Australian Phone Report » Apple iPhone

Vodafone to sell iPad in Australia

Kimble Young — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 02:12:45 +0000

Vodafone have confirmed that they will be offering iPad pricing plans and carrying the new device from Apple in Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK at the end of May. Rumours also abound that they will pick it up in Australia too.

Earlier we speculated that we’ll see free ipads on 24 month contracts and while this may not happen for the launch at the end of May, while Vodafone try to make as much as they can out of early adopters. We think there will certainly be a quick move to sell them at appealing upfront prices on long contracts as soon as possible.

Stay tuned for more details as they become available.

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Will we see $0 upfront iPads in Australia

Kimble Young — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 08:48:43 +0000

The Apple iPad’s launch a few days ago was no doubt an American centric launch with little detail on how much it will cost in Australia. With the iPad ranging between $500 and $830 USD and Australians usually paying a 50-100% premium on US products there’s no doubt the ipad won’t exactly be cheap.

Apple’s Australian site has it slated as coming in late April but there are still questions on what the distribution model will be. At what is looking like over $1000 for an iPad compared to $400 – $500 for a typical netbook Apple will most likely be forced to team up with one or more of the local telecommunications companies to bundle data contracts with a low upfront price on the iPad. Exactly the same model has successfully been used in the past to sell netbooks.

Telstra, Optus and VHA have all announced they will start stocking micro SIMs which the ipad requires but will we soon be seeing “Free iPads*” (*on a 24 month contract of course)? We think the answer is – “It’s inevitable”.

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Australia’s run out of iphones

Kimble Young — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 01:55:52 +0000

The iphone has been an unusually big hit in Australia. Unfortunately for us though it seems the phone has become a victim of its own success and we’ve run out. Of the 3GS model anyway. All the major phone companies’ websites are either showing low stock or no stock messages.

It usually happens after a new iPhone model goes on the market, with the rush of demand outstripping supply. But the iPhone 3GS has been on sale now for several weeks, and yet still shortages abound.

After ringing around a few stores myself I can confirm this story is absolutely true. Not a single store had a 3GS available. Plenty of the older model though if you don’t mind having a slightly slower phone and no video recording.

Via ITWire

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Best Australian iPhone applications

Kimble Young — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 06:33:04 +0000

There’s no doubting the iphone has been a huge hit in this country. With both users and developers. As such there are a whole pile of applications out there for the iphone that either have been written with Australians specifically in mind or include Australian content. Finding good apps on itunes can be a frustrating experience – with 65,000 and counting there’s a lot of garbage to wade through. So we’ve done the hard work has been done for you and present you with ten of the most useful applications for Australians. If you know of any more, and I’m sure there’s plenty, please leave a comment.

DrinkTracker

This application allows you to enter the number of drinks you’ve had, how long ago you’ve had them and even find a way home that doesn’t involve drinking. While it doesn’t have a specifically Australian use it was written by an Australian and we all know how much we love our drink. This one gets a big thumbs up for taking a simple concept and making a comprehensive app out of it.

DrinkTracker Homepage

Metro Sydney,Brisbane,Perth

Bus,train, tram and ferry timetables and maps. There are three apps available – one for each of the cities. At $3.99 each that’s quite a reasonable price to ask for an easy way to access public transport information . The Melbourne Metlink app also deserves a mention as it provides similar functionality for Melbourne’s public transport system.

Developer’s Homepage

SydTraffic / WATraffic

Traffic cameras, traffic cameras and more traffic cameras. If you’re like me watching the traffic cameras online can almost become an obsession once you get started. However, for others, it can also be a useful tool. Knowing which major roads to avoid can get you home a lot quicker. Worthy of a download.

Show the Loo

Not the most technically amazing app but very useful if you’re in need of a tinkle and can’t see a toilet. Shows you your location on a map and the location of nearby toilets. It’s really just a portable version of the Federal Government’s National Public Toilet Map.

Bloomberg

Not an Australian specific application but fantastic none the less. Although the iphone has a built in stock app it’s rather wanting. Bloomberg offers quick access to financial news and Australian stock prices. Invaluable for the day trader and road warrior.

Fuel Watcher

Warning: This one’s only for folks in WA. Not because the app is limited but because there is no national petrol price register.

Ever met one of those people that insist they can save money by driving around until they find the cheapest fuel? You always laughed at them didn’t you. Well now they can laugh back
because Fuel Watcher plots your position on a map and the position(s) of the closest petrol station including the name of the station and the current price of the fuel.

MobileNavigator Australia

Something the iphone was missing from the very start was turn-by-turn navigation. The Google maps is great to find your bearings when you’re lost but you’re a liability
to everyone on the road if you try and use it like a GPS. Not to mention it’s highly illegal. With the release of the 3GS Apple finally relented and allowed third party navigation software. For $70 (until Aug 15th)
it’s a bargain. As full featured as a proper GPS device you can’t leave home without it.

Well that’s it for this round. If you have any suggestions for another list of Australian iPhone apps either drop us a line or leave a comment.

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