Worldwide iPhone 3G wireless plans compared

With the worldwide debut of the iPhone around the corner, nearly all of Apple’s official carrier partners have announced voice/data plan (tariff) details. While much has been made of Rogers’ exorbitant plan pricing in Canada, would-be iPhone 3G users in several other countries are no better off.

We’ve culled information on pricing (including device subsidization), data transfer caps and included minutes for iPhone 3G carriers in France, India, Norway, Canada, Germany, England/United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Denmark, Italy and Portugal.

The following chart displays roughly comparable plans in a handful of iPhone 3G-carrying countries, with all prices converted to US dollars. A number of factors – variable subsidized device pricing, outside-plan minutes, data transfer caps and the like – make exact contrasts impossible, but it’s clear that some users are getting a relatively raw deal.

Full pricing information for each carrier is as follows:

France

Carrier: Orange

Debut date: July 17

Rate plan pricing: €49-€149 with two to 12 hours of voice calling, 50-1000 SMS messages, unlimited visual voicemail and unlimited internet/email. Plans include night and weekend minutes.

Subsidized device pricing:

Orange for iPhone, Origami Star from 3 hours, First and Jet plans):

• 8GB iPhone 3G: €149
• 16GB iPhone 3G: €199.

Other plans (with the exception of time-cutoff and pay-as-you-go plans):

• 8GB iPhone 3G: €199
• 16GB iPhone 3G: €249.

If you bought your iPhone before June 12 and have a qualifying plan you can get an 8GB iPhone 3G for €99 using a €100 rebate good until the end of October 2008.

Some plans are subject to 24-month contracts.

Data transfer caps:

There is a fair usage limit on iPhone 3G data of 500MB per month. Orange claims that average data usage is about 100 MB for iPhone customers per month.
Coverage: Over 60 percent of the French public has 3G network coverage.
More information here.

India

Carriers: Vodafone and AirTel

Debut date: Fall 2008

Subsidized device pricing:Reportedly $650 to $750.

Data transfer caps: Information not available

Coverage: The Vodafone Web site has a footnote that states: “Currently compatible only with 2G networks. Only select features and services are currently available in India.”

Other information:

If you are a Vodafone India subscriber, text the message “IPHONE” to “56789″ and you will be able to reserve an iPhone for yourself. Indian residents interested in the iPhone 3G can pre-register to receive additional information on the iPhone 3G.

Norway:

Carrier: NetCom

Debut date: July 11

Rate plan/subsidized phone prices:

“iTalk Large” subscription: 1000Mb data, 16 hours + 40 min, 1000 SMS

• iPhone 3G 16GB: $220/month + iPhone $178 = $2818/year
• iPhone 3G 8GB: $220/month + iPhone $0 = $2640/year

“iTalk Medium” subscription: 250Mb data, 4 hours + 10 min, 250 SMS

• iPhone 3G 16GB: $140/month + iPhone $318 = $1998/year
• iPhone 3G 8GB: $140/month + iPhone $138= $1818/year

“iTalk Small” subscription: 100Mb data, 1 hour + 40 min, 100 SMS

• iPhone 3G 16GB: $80/month + iPhone $458 = $1418/year
• iPhone 3G 8GB: $80/month + iPhone $278= $1238/year

Other information:
Information about rollout of the iPhone 3G in Norway can be found here. According to the information posted, the phone will require a minimum one-year contract.

Canada

Carrier: Rogers

Debut date: July 11th

Rate plan pricing:

Subsidized device pricing: $199 for 8GB and $299 for 16GB with 2-year contract

Other information:

The device purchase limit will be three per customer.

Germany:

Carrier: T-Mobile

Debut date: July 11

Rate plan pricing:

Subsidized device pricing:Customers purchasing an 8GB iPhone 3G with a €69 euro, 24-month contract from T-Mobile will pay only €1 for the phone, with the 16GB model starting at €19.95 with an €89 monthly plan and going up to €249.95 with a minimal €29 per month contract

United Kingdom

Carrier: O2

Debut date: July 11

Rate plans:

Subsidized pricing: Customers will get the 8GB iPhone 3G for free with a £45 or £75 18-month agreement, or can choose to pay £99 with a £35 or £30 tariff. The 16GB model will be offered for free with a £75 monthly plan, for £59 with a £45 tariff, and will run £159 when purchased on a £30 or £35 plan.

Australia:

Carrier: Optus

Debut date: July 11

Rate plan pricing: Pre-paid customers can purchase the 8Gb iPhone 3G for $729 then choose any pre-paid calling offer. Users of this plan get free web browsing until August 31, 2008.

Calling plans will be available for 12 or 24 month contracts. iPhone 3G ‘yes’ Cap Plans cost $19 to $179 with included data from 100MB to 1GB with $50 to $1500 of calls, text and more according to their website.

South Africa

The iPhone 3G is listed as coming soon from Vodacom in South Africa. Customers can view basic information about the iPhone 3G and pre-order the phone using this web site. No calling plan information is currently available.

