---
title: "Vodafone NZ Charges “Like a Wounded Bull” For iPhone 3G"
date: 2008-07-08
author: "Richard MacManus"
categories:
  - name: "ReadWriteWeb"
    url: "/category/readwriteweb.md"
tags:
  - name: "2008"
    url: "/tag/2008.md"
---

# Vodafone NZ Charges “Like a Wounded Bull” For iPhone 3G

![](https://web.archive.org/web/20081230060430im_/http://www.readwriteweb.com/images/iphone_nz_200.jpg)New Zealand will be the first country in the world to get the [Apple iPhone 3G](https://web.archive.org/web/20081230060430/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/the_iphone_gets_serious.php), because of the country’s position on the international dateline. Vodafone NZ is the carrier which is offering the iPhone, but its pricing plans – released today – have attracted a storm of criticism. Vodafone NZ has decided to charge [extortionist prices](https://web.archive.org/web/20081230060430/http://www.vodafone.co.nz/iphone/plans.jsp) for the iPhone 3G. Kiwis (including yours truly) are naturally outraged.

The top of the line price is $250 ***per month*** for the 16GB iPhone 3G (plus $349 to buy the phone). For that kiwis get a comparatively measly 1GB data per month and have to sign for a 24 month contract. The cheapest deal for kiwis is the 8GB black iPhone 3G, for $80 per month (but you have to shell out $549 clams for the phone). Here are the full details from Vodafone NZ’s website::

But here’s the actual total cost, courtesy of [Ben Gracewood](https://web.archive.org/web/20081230060430/http://www.ben.geek.nz/vodafone-nz-announces-iphone-pricing/) and [Geekzone](https://web.archive.org/web/20081230060430/http://www.geekzone.co.nz/iphone/5335):

Note that kiwis can just buy the phone only, without the plan. But the price is a [far cry from the $199](https://web.archive.org/web/20081230060430/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/iphone_20_midway_through_the_p.php) touted a month ago when the iPhone 3G was announced by Steve Jobs. To buy the phone sans plan will cost kiwis $979 for the 8GB and $1129 for the 16GB.

Unfortunately this goes to show once again that phone carriers are greedy opportunists. It also makes a mockery of Apple’s claims at its conference last month that it would cost just $199.

On local television news tonight, TV3 presenter John Campbell grilled Vodafone marketing executive Mark Rushworth, noting that Vodafone was “charging like a wounded bull”. The Vodafone spokesman had no response, other repeating than a rote description of their outrageous pricing plans. You can [see a video of the interview here](https://web.archive.org/web/20081230060430/http://www.3news.co.nz/Video/CampbellLive/tabid/367/articleID/62352/Default.aspx#video).

There is a [petition on Facebook](https://web.archive.org/web/20081230060430/http://www.facebook.com/n/?group.php&gid=18664358231), started by Michael McGimpsey. Go sign it, even if you’re not from NZ (very likely, given that less than 1% of our readers are from there). Carrier greed worldwide is probably the major reason why the Mobile Web is struggling to take off.

*Originally published on ReadWriteWeb ([archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20020204040018/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/vodafone_nz_iphone_3g.php))*