Vodafone has had their problems in the past few years, and they’re doing everything they can to fix it. Apart from their $1bn network upgrade, they have also entered into network sharing agreements with Optus for the future, and have been maintaining an active social media presence on twitter and Facebook to keep customers in the loop on their latest movements.
Click here to visit the Vodafone online shop – or call us on 1300 580 518 for more info!
But after losing nearly a million users in the last 18 months, Vodafone has had to pull out the big guns and start offering specials to entice customers back into the fold. Here’s a quick peak at some of their best deals available right now.
Samsung Galaxy S3
After the runaway success of the S2, Samsung have pulled no punches in delivering a blockbuster update to their flagship Android phone. With a stunning design and 4.8” Super AMOLED screen, the S3 is prettier than its predecessor, and packs plenty of power. The Galaxy will work on Vodafone’s new 850MHz network, can display 720p hi-def video, has an 8MP camera and somehow has a quad core 1.4Ghz processor, even though that would have been too much grunt for a desktop PC just 5 years ago.
Other handy add-ons are microSD expandable storage up to 64GB, meaning you could be carrying around 128GB of data in your pocket (if you get the 64GB model).
The Galaxy S3 would be a clear best in class Android if HTC hadn’t brought out the stunning One X at the same time, but more power to them. It’s still a two horse race between Samsung and HTC.
Vodafone are giving these away pretty cheap. For those who mostly text and only call every so often, there’s a $54 bundle ($39 plan + $15 a month for the phone) with infinite text to any mobile in Australia, $300 cap credit for calls and 500MB of text. For the first 12 months of your 2 year contract, you get 1GB of data, which decreases to 500MB after that.
For $10 more ($64 a month), you get infinite calls to other Vodafone and 3 customers, infinite text, 3GB of data (down to 1.5GB after 12 months), $750 cap credit AND two months free if you purchase online by July 31st. That’s an overall saving of $128 over the life of the contract.
iPhone 4S
The iPhone is looking a little stale, no? With nearly a year since the last update and with everyone else catching up in between, the sheen is starting to wear off the Apple. Not to mention the fact that Apple’s legal shenanigans are making the news more these days than any great leaps and bounds in technology.
Nevertheless, the iPhone 4S is still just a smidge ahead of everyone else. Like every iPhone, it packs great design and a still-unrivalled user experience, not to mention the largest and highest quality App Store. Android is getting better, but it remains inscrutable for many people, while the iPhone operating system is a piece of cake. Throw in Facetime for video calls, Siri for voice commands, iMessage and an excellent 8MP camera, and you’re still talking about the best phone on the market. But only just.
If you’re on the edge about whether to go iPhone or Android, price might decide for you. Vodafone aren’t offering anything special for the iPhone. No 2 months free, no free accessories…nothing. But you can now get the 16GB 4S for $5 on the $59 cap, with infinite calls to Vodafone and 3, and infinite text to all networks, along with $750 credit for everything else. Still beats most of the competition.
iPad (3G + Wi-Fi)
Where Vodafone is really killing the competition is in great deals on 3G. The latest iPad (which is not called the iPad 3, because why be simple like that?) sports by far the best screen on any tablet or small laptop anywhere. Books and webpages are almost scarily clear and easy on the eyes. It really is like playing with the future.
Whereas Apple is starting to struggle against the competition in phones, all is sunny when it comes to Tablets. Nothing can really beat or even come within spitting distance of the iPad right now (though that might change later this year if Microsoft’s Surface meets the hype).
A new iPad isn’t much more expensive than other tablets (and is sometimes cheaper) when buying outright, but that’s still a big $600 matza ball, not including a mobile data plan. Vodafone will sell you the 16GB iPad for as little as $45 a month with 2GB of included data. But if you’re looking at the iPad as your main email/internet/ebook/online video option, the $80 plan with a whopping 18GB of data is what you’re after. For $90, you get the 64GB option – 4 times the storage!
HTC One X
Back to Android. Nokia, BlackBerry, LG and Sony are all dying slow and painful deaths, and for a while there it looked as though HTC were going to crumble under the might of Apple and Samsung as well. But their One X is one of those rare pieces of kit that meet the hype. The One line was designed to clear up all the clutter of HTC’s lineup, focusing all of the Taiwanese manufacturer’s innovation into one clear standard bearer.
It actually worked. The HTC One x is made of handsome and durable polycarbonate, feeling lighter than Apple’s heavy aluminium iPhone while not feeling as chintzy as Samsung’s plastic models. The sleek design and big 4.7” screen are window dressing for a quad core processor that runs even faster than the Galaxy S3, and the best 8MP phone camera available. HTC isn’t out of the woods yet (they just posted a big loss) but they’re proving at least that they’re still in the game.
HTC now owns Beats Audio, the makers of beats headsets. Whether or not you think extra bass is worth $300 is on you; but as a result HTC have been incorporating beats technology into the media player on the One line of phones. So it plays music good too.
Vodafone has reduced their plans on the One X, letting it go for $0 on the $49 cap. That comes with $550 cap credit and infinite calls to Vodafone and 3, with 1GB data. 1St month free if you sign up online before Jul 31.
But for value seekers, go the next plan up, $59 a month. $750 call credit, infinite text, infinite calls to Vodafone and 3, 1.5GB, first 2 months free. Safer bet.
Other phones
Nokia Lumia 800 is $0 on $49 plan and above, with 2 months free. Note: The current Lumia line won’t support Windows Phone 8.
The Samsung Galaxy Note is ridiculous, and the Galaxy Nexus is great even though no-one loves it at all. The Nexus is $0 on plans as low as $29 a month, and the gargantuan but really fantastic Note is free from $59 – with two months free.
The BlackBerry Bold 9780 is over 2 years old and…not great, but you can get it for free with a free 16GB Playbook on plans as low as $49 a month.
The Sony XPERIA S is the best phone no-one wants to buy, with a 12MP camera in a long list of awesome specs. $0 on plans as low as $39 a month.
LG’s PRADA phone has a nifty Android skin that almost makes up for the fact that it’s otherwise terrible. But it’s also cheap, $0 on plans $39 a month and over.