Which network provider to choose for iPhone?

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mon_star

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Okay so the rumours are that the iPhone 4s is launching before the end of the year, and there's no doubt I'm getting it. My contract with Vodacom has been due for an upgrade since May (!) but I'm not sure if I should finally leave Vodacom. Here are my options...

Get my friend to bring me one from the US for about R6000. Cancel my contract and go prepaid or a top-up kind of contract on Cell C. I've heard good things. (I doubt they'll get the iPhone 4s)

Switch to MTN which will likely have a cheaper contract with more anytime minutes, but who don't have their fast HSDPA network up yet.

Or just stick to Vodacom and upgrade. Less fuss because I don't have to deal with signing up for a new contract. However their iPhone contracts are usually off-peak minutes which are essentially useless to me.

What do you reckon?
 
Mmm, I'm in a very similar position. Keeping my old BlackBerry Bold 9000 barely alive while I wait for the iPhone 4S. You'll definitely save money buying it from the US but I'm concerned about the warranty (or rather the lack thereof) as well as the fuss (Apple's website doesn't allow SA Credit cards, so your friend will have to buy for you).

Me - I'm leaning towards getting it on a Vodacom / MTN contract. I'll probably stick with a Talk 130 / 240 and pay in the difference. I agree - doubt CellC will get it.
 
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Yeah, it just ends up too expensive over the 24 month period on prepaid. Just hate the idea of giving my money to Vodacom. Don't know if MTN are any better. Apparently they only just got the ability to buy data bundles without going into a store.

Holding thumbs for a 24 November release...
 
Hey mon_star, I have a plain iPhone 4 through MTN - I upgraded earlier this year.

I was pretty much in the same situation as you were trying to decide what to go for, service provider wise. I settled with an MTN contract for two simple reasons:

1) What they have on offer contract wise, was extremely competitive. The pricing was quite decent when compared to Voda pricing at that time. A friend of mine that upgraded more or less the same time as me is paying about R100 more per month for a 16gb model with Voda, where I got the 32GB from MTN.

2) The iPhone is pretty heavy on data, obviously only if you use email services and have an itch to play with every app you can find... And on the MTN contract I was given 150mb data per month to use as I please, all included in the price (I pay about R400 oddper month). This obviously will not last forever, but the way I use it, it is perfect. As I piggyback on the WiFi at home and at the office, so data is only used when I am on the road. So 150mb goes pretty far..

Obviously it is a heck of a lot easier to stick with Voda and just upgrade, but long term the extra effort can actually pay off quite quick.

Personally, I would avoid going prepaid on an iPhone, unless you plan on getting airtime and data each month. As on plain vanilla prepaid, you could end up forking out quite a bit each month on airtime..
 
Cell C is really nice because of the cheap data. Try to get a contract without free minutes or megabytes, Vodacom sometimes have this, then you can use whatever network you prefer.
 
Synaesthesia, if I go for a contract without minutes etc, I presume the monthly cost will be less and I'll basically be paying for the subsidised phone? That sounds good except how do I go about doing that and keeping my number if I'm upgrading the contract? Unless I just get on a new contract and port the number over? If that makes any sense.

I'd love to move over to Cell C.
 
ebendl said:
Yup. I gather Aki has some industry contact somewhere.
Click to expand...

Hope fortune and fate, have not treated his "crystal ball" as badly as mine, [picked up some chips, scratches, and the odd crack over the years] :) I was hoping for an earlier launch, but expecting one somewhere between 10-15 December ... (holding both thumbs) :D
 
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i can't wait for the IPhone 4s, it will be my first iphone :) and then hopefully i can sync all my machines easily
 
I recently got the Normal Iphone 4 on MTN, i have R200 airtime and 150Mb data. Im extremely happy.

You'll definitely save money buying it from the US
Click to expand...
Un, NO!!!!!! how???

Think of it, say you get the phone on contract for R400 (similar to what im paying for mine)

Thats a grand total of R9600 (ouch)
- R200 airtime monthly and 150 mb Data (about R50)
R600

Leaving the phone only costing you R3600.

Now i find 150MB enough every month, but i dont regularly browse the web using my 3G or download apps. Just really emails and one or 2 games that sync online. In saying that, i do have wireless at home so then i browse and download but not using my 3G. I have no troubles with the network speed from MTN.
 
wadeholm said:
I recently got the Normal Iphone 4 on MTN, i have R200 airtime and 150Mb data. Im extremely happy.


Un, NO!!!!!! how???

Think of it, say you get the phone on contract for R400 (similar to what im paying for mine)

Thats a grand total of R9600 (ouch)
- R200 airtime monthly and 150 mb Data (about R50)
R600

Leaving the phone only costing you R3600.
Click to expand...

To do this sum accurately you'll need to know what the contract would have costed you without the phone. They usually give you a discount. For example, on a Vodacom Talk 240 my brother in law took out without a handset, they gave him a R140 discount every month.
 
ebendl said:
Mmm, I'm in a very similar position. Keeping my old BlackBerry Bold 9000 barely alive while I wait for the iPhone 4S. You'll definitely save money buying it from the US but I'm concerned about the warranty (or rather the lack thereof) as well as the fuss (Apple's website doesn't allow SA Credit cards, so your friend will have to buy for you).

Me - I'm leaning towards getting it on a Vodacom / MTN contract. I'll probably stick with a Talk 130 / 240 and pay in the difference. I agree - doubt CellC will get it.
Click to expand...

I won't recommend to buy from the US, UNLESS it is an unlocked Iphone 4s. I recall in October that the unlocked Iphone 4s would only be available in the US somewhere in December, but no exact date was given
 
creeper said:
I won't recommend to buy from the US, UNLESS it is an unlocked Iphone 4s. I recall in October that the unlocked Iphone 4s would only be available in the US somewhere in December, but no exact date was given
Click to expand...

Has been available unlocked in the US from around middle of November, have to order directly from Apple and have it delivered somewhere.
 
Probably just going to get it on Vodacom. Seems like there is a 30 day release I have to wait until I can port my number over to an MTN contract and I can't face the idea of waiting another 30 days until I can upgrade (I've been due since May this year!) I just hope Vodacom's pricing is somewhat competitive.
 
I have the iPhone 120s from vodacom with 500MB per month. So far so good! The data rolls over as well, so some months I have quite a lot of data to use, I actually end up using it for fun so that it doesn't expire!
 
Watch out for porting to Cell C, believe you'll have to accept a 081 + your number.

mon_star said:
Probably just going to get it on Vodacom. Seems like there is a 30 day release I have to wait until I can port my number over to an MTN contract and I can't face the idea of waiting another 30 days until I can upgrade (I've been due since May this year!) I just hope Vodacom's pricing is somewhat competitive.
Click to expand...
 
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