Confession: we secretly hope the Palm Pre does very well. Not because we want one ourselves — we’re pretty happy with the iPhone round here — but because we want Apple and AT&T to think we want one so they continue to drive up innovation and drive down costs respectively. Competition is, was, and will forever be a Good Thing.

Case in point: we’ve heard rumors about Apple pressuring AT&T to lower data rates and/or offer lower price points for capped service. Wall Street Journal takes these rumors and shows why competitive pressure may be at the root of them with a little side-by-side comparison to the impending Palm Pre/Sprint rates. Neatly summarized:

So essentially, iPhone users have to pay $150 a month to match what Sprint will offer Pre users for $100

Hey, if Palm can get Apple to get AT&T to knock 33% off the monthly bill, more power to them (and money to us!)

[Thanks to the Reptile for the tip and @CRA1G for melting our hearts -- a little!]

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Apple Pressuring AT&T to Lower Rates in Face of Palm Pre Competition?

AT&T Mouth of Sauron Speaks!

Business Week is warming up the rumor we heard ten days ago about AT&T considering reducing the iPhone data plan from $30 to $20. This time, however, instead of just a price drop, it’s suggested there could be the introduction of a new, limited data option.

So, high end users could get “unlimited” data for $30, and lower end users could get a capped plan for $20.

Business Week’s sources also suggest that a lower price or price tier is part of the ongoing negotiations between Apple and AT&T regarding the extension of AT&T’s US iPhone exclusivity.

Of course, $99 and pre-paid iPhones are also tossed in for good measure. Apple has stated in the past that they wouldn’t leave an umbrella for the competition, so lower-cost — up-front up on plan — iPhones are seen as putting pressure on RIM’s BlackBerry and Palm’s upcoming Pre, and shoring up Apple and AT&T’s market share.

If you don’t use a lot of data, would a tiered option (already available on many international carriers) appeal to you? Would a lower end or pre-paid iPhone?

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AT&T to Offer Data-Capped $20 iPhone Plan? $99 iPhones? Pre-Paid iPhones?

Have an iPhone on AT&T and want to travel internationally without re-mortgaging your house to pay for the data roaming? You’re in luck… mostly. Engadget says the USA’s exclusive iPhone carrier has just released two new plans to help mitigate your risk: $119.99 for 100MB and $199.99 for 200MB.

Realizing AT&T does have to pay other carriers for any users on their networks, we still can’t help but wonder if there’s an ulterior motive… Given the poor marks AT&T’s network received in Wired’s survey when compared to European carriers, maybe Ma Bell is trying to dissuade frustrated users from fleeing the country? Unfortunately, these new plans are pretty much Rogers’ 2006 domestic rates, and probably still competitive with several international carrier-gougers!

So, AT&T travelers, will these new plans encourage you to keep the data roaming enabled for your next trip?

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AT&T Releases New (Still Expensive) Roaming Data Plans

Thanks to reader, Adam R. who wrote in to let us know Australian rates have been revealed, and his Blackberry can now “go the way of the dodo”.

First up is Optus who’ve announced both pre-paid and post-paid plans. Pre-paid Turbo Caps start at AUS$30 for an AUS$30 “mycredit”, AUS$110 “mybonus”, and AUS$30 “mytime money” — but no “mydata”. At AUS$100 you get 100/800/100 and Plus 1GB “mydata”. On these plans, and 8GB iPhone 3G will run you AUS$729 and 16GB, AUS$849. Not confusing enough for non-Ozzies, plan rates weigh in at AUS$0.78/min. for national calls,AUS$0.35 per “Flagfall” call, and AUS$02.2/KB weekdays and AUS$1.1/KB for “iZoo Browsing”.

Read on for Post-paid, Telestra’s first statement, Canadian craziness, and some Swedish relief!

Optus’ Post-paid is just as impenetrable for me, with Cap plans ranging from AUS$19 for 100MB, AUS$50 of calls/SMS (and more?), and AUS$0.47 per 30 seconds (?) for national calls, to AUS$179 for 1GB and AUS$1500 of calls/SMS (and more??), and AUS$0.35 per 30 sec. national calls (?!). Both plans have AUS$0.35 “flagfall” per call rates, and AUS$0.25 per SMS.

But it gets stranger! On post-paid, you pay off your iPhone over the course of a 12 or 24 month contract. AUS$51 or AUS$21 for an 8GB or AUS$61 or AUS$26 for a 16GB on the low end, AUS$23 or AUS$0 for 8GB or AUS$33 or AUS$0 on the high.

(Seriously, if an Australian reader can explain that to us like we’re 5th grader, we’d really appreciate it! Crikey!)

Telestra’s Australian rates, and Swedish and Canadian updated after the break!

Here’s Telestra so far:

The Next G™ iPhone 3G™ plans start at $30 per month with an upfront cost of $279 for the 8GB model and $399 for the 16GB model. Customers will receive the 8GB iPhone 3G™ model at no cost with the $80 plan and either the 8GB or the 16GB model at no cost with plans starting at $100 per month. All plans include free Wi-Fi access at Telstra hotspots and require a 24-month contract.

Mind boggling voice and data rates to be detailed later, I assume?

