring-iphone-4-to-australia-on-july-30.xml

My biggest issue is there are so many bloody models out there, and people are getting screwed over. The market is so very fragmented, different screen sizes, different features, different operating systems (with a lot of early gen android phones stuck on 1.x), different UI layers on top. Its just a mess, reminds me of Windows Mobile 6. At least with an iPhone your guaranteed to have at least 12 months as the top of the line phone, and then another 12-24 months of full support and OS updates. Safe to assume any phone thats out now (except maybe the nexus one) won't support Android 3.0.

The *MAIN* 3 things going for Android apps wise are Google Voice and Google Maps Turn by Turn, and Verizon: *NONE* of which have any relevance within Australia.

Google Googles seems like a pretty sweet app to.

But i agree with you biggest issue. I've been looking at a new phone for the last week but what really s***s me is that HTC has all these special deals with the telcos in the US so there are a lot of different phones that are similar but slightly better in seperate areas. Why dont they just make one killer phone instead of a few good phones.

Doesn't the iPhone 4 have a better resolution to all its competitors (Nexus One included)? That may be a functional reason to purchase one of these over an android Pinky (although I'm sure it will only be time before this it ousted).

Hey Teq, I can turn my TV, amp and Xbox on with my phone so f*** you. :)
IR port FTW

HOW

IR port FTW.

congratulations, you need line of sight

Kinda like how you need line of sight to play an Xbox or watch TV?

My biggest issue is there are so many bloody models out there, and people are getting screwed over. The market is so very fragmented, different screen sizes, different features, different operating systems (with a lot of early gen android phones stuck on 1.x), different UI layers on top. Its just a mess, reminds me of Windows Mobile 6. At least with an iPhone your guaranteed to have at least 12 months as the top of the line phone, and then another 12-24 months of full support and OS updates. Safe to assume any phone thats out now (except maybe the nexus one) won't support Android 3.0.

Yep agree and that has always been my main reservation (until the Nexus One). I would really struggle buying a phone that wasn't a Nexus One OR one that I knew 100% I could download the latest build from google.com and install on my phone easily.

The douchey way that Apple make 3 different phones with only cheap flash memory being the difference is a major obstacle for me to get over in order to consider owning an Apple product.

Cheap flash memory? Samsung? http://www.storagenewsletter.com/news/flash/isuppli-iphone-4

That and the way they snub industry standards in favour of proprietary implementations and take an aggressively anti-competitive stance against third party software.

aahahahahhahahahahahahhahaa, what are you on about? proprietary implementations?

My biggest concern is that apparently android is the only OS that doesnt have a form of testing for its applications before they go live....that sounds pretty f***ed to me.

Im going to probably get the iPhone 4 because I couldnt care less about hacking it, customizing it etc, I like its email and UI and plus Iv spent too much on apps to bother starting again

The douchey way that Apple make 3 different phones with only cheap flash memory being the difference is a major obstacle for me to get over in order to consider owning an Apple product.

So you're saying that the only difference between the three models is the flash memory? What are you smoking?

I consider $27 for 16GB of memory cheap when they are asking for $1000 retail for the phone.

aahahahahhahahahahahahhahaa, what are you on about? proprietary implementations?

Reality distortion field is now in effect.

people like to hate just 'cause apparently

I find it ironic that the apple fanboiism has been replaced with Android ones :)

I consider $27 for 16GB of memory cheap when they are asking for $1000 retail for the phone.

No, they are asking for US$100 extra between the 16GB and 32GB phones. So they are making an extra $73, minus of course the manufacturing, marketing and sales costs for having an additional skew.

Here you go: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitalism

Reality distortion field is now in effect.

You didn't answer the question. I'm honestly curious how you make the claim "snub industry standards" and "take an aggressively anti-competitive stance".

What's the go with tethering on the iPhone 4? Still have to pay extra? If so what's the damage?

The screen on the iPhone 4 is pretty spectacular - compared with the Nexus One anyway. I've used both and they both have their good/bad points - yeah the reception issue is kind of lame for the iPhone and I'd probably wait until September before getting one. I find the interface on the Nexus One a bit clunky too, it seems like it can do a lot more than the iPhone but I guess it comes down to what you do on a day to day basis.

Personally, I call and text - and occasionally check my email - so that's why I'll probably keep with the iPhone. The two mates I have with Nexus Ones though dont have any complaints either, so I guess it all just bubbles down to personal opinion!

my 3gs has turned to s*** since ios4 came out.

locks up at least once a week and 3-4 times a week the UI lags so bad it is easier to just turn it off and reboot it than to wait for it to catch up.

absolute rubbish, but i guess it just works.. oh wait a second.. it doesn't

Same.

My 3GS is fine. Maybe try a Restore??

Mine still does the above after several restores.

my 3gs has turned to s*** since ios4 came out.

locks up at least once a week and 3-4 times a week the UI lags so bad it is easier to just turn it off and reboot it than to wait for it to catch up.

absolute rubbish, but i guess it just works.. oh wait a second.. it doesn't

Same.

My 3GS is fine. Maybe try a Restore??

Mine still does the above after several restores.

It's a trick to make you upgrade.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYJDBKbLh8I - won't let me embed. merh.

people like to hate just 'cause apparently

Kinda link your trolling in the Desire thread, right?

Anyway, i can do the s*** you can do with your iphone aswell. I can access and play media from my pc as long as i'm in range of my wifi network. f*** i can even remotePC into my home computer with my desire.

Your point is s***, just like the "it just works" argument.

somebody on page 1 of this thread said the antenna is better than 3GS, because it was said on QGL, it must be true

my 3gs has turned to s*** since ios4 came out.

locks up at least once a week and 3-4 times a week the UI lags so bad it is easier to just turn it off and reboot it than to wait for it to catch up.

absolute rubbish, but i guess it just works.. oh wait a second.. it doesn't

+1

also I've noticed it takes a lot longer to load the camera which is gay when your eager to capture a spontaneous moment.

^ Like a moneyshot?

no problems on my 3gs

My 3g non-s runs heaps slower after the ios4 upgrade, and you dont realy get any of the benefits, WOW app folders in exchange for the whole phone running slow.

