Many people will not realize what con this is.

1. 5 min youtube video a day for a month.

  OR

2. About 500 emails with images

mobile me gallery anyone... I don't think so...

Google maps.... again I don't think so. 

Whoever came up with these plans did so without thinking about the usage the iphone will have (or they did and are looking forward to catching out many customers caught by the expense.

When the iPhone was initially announced I have to admit I wanted one. The technology looks smooth and combines a great looking UI and great functions. I decided that with the cheaper prices. I would be able to get one... I signed up and pre-registered my desire with Vodafone Portugal.
Now, I have been with Vodafone for quite some time now and they have very good prices and a fair approach to their customer so I figured I could count on a fairly decent package....
Until today...

So on offer we have an 8Gb phone for €129.9, one for €219.9 and one for €299.9 (all with a €10 rebate for your old phone) There is also the possibility of buying one without a contract for €499.9.

So I happily clicked on the continue with my registration link and confirmed my details and then followed the link to contract prices...

Planos best iPhone 

 So here it is... Minimum €29.9 per month with an outlay of €299 for the 8Gb model. That is, after all, the one I was interested in. The problem is that 30 Euros a month is a commitment I am not willing to make. I don't want to (necessarily) spend 100 mins a month on my phone. I certainly do not want to be tied into 2 years of prices when the outlook is so bleak.

So I looked into the non contract offer and I have to say I was shocked.. Here we are spending 500 euros on a phone (and hopefully sticking to my plan (pre paid with privileged  numbers I have cheaper calls to) and I see we have to pay a €19.9 monthly fee for data... and this is limited to 250 Mb. This is iPhone tax and something that I flatly refuse to pay for.

 Vodafone charges its non-iphone customers 9.82 for the same service on other phones. Vodafone mobile broadband at the same speed costs about 40 euros but you have 5 Gb limit. So please don't tell that iPhone users are more expensive.

So there you have it I refuse to spend over €1000 on a phone. 

(129.9 + 24 x 64.9 = 1687.5) !!!!!!!!!! (no guesses for how much your old iPhone will cost once the contract is up) 

I'd much rather spend that sort of money on one of these

(maybe that is the idea)

See this for more enlightenment on sensible shopping

Translation: Hello Portugal (Now Open)

Welcome to the Official Apple Online Store (Find out More)

The whole Apple Portugal site is now run by Apple inc.

This is good news (I hope)

We have also been added to the map

Enough said :-)

Is it some coincidence that Interlog (the company that takes care of Apple Inc. Business in Portugal (like a mafia)) are called Apple IMC? When visiting their site one notices that the address is Apple.com.pt and is not a usual international address format apple.com/pt. However when clicking on Suporte you are taken to a subdivision of the UK site (run from Ireland I suspect) in which the address is apple.com/pt/support and has all the correct graphics etc. in place.

Could this be the beginning of a new era?

I hope so.

UPDATE 15/10 : The site now links to apage in English with the plain Apple.com (international address)Normally when apple does things like this it's because they don't want to appear to be supporting something until they are ready....Hold that thought.

UPDATE 15/11 : It finally happened :-)