iLounge

By Charles Starrett

Senior Editor, iLounge
Published: Monday, July 7, 2008
News Category: iPhone

Telecom Italia Mobile has revealed (Translated link) its subscription plans and pricing for the iPhone 3G in Italy. Like many other international iPhone carriers, TIM will price the iPhone 3G based on which monthly plan the customer chooses. Macity reports the company will offer five different plans, ranging in price from €30 (~$47) to €200 (~$315) a month. The iPhone starter plan (€30) will offer 1GB of data, and no built-in voice minutes or texts — they will run €15 cents each. For €50 (~$79) a month, the iPhone 250 plan will offer the same 1GB of data, 250 minutes, 100 SMS messages, while the iPhone 600 plan, which runs €80 (~$126) a month, will offer 600 minutes, 200 SMS, and 1GB of data. The iPhone 900 plan is priced at €110 (~$173) a month and includes 900 minutes, 900 texts, and 1GB of data, while the iPhone unlimited plan will run €200 (~$315) a month and will include 5000 minutes, 1500 SMS, and 5GB of data. The iPhone 3G hardware will be priced at €199 (~$313) for the 8GB model and €269 (~$423) for the 16GB with the starter plan, €189 (~$298) and €259 (~$408) with the 250 plan, €149 (~$235) and €219 (~$345) with the 600 plan, and €99 (~$156) and €169 (~$266) with the 900 plan. The 8GB model will be free with the unlimited plan, while the 16GB model will cost €69 (~$109). It is unclear how long the associated contract will last. TIM previously announced that it will sell non-subsidized iPhone 3G units to pre-paid customers for €499 (~$786) for the 8GB model and €569 (~$896) for the 16GB model.

In a separate report, Macity claims (Translated link) that early Italian iPhone sales will require at-home activation through iTunes, as the carriers’ retail stores are not currently equipped to handle in-store activation. Both TIM and Vodafone will reportedly offer in-store activation on the iPhone 3G at the customer’s request as soon as their retail outlets are capable of doing so.