Realy need to downgrade, but couldnt be arsed.

iphones are for noobs. "hey look, our phone is so easy to use because there is only one way to use it!!!!!one!1"

iphones are for noobs. "hey look, our phone is so easy to use because there is only one way to use it!!!!!one!1"

How else would you use a phone? What do you mean by this statement? Or are you just doing the "LOL iPhone sheeple :rolleyes:" thing based purely on the fact that lots of people own iPhones, and you don't really have any qualms over the usability/design of the device itself?

No, they are asking for US$100 extra between the 16GB and 32GB phones. So they are making an extra $73, minus of course the manufacturing, marketing and sales costs for having an additional skew.

Here you go: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitalism

Irrelevant, my point was it is lame to have multiple phones based on memory. Your point seems to be that it's the best way for Apple to squeeze money out of people. Whether it's a good business decision or not is irrelevant.

You didn't answer the question. I'm honestly curious how you make the claim "snub industry standards" and "take an aggressively anti-competitive stance".

Feeding the reality distortion field will only make it stronger!

Hey guys, Apple made an AA battery charger. It's magical and revolutionary. I'm a believer.

Irrelevant, my point was it is lame to have multiple phones based on memory

The lame part is that its a complete gamble. Do I need 16GB or 32GB? You better guess right, cos you are stuck with whatever you choose.

Irrelevant, my point was it is lame to have multiple phones based on memory. Your point seems to be that it's the best way for Apple to squeeze money out of people. Whether it's a good business decision or not is irrelevant.

I would have agreed until this morning when I was talking to a friend who's keen to buy his first iPhone - he isn't rolling in money so he really likes the fact that he has the choice to get a "free" 8gig handset on the 49 optus plan, compared to having to fork out extra for a bigger phone.

The lame part is that its a complete gamble. Do I need 16GB or 32GB? You better guess right, cos you are stuck with whatever you choose.

Unless you're traveling without a laptop, I don't see the problem with this at all. The point of the iPhone is that it's integrated with iTunes, so even if you only get an 8gig phone with -shock horror- no "removable memory", you can easily change whatever it is on your phone. So essentially you only have 8gig of storage on your phone, but this is interchangeable with anything on your syncing computer.

Edit: Maybe I'm old fashioned or weird, but I don't like the idea of having to carry around multiple SD cards; I much prefer to have everything in the device so when I'm on the go, that's all I need to remember. Surely I'm not the only one who has taken a digital camera somewhere only to realise that the SD card wasn't in it?

3's pricing - competitive with Optus: http://www.three.com.au/iphone4

http://trog.qgl.org/up/iPhoneThreePlan1.png
and
http://trog.qgl.org/up/iPhoneThreePlan2.png

No idea what the point of that second table is - everything seems worse than the first table.

Also, that "bonus data" is "for use in 3’s Broadband Zone."

Voda's announced it's plans and it's, shock horror, identical to 3's :p

http://www.vodafone.com.au/personal/iphone/pricing/index.htm?pid=v:pers:home:r2tab1-1:btn1:iphone-4-16gb

http://trog.qgl.org/up/dev_008248.png

well that PNG doesn't look good on a blue background....

Billy it looks like the second table is for iPhone plans specifically and the first table is their generic caps on other handsets. Obviously because you have an Apple product, everything is more expensive.

Billy it looks like the second table is for iPhone plans specifically and the first table is their generic caps on other handsets. Obviously because you have an Apple product, everything is more expensive.

Nope that's not it - both those tables are for iPhone 4... quite strange.

I spoke to telstra last night and i'm good to go. Seems you can get a new telstra plan on telstra with 3 months to go on your 24 month plan. Regardless of that my 24 month ends this Monday, and a $79 cap is going to save me a lot of money.

So now the only decision to be made is whether to queue at midnight with the retards or get up early on the Friday morning and come in to the city to pick them up.

Just ordered my bodyguardz from scratchproofcovers.com.au Hopefully it'll arrive on Friday so I can put it on straight away and let it dry over the weekend, then enjoy my new phone(s) on the Monday bank holiday!

my gf signed us up to go to the midnight launch at optus store tomorrow night, i was like WTF? ! but hey i get a new phone so ... i'll go. should be good for a laugh. HAS TO BE!

Mate is a 2IC at the Queens Plaza store and suggested rocking up about 9PM Thursday night for the midnight launch and he suggests they might be sold out by about 5AM. Must say, I'd rather just go in at lunch time Friday but pretty sure they'll all be gone by then...

surely he could put one away for ya if he is the 2IC? or isn't he a good mate :p

Nah said he couldn't do it. The whole getting-one-held thing is pretty random across stores. Some do (lucky bastards), some don't.

Just got an email from optus, im about 14 months into 24 month contract, apparently I can upgrade for $420 and its a cheaper and heaps better plan, but dunno about $420.

I do get to keep my old phone though, but its a 3g, not S, so dunno if its worth anything.

Irrelevant, my point was it is lame to have multiple phones based on memory. Your point seems to be that it's the best way for Apple to squeeze money out of people. Whether it's a good business decision or not is irrelevant.

You think Apple is the only company to do this? Pretty much all computer manufacturers do this, all music player manufacturers do it (and thats where this is coming from, its really saying 16 or 32GB iPod). Hell, pretty much every industry does it, "do you want fries with that". I'm glad they squeeze on something that didn't change the functionality of the phone in any way, then doing something like "pay an extra 50$ for a camera".

Feeding the reality distortion field will only make it stronger!

Again, back up your claims :) Otherwise I'll assume you have nothing to back up your claims and I'll stop bugging you about it :)

The reason I haven't listed them is because they are all well known gripes like no micro-USB, no micro SD, the removal of third party apps that "duplicate existing functionality" and itunes, f***ing itunes.

Don't listen to deadlyf, iTunes, I still <3 you.

The reason I haven't listed them is because they are all well known gripes like no micro-USB

I would argue the dock connector is way more ubiquitous than micro-USB, with over 260 million ipods sold, + the stupid amount of accessories that have been made, +iphone and ipad sales, I would say thats way more than micro-USB (especially when you take into account mini-USB).

no micro SD

I'd agree with that, until you take into account that on Android a lot of things only work on the internal flash memory. Makes the SD capabilities a bit useless unless your doing hardcode video/audio. Good feature on paper, less useful in actual use.

the removal of third party apps that "duplicate existing functionality"

I think that its fine to say that (although in the past they have been a bit over-zealous about it). They are getting better now though. But it means theres a bit less crap on the appstore. Doesn't mean developers can't just stick it up online o/s and let people download it, it just means they can't sell it via the appstore.

and itunes, f***ing itunes.

