Speaking as a hemi-hemi-Austrian, I was crushed when, as a child, I discovered my Grandmother's family had come from the one without the kangaroos. Despite their marsupial deprivations not to mention the extreme lack of monotremes, the Austrian iPhone launch is due to kick off tomorrow, the 14th of March with an 8GB iPhone selling for €399 and 16GB for €499. (Google monetary conversion tells me this is "Like Way Expensive", aka starting at $615.) T-Mobile will offer two talk plans, a basic and a "Supreme" plan (possibly called a "Royal with Cheese" in France). The plans include just 3GB data, which according to our loyal readers should last about 17 days of normal use -- so go easy on the YouTube videos unless your Konditorei has free WiFi.
A big old Danke to Ranier Perl.
Update: Who knew?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
3-13-2008 @ 5:41PM
mingistech said...
Erica... shouldn't you be coding iPhone apps right now.
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3-13-2008 @ 5:46PM
Lumpy Dog said...
I've gotta agree with you. That being said, your article was hilarious. It's also worth noting that this release comes one day after the seventieth anniversary of the Anschluss, the German annexