Australian Phone Report

Best Australian iPad apps (part 2)

Kimble Young — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 07:43:09 +0000

In part one of our best Australian iPad applications the iPad had been released not 24 hours before our writeup so the list of apps available was small and the offering not that compelling. Now that it’s been out for a few weeks developers have had enough time to thoroughly test their apps. The number and quality of new ipad apps has vastly improved. From magazines to weather there seems to be an app now for every Australian iPad owner’s needs.

Pocket Weather Australia HD

This weather app comes from the same people who brought you Pocket Weather AU for your iphone. It’s not just any weather app either but more like a full scale weather station display on your ipad. Clicking into a city will give you everything from barometric pressure through to wind speed and direction and there’s graphs, maps and scales galore.

They’ve done so much with the larger resolution of the ipad when so many people are just stretching out iphone apps to fit the display. Well worth the $2.50.

Download Pocket Weather] Australia HD at the iTunes app store.

tvGuide

TV guides on mobile devices have traditionally been difficult to read. There’s simply too much data to fit in to such a small screen. tvGuide did a good job of it on the iphone but where this application really shines is on the ipad where you can view up to 10 channels at once and hours of programming for each of the channels. Simple but functional TV guides like this are definitely one of the potentially killer features of the ipad.

Download tvGuide at the app store for just $1.20

ACP Magazines

APC and Gourmet traveller are the first two offerings on the ipad from Australian Consolidated Press. The apps themselves are free to download but you have to pay a one off fee for each month’s edition of the magazine. At less than a dollar cheaper than the print version it seems you are paying a hefty price for the convenience of reading these magazines on your ipad. Especially when most of the cost of a paper based magazine goes towards paying the printers and the paper merchants.

Unlike some of the newspapers’ offering for the ipad you at least get the whole magazine rather than a cut down version of the paper based offering.

We’ll leave it up to the reader but there seems to be little value in ACP’s offerings for the ipad apart from convenience.

You can download either app from the ACP Magazines section on iTunes.

Sources

Sources is a news aggregator for the ipad that offers an interface that looks very much like a newspaper. If you don’t feel like paying for the overpriced apps from the newspapers then just read the latest headlines from them using this app. If you like a story just poke it and you’ll be taken to the publication’s website. Headlines and stories are categorised into different sections just like they would be in a newspaper so you can jump straight to local, tech, sports or any other category.

Well worth the $2.50 Asking price. Download it now from iTunes.

Summary

The iPad is still young and even more so in this country. A lot of developers and publishers are hesitant to produce something specifically for the iPad until they see it is proven. So until we see more apps trickle in remember people – you can run pretty much any iPhone app on your iPad.

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Best mobile phone and plan comparison sites

Kimble Young — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 09:02:45 +0000

Buying a new phone can be a daunting task even for the best of us and with the proliferation of different phones, each with different features the job is made even harder. Once you’ve decided which phone or phones suits your needs you then you need to work out which plan or contract is best for you and how much it’s going to cost you.

By the time you’ve worked out what all the options are you’re left with a million plans and handset combinations to decide from. Luckily there’s a few sites out there that have taken some of the hard work out of deciding which device, cap, contract or plan to go with.
We’ve gathered what we think are a list of the best and reviewed them all for you in one easy spot. Most of this sites here apply to Australians but some of the phone comparison sites also apply to our overseas readership.

GSM Arena

GSM Arena is without the best site out there for looking up mobile phone specifications. It has every spec sheet for almost every phone going back at least a decade. If you need to do a quick comparison on features, talk/standby time, weight, size or any of the other vital statistics that come with a phone then this site is your friend. New phone models are usually posted on the site within hours of being announced and information on phone models is constantly updated. It also has a handy phone ranking feature which ranks phones based on searches for that devices, user ratings and even the most popular brands.

Phone Choice

Phone Choice has been in the game of providing mobile, land line, internet and VOIP comparisons since 2002. It may not be the slickest site around and there’s a few blank pages but if you dig deep enough there’s a handset list with price, weight, size etc. Pre-paid charge card comparisons and a comprehensive list of mobile phone carriers – including all the resellers. There’s also forums for those who want to ask questions.

Whirlpool

Whirlpool’s great if you want to talk to other phone aficionados or just ask a question about what the thoughts are from the community of over three hundred thousand Australians are in regards to the phone or plan you are thinking of. However, this community is often quite hardcore so you may find them wandering off into a conversation about the merits of the iPhone versus Android phones so don’t be disappointed if your question ends up off the rails.

Choice

Choice started off as a subscription publication helping its readers find the most energy efficient, cheapest and best value for money in everything from fridges through to travel, money and the groceries. Their website choice.com.au offers some good advice on the best phones for value, life stages and more.

In summary here are a lot of sites out there with a lot of information on which phone and plan is best for you but nothing in the end beats doing a bit of research of your own. Look at your needs both in a device and in a plan carefully before making the leap. Especially if you are going to be signing yourself up for a 24 month contract.