Each to their own, and there are alternatives.

Unless you're traveling without a laptop

Given iPhone has to be tied to one specific instance of iTunes, I think you mean "Uunless you're travelling with your primary computer that has iTunes on it and all your music" - which for many of us on AusGamers I would guess is pretty unusual: we all have beefy desktop PCs.

Even if we accept your premise, its still an inconvenient half-solution to a problem that shouldn't exist.

Nathan, I agree that you shouldn't have to carry around a laptop just in case you want to sync your mobile device, but what about my point about SD cards really only being useful when you're away from your computer for long periods of time?

Nathan, I agree that you shouldn't have to carry around a laptop just in case you want to sync your mobile device, but what about my point about SD cards really only being useful when you're away from your computer for long periods of time?

You could theoretically use multiple SD cards, but I doubt many people do. I'm not suggesting anyone should.

If you buy a 16GB iPhone and later find, oh I need 32GB of space - there's nothing you can do, you just have to put up with a device that doesnt fit your needs. On a phone that uses MicroSD cards, you can just replace the 16GB card with a 32GB card.

Yep fair enough. And there certainly have been times when I've wanted to chuck a stack of TV shows and movies onto my iPhone but couldn't because of space issues.

and the fact you'd have to convert them to itunes/ipod/iphone/iwhatever standard i.e. mp4 and not just chuck on teh .avi or .mkv file :/

Looks like this will seal the deal on me going with Telstra. 500meg plans up from 200 if you sign up before November 1.

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2010/07/telstra-boosts-data-allowance-for-iphone-4-iphone-3gs-htc-desire-nokia-n97/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GizmodoAustralia+%28Gizmodo+Australia%29

Gonna go down to the Queens Plaza store on my lunch break and check out if there's any line yet... I hope there isn't cause I plan on rocking up about 9PM.

The morons have already started lining up in Sydney....

http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/iphone/masterchefs-plate-up-for-iphone-4-fanatics-as-the-wait-begins-20100729-10wqw.html?autostart=1

Sam Dunster, 19, an IT admin and computer science student from Minamurra near Kiama, was the first in line. He has been waiting outside the Telstra shop since 2am.

"I came early because I thought there would be more of a queue but no one's turned up yet," Dunster said this morning about 9am.

Dunster also lined up for the iPad and was in San Francisco for the unveiling of the iPhone 4 at Apple's World Wide Developer conference earlier this year. Dunster, who makes apps, is on a student developer scholarship from the Apple University Consortium and Apple paid for his flights to San Francisco and gave him a free MacBook Pro

Today, Dunster brought a power brick and an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to keep his gadgets juiced up during the 24 hour wait.

He said the iPhone 4's antenna woes, which cause reception to drop when the phone is held in a certain way, concerned him "but I think Apple has some pretty solid evidence that the same thing happens to other phones".

"The issue was more that Apple didn't educate users and ignored the problem," he said..

"but I think Apple has some pretty solid evidence that the same thing happens to other phones".

Jesus christ, apple fanboys are strange folk.

maybe the power brick he bought is powering his very own jobsian reality distortion field

That article is bulls***. There's no one queued up outside of apple on George street, and still only one guy out front of the main telstra store on george. When I read this article earlier it nearly had me cancel my dinner and movie plans, but seeing as there's no queue now I think I'll be back at midnight.

hi guys, i will post from the optus midnight launch - let you know how it goes.

hi guys, i will post from the optus midnight launch - let you know how it goes.

You mean if you get a network reception don't you?

^oath

reception is fine, i never have to leave inner city, im not some pleb that lives in the forest in indro or something.

See Telstra has offered more data on their plans now - http://exchange.telstra.com.au/2010/07/29/serving-up-more-data-you-can-use/

Telstra Plan Included data

$49 Consumer Next G Cap Plan 500MB (up from 200MB)
$79 Consumer Next G Cap Plan 1GB (up from 500MB)
$99 Consumer Next G Cap Plan 1GB (up from 500MB)
$129 Consumer Next G Cap Plan 6GB (up from 1GB)
$55 Ultimate II Plan 500MB (up from 200MB)
$85 Ultimate II Plan 1GB (up from 500MB)
$110 Ultimate II Plan 1GB (up from 500MB)
$150 Ultimate II Plan 6GB (up from 1GB)

"but I think Apple has some pretty solid evidence that the same thing happens to other phones".



Jesus christ, apple fanboys are strange folk.

Crak - they have videos demonstrating that the same thing happens with some other phones. It's a pretty well established design flaw in any mobile that has a certain sort of antenna. I'd say it's a shame that Apple didn't avoid it, but I'm skeptical of how many genuine problems this causes in reality.

lol at billy trying to defend apple in such a diplomatic manner. "oh look yes the iphone has reception issues BUT SO DOES OTHER PHONES but i'm so proud of apple for finding the issue".

apple fanboys have such a way with life

You should note that is a temporary increase Heards

The 'offer' period is limited, but the increase is for the duration of the 24 month contract.

Bonus data offer available 30 July-1 November 2010 unless extended by Telstra. Offer available to new or re-contracting customers who purchase an iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, HTC Desire or Nokia N97 mini on a Next G™ Cap Plan or Ultimate II Plan ($55 or above) for 24 months. Offer not available on Business Plans. Offer only applies to data included on customer’s plan and to additional data purchased at time of connection. Unused data expires each month. Usage excludes content and international roaming charges. Bonus data allowance applies for the full term of the customer's eligible contract plan. If the customer's eligible contract plan is cancelled, the bonus offer will cease to apply.

You should note that is a temporary increase Heards

It's for the duration of the contract afaik, not a temporary increase.

The opportunity to get the increased data plans is temporary unless extended but the increased data allowance lasts for the full twenty four months of the contract, so it's hardly temporary.

Access to sign up for any plan only lasts as long as any company is offering it, in this case telstra plan to allow you to sign up for it through to November.

