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.