Hi. Let me update wht is happening in australia. Sydney apple store just opened last thursday but the iphone is nowhere to be found in the store but according to the staffs in the genius lounge, they will sell the iphone 3G in apple store too starting 11/7 other than vodafone and optus store. And the price for both prepaid and postpaid plan for iphone 3G is not released yet by vodafone nor optus. But optus already stop receiving deposit for the pre-order coz the number of pre-order already reached 10,000 which optus said they dun have so much stocks on that day. And for vodafone, about 60,000 already pre-register it including me. So the 1st iphone 3G in the world will be released in NZ due to the time zone and follow by australia. Customers who pre-ordered it and paid $100 as deposit can go to the store at 7am to collect it. Vodafone Australia is definitely going to sell the iphone on prepaid plan which means that it can be unlocked (unlock fees may apply) as under Australia laws, no mobile carriers are allowed to lock the mobile without giving the customers the unlock code. So we just have to wait and see how much is the iphone will be sold outright in Australia.

I HATE JOO!!!   
can get extra?  i dont mind going to the land of lord of the rings to pick it up   

Cocklea, do stores in NZ allows non-contract assigned iPhones? I'm looking through the various iPhone country launches, and the best bet to secure a 3G iPhone without contract would be from Australia, Italy and Germany. These three countries allows purchase without contracts. O2 of UK also have the Pay2Go scheme, but even that ties you up to minimum of GBP10 per month, excluding the data charges before they let you have one. I guess the Pay2Go part is on the data part, talktime charges is that GBP10 thing.

Honestly, im sitting this out until things pan out. I have Paris on 22nd and Frankfurt again on 29th next month, so if anything goes, i hope i could secure one from either of these two cities. I fear that the opportunity window for getting it from the State has closed.

Enjoy the launch, and make sure you capture the craziness, Cocklea! It is going to be even worse than the first gen launch. Whereabout in NZ are you? Auckland or Christchurch? We stayed smack dab in the middle of Auckland in CityLife Hotel. The Christmas parade went right infront of the hotel, and Skycity Metro is just 5 minutes walk away. Good times!

woot!!!
congrat to be the 1st lyn forumer to own 1phone 3g?
even thou is only 15 minutes

btw thx for sharing

when is the next shipment over ur place?
i still wonder will i manage to grab a white 1 next monday =/
really depend on how US go...
hope some 1 got it (USD299) n unlocked it n put @ ebay
i dun mind grab it even thou is USD 700+- 

nice.... u work at first mobile westfield downtown? might get from there...

wah..bestnya work at mobile shop

hahahaha..when u bringing in some here?

so Cocklea? u are in NZ? how much is the price over there ah?

$979 for 8GB = RM3046.8
and $1129 for 16GB =RM3513.6

correct?

the pricing is not bad eh...bringing any in?

lucky *******...i envy you!!! 

congrats on your new phone

I'm getting it there pun kirim from the set of crew who are nightstopping there. My buddy is paying using his own credit card, so I'm a little hesitant to further burden him with another unit. I dont mind buying it for you, as long as it is me who is buying it, not another proxy. Too many cooks in the kitchen spoils the dish, they say.

EDIt:Dont know if the iPhone out of contract = unlocked for other networks. Will clarify later.

I LOVE YOU MAN!

Looks like I can straight away use it without unlocking!

You're not with Vodafone, are you? I'm getting my buddy to the Citylife Hotel Vodafone to get the iPhone 3G 16GB. Would be a relief of my worried little head if you're there, so you can help him out on the purchase. He's not that well-verse in the crazy plans and contracts and pre-conditions of getting an iPhone 3G. He should be arriving tomorrow at noon, but I'm sure he's taking his rest first before either buying it later that evening or the day after that. Can you of any way help? I'm just worried that he couldnt secure me a unit.   

I don't think Vodafone NZ iPhone3Gs are without contract. The standalone prices are for if you want to use the iphone with Vodafone's OTHER phone plans which still lock you to a contract.

Swisscom seems to offer the cheapest no-contract iPhone 3G for under RM2k, but I believe it's locked to Swiss networks only.

So at the moment, seems like Australia's Optus prepaid might be the only reasonable option for a no-contract unlockable iPhone 3G. And seeing as that there are many Malaysians in Australia, particularly students (myself included), many people back home are bound to know someone here who can buy and bring it back for them.

no luck for me on queen st.
those who still have stock will only sell it with contract =.= e.g. DS wireless and Student IT