How good

I must have misread it

f***. All that typing on my phone for nothing.

haha :p

Mmm, I got a letter from Optus saying they'd pay out a heap of my contract if I upgraded to an iPhone 4 on their new $59 cap with 2GB of data and free social networking (ATM I'm on a $49 cap with 500mb of data and free unlimited youtube and social networking). I'm thinking about doing it and giving the iPhone to the missus who is on Telstra, anyone know if Optus are locking their phones? My old iPhone through them wasn't and they won't answer me on Twitter.

lol at billy trying to defend apple in such a diplomatic manner. "oh look yes the iphone has reception issues BUT SO DOES OTHER PHONES but i'm so proud of apple for finding the issue".

apple fanboys have such a way with life

Logic. I'm a defender of logic. You're suggesting I committed the logical fallacy known as "tu quoque", which I was careful to avoid. I was merely responding to someone's comment. Given that the "problem" exists in other mobiles and no one has ever heard about it, and that millions of iPhone 4s have been sold and there is no hard data on the issue (that I know of), I think the most appropriate stance on the issue is one of skepticism.
http://www.reallifecomics.com/comics/2010/20100722_2494.png
http://www.reallifecomics.com/archive/100722.html

anyone know if Optus are locking their phones?

Yes they do and it's free if you're on a contract. Call them up with your fancy phone code (IME?) and they'll do it over the phone.

whoops!

http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/iphone/iphone-4-on-sale-early-as-store-jumps-the-gun-20100729-10xfd.html

I know ALOT of people that were on the fence, the increase to 500mb now seals the deal. Enjoy using your 2gig on optus.

Anyone worrying about the Death Grip doesn't need to, at least on Telstra. I just tried it for a couple of minutes and couldn't drop even one bar (it was maxed out).

And by the way, the screen is insanely hi-resolution. Much better than the few AMOLED Android phones I've seen myself. On the Nexus One specifically, I can see the diagonal-ish pixel grid, whereas I can barely see any pixels on this.

Wish I could end my current contract and get 4g tomorrow.. ugh

gonna get one on (omg) Telstra for the mrs

Correction: I did manage to drop a bar or two in a few places :P

The camera on this is quite capable at night. No problems downing 30fps 720p at night with only sparse street lamps.

iphone hater posting itt

and that millions of iPhone 4s have been sold and there is no hard data on the issue (that I know of), I think the most appropriate stance on the issue is one of skepticism

the reason so many iphones have sold is a) pretty good marketing strategy, and b) people like YOU who want to lick steve jobs' a-hole. and what do you mean "hard data"? the hard data is the evidence of reception dropping.

there is a huge difference btn android and iphone users. android users are like "omg this is sooo kewl kekeke" whereas apple fanbois are like "omg bow to steve jobs this phone is the BESTEST PHONE IN THE WORLD" and you actually accept the fact that apple's "great design" locks the phone down so you can't customise it. you can't just chop and change a battery. how f***ing pointless is that?

3dee seems okay tho, doesn't act like a hardcore fanboi but im sure he is :p

3dee were/are u friends with.. actually i can't remember his name, but he used to play cs pretty hardcore. this was an asian guy, i think u lanned with him

iPhone 4 wins at media coverage, no contest

No I'm a fanboy. But I do actually know what I'm buying. This whole notion that everyone is just under some spell is so overdone. I'm sure many are, but I at least know that I specifically have chosen the iPhone over its alternatives because of many reasons that are subjective to me, disregarding the millions of other people who buy these over other smartphones.

To me, feature lists aren't everything, the "user experience" on the iPhone is really unparalleled.

last edited by 3dee at 08:21:32 30/Jul/10

Anyone worrying about the Death Grip doesn't need to, at least on Telstra. I just tried it for a couple of minutes and couldn't drop even one bar (it was maxed out).

And by the way, the screen is insanely hi-resolution. Much better than the few AMOLED Android phones I've seen myself. On the Nexus One specifically, I can see the diagonal-ish pixel grid, whereas I can barely see any pixels on this.

Cool, that's good. Did you get a free bumper with it?

the "user experience" on the iPhone is really unparalleled.

Having using iPhone and Android for similar periods of time, the iPhone UI is marginally better. Claiming its unparalleled is ridiculous given the Android UI at its core is an unashamed copy of Apple's.

Claiming its unparalleled is ridiculous given the Android UI at its core is an unashamed copy of Apple's.

Well, you're right. I should have said its consistency is unparalleled. The Android UI is quite nice, it just (for me) lacks the overall polish of the iPhone's.

Did you get a free bumper with it?

Apple hasn't released it yet, but I believe you redeem your free case (one of seven different cases) via an app.

Well, you're right. I should have said its consistency is unparalleled. The Android UI is quite nice, it just (for me) lacks the overall polish of the iPhone's.

I guess I object to your use of the word unparalleled ("without equal"). Without a doubt, the iPhone UI overall has more polish - the most obvious being the graphical transitions when rotating the phone, starting an application, stuff like that. Conversely, it also has some rough edges - Apple still haven't put any thought into notification handling, for example.

I suppose in strict terms, being best at anything - even if its only slightly better - makes it unparalleled but to me that's not the standard usage.

and what do you mean "hard data"? the hard data is the evidence of reception dropping.

Well you can't have it both ways - if your "hard data" is simply bars dropping on the phone, then you should be agreeing with me that there are other phones that do the same thing. This is not an argument for "then it's ok for Apple to have the antenna fault too", but your original comment was in reply to a factual statement by me simply saying that this isn't a problem specific to iPhone 4.

Yes bars drop for some people if they hold the phone in a certain way, but aside from showing less bars on a screen, does this actually do anything? I have heard that some people "drop calls", but I'm skeptical that this happens often enough (read: it happens more than once or twice to a tiny minority of users) to be an issue. I'd like to know how many people this actually effects in terms of dropped calls, or loss of reception altogether. That's the data I'd like to see.

and you actually accept the fact that apple's "great design" locks the phone down so you can't customise it. you can't just chop and change a battery. how f***ing pointless is that?