UPDATE: Global TV in British Columbia aired a report on Rogers and the Canadian backlash:

Meanwhile, Canadians continue to protest, with major national and international news outlets picking up the story of GSM monopoly Rogers iPhone plans, and rumor has it there may be some more movement on their part sometime prior to launch:

Customers are not restricted just to the 4 iphone bundles that were announced & are able to select from most of our other voice & data plans. We do not have an unlimited data plan, although we are looking at potentially tweaking some of the data plan bucket sizes. More to follow. Bruce M. Mann Vice President Investor Relations Rogers Communications Inc.

Maybe it has a little something to do with the CDMA competition embarrassing them by offering truly reasonable data rates ($30 unlimited!) on their iClone iPhone competitors, like Telus for the HTC Touch Diamond and Bell for the Samsung Instinct?

Sweden, of course, has already seen Telia cave to public outcry over their iPhone plans (which were crazier than even the Canadians):

Swedish iPhone carrier Telia has revised its service offerings for the soon to be released handset. Instead of modifying the plans for the iPhone 3G, the carrier has chosen to allow users to pick from its existing plans for other mobile phones, then add a 199 SEK (roughly $33) unlimited data option.

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Updated! iPhone 3G International Update: Australia Plans & Prices, Canada Stumbles, Sweden Crumbles?

We’ve done our share of protesting the plan rates released by Canada’s GSM monopoly, and therefor de facto iPhone 3G exclusive carrier, Rogers Wireless. But we’re hardly alone. Reports have even surfaced of angry consumers egging Rogers retail stores.

Now CNN/Fortune have cast their spotlight on it, focusing one what was originally the explicitly, if sincerely named [redacted]rogers.com, now more safely (if less satisfyingly) rebranded ruinediphone.com.:

What’s wrong with Rogers’ rate plan? Both AT&T (T) and Rogers offer calling, data and text messaging at $75 a month, for example. But for $75 Rogers offers a third less calling time, half as many text messages, and puts a 750 MB cap on 3G data usage — with steep fees for users who go over their monthly limit.

In addition to ruinediphone.com’s petition, would-be-Canadian iPhone owners should head on over to David McGuinty’s petition for House Bill C-555 to promote transparency and fairness in Canadian telcos. and the Competition Bureau of Canada

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iPhone 3G in Canada: Ridiculous Rogers Rates Raise Revolt

Two of the Scandinavian nations have just released their iPhone 3G plans. First up is TeliaSonera, with iMini plans starting with 18 month contracts at 299 SEK for 100 min./SMS/MB, with 8GB handsets for 2495 SEK and 16GB for 3295 SEK. iMidi is 250/250/250, and topping out with iMaxi at 859 SEK for 1000/1000/1000 and handsets for 1395 SEK or 2195 SEK.

There’s an iMidi plan as well, and 2-year contracts gets a handset discount. Still, that a US$145 a month obligation for 1GB of data… Ouch.

But it’s not as bad as Netcom in Norway! iTalk Small is 399 NOR for 100/100/100, with 1390 NOR or 2290 NOR for the handset, and iTalk Large is 1099 NOR for 1000/1000/1000 with 1 NOR or 890 NOR for the handset. That’s $221 a month for 1GB!

And I thought Canadians were getting hosed. What happened to mythical Midgard data pipes, where costs are negligible and speeds are the stuff of legend? Is the evil Loki… er… Nokia behind it? iPhone 3G Thor, taste them thine hammer!

Read

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iPhone 3G in Scandinavia: Swed Data Rates? Norway!

Although the date of July 17 is a bit confusing, given the international 22-country rollout is set for July 11, Orange is at least doing a better job than some other countries by delivering unlimited data with their plans.

And what plans are those?

€149 for the 8GB iPhone 3G, and €199 for the 16GB. Plans start at €49 for 2hrs of voice, 2hrs of night/weekend voice, and 50 SMS and top out at €149 for 12hrs/12hrs and 1000 SMS.

Special offers will be made for business customers to “change their mobile”, and for upgrades from existing iPhone (2G) sets/plans.

Read

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iPhone 3G in France: Orange Dates and Rates

Could these be T-Mobile’s iPhone 3G rate plans? I couldn’t find them posted yet on T-Mobile’s site (and my German is nicht gooden anyway), but reader Germany iPhone User sent us a tip on the image below, so if this is them, then this is them!

Update: Turns out not so much (see comments below).

According to the image, plans come in small, medium, large, and extra large (XL) sizes, from €29 through €89, with 50 to 1000 minutes, free weekends, 0 to 500 SMS, with 500mb of data on the lowest plans, and unlimited on all the rest.

Likewise das cheapen plan will get you an iPhone 3G 8GB for €169 (or 16GB for €249) while einen XL will get you the 8GB free! (16GB for €99)

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Updated: Hoax! iPhone 3G in Germany: T-Mobile Rate Plans?

Current iPhone user on UK’s O2 network eager to get your hands on the hot new iPhone 3G, yeah? Ready to act fast, are you? Willing to sign up for O2’s premium £45 or £75 per month plans, eh? If so — and for a limited time only — you could qualify for a free iPhone 3G 8GB or 16GB respectively. Cracking deal, innit?

Bargain hunters looking for the £35 plan will have to fork over £99 or £159 for their handsets, as will any newcomers to the platform. Doesn’t seem cricket, does it?

Chins up, though, unlike AT&T in the States, O2 will be offering Pay & Go options, though no details have been provided yet.

Take a right little look at the read link for more on O2’s iPhone 3G rates and plans…

Read Via

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O2 to Offer iPhone 3G for “Free”?!