Are Kiwi iPhone data charges a nose-bleed?

(Scroll down for iPhone timeline.)

UPDATE: Vodafone has taken issue with the below assertion that NZ iPhone data rates are high.

Spokesman Matt East offered this table, using an $NZ-$USD exchange rate 0.7725:

Our standard add-ons:
US$7.73/mth for 100MB;
US$23.18/mth for 512MB; (this addon includes additional rebate when buying a new handset)

But it is the value that’s in our iPhone plans that is world class and it include substantial rebates:
US$15.45/mth for 3GB of data on our Smart plans (the iPhone Smart plans are NZ$20/mth more than our standard voice plans)

AT&T
US$15/mth for 200MB of data; or
US$25/mth for 2GB of data + unlimited WiFI
US$35/mth for 3GB of data + unlimited WiFi (using their automatic 1GB bundle insurance feature)

Verizon
US$15/mth for 150MB of data; or
US$29.99/mth for “unlimited” data. Recently announced to coincide with their CDMA iPhone, which probably won’t use as much data as the UMTS version. The unlimited data does not cover tethering usage (reported another $20 will allow that) and 99% of iphone users consume less than 500MB of data.

CHRIS KEALL REPLIES:
Speaking of overseas plans, I like this one from Vodafone Australia: $A45 ($NZ59) for "INFINITE calls to any standard national numbers*, standard national & international TXT/PXT® to personal mobile numbers^ & calls to Customer Care + 1GB of data for mobile internet + INFINITE access to Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, FourSquare & LinkedIn within Australia. And on the iPad side of the fence, who couldn't love the $A49 for unlimited data iPad plan.

MATT EAST COUNTERS:
All [Vodafone NZ] Smart plans include the 3GB bundle which we think is a great deal.

Also, today we launched a $50 for 2GB add-on, and on Feb 1 we’re adding a $29.95 for 512MB add-on for on-account customers.

[Telecom offers 2GB on pre-pay for $61, and 4GB for $81 - both valid for a month; 2degrees 1GB for $20, valid for a month; 3GB for $50, valid for 60 days, or 12GB for $150, valid for six months. 2degrees' bulk data plans are only available in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown.  - CK.]

We seem to have reached that familiar juncture; the time when it's no longer worth buying the current iPhone, because the new model's obviously in the pipeline.

Apple – not wishing to dampen iPhone 4 sales – is naturally secretive about the iPhone 5's release date.

Yet the rumour mill is ramping up.

Late last year, iPhone 5 gossip was largely restricted to fanboy sites.

Now, the grown-ups are joning in, with Computerworld.com reporting that Apple has just placed manufacturing orders for various iPhone 5 (and iPad 2) components, and the New York Times speculating over new services, from NFC (or near field communications; an iWallet service) to a cloud version of iTunes.

And in any case, you don't have to be some kind of industrial spy o to work out the iPhone 5 is on the way.

Simply by reading the release-date list for previous models, to wit: ...

• iPhone: June, 2007
• iPhone 3G: July, 2008
• iPhone 3GS: June, 2009
• iPhone 4: June, 2010

... you don't have to be a genius to infer that the iPhone 5 is likely to be released around mid-way through this year.

Of course, Apple could always mess with the schedule to keep people guessing in future years. But with Google Android-based phones also adding NFC and other features, and stealing more and more smartphone market share, I wouldn't bet on any delay.

Beyond incremental hardware improvements (maybe an OLED screen, a better camera etc), the rumourmill predicting the following for iPhone 5, and the associated iOS upgrade:

- No physical “Home” button

- Personal wi-fi, allowing an iPhone to become a wireless internet hub for multiple devices (a feature already available to owners of the new CDMA version of the iPhone)

- NFC or “near field communication” support, a so-called “iWallet” technology for paying for stuff (or receiving location-based marketing messages) with your phone. NFC – which also features on Google’s Nexus 2 Android smartphone – is all well and Jetsons-y, but requires support from retailers, and will involve messy political spats as various parties (credit card companies, service providers, online payment processors, Apple with iTunes) thinking they should be the one to clip the ticket.

- A “cloud” version of iTunes, meaning your personal collection of songs could be served on an Apple server accessible via the internet. No more losing a song for good, and having to repurchase it, if you accidentally delete it and don’t have a backup. The New York Times notes that Apple recently bought a streaming service called LaLa.com. Problem: streaming songs over the internet is a non starter for New Zealand iPhone owners, however, given Telecom, Vodafone and 2degrees’ high mobile data charges.