Well, when there's a thread about iPhones and mostly iPhone users are involved, they are going to talk about the good features of the phone. This is no different to the Android thread where everyone was spooging about being able to change icons and do this and that. When you say I "accept the fact that...", you're assuming that there aren't things that bother iPhone users, just because you only hear us writing about the good things. Some uncustomisable things are indeed frustrating, like not being able to put notifications on the lock screen is still a feature I can't believe they don't have.

As for "accepting the fact that apple's "great design" locks the phone down", I think you fail to see that this is actually appealing for some people. iPhone is simple. It's fun and nice to use, it looks like sex, and it's simple. I like the fact that it's "locked down" because it makes for a better experience. You might not understand this, but I guess it's probably how you feel about being able to "customise" your Android phone.

With regard to not being able to change the battery, I understand why some people that use mobiles might want to do this, but never in the 10 years of owning a mobile phone (8 years of which I had phones with removable batteries) have I ever owned a second battery, or felt the need to carry around a second battery with me. Carrying around a second battery just seems really really bizarre to me, unless you're going on a massive road trip where you're not going to see any electricity sockets for days on end.

What's interesting is that the Android fanboys like iTom like to go on about how "free" and "open" and "customisable" Android phones are, but then they don't like people choosing a different phone if they prefer.

I like the fact that it's "locked down" because it makes for a better experience.

No it doesnt. Explain how giving me the option to download a replacement homescreen will make your own experience worse.

It is entirely possible to provide a simple, appealing interface while still allowing power users to customize to their heart's content. Apple simply choose not to for commercial reasons.

You mean background? You can do that on the iphone

You mean background? You can do that on the iphone

No I mean the actual software that is used to display the homescreens. The homescreen is an application like any other, you just dont have the ability to replace it on iPhone.

That's the frustrating thing about iPhone, its only Apple's greed that prevents it from being the perfect phone for ALL users; yet conversely in so doing they've created a market for Android where there otherwise would not have been one. I guess only time will tell if it was the right choice long-term.

What's interesting is that the Android fanboys like iTom like to go on about how "free" and "open" and "customisable" Android phones are, but then they don't like people choosing a different phone if they prefer.

+1
Haters gotta hate.



I've resisted upgrading my 3G with every fibre in my body. Still holding out for a white 4G :/

The only thing I can't customise that I want to, is the friggen message tones. How hard does it have to be to let us do that without jailbreaking. Right now I'd have the bell from Red Dead Redemption as my message tone, but I'm stuck with the crap generic ones.

I like the fact that it's "locked down" because it makes for a better experience.

No it doesnt. Explain how giving me the option to download a replacement homescreen will make your own experience worse.

It is entirely possible to provide a simple, appealing interface while still allowing power users to customize to their heart's content. Apple simply choose not to for commercial reasons.

Well I guess I was talking from my jailbreaking experiences - I would constantly screw something up and have to restore/re-jailbreak because I'm not very tech savvy. Sure, this might not be an issue in Android, and might not be with Apple if they let you do it out of the box.

I'm not sure the iPhone is targeted to "power users"... and I'd argue that it's really "power users" who have the most gripes about the iPhone.

With regard to not being able to change the battery, I understand why some people that use mobiles might want to do this, but never in the 10 years of owning a mobile phone (8 years of which I had phones with removable batteries) have I ever owned a second battery, or felt the need to carry around a second battery with me. Carrying around a second battery just seems really really bizarre to me, unless you're going on a massive road trip where you're not going to see any electricity sockets for days on end.

that's because batteries would last 5+ days, not almost 2 days.

the main things that apple lock down are indeed the main ones. eg message tone. whoop de do if they don't let you customise some thing u wouldn't use even twice a year... but message tone? seriously. massive greed

we have widgets, suckerssssss!

The reason batteries suck nowadays is because people are actually using their smartphones now.

People who don't use their iPhones all day get way better battery life. Most smartphones don't have a much better battery that the iPhone.

I believe this was already posted in this actual thread.

Yeah well it needed it again didn't it.

People who don't use their iPhones all day get way better battery life. Most smartphones don't have a much better battery that the iPhone.

I was in NZ recently, and with 3G switched off , no push notifications, and no net browsing, the battery easily lasted 5 days. It's called being on "standby" :) But I think iTom's point, as muddled as he's making it, was that, given the amount the battery gets hammered it sucks that you can't change it manually. Of course, this ignores the fact that if you get a full day's charge and you don't live on the street where there are no electricity sockets, you don't need a second battery, ever. (Not to mention that carrying around an entire charger or just an iPod cable is *almost* as easy as carrying around a spare battery if you're a complete noob and can't remember to plug in your phone when the battery is low while you're at home.)

I'm not sure the iPhone is targeted to "power users"... and I'd argue that it's really "power users" who have the most gripes about the iPhone.

Agreed. For non-technical people there is little reason to not get an iPhone - carrier subsidies eliminate the price difference you would normally see with Apple hardware, and with that taken out of the equation for your normal non-technical person the iPhone is an easy choice. Well, assuming they want/need a smartphone in the first place.

Nathan is essentially saying anyone with an iPhone is a complete noob, which I wholeheartedly agree with

Because I'm a newb? Being a programmer, web developer, graphic artist and more?

Nathan is essentially saying anyone with an iPhone is a complete noob, which I wholeheartedly agree with

Hahaha, blanket statements like this dumb down the discussion, but I respect your right to be wrong.

If I were making a choice between iPhone 4 and the current Android handsets it'd be a tough call and it could go either way these days. The Samsung Galaxy S looks nice and is a more open platform. A while ago when I got the iPhone 3gs the smart phone competitors weren't there yet - Nokia wasn't interesting, I wasn't after a Blackberry and Android was still working through a maturity phase.

iTom's Android must be emitting a high level of smug

If I were making a choice between iPhone 4 and the current Android handsets it'd be a tough call and it could go either way these days. The Samsung Galaxy S looks nice and is a more open platform.

If I didn't already own an iPhone and use iTunes, it'd be a very hard decision.

I'm not sure the iPhone is targeted to "power users"... and I'd argue that it's really "power users" who have the most gripes about the iPhone.

This basically sums it up for the most part. The problem is when a power user complains about a lack of functionality and an iphone user then feels the need to defend or make excuses instead of simply admitting that it's true but it doesn't bother them because they don't need that kind of feature or ability personally.

iphone is a great toy and I can easily see why people prefer them over something like the HTC desire which IMO is an ugly and clunky piece of s*** at first glance. Sure it can do more than the iphone but when you are in a store and playing around with the phones the iphone just seems to be a much better phone on the surface which is as far as most people will look.