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Are unlimited mobile phone plans really unlimited?

Kimble Young — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 02:47:43 +0000

The answer seems to be ‘no’ right now. However, before you close this article in disgust read on to find out why.

We all know the major telcos are always offering “unlimited” something with their contracts or plans but usually it’s just unlimited calling to other subscribers of their network and is often limited to the wee hours of the night only on February the 29th every leap year. But what of those unlimited plans that have crept up recently. Are they really unlimited?

Vodafone, Optus,Telstra and Three all offer some form of unlimited plan, cap or pre-paid charge up but are any of them truly unlimited?

The answer is no.

Webster’s dictionary defines unlimited as

1. lacking any controls
2. Boundless, infinite
3. not bounded by exceptions

Let’s look at how some of the unlimited plans are limited:

Vodafone

Vodafone don’t seem to limit your calls but the plan is far from unlimited with everything except voice calls being very limited on their unlimited plans. We managed to find a short form terms and conditions on their website but I would double check the long form before signing up.

Optus

Optus has a plan offering “unlimited calls to any mobile within Australia” however the fine print states that this amount i slimited to 3000 minutes a month. That’s only an hour and a half a day.

Telstra

Telstra don’t offer a personal unlimited plan but if you sign up for their $180 a month unlimited business plan. When Telstra “..say unlimited, we mean unlimited!”. Sounds expensive but truly unlimited right? Well it does until you read the terms and conditions attached to the plan. Especially around excessive usage which limits you to 2500 minutes a month and 100 SMs a day. Rather limiting.

Three

Three’s unlimited cap is the worst offender of them all. Sucking in users by proclaiming unlimited. When you read the details it turns out that only 3 to 3 calling is unlimited. This would be great if they had any sort of market share but I don’t know anyone with Three. Unless you’ve manage to convert all your family and friends – steer clear of this one.

So think twice before you sign up to an unlimited plan as you may find yourself in for a shock.

Note: All information was current at the time of writing, plans may have changed since. Check with the telcos if you are unsure.

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Best Australian iPad apps

Kimble Young — Sat, 29 May 2010 06:47:38 +0000

Apple’s iPad was only released yesterday but has already attracted a lot of developer attention, especially from the traditional media. Questions aside of whether the device really has a place in our digital lives we preview and review some of the best of the here and now and reveal the future of Australian iPad apps.

As expected, one day after launch, the list is quite small but we hope to be able to bring you many more best of lists for the ipad in the coming weeks and months.

Borders e-Reader

The Borders e-Reader is available on a number of mobile and desktop platforms and now the iPad. Powered by Kobo the app is not technically Australian as Borders is a global company but there are many, many books by Australian authors available and a vast array of content from all over the world is available. If there was ever a killer app for the iPad it’s e-Books so well worth checking out.

Download the Borders e-Reader now from iTunes.

The Australian

The first of the big boys from the rag trade to launch an iPad app, News Limited paper released its iPad app at midnight on the 28th of May. Hours before the actual device went on sale in Australia. It looks like a newspaper and behaves as much as a newspaper can on an electronic device but just seems to lack any depth of content.

In just a few short hours since release it has been panned by users of the App store. A lack of content compared to even the web version of the paper seem to make this a less than compelling offering from News Ltd. At $4.99 a month we’ll just stick with the web version.

Australian Broadcasting Commission

Aunty have decided to build an iPad app that showcases the best ABC content from news stories to videos and the ability to live stream a number of ABC radio stations. The app feels very much like a web page. Which begs the question – if the iPad can show web pages in an experience that is very close to the desktop why do you really need an app for content that is highly consumable through the web already?

The ABC were working on an app to allow users to watch iView on their iPad but the app was written in Flash using Adobe’s CS5 which is able to compile for the iPhone. The only problem is that Apple have been trying to thwart Adobe at every step when it comes to Flash on their devices and the latest move has been to ban the use of third party compilers like CS5. So it looks like we may have to wait a while before seeing iView on the iPad.

Although ABC’s offering is not yet available for the iPad expect it to be on iTunes in the next couple of weeks.

SMH/The Age for the iPad

Fairfax’s papers and digital properties won’t shutup about the iPad. This is unsurprising as their very future is so uncertain with their print arm’s slow slide to death. However, can they deliver the goods when it comes to their saviour?

We’ll have to see. For all their talk they are yet to actually release an iPad app. The good news? They will be free – at least for a limited time.

National Australia Bank

The NAB have released the first Australian banking application for the iPad. Featuring internet banking, an ATM and branch locator feature and exchange rate calculator. This app seems to be more for show than providing specific functionality. It’s just not that compelling when compared to their website which works perfectly well on the iPad. Here’s hoping they add more features in the future.

Download it from the Apple iTunes app store

Summary

It’s still early days for the iPad in Australia and businesses like The Australian have done well just to release an app in time for launch. I’m sure everyone will have their eyes glued on the iPad to see whether it delivers both as a niche device and as a compelling experience. We know we will.

