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Thinking of purchasing a smartphone in New Zealand? Well, we're actually incredibly lucky. Not only do we have the iPhone, but it's available to be purchased without a contract for use on PrePay. Only one other country in the world offers this, Italy, and they price the iPhones at 50% more than we do in New Zealand.

The iPhone 3G and 3GS will work on all 3 providers in NZ - Telecom (XT), Vodafone, and 2Degrees.

Obviously the most internationally recognisable smartphone, the iPhone is also considered worldwide to be the best smartphone available. It is available in different memory sizes, and currently available in two different variations. 

The original 3G-enabled iPhone, the iPhone 3G, is still available in the 8GB black model for $979 (although Vodafone are currently running a promotion in which you get an iPhone 3G 16GB for the price of the 8GB). 

The new iPhone 3GS boasts several new features such as better camera and videocamera, voice recognition, compass, and twice the speed. It is available in both black and white, 16GB for $1149, and 32GB for $1379. 

Personally, I would not consider purchasing the original 8GB iPhone 3G. The new model is significantly faster, and with its extra features and at least double memory capacity, makes it by far superior. For the small amount extra you are getting a huge amount more.

As to which capacity you purchase is entirely personal. I use the 16GB model and this is enough for 10 full-length movies, several music videos, my entire music collection of around 1000 songs, my entire photo library of over 5000 photos, and countless Apps. However if you want more movies and/or more music, go for the 32GB model to be safe.

The iPhone is renowned for is simplicity - it has a simple design with minimal buttons, and its interface is incredibly easy to use. The iPod function is by far the best media player on any smartphone on the market, and is better yet with seamless intergration with Apple's famous iTunes software. Along with the App store, boasting over 80000 apps for anything you can possibly imagine, the iPhone is a clear winner if you want to be able to use extra features with native applications on your smartphone.

The camera on the iPhone 3G is 2MP, but shows surprisingly good results for sharing online and viewing on the computer. The new 3GS has an improved 3.2MP camera with autofocus, and a tap-to-focus feature, along with a videocamera. The iPhone 3GS' camera is really quite amazing for a phone-camera, and shows incredible results for sharing online and viewing on a computer.

The internet browser on the iPhone is fantastic, and is without a doubt the winner against both the HTC Magic and the Nokia N97. Load times are very fast on both 3G network and WiFi, and these are increased on the iPhone 3GS. Nifty features make browsing even better, like double tapping to zoom in and out, along with pinching the screen for more careful zooming. Most formats of video can be streamed.

A minor, although surprisingly nice, feature that the iPhone 3GS has over the 3G is physical. The 3GS' screen is coated in a new material that almost entirely eliminates smudge marks. When I head of this online I thought it may be a bit of a gimmick, but after actually using the 3GS and comparing it to my 3G, I can say that it really does work. Keeping your iPhone looking pristine is something you will want after you are a proud owner!

For everyday consumers (not heavy users) NZ is well catered for with mobile data plans. Telecom's XT network offers the best, with 3 different tiers. 20MB for $6, 120MB for $12 , or 240MB for $18, each charged monthly. These amounts are plenty for everyday internet browing, Twitter and Facebook usage, YouTube streaming, photo uploading, and even downloading songs or apps. Vodafone offers one add-on for internet, $10 a month for 100MB. And of course both Telecom and Vodafone offer casual use of $1 a day for 10MB, only on the days you use it. 2Degrees does not yet offer any mobile data plans.

If you would like any more information on anything to do with mobile phones in New Zealand, including plans and prices, please feel free to contact me via email (my details are on my Posterous page).

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Michael Moore-Jones. @mmoorejones