iPhone 3G - why it may not be the best choice for some buyers

Apple won over a large number of fans overseas with the first generation iPhone and is on course to do the same in Australia with the iPhone 3G. However, there are a few reasons why it may not be the best choice for some buyers. Here are the areas in which it’s arguably inferior to competing phones:

2 megapixel camera
Going by its megapixel rating the iPhone’s camera is entry level standard. In comparison, Sony’s C905 camera phones feature an 8.1-megapixel sensor.

No Multimedia Message Service
Not being able to send a multimedia message is going to disappoint many users. MMS is a feature in both low-end and top-shelf phones from other companies.

No replaceable battery
Every other phone on the market has a replaceable battery.

No video recording
Despite being the ideal phone for showing video, the iPhone 3G doesn’t allow you to shoot video. In comparison the Nokias N93i enables the user to shoot up to 90 minutes of “DVD quality” video.

No voice dialling
Mobile phone users frequently find themselves behind the wheel of a car, where voice dialling is invaluable. Most other phones do voice dialling.

Australia’s iPhone Pricing Revealed

Optus announced its iPhone 3G service contract plans for Australian customers on Thursday, and like many other partners Apple has teamed with, it will impose 1GB wireless data network limits on customers. Packages start at AU$19 a month for 100MB of data, AU$0.47 per 30 seconds talk time, and $0.25 for each text message with a $50 voice and text credit.

You can also choose to go prepaid and pay up $729 for the black iPhone 8GB or $849 for the 16GB iPhone 3G. The pre-paid handsets can be unlocked for $80 and then used on any other mobile network.

Looks like all the prices are coming out from today. 1: they are expensive to buy prepay: $800 odd, 2: Telstra will launch with the others on July 11, 3: Data prices are horrific. On an Optus contract You can get an 8GB free if you sign up for 2 years on a $79 per month plan. Sadly the data rates are extortionate - crippled by a low limits. Even 1GB isn’t a lot when you have both 3G speeds and a decent mobile browser, and that costs $100.

Telstra and Apple to bring iPhone 3G to Australia on July 11

Telstra finally made the rumors official: The cell carrier signed a deal with Apple and will be bringing the iPhone 3G to Australia on July 11. Telstra’s subscriber base is up over nine million users, exposing the combination iPod and smartphone to even more potential customers.

Telstra and Apple today announced that the iPhone 3G will be available to Telstra’s Australian customers on July 11. iPhone 3G will be available from Telstra on July 11 with a range of specially designed Next G iPhone 3G plans that meet the needs of any customer. The Next G iPhone 3G plans start at $30 per month with an upfront cost of $279 for the 8GB model and $399 for the 16GB model. Customers will receive the 8GB iPhone 3G model at no cost with the $80 plan.