If you own a Nokia, Android or iPhone then you can also check out our other lists of best Australian apps:

Best Australian iPhone applications
Best Australian Android applications
Best Australian Nokia applications

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Optus gets one more Android with the Motorola QUENCH

Kimble Young — Sun, 23 May 2010 08:21:00 +0000

Optus now offer another Android by Google powered smart phone with the release of the Motorola QUENCH. A basic smart phone with quite ordinary specs, the QUENCH has a 320×480 touchscreen display with a 5 megapixel camera featuring flash and autofocus. Unfortunately with HVGA only video it doesn’t keep up with other phones on the market.

When it comes to software though this isn’t an ordinary Android. This phone is powered by Motorola’s MOTOBLUR service which fully integrates your social network with your phone. Providing a single stream of all your friend’s activities on your phone. All this on Android version 1.5 (not 2.1 as most devices released in 2010 run).

Despite the phone being a little underpowered it comes in quite cheap and is available for $0 on the Optus ‘yes’ social plan for $19 a month on a $24 month contract.

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Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 now on sale through Optus, Vodafone

Kimble Young — Tue, 04 May 2010 08:39:00 +0000

Xperia X10 credit on Optus' website

Today both Optus and Vodafone have just listed the Sony Ericsson Xperia 10 on their website. Their launches coincide with the heavily publicised launch on the Telstra network today. This comes as a pleasant surprise to those wishing to buy a current generation Android as Telstra were expected to be the exclusive carrier.

The Xperia is available on Optus for $0 upfront on a $99 plan. On Vodafone it’s available on a $79 cap but the upfront price is unclear and their website is still showing the phone as out of stock. As covered earlier on the Australian Phone Report the Xperia X10 will be available on Telstra for $0 upfront on a $110 a month plan.

Full specs are on the Sony Ericsson website and TechRadar have written up a fantastic in depth review of the device.

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Best Australian Android apps

Kimble Young — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:26:54 +0000

The Android platform got off to a slow start in Australia with only a couple of under powered devices being released in this country in 2009. This year, though looks like we’re going to see the invasion of the Google phones with Telstra announcing two phones in May, two new HTCs hitting our shores and a good chance we’ll see the international version of the Motorola Droid by mid year. So with that in mind we thought it was about time that the spotlight was finally shone on some of the great applications written for Australians and by Australians available for the Android.

Here’s what we think are the best out there right now. If you have any to add to the list please leave a comment.

Footy Scoreboard – Free

Check your scores and ladders for League, AFL, Union and Soccer using this great little app It’s simple but gives you access to the most important information ASAP.

Download it from the marketplace or read more about it on Cyrket.

Go!Sydney – Free

By Luke Shan

Plan your trip on Sydney buses, trains and ferries thanks to Luke’s simple but powerful application. You can find it for free on the Android
marketplace.

Australian TV Guide – Free

Another one by Luke Shan. It’s basic but functional, unfortunately no one has gone to the effort of building any competing TV guides. You can view the guide by either hour of the day or television station. It has guides available for each of the major cities.

Search for it on the Android market.

ABC News

The top stories from ABC’s news service. Basically an RSS style reader with images and story text. Quite basic unfortunately and quite a few Android owners are asking for functionality similar to the iphone ABC app which is only fair.

Available through the Android market.

Summary

Although the Android app market is growing at a phenomenal pace the number of quality Australian apps as of April 2010 is still quite low. This is mainly due to the very low market penetration so far (less than 1% at the time of writing). With a slew of new Android based devices hitting the market this month and over the coming months we expect the attention this OS is given to rise significantly so stay tuned.

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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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Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 coming to Telstra

Kimble Young — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 23:33:08 +0000

Just days after announcing their first Android powered smart-phone, Telstra have broken the news that the X10 will be available from
The 5th of May 2010. Apart from sporting the Android OS the X10 has some of its own unique features like ‘Timescape’ which shows all of a users communications (SMS, email, facebook and twitter) all on the one screen.

Telstra have also added some of their own magic to the X10 by making available its own Android apps including Mobile Foxtel, Whereis Navigator and Yellowpages. The music player also features integration with Bigpond’s music service.

The phone will be available for $0 upfront on a $110 a month, 24 month contract or for $1099 outright.

For more information about the announcement visit Telstra Exchange.

To learn more about the X10 visit Sony Ericsson’s product information page.

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Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 now on sale through Optus, Vodafone

How to find out mobile coverage for an area

Kimble Young — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 07:29:59 +0000

Maybe you’re buying that new 3G phone and wondering whether your telco has 3g coverage in your area or you’re switching from one provider to another and you’re not sure if the coverage is good. Or maybe you’re just going on holidays in the countryside and want to know whether you’ll be able to check your email. You could just be having a tough time trying to talk in what you think is a blackspot and wonder whether it’s happening to anyone else.

Either way it’s good to know what the coverage is like in the areas you like to spend time in. Finding the different phone company’s coverage can mean some time digging through their website so we’ve collected the network coverage maps for the big telcos together for your convenience:

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