The NEW iPhone 4S (16GB, 32GB, 64GB)
The iPhone 4S pricing is now available from all three major carriers (Telstra, Vodafone and Optus) and there’s one very clear message…iPhones will be everywhere.
We’ve made an iPhone 4S Plan Centre where you can compare all the price points and use our visualiser tool to graph out the different options. There’s still a lot of change to come as we’re expecting the carriers will all have to bring down their current iPhone 4 pricing for the original models.
So, what’s changed…
Even until last month, there were people that we spoke to who would say that iPhone was too expensive (especially potential Telstra customers). Since launching here, it has always been the premier device to beat, the top tier phone and it has always carried some prestige in the Australian market since day 1 (we did not ever have to suffer the iPhone 2G).
Fast forward to today.
There are now 7 iPhone models on the market and there will be over 200 price plan combinations when Virgin Mobile release their prices before Friday’s launch.
- iPhone 3GS plans currently start at $0 on $29 Caps
- iPhone 4S 16GB (new model) plans start at $44 / month
- iPhone 4S 32GB (new model) plans start at $49 / month
- iPhone 4S 64GB (new model) plans start at $54 / month
- iPhone 4 8GB (updated model) will be at $0 per month on $49 Caps (although Optus and Vodafone are still quiet on this, and Telstra has gone to $0 on $59 Cap. It has to be at this price or lower or there is no reason for having it in the range).
- iPhone 4 16GB original model will have price changes over the coming days and be cheaper (has to be)
- iPhone 4 32GB original model will have price changes over the coming days as well.
There’s no doubt the plans for both the new iPhone 4S 16GB and the 32GB are better priced than the models they supersede from all carriers. Optus and Vodafone have knocked off a few dollars per month in handset repayments on most iPhone 4S combinations, whereas Telstra has priced the new model far more aggressively than their pricing last week on the original iPhone 4 model. Telstra’s new iPhone 4S prices in particular are squarely aimed at taking the fight to Optus and Vodafone and the price points are far more competitive and evenly matched than before, even undercutting Optus on the iPhone 4S 16GB on the $59 Cap which has been one of the most popular and competitive price points.
Everyone?
The market is flooded with iPhone options, obviously a considered strategy to flank against cheaper Android devices which have been gobbled up by value conscious consumers.
However, the iPhone traded on prestige when it launched in 2008 and right up until this week it was still pretty expensive.
With so many price points, the iPhone is now within everyone’s reach and I’d say that the the iPhone is on it’s way to ‘mass-tige’ with an offering at every price point and is moving out of its prestige brand position. By keeping the iPhone 3GS in the range, Apple’s iPhones are more accessible now as they’re on entry level cheap plans right through the range, but will become less aspirational. This is a move that they had to make as every second week there is an article on the rise and rise of Android so this was a logical move.
All the current price points are at: http://www.whistleout.com.au/MobilePhones/iPhone-Plans and you can use tools like our visualiser to to compare the minutes and data in each iPhone and plan combination.
Compare plans with our visualiser tool