If I didn't already own an iPhone and use iTunes, it'd be a very hard decision.

well, when you upgrade, you might as well go android because doubletwist is a fine piece of software that syncs itunz with your android

Will it sync the apps that I've spent money on? Will it keep my Android preferences the same as my iPhone preferences? Sounds like a downgrade :p

it won't sync the apps you've already spent money on. think of it as your lesson learned

Android User seem worse worse than iphone users, with the smug "its ok if your not smart enough to use android and its awesome features, the toy iphone is probably all you can handle"

You know why so many peoplse use the iphone, because its the best smartphone out at the moment.

Sure the HTC android phones are cathching, and no doubt can do most things you can do on the iphone, and no doubt even some more, but its about the overall package.

Replacable battery doesnt matter, who the f*** carries around a spare phone battery? And Ive never owned a phone long enough to need to replace the battery, and even so, seeing as the iphone haters are so smart, they would probably be able to use one of the many aftermarket kits you can buy on the net to replace the battery, and given that its a once in 3 year thing, which at most you would do once, is it even an issue?

Upgradable memory seems like good idea, but why not just get the 32gb model straight up? Also, what the hell are you storing on your phone that you need more than 16gb anyway? cant say ive ever had a problem with 16gb storage.

Having to convert videos to play, who cares, use handbrake, its pretty damm easy to do, and I had to convert videos to go onto my N95 anyway, one to make them smaller and second so they would play in the divx player properly.

The problem with the android phones is that there are too many models with different features etc. Iphone has one model with different memory sizes.

The Samsung Galaxy S looks nice and is a more open platform

yer just placed my order for one of these

You know why so many peoplse use the iphone, because its the best smartphone out at the moment.

I love how you follow this with an explanation of why iPhone arguably not the best.

Also we've discussed this adhoc in other threads - but to summarise: on every metric you can think of, Blackberry is the most popular smartphone.

iPhone is the most popular smartphone with a touchscreen and and app store, but that's a two horse race between iPhone and Android in which Android was not even a realistic competitor until v2.0 released late last year.

Upgradable memory seems like good idea, but why not just get the 32gb model straight up?

Should I go back in time and buy an iPhone 3G with 32GB? Will you do the same when I upgrade to a MicroSD with 64GB next year?

What if I never use the full 32GB? The difference between a 16GB and 32GB SD card is $50. On Telstra iPhone4 plans, its at least $150 the difference between the two models.

Also, what the hell are you storing on your phone that you need more than 16gb anyway? cant say ive ever had a problem with 16gb storage.

Since Android phone acts a USB disk, whatever the hell I want. I suppose when you are stuck loading a limited set of compatible music and video files via iTunes, that its too much effort to load a lot of data on there.

The problem with the android phones is that there are too many models with different features etc.

Insert car analogy here.

Nathan is essentially saying anyone with an iPhone is a complete noob

No, I'm just saying that "noobs" (non-techies) have no reason to not get an iPhone. Certainly there are a lot of techies with iPhones too, but its hard to say how much of that is due to Apple being first-to-market given the market is prone to lockin (both in terms of telco contracts and purchased applications)

I mean if you bought a phone, even just 12 months ago (when 3GS came out) the Android alternatives were still poor at that time.

Also we've discussed this adhoc in other threads - but to summarise: on every metric you can think of, Blackberry is the most popular smartphone.

But theres a big caveat there, its only popular because its been a business standard for many years before the iphone, and business is slow to change. They would have policy and procedure and servers etc in for blackberrys so why change.

the other problem is that you can do too much on the iphone, and you cant lock it down through a central server, like BES.

Its like saying bigpond is the best ISP because they have the most users.

Its like saying bigpond is the best ISP because they have the most users.

Well yes that was my point, but didn't you just say iPhone was the best because it has the most users?

Well yes that was my point, but didn't you just say iPhone was the best because it has the most users?

I didnt say it had the most users, but you'd have to agree that the iphone is more, i'm not sure what the best word is, more popular? as in you dont see people talking about blackberry in the same way as they talk about the iphone.

Eg, if you asked most people what phone they would prefer, a blackberry or an iphone, im pretty sure most people would say an iphone.

`VIPER` "consumer smartphone"?

`VIPER` "consumer smartphone"?

well yeah, but saying that the iphone is far superior to any blackberry ive used for doing business type things, so I would say its a better business phone too, and most people would prefer a iphone over a blackberry for business use, its just that in alot of companys that blackberry is the standard platform.

326 PPI is awesome.

http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/9389/img0015q.jpg

I bought an iPhone 4 today and 3 of us at work tried the whole "death grip" thing and managed to make it drop one bar after holding it cupped in two hands around every edge.

So far the reception has been fantastic on telstra

just thought Id share that

how did you go with holding it only on the one edge? The bottom left amirite?

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7wd12zq5Tos/SsPZ0fqTVUI/AAAAAAAABZk/0U1JB8HU_pM/s400/Freemason.jpg

Coincidence with the App store icon pictured above? I THINK NOT!

how did you go with holding it only on the one edge? The bottom left amirite?

Just tried it then. Held it for 2 mins (very awkwardly I may add) and it didnt drop a bar. It was already on 4 bars and it didnt change.

wtf 3dee. that is gorgeous. ahh September...

Why september?

Lock screen = rad.

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/1003/img0005vq.th.jpg

I bought an iPhone 4 today and 3 of us at work tried the whole "death grip" thing and managed to make it drop one bar after holding it cupped in two hands around every edge.

My desire loses intertoobs depending how I cup it whilst sitting on the can splashing for cash.

Lock screen = rad.

What a waste of space.

http://nathanosullivan.com/android-lockscreen.png

nathan, did you root your device to get that or is that android 1.6 or?

326 PPI is awesome.

looks really nice tbh. but ur missin out on widgets!

last edited by iTOM at 08:27:14 31/Jul/10

nathan, did you root your device to get that or is that android 1.6 or?

