Very OT mobile phone pricing

Reading the Optus, Telstra and Vodaphone pages today, after watching the big
speil about the new Apple iPhone launch in the almighty US of A last night,
I am almost amazed yet why am I not surprised, that the price difference
between the US and OZ is skymendous.
The price of an Apple iPhone 8Gb, in the US is stated as being $99,
**Buy one today for $99**

yet on the OZ phone dealers pages, the prices are around $799 and up.
Given that there is a difference between the US$ and the OZ$, it still
doesn't equate the almighty difference quoted.

Question arises: Who is getting ripped off and why?
Also, Who is making all the money with the different prices?
Is it Apple?
Is it the phone retailers?
or is it the Government?
Or, is it a combination of the three?

Pricing differences between where the article is made and the selling price
in OZ have always been different, with OZ buyers having to pay for
transport, excise, taxes etc.
But, a difference of $700 for a piddly little black box is enormous and
unjustified.
And don't even try telling me that it requires different technology to adapt
the phone system to OZ conditions,
That can be done in the factory before any distribution

It is about time that the ACCC got off their backside and did something
about the pricing irregularities in this country.

 

You didn't read the fine print George. It said "from $99" or "from
$199 for the 16G".

If you follow the bouncing ball you will find you need to have, or
open, an AT&T account with a phone plan to get this price. I couldn't
see a price mentioned for walking into a shop and saying "gimme
phone".

I bought two 16GB i-Phones from Telstra last month with a 2-year plan
suitable for us for $179 each. I think $199US is a rip-off.

Theo

 

You didn't read the fine print George. It said "from $99" or "from
$199 for the 16G".

If you follow the bouncing ball you will find you need to have, or
open, an AT&T account with a phone plan to get this price. I couldn't
see a price mentioned for walking into a shop and saying "gimme
phone".

I bought two 16GB i-Phones from Telstra last month with a 2-year plan
suitable for us for $179 each. I think $199US is a rip-off.

Theo


*************************************

Point taken Theo, I had another look and did a bit more researching and came
up with this

http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/The-great-Apple-iPhone-rip-off-GETRZ?OpenDocument

 

That guy sounds very upset. He does have a mathematical defeciency
born from his bias as he says.

"The reality is that if you live in the United States and want to go
out and buy a 3G iPhone with no contract you will pay $US599 for the
8GB model and $US699 for the 16GB model."

And then

"So the cost of a 3G iPhone in Australia is really $809 for the 8GB
model and $929 for the 16GB mode or about 30 per cent more than it
costs in the US."

My calculator thinks that $US699 is $AU880 at today's rate and the
$AU929 cost includes $80 of calls. So it appears to me to be actually
cheaper here than in the US, not 30% more as he says.

So yes, we are being ripped off but no more than the Yanks, and we can
choose not to buy one. OTOH, my wife just had to have an i-Phone at
the last release.

Theo