Prepaid iPhones all but gone, tricky deals from Unwired

When buying phones or broadband service, it always pays to double check the details, as a couple of stories from Nick at Lifehacker's sibling publication Gizmodo AU today make clear. Firstly, it seems that Optus is phasing out its prepaid iPhone plans; the only store now selling them is the main branch in Sydney. Optus is claiming stock issues, but I wouldn't be surprised if the company's relatively cheap opt-out plan means lots of people have purchased an iPhone from Optus and then jumped to another carrier. (Check out Lifehacker's guide to choosing the right iPhone plan for more on what each carrier charges.) In the wireless broadband space, Unwired is now offering a 10GB a month plan for $40, which sounds great until you realise that half of this is limited to off-peak browsing (the peak is strangely defined as 2pm to 2am) and that if you exceed the limit, speed drops to an abysmal 32Kbps. My own experience of Unwired has always been patchy even in fixed locations, and the coverage doesn't extend across enough of the country to make it a good deal for travellers.