Hey we have been on payg with vodafone and was thinking of going onto contract.
We were going to stay with them but noticed optus have a great deal on at the moment where you can have either a i phone or the new nokia 5800 for $49 per month and I think to get either of these phones vodafone want $79 per month.
Any advice on the two providers or which of the phones to go for?

Thanks guys

3

Carrier pigeon

That's like asking what do you want to stick in your eye, pins or needles?

I prefer Vodafone for a couple of reasons.

-Always had good service.
-Optus are a willing participant in the government internet filter trial (I will never give them my business)

There is a new iPhone due out soon, they must be clearing old stock in preparation.

And as for 3, Vodafone bought them several weeks ago so same company now.

I would be tempted to wait for the new iphone release which is but a couple of month away if the rumour mill is right. If your going to be locked into a shitty contract for 24 months or so, with a mobile company you may as well have a nice phone for the duration of your sentence.

Forget the Iphone.....go for a Blackberry

Check out www.whirlpool.net.au for more info... but here is what I would suggest considering..

Optus has greater coverage than vodafone.. 96% vs 94% if my memory serves me correctly. These are measures of population so the land area by covered by Optus makes a reasonable amount of difference if you go out into the country..

When considering a new phone you need to look at the bands they cover for 3G. Everyone of the players has a 3G network (or access to) on the 2100Mhz band in the cities but when you go into the country then Voda and Optus(yesG) use 900Mhz and Telstra uses 850Mhz (NextG) (three piggy back on some of this network in the regions but charges 50c/mb for data).

The current Iphone uses 2100Mhz and 850Mhz so really Telstra is your best network for this. Some of the Nokia's do 900Mhz 3G so if you are on Optus or Vodafone you will get much better coverage with these in the country.

Watchout however that doing 2G 900 (which most any phone will) does not mean they can do 3G 900.

There is likely to be new IPhone out shortly so if you want it you could wait... If specifically want email on your phone try some of the new nokia e series phones or blackberry.. For multimedia/music & web surfing I personally feel the iphone is better for email I prefer the proper keyboards of other phones.

If it was my choice of these I would either go with a nokia that does 3G900 on optus now or wait and see if the new Iphone does 3g900 and then use optus.

(the three VF merger has not gone ahead yet its next month if they get regulatory approval)

Really how do you work that out, thought it was a reasonable question mate!!!

Anyone had a nokia 5800 or know much about them?

We have Virgin mobiles, which use the Optus network. We are always getting dropouts, non-connections and dead areas even in urban areas, let alone out in the country.

I have Optus, they are beyond shit.

So...you wouldn't recommend them then

We used to be too and that perfectly describes them...

With 3 because the data plans are great, we're in the city so the lack of coverage in weird and wonderful places doesn't matter, and I've found the customer service to be really good...

i'm with vodaphone ....don't know if its the areas i cover mostly (goldcoast and back of) or the phone, but since having the iphone my reception is always dropping out! really annoying.