Its called "WidgetLocker" on the marketplace, costs $1.99 and doesn't require root. I'm running 2.2, but it works on 2.1 as well. As you might guess from the name, its a replacement lockscreen that lets you stick any of your installed widgets on the lockscreen.

The messages widget is from the "Handcent SMS" application - the up/down arrow actually work right on the lockscreen which is great, can quickly flick through messages. The time+date widget and weather widget are from the stock install. The fish in the background are from the animated "Aquarium Live Wallpaper" application.

looks really nice tbh

Yeh definitely, LG did a great job on the iPhone screen. From what I've read the Android 2.x series simply doesn't support higher than 800x480 which is why we haven't seen any movement in resolution on Android phones. Android 3.0 is expected to address this in October with support for 1280x720 displays. I suppose we'll start seeing actual hardware ship early next year.

Thanks Nathan, I'll check it out. Handcent is great - there's nothing better than the 'quick reply' ability (for others, it pops up the sms to reply while your phone is locked).

Edit: Along with other functionality too.

So I've received two calls on my 4g (it's been off for 24 hours while the bodyguardz dries) and the first call dropped out after barely two minutes. I looked at my hand and I was holding it with my right hand fingers gripping across the left gap.

Nathan, are you aware of an app that replaces the Android 2.1 'slide down' unlock function (apart from Lock 2.0)? It's quite frustrating that it can unlock itself.

edit: I guess there is no point to a thin phone when you need a bumper :<

edit2: Don't worry - Widgetlocker does what I need :)

last edited by iTOM at 08:50:19 31/Jul/10

Nathan, are you aware of an app that replaces the Android 2.1 'slide down' unlock function (apart from Lock 2.0)?

I think perhaps you're referring to some part of HTC's Sense UI? I dont have a Desire. As far as I can tell, I do not see any way with WidgetLocker to slide down to unlock.

Sorry - I got confused. I hate the slide down ><

So I've received two calls on my 4g (it's been off for 24 hours while the bodyguardz dries) and the first call dropped out after barely two minutes. I looked at my hand and I was holding it with my right hand fingers gripping across the left gap.

Ah oh that't not good :/ This is what I was worrying about the new iPhone...... Is it a consistent thing? Or maybe you're in a bad reception area?. Cause I'm need to decide what I need to get for my mum soon...

I've never had problems sitting at my PC and talking on my phone (3g) before, which is where it happened.

When looking at it now (sitting at my desk where I got the dropped call) it has 3 bars when held up or on my desk and and 2 bars when on my desk near my speakers (out of 5). I'm pretty sure the 3G reported full bars in here always - no way to check now my old sim doesn't work.

I think perhaps you're referring to some part of HTC's Sense UI? I dont have a Desire. As far as I can tell, I do not see any way with WidgetLocker to slide down to unlock.

hmm, i found an option under look & feel > slider

How did you remove camera & the blank item opposite it from your lock screen?

Telstra messed up my data pack. They gave me the original 500MB pack instead of the 50% discounted 1GB. Heads be rollin'!

Lets get a few things straight the iPhone 4 is not leading the market in phone OS development the first version of android came out with folders and its taken iphone this long just to get that functionality in ios4. iPhone 4 still doesn't have widgets thats easily my favorite feature in my phone.

The only think Apple has going for it is its warranty imho. My HTC has been in the shop for over 1 1/2 months so i doubt ill be getting another one. Optus advised me they are going to credit me back the money i pay for each month the phone is getting repaired.

I was thinkin bout getting Apple iphone 4 but after seeing the antenna issues on youtube i aint going to now. Its important to consider when your buying a phone its not just about the OS but the manufacturer as well, i wont get another HTC but ill will probably get a Motorola as my old Razr has been a absolute life saver in the past 5 years when other newer phones are failing.

My HTC first had no bluetooth out of the box, took it back same day and got a replacement, within 6 months speaker had died, now its 12 months as wireless is dead. I'm lucky i got an extended warranty make sure you do the same if your getting HTC.

WOrked it out - change the slider layout. I've actually disabled the slider and now with 'easy wake' I press teh optical button twice and it unlocks my phone :D

Lets get a few things straight the iPhone 4 is not leading the market in phone OS development the first version of android came out with folders and its taken iphone this long just to get that functionality in ios4. iPhone 4 still doesn't have widgets thats easily my favorite feature in my phone.

I had folders on my 3g running pre 3.0 with an app (non store app don't give me the "but you had to jailbrakeeeeeeeeeee shouldn't neeed to" crap, I need to root my Android to have it do things I want also).

RE the HTC warranty, the new ones come with 24 months I believe. I'm not really happy with HTC either, if I get another android I'll be looking elsewhere.

I phoned Optus and they've stopped being dicks with their new plans and won't charge to tether.

Reasons I did not get a desire after trying it for 3 weeks

* From what I have read it is the only platform that does not require approval or testing to be published to the market place, leading to the crappy ad filled apps I saw

* Speakers were very tinny and rather staticy at large volumes

* Very difficult to read in daylight, which was really frustrating.

* Battery life was average, I did expect more

* My experiance setting up exchange was quite painful but eventually got there but had outgoing issues for a while that no one could solve.

* It was almost....TOO customizable, for me personally I couldnt give a s*** about half the customizations.

Just saying, while the iPhone 4 is not perfect, neither is the desire and Android

Apple doesn't let through information stealing "photo" apps to millions of users.

From what I have read it is the only platform that does not require approval or testing to be published to the market place, leading to the crappy ad filled apps I saw

this may be the case, but all the apps ive installed are recommended by forum users/websites, i don't just casually download random apps from the market place (as you probably don't download random exe files from the internet ;) )

Yes, but your PC has AV and firewall to warn you when any app starts doing stuff it shouldn't. A phone with untested apps is going to need the same as well. Damn, I may have just solved my own personal iPhone or HTC Desire dilemma.

Tried the death grip last night on the iPhone 4 and on Telstra you can see it happen in front of you so it's not all bs, whether ot not you get dropped calls is another thing. In two minds now.

How are you holding it ? As I said I only dropped 1 bar so I would like to try and replicate it

Apple doesn't let through information stealing "photo" apps to millions of users.

Was that sarcasm or are you forgetting that app that uploaded peoples photos to the interwebs for online storage and then proceeded to have a total lack of security so anyone could view your personal pics.

