Optus announces iPhone plan pricing

While Telstra technically managed to reveal iPhone pricing first, it omitted a key detail – it would tell you how much it would charge you for an iPhone, but not what the plans would involve. Optus today became the first Australian provider to offer more key details, outlining its iPhone pricing scheme for both post and pre-paid customers.

The official release is headlined “Optus iPhone 3G pricing will make you happy”, but we suspect there won't be too many jubilant customers – although there's really very little that's surprising.

Optus is offering a range of plans starting at $19 all the way up to $179, depending on your data and voice requirements, and whether or not you want a 0, 12 or 24 month contract. You’ll have to spend a minimum of $79 per month over 24 months to get a free iPhone 8GB, although the same contract could score you the 16GB model for only $2 more per month – why wouldn’t you bother? Those who do sign up with Optus will get their first month’s web data for free.

Those looking for a pre-paid option will have to stump up $729 for the 8GB model ($829 for the 16GB in either black or white), along with any of Optus' exising pre-paid offers. Essentially, Optus hasn’t changed its data prices to accommodate the iPhone, but bolted on the existing plan structure around it. As an incentive for early adopters, all web data for pre-paid customers won’t be counted until August 31st.

The other major play that Optus is making for iPhone customers is a specially built version of its “Zoo” portal, redubbed “iZoo”. iZoo will include Google, Facebook, MySpace and Fox Sports content, amongst others. Optus’ full pricing schedule for the iPhone can be found here.