Hey guys, looking at taking the plunge and purchasing a 16GB iPhone. Before I say anything apologies if this has been covered already....

Anyway, heres a couple of questions that I am hoping you can help me answer:

• Which network has better coverage? Telstra's Next G I have heard is very good

• Which is better value? I would say that I like to use internet alot , therefore would like a decent amount of internet usage, probably a minimum of 1GB

.

• By unlocking the iPhone and buying the 3 sim card, will I be able to access all the 3 features, or are there some that are incompatible

These are the plans Im looking at so you can compare:
'Three' $69 cap = $650 call and text, 2GB internet usage + $300 credit over 24 months

Telstra $70 package = 170MB internet usage ($29 browsing pack +300MB), $50 call and text + $179 upfront

Obviously it seems the better value is with '3' but are there any cons that I should look out for in terms of coverage etc....or is '3' the obvious choice??

Cheers,
Daniel

Three coverage isn't stellar compared to Telstra. But if you stay in City/Metro areas you'll have decent coverage. Telstra will ream you on price but you get all that extra coverage, potentially better service also. Although, I have never really had a huge problem with Three's. Yes, it's an indian call centre, but for most things they've been helpful and easy to understand etc (common call centre complaints). They don't 'support' the iPhone though.

Despite 3's lack of support for the iPhone, all the info you require is available here on Mactalk.

With 3, you still get decent coverage in metro area but even in suburban area, you will still have good reception coz you will be roaming on telstra towers. But then if you wish to use 3G data then 3 might not be a good choice for you since telstra has faster data speed

I would say neither suits you.

A) Telstra will rape you over data charges, so they're unsuitable unless you want to pay a shitload.


B) 3 will rape you on roaming data charges if you go into a 2G area. I have a made on 3 and he's so nervous about that ltitle icon changing to a circle and getting charged $1.65 a meg or whatever it is that he's really not experiencing the mobile-data-freedom that the rest of us are.

Optus seem to have lost the plot and have been providing a generally appauling technical service. Add to this their fucking abhorent website with three different logins, their deaf NLSR and their astoundingly unhelpful and unaware phone staff and it's generally a pretty unpleasant experience.

It is, however, still preferable to the experience you'd get with 3 or Telstra for the money, IMHO.

While I've never experienced their services myself, I think Vodafone would be well worth a very serious look.


Oh, one last thing, Sign up for a plan you think will be too small for you. With Optus at least plan upgrades are free but downgrades are $120. I know for sure I could be on a cheaper plan but it's hardly worth it with the downgrade fee.

I was with 3 before i got my iphone and am now with telstra, 3's network coverage is SHITE! all that credit & data allowance means nothing if you get crap reception across half of melbourne and dont even talk about anywhere past 1hr out of melbourne, it gets worse which you might think is not possible, but it is! Re-assess your options, either go telstra, credit and internet allowance sucks but at least you know you have it, and maybe look at optus, there a step up from 3!

EDIT: woops you live in sydney, same still applies!

Correction, Telstra will ream you via 3 with roaming charges. The $1.65 is Telstra's fee, not 3's. People actually roam a lot less than you think you will. There's a thread which talks about people's first month on roaming - roaming fees of less than $5 were reported by most people.

$0.03 cents here.

Roaming 0.65c this month, down from $12+ on my old phone....

Thanks for the help guys, very much appreciated.

From what I can gather it seems the general concensus is that Telstra has greater network coverage, faster data speeds and better service, but that comes with the drawbacks of price (very expensive) as well as minimal data allowance for the price.

Is it fair to say that as a result of '3' not 'supporting' the iPhone that some features/aspects of the '3' network will not be available, or am I wrong? I suppose the only other option is vodafone which seems to be the middle ground......

Just a quick question....do you think it is better value to join Telstra on a cheaper plan and buy a data pack or am I better off buying the iPhone outright, unlocking it, and then join 3 on one of their plans?

Thanks again,
Daniel

Out of those two options, I'd go 3, Telstra are just too shit to contemplate.

But again - SERIOUSLY consider Vodafone, Virgin or Optus - all much better deals and have good coverage.

I have my iPhone on 3 and love it. Don't know why everyone bangs on about roaming charges. In the past two months my roaming charges have been under 70c a month.

I'm with Telstra - stellar reception everywhere.

I monitor my data usage closely, use wi-fi where possible - I make sure I stay under 150MB per month for $10.

If data monitoring turns out to be a real pain, I might upgrade to 300MB per month for $29 (FWIW, break even point is approx 190MB).

It really depends on your particular usage, and there is no real way of telling in advance what it'll be.

Thanks guys, I think I am going to go with a Telstra plan and upgrade to an extra 300MB of data per month...

Does anyone know the availability of 16GB iPhones?? I am in thinking of going to the T-life store in George St. (apple store is accross the road which is a bonus). I am just wondering whether its still the same scenario where you have to wait in line and get in early, or are they readily available at this stage?

Daniel

Telstra is the one place that always seems to have heaps of 16gb iphones, but you could always go into the Apple Store in George st and get one there on telstra.