But yeah it's hard to really separate Android from HTC at the moment which is a shame since HTC is the worst phone manufacturer on the market. The Android platform on Motorolla and Sony phones doesn't get as much press because they aren't releasing a new version every 5 minutes which is probably what helps to contribute to them making quality devices. Before HTC started shipping with Android no one in their right mind would touch them.

Actually when you think about it Android fits well with HTC since a HTC phone has a life expectancy of about 6 months it coincides nicely with Android OS updates.

since HTC is the worst phone manufacturer on the market.

you don't know a lot about the HTC history.

remember O2? imate? other smart phones like that? that was all HTC

I still have a few old HTC phones here still going strong, there is nothing wrong with them at all.

last edited by Eds at 10:34:54 01/Aug/10

Apple doesn't let through information stealing "photo" apps to millions of users.

Apple reviewers are not magic, nor do they have any specific policy guarding your privacy? I'm not sure why you quoted "photo"; you are referring to one of many real applications that have hidden behaviour that can upload your information - ie, spyware. Often this is done under the guise of targetted advertising.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100728/ap_on_re_us/us_tec_techbit_apps_privacy

"Lookout found that nearly a quarter of the iPhone apps and almost half the Android apps contained software code that contained those capabilities."

A phone with untested apps is going to need the same as well.

Android is actually far better than your PC's anti-virus software and Apple's model, because during install it will tell you exactly what capabilities the software has. Does your wallpaper application want permission to read your SMS? Then dont install it.

Neither Apple nor Google have strict rules about what information applications can read from your phone that I know of, but at least on Android you are told exactly what each application has permission to do on your phone.

Tried the death grip last night on the iPhone 4 and on Telstra you can see it happen in front of you so it's not all bs, whether ot not you get dropped calls is another thing. In two minds now.

From what I've read its been well established overseas that the iphone4 "death grip" will reduce signal strength by 20dB; whether that actually causes problems depends on the signal strength in your location. If you have less than 4 bars, it will probably drop the call.

If you have less than 4 bars, it will probably drop the call.

Found this site quite interesting: http://www.metalev.org/2010/07/android-vs-iphone-4-signal-strength.html

Not sure how it works though... cause I often when I talk on my phone there are only one or two bars.

I downsized 1080p Star Trek to 960x400 (1:1 resolution) and the picture is pixel perfect and crystal clear. I can barely make out the details.

Will this antenna issue be fixed in the near future or are apple planning on selling these things as they are till iphone "5"???

since HTC is the worst phone manufacturer on the market.

I'd second this, atleast for the Desire. I'm loving the OS and whatnot but the phone is starting to give me the s***s. Crashes, takes ages to pickup wifi and 3G, headphone out is s***, loudspeaker is worse then my programmable casio calculator in school 15 years ago, can't view the screen outdoors etc etc.

How are you holding it ? As I said I only dropped 1 bar so I would like to try and replicate it

I was holding it with all 5 fingers just spread evenly around the phone and abit in my palm, hard to explain, how you normally would hold the phone :) I cupped it and even held it tight near the split area on the left hand side and I was watching the signal bars drop. You let it go and it starts to come back.

Thought I'd give a heads-up to those considering switching or re-contracting with Telstra.

IPHONE 4: Telstra bumping plans to 6GB

So basically you can swap out the data on the plan for a browsing pack of your choice and pay only 50% - great for those wanting to go on a lower priced cap, but get a much higher data cap for not much more.

I'm tempted myself, but I think I'll go for the $49 Business Cap Plan which has $400 worth of calls and text plus 200MB of data (extra 1Gb data free every month for length of contract if you sign up before August 31st!!!). The handset is $149 upfront for the 16GB iPhone 4 or $299 for the 32GB.

Charlie - that's pretty odd, I haven't had any of those problems with my desire? Hasn't crashed once, wifi turns on when I walk in the door at home, 3G turns on as soon as i touch the widget (maybe a half second delay), headphones have worked perfectly, loudspeaker works (it isn't great, but who the hell uses loudspeaker anyway) and my screen is viewable outdoors on max brightness, sure it's a bit reflective but if you can't view the screen outside at all you are doing it wrong.

anyway, the iPhone 4 sure is sexy, and I was looking at it too, but decided to try the android thing this time around!

Pretty sweet deal on data Mr.Bumpy, anyone know if the 50% off data is restricted to iPhones ?

Hrmm
I'm looking at getting a new phone, currently on a blackberry storm (work phone :E) but I'll be getting a new one soon! I get to pick whatever phone I want including the iphone 4.

So many good new phones now :O

How the hell could you juice 6gig in a month on an iPhone??

How the hell could you juice 6gig in a month on an iPhone??

People who tether...

Or you could just stream a lot of music / video

stupid question, but can't you buy the iphone 4 online with Telstra? I went to the site and couldn't see it, but I probably missed it.

No you can't, store only at the moment

How the hell could you juice 6gig in a month on an iPhone??

People who tether...

Given the speeds, I would have thought using 6gig is even a stretch when tethering regularly???

Or you could just stream a lot of music / video

That's a LOT of streaming, especially considering some sites like YouTube don't count... If streaming audio at 128kbps, my calculations (which could be wrong) work out that you need to stream almost 4 hours of audio per day seven days a week to hit 6gig... which seems strange, considering you'd be using an mp3 player to do it.

stupid question, but can't you buy the iphone 4 online with Telstra? I went to the site and couldn't see it, but I probably missed it.

Apparently if you buy online with Optus you get the first two months of the plan for free.

Yeah, and a crap network to boot

Given the speeds, I would have thought using 6gig is even a stretch when tethering regularly???

I was downloading tethered at around 280kb/s today ,easy to chew threw it :)

6GB on a laptop ain't hard.

I've seen 500KB/sec Tethered

You can chew THROUGH it

I was smashing over 5mbps on the train on my iPhone the other day on the SpeedTest app.

So yeah 3 hours Billy :)

s*** I just hit 2mbit up !

s*** I just hit 2mbit up !

Whoah, that's faster than my iPrimus Kahuna Plus ADSL2 connection, which maxes out at 512k upload.

I've seen 500KB/sec Tethered

I had my android wifi hotspot on and my mate used his iphone and speedtested at 1200kb/s, optus network!