Wed 25 Jun 2008
As you may have already heard the new iPhone 3G is set to become available through Vodafone in New Zealand on July 11th.
The good news is, not only will it be faster at browsing the web it will also be significantly cheaper than the previous version. The iPhone 3G is priced at $199 in the US for the 8GB model and $299 for the 16GB model, which is about $259 and $397 NZ.
New features of the iPhone 3G include: fast 3G wireless technology, GPS mapping so you can find out where you are and how to get to where you want to be, and support for enterprise features like Microsoft Exchange. It will also make multi-tasking easier because you’ll be able to browse the web or check your emails while you are on a call.
The bad news is that the iPhone 3G will only be available on account, you will have to sign a long term contract to get one and contract prices are likely to be on the higher side.
You also won’t be able to get fast internet everywhere in New Zealand. According to Vodafone the fast 3G downloads will only be available in 19 New Zealand cities. In smaller towns and rural areas browsing the web will be at the much slower 2G speeds. A website that takes 20 seconds to load at 3G speeds will take about 1 minute at 2G speed.
To learn more about the iPhone 3G click here.
Update: The iPhone 3G contract pricing was announced on the 08/07. The plan with the largest ammount of data will cost $250 per month on a 24 month contract, but there is also a $130 per month plan and an $80 per month plan. For more details click here.