KEY POINTS:
The consumer response to Vodafone's iPhone 3G pricing plans has been swift and brutal - but the company has defended the data costs.
In the nzherald.co.nz Your Views on the subject, many readers have been quick to criticise Vodafone's plans.
"I was really looking forward to
buying the new iPhone and so were many people in my office, but after looking at the pricing plans its not even a question of if we should buy it," wrote AS of Henderson.
"It's a total rip off by Vodafone. I had excepted that there will be a contract but not with these prices."
"iPhone pricing plan, what an absolute joke!" wrote DR from Ellerslie.
"The Vodafone execs have their heads so far up each others behinds they can't see the forest for the trees! Two to three times more expensive than other places around the world is an absolute laugh. It is not a surprise though has anyone tried to ring Vodafone customer service lately? If you have a problem don't bother just move to Telecom. The whole company has got some major problems."
There is even an petition against the pricing of the device online here. (Be warned, some of the language in the petition comments will be offensive to some readers).
Some readers of Geekzone forums are discussing a protest at Vodafone's stores at the launch at 12:01am on Friday.
But Vodafone spokeman Kursten Shalfoon says the data prices are sharp by New Zealand standards.
"The data plans are similar to 3G data prices that we already have in the market," he said. "And if you look at the 250MB plan, and all of its components, it's the cheapest plan in the market.
"It has the biggest subsidy of any of our plans - and it's a premium product with a lot of value."
To buy the phone outright costs $979 (8GB version) and $1129 (16GB), and it can then fit in with an existing account by adding a data plan. Despite some reports, it will not be possible to use the device prepaid on Vodafone's network.
Buying an iPhone on a two-year contract is possible on three different data plans, with the 250MB package costing $80 per month with the two versions priced at $549 and $699 respectively.
The most expensive monthly option comes with the lowest entry price - $199 for an 8GB iPhone, but a massive $250 per month with 1GB of data on a two-year plan.
Shalfoon believes that the massive hype of the 3G iteration of the phone has driven the angry response.
"There's quite a lot of emotion around it," he said, pointing out that many early-adopters forked out $1200 for first generation iPhones and then had to pay data charges on top of that.
Some nzherald.co.nz Your Views readers agreed that the response was not balanced: "Sounds more like the IMoan to me. If you don't like the bloody price don't buy it. Simple," wrote Tony from Tawai.
But Shalfoon says fulfilling demand will still be difficult, with the phone launching in most countries on Friday, led by New Zealand.
"The hype around this device is continuing to build and there is very limited stock," he said. "We're desperately trying to get hold of the next shipment."
Three Vodafone stores in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch will open after midnight Thursday to sell the phone.