Switzerland

Carrier: Swisscom

Debut date: July 11

Rate plan pricing: The NATEL liberty piccolo plan costs CHF 25/month and includes 100MB of data with a flat rate of CHF 0.70/minute; the 8GB iPhone will cost CHF 249 and the 16GB will run CHF 349. The NATEL liberty mezzo plan reduces the cost of the 8GB iPhone to CHF 199 and the 16GB to CHF 299; the monthly fee is CHF 35 for 250MB of data, and a flat rate of CHF 0.50/minute. The NATEL liberty grande plan even further reduces the cost of the iPhone even further, to CHF 99 for the 8GB model and CHF 199 for the 16GB unit; the CHF 55/month plan includes 1GB of data with a flat rate of CHF 0.50/minute. A 24 month contract is required for these three plans. The plans include Visual Voicemail and free access to over 1,200 Wi-Fi hotspots in Switzerland.

The fourth plan is a prepaid plan: the NATEL easy liberty uno, which has a flat rate of CHF 0.80/minute and CHF 1/megabyte of data, but requires no contract or monthly fee. However under this plan the retail cost of the iPhone 3G is CHF 519 for the 8GB model and CHF 619 for the 16GB model.

Roaming is not included in any of the plans.

Hong Kong Carrier: 3 Communications

Rate plan pricing: A HK$188/month ($25 US) plan includes 500 basic minutes, 500 “Heart-to-Heart” minutes, 500 MB of data, 25 “multimedia content,” and 15 “text content” (it’s not clear what these mean exactly, since the iPhone 3G to our knowledge does not support Multimedia messages) and unlimited Intra SMS messages; with that plan, the iPhone runs HK$2,938 ($375 US) for the 8GB model and HK$3,738 ($480 US) for the 16GB model.

The next plan runs HK$268/month ($35 US) plan boosts that to 800 basic minutes, 900 “Heart-to-Heart” minutes, 40 “multimedia content,” and 25 “text content” with iPhone prices of HK$1,738 ($225 US) for the 8GB phone and HK$2,538 ($330 US) for 16GB model and 500MB of included data; the HK$328/month ($45 US) gives you 1,500 basic minutes, 1,200 “Heart-to Heart” minutes, 50 “multimedia content,” and 35 “text content,” with iPhone prices of HK$938 ($125 US) and HK$1,738 ($224 US) for the 8GB and 16GB iPhones and 500MB of data. Finally, the high-end HK$498/month ($65 US) plan comes with unlimited data, 2,200 Basic minutes, 1,500 “Heart-to-Heart” minutes, 150 “multimedia content,” and 50 “text content” and the free for the 8GB iPhone and HK$138 ($18 US) for the 16GB iPhone.

Netherlands:

Carrier: T-Mobile

Rate plan pricing: €29.95, €44.95 and €64.95. Unlimited Internet and visual voice mail are included. Minutes in the plans are 150, 300 and 500 along with 150, 300, 500 SMS messages. iPhone 3G 8Gb is €79.95, €1.00 or €1.00 for the plans and the 16Gb model is €159.95, €79.95, and €19.95 both models require a 2-year agreement. Minutes outside these plans are €.25.

Denmark

Carrier: Telia

Rate plan/Subsidized device pricing:The plan will cost monthly DKK 599 for the first six months including 300 minutes, unlimited SMS messages, unlimited calls to other Telia subscribers, and 300MB of data. Apple’s 8GB iPhone 3G is priced at DKK 1399 with this plan, while the 16GB model is priced at DKK 1999. Customers who keep their service after the first six months will see their monthly fee reduced to DKK 399.

Italy

Carriers: Vodafone and TIM. Rate plan pricing: Vodafone has three plans available for customers. An Easy Medium plan priced at €59 offers 400 minutes, 400 SMS text messages and 600MB of data each month. Under this plan the 8GB iPhone at €199 and the 16GB model at €269.

A Special Edition plan runs €79 per month and includes 250 minutes to outside carriers, 250 SMS text messages to outside carriers, 7000 minutes to Vodafone subscribers, 7000 SMS text messages to Vodafone subscribers, and 600MB of data. Under this plan the 8GB iPhone is priced at €99 and the 16GB is priced at €169. The top-tier Easy Large plan costs €99 per month and includes 900 minutes, 900 SMS text messages, and 600MB of data. Under this plan this plan the 8GB iPhone is priced at €49 or a 16GB iPhone for €119.

TIM has not yet published rate plan information.

Portugal

Carrier: Vodafone

Rate plan pricing: Vodafone will have three calling plans for the Portuguese with a minimum 24 month commitment. The Best iPhone 100 monthly plan includes 100 minutes, 100 SMS text messages and 250MB of data for €29.90/$47. The 8Gb iPhone costs 299€/$470 and the 16Gb costs $610 €389/$611 under this plan. The Best iPhone 230 monthly plan includes 230 minutes, 230 SMS text messages and 250MB of data for 44.90€/$70. The 8Gb iPhone costs €219/$345 and the 16Gb costs 309€/$486.

The Best Iphone 500 monthly plan includes 500 minutes, 500 SMS text messages and 250MB of data for 65€/$103. The 8Gb iPhone costs 129€/$203 and the 16Gb costs 219€/$345.

The iphone 3G will be offered without a contract for 499€/$780 for the 8Gb model and 599€/$940 the 16Gb model. Internet access added to this plan will be €20/$32 monthly for 250 MB of data.