Screwed By Carrier

**Prince Radebe** · 02-19-2013, 03:29 PM

I am a South African hoping to get my hands on the BlackBerry Z10, Vodacom the first SA carrier to offer the Z10 will launch it tomorrow. The contract deals are worse than iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy SIII yet SA is supposed to be an emerging market.

below are the contract deals by Vodacom.
Vodacom Z10 Plans.JPG

**zeelob** · 02-19-2013, 03:38 PM

Originally Posted by Prince Radebe

I am a South African hoping to get my hands on the BlackBerry Z10, Vodacom the first SA carrier to offer the Z10 will launch it tomorrow. The contract deals are worse than iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy SIII yet SA is supposed to be an emerging market.

below are the contract deals by Vodacom.
Vodacom Z10 Plans.JPG

What's the rate of exchange of the Rand to the US Dollar?

**Prince Radebe** · 02-19-2013, 03:40 PM

1 South African Rand equals 0.11 US Dollar

**zeelob** · 02-19-2013, 03:41 PM

Just looked it up, which means Red VIP is US$225!!!!!!!!!!!

That is CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!

**elite1** · 02-19-2013, 03:43 PM

Originally Posted by Prince Radebe

I am a South African hoping to get my hands on the BlackBerry Z10, Vodacom the first SA carrier to offer the Z10 will launch it tomorrow. The contract deals are worse than iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy SIII yet SA is supposed to be an emerging market.

Well, one is a brand new device and the others are not. BBRY can influence the contract prices of carriers, but the carriers have freedom to price it how they want in the end.

It's odd that, there's only a deal for extra data with the 3G model, and not the LTE version. It's the LTE version's speed that could make it extra dangerous guzzling your data.
Either way, remember that BB10 data consumption will be more similar to an iPhone as BB10 doesn't compress data the way the legacy BBOS devices did/do.

On a separate note, I noticed several South African apps (lots of news apps, iirc) added to BB World over the last couple days.

**elite1** · 02-19-2013, 03:44 PM

Oh and by the way, welcome to CrackBerry!

**Prince Radebe** · 02-19-2013, 03:54 PM

Originally Posted by elite1

Well, one is a brand new device and the others are not. BBRY can influence the contract prices of carriers, but the carriers have freedom to price it how they want in the end.

It's odd that, there's only a deal for extra data with the 3G model, and not the LTE version. It's the LTE version's speed that could make it extra dangerous guzzling your data.
Either way, remember that BB10 data consumption will be more similar to an iPhone as BB10 doesn't compress data the way the legacy BBOS devices did/do.

On a separate note, I noticed several South African apps (lots of news apps, iirc) added to BB World over the last couple days.

Moving from my Curve 9320 on pre-pay and paying R59 ($7) per month for BIS to the lowest available deal which is R399 ($45) for 75mb will be such a rip off. We also pay R2 ($0.22) per mb, another rip of in our country.

**Prince Radebe** · 02-19-2013, 03:56 PM

Originally Posted by elite1

Oh and by the way, welcome to CrackBerry!

Thank you, loving the threads. learning a lot about the phone.

**D Mac** · 02-19-2013, 04:05 PM

Why does the phone you use effect the monthly price you pay?

I don't pay more or less per month for my home phone line depending on what phone I plug into the wall.

I don't pay more or less for my cable depending on what TV I use.

I don't pay more or less for my gas depending on what car I'm putting it into.

I don't pay more or less for my internet depending on what type of computer I use.

Billing based on handset instead of by usage is absurd.

**mcmolineux** · 02-19-2013, 04:10 PM

Originally Posted by D Mac

Why does the phone you use effect the monthly price you pay?

I don't pay more or less per month for my home phone line depending on what phone I plug into the wall.

I don't pay more or less for my cable depending on what TV I use.

I don't pay more or less for my gas depending on what car I'm putting it into.

I don't pay more or less for my internet depending on what type of computer I use.

Billing based on handset instead of by usage is absurd.

Your cable company isn't subsidizing your TV.

**D Mac** · 02-19-2013, 04:15 PM

Originally Posted by mcmolineux

Your cable company isn't subsidizing your TV.

What does that have to do with it?

If I paid less for my TV by signing a contract that still wouldn't explain why my cable rate would be higher if I was using a Samsung TV than if I was using a Sony TV.

The subsidy effects the amount you pay for the DEVICE and the length of your contract and the amount of your cancellation fees. There is no justification for it to effect your monthly bill.

If I use 1,000 minutes and 1,000 texts and 1GB data I should be billed for that (or whatever exactly is included in my package). Billing me more or less because I happen to be using a Z10 or an iPhone 5 or a potato is ridiculous.

**Silverfern** · 02-19-2013, 04:17 PM

wow over 200 for a month? that is a rip off

**elite1** · 02-19-2013, 04:25 PM

It doesn't actually say anywhere here that the monthly service price varies between devices. Or did I miss that?
It's not the easiest chart to read...

**D Mac** · 02-19-2013, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by elite1

It doesn't actually say anywhere here that the monthly service price varies between devices. Or did I miss that?
It's not the easiest chart to read...

Agreed it isn't but the chart is listing monthly plan pricing not hardware pricing, and he said it was more expensive the the iPhone pricing, so therefore the monthly plans are based on phone being used.

**Cloudmaster** · 02-19-2013, 04:30 PM

Hoping to get a Z10 tomorrow at my local O2 - UK shop, the nearest equivalent plan I can see to the one I'll be going on is Red Premium, but I'll be paying the equivalent of 2,733 ZAR for the phone (then about 355 ZAR / month for the contract)

Having said that, I only see one price per plan in that chart, is that a one-off payment for the phone or monthly contract payment?

**Cloudmaster** · 02-19-2013, 04:35 PM

Originally Posted by D Mac

Agreed it isn't but the chart is listing monthly plan pricing not hardware pricing, and he said it was more expensive the the iPhone pricing, so therefore the monthly plans are based on phone being used.

Just seen this...seriously expensive

**M.Rizk** · 02-19-2013, 04:45 PM

That's why I was fighting for BIS but nearly no one cared. Heh

Posted via CB10

**elite1** · 02-19-2013, 04:46 PM

Originally Posted by D Mac

Agreed it isn't but the chart is listing monthly plan pricing not hardware pricing, and he said it was more expensive the the iPhone pricing, so therefore the monthly plans are based on phone being used.

You may be right.
I took at though like he was just stating the iPhone's purchase price with contract was lower than Z10's.

**elite1** · 02-19-2013, 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by M.Rizk

That's why I was fighting for BIS but nearly no one cared. Heh

Posted via CB10

Who were you fighting, and how?
Or did you just mean... complaining about no BIS?

Anyway, what's done is done. We can't change this.

PS When you have a minute, remember to change your CB profile to indicate you have your new Z10. Still shows 9900.

**D Mac** · 02-19-2013, 04:57 PM

Originally Posted by elite1

You may be right.
I took at though like he was just stating the iPhone's purchase price with contract was lower than Z10's.

Well when he said:

The contract deals are worse than iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy SIII
below are the contract deals

He would have to mean the plans are worse or else his repeated use of the term "contract deals" doesn't make any sense.

OP how much less are the plans for iOS / Android?

**M.Rizk** · 02-19-2013, 05:10 PM

Originally Posted by elite1

Who were you fighting, and how?
Or did you just mean... complaining about no BIS?

Anyway, what's done is done. We can't change this.

PS When you have a minute, remember to change your CB profile to indicate you have your new Z10. Still shows 9900.

Yes. All I did that I complained got nothing else to do in my hands.

Yes we can change what happened the BlackBerry 10 hardware supports the structure of the NOC they can include the ability to use BIS in an OS update

I will change my signature soon, probably this weekend when I have time to login to my PC.

Posted via CB10

**Prince Radebe** · 02-19-2013, 07:10 PM

Originally Posted by Cloudmaster

Hoping to get a Z10 tomorrow at my local O2 - UK shop, the nearest equivalent plan I can see to the one I'll be going on is Red Premium, but I'll be paying the equivalent of 2,733 ZAR for the phone (then about 355 ZAR / month for the contract)

Having said that, I only see one price per plan in that chart, is that a one-off payment for the phone or monthly contract payment?

The prices listed are monthly contract payments