iPhone 3G Wrap Up and Vodafone Prepay Option
July 11th, 2008
It seems a bit strange to be writing our iPhone 3G wrap up five hours before the phone even goes on sale in the US. However, it has been on sale here in New Zealand for almost a day and is now available in most other countries. Those who have been following our articles over the last few days will probably have seen our video interviews of those waiting in line outside the Auckland Vodafone store. First we will do a general summary for international readers, and then local summary for our New Zealand readers, including the possibility of running the iPhone on prepay.
We spoke to Luke Soules from iFixit prior to the launch. He has since posted disassembly photos that reveal a few changes to the iPhone’s internals, the most interesting being the fact that the battery is no longer soldered on. Most of the internals are similar, but there are still several unidentified chips. Additionally, Engadget managed to get their hands on an iPhone in New Zealand and have posted an unboxing and first look video. I spent about fifteen minutes with the iPhone 3G at my local Vodafone store. Internet access is certainly much faster than on its predecessor and would likely give my home broadband connection a run for its money. As to be expected given that I was inside a mall, I was unable to get a GPS fix but the other location functions kicked in and managed to locate me with reasonable accuracy. The loud speaker was clearly audible with YouTube videos, although for some reason music played using the iPod functions didn’t seem to play as loud and was largely camouflaged by the noise of the mall. Overall the navigation was similar to that of the previous generation and iPod touch, although there were a few pauses which I would hope will be ironed out in future firmware updates (particularly when loading the Settings menu).
Apple has posted iTunes 7.7 which adds the ability to sync music, video with iPhone 3G, and download applications from the iTunes Store for the iPhone and iPod touch. Additionally, the update supports the Remote application for iPhone or iPod touch to control iTunes playback from anywhere in your home - a free download from the App Store. MobileMe has now officially replaced .Mac
Now, the big question for New Zealand readers: Is the Vodafone iPhone 3G unlocked, and can it be used on prepay? When the iPhone was first announced, Vodafone stated that it could not be used on prepay and that customers were required to sign up to a contract. Since then there has been a reasonable amount of public outrage and a petition to the company encouraging them to change their stance. If you look on Vodafones FAQ it still states:
No, iPhone will not be available on Prepay. You need to have subscribed to either an iPhone plan or alternatively a standard On account plan (You Choose, talkZone, or Corporate) with a compatible Broadband plan for mobiles.
However, much to my amazement and frustration (I have a twelve hour flight tomorrow, and with a dead iPod I would have loved a new iPhone) I discovered this afternoon that people who had purchased the iPhone outright had not been required to sign a 24 month contract. So what’s the deal? Is the iPhone available for prepay or not? Having read a number of online forums, I checked with a few Vodafone stores who confirmed that yes, the iPhone could be purchased without a contract (if they hadn’t sold out). What none of them explicitly stated was which functions would and wouldn’t work. Vodafone’s marketing of the iPhone has been somewhat of a shambles with inconsistencies everywhere you look, which is why I wouldn’t blame store employees for being a bit confused. We do not guarantee the accuracy of these details, but this is what we have learned:
- The iPhone can be purchased without a contract (their site now lists this as an option).
- If a prepay SIM card is used, voice and text messaging will work perfectly. However, mobile data can not be used.
- Although the phone is unlocked, while a Vodafone SIM card is installed without a data contract, the APN is locked and therefore users can not change the APN and browse the internet using the company’s prepaid APN.
- If you place the SIM card of another operator in the phone, you can access all functions (including the ability to change the APN).
So where does that leave us? If you buy an iPhone without a contract from Vodafone you can only access the internet via wifi. However, if you switch to Telecom’s new 3G network when it launches later this year, you should theoretically be able to insert one of their SIM cards and have access to all functions. The only way to use data on Vodafone’s network without a contract is to pick up an unlocked model overseas or buy parallel imported - not exactly the solution I’m sure they want, but an option that many buyers will no doubt pursue.
There is currently one response to this article.
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LennonNZ says:
You can actually use your iPhone 3G on a prepay (well any data plan) in NZ. ALl you have to do is change the APN (which isn’t normally editable).
Go to http://www.unlockit.co.nz and it will allow you to change the APN to the standard data APN for prepay/other data plans.
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