Apple announces Australian iPhone 4 pricing

Apple has revealed it will be selling the 16GB iPhone 4 direct from AU$859 including GST, the 32GB iPhone 4 from AU$999 including GST, and has pinned the cost of the prior 3GS model at AU$719.

The outright pricing will be available from Apple's retail stores and "select Apple Authorised resellers", Apple said in a statement today.

Apple's telco partners have also started posting their pricing regimes.

Telstra will offer the smaller 16 GB iPhone 4 for $149 upfront on a $49 cap plan for 24 months and will bundle it free with $79 and $99 cap plans. It offers the 32 GB for $299 on a $49 cap plan for 24 months, $299 for a $79 cap plan for 24 months, and will bundle it free with the $99 cap plan over 24 months. The prior 3GS model is being bundled in at zero upfront cost for all three of these cap plans.

Optus is offering zero upfront costs for the 16GB and 32GB iPhone 4 on its $79 and $89 per month caps over 24 months. The 16GB is also bundled in at no upfront cost on the $59 per month plan and for $8 upfront on the $49 per month plan. The 32 GB is $15 upfront on the $49 monthly plan and $10 upfront on the $59 monthly plan. These plans, however, include only between 1GB and 3GB of downloads.

PC Authority has published an excellent comparison of the iPhone 4 pricing options available from Telstra and Optus, a snapshot of which we've posted below:

Apple iPhone 4 16GB pricing: Telstra v Optus

Apple iPhone 4 16GB	Selected Plans - Post Paid - $49 per month
	Optus 'yes' Extreme $49	Telstra $49 Cap Plan
Handset cost	$8 a month	$149 upfront
Term	24 months	24 months
Included credit	$450	$400
Included data	1GB	200MB
Minimum cost	$1,176	$1176
Apple iPhone 4 16GB	Selected Plans - Post Paid - $79 per month
	Optus 'yes' Extreme $79	Telstra $79 Cap Plan
Handset cost	free	free
Term	24 months	24 months
Included credit	$800	$750
Included data	2GB	500MB
Minimum cost	$1,896	$1,896

Apple iPhone 4 32GB pricing: Telstra v Optus

Apple iPhone 4 32GB	Selected Plans - Post Paid - $49 per month
	Optus 'yes' Extreme $49	Telstra $49 Cap Plan
Handset cost	$15 a month	$299 upfront
Term	24 months	24 months
Included credit	$450	$400
Included data	1GB	200MB
Minimum cost	$1,536	$1,475
Apple iPhone 4 16GB	Selected Plans - Post Paid - $79 per month
	Optus 'yes' Extreme $79	Telstra $79 Cap Plan
Handset cost	free	$199 upfront
Term	24 months	24 months
Included credit	$800	$750
Included data	2GB	500MB
Minimum cost	$1,896	$2,095

 For more analysis, see PC Authority's plan comparison

Midnight launches

Telstra also said it would open 25 stores [PDF] in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania from 12am on Friday.

Optus is also hosting midnight launches at its 'yes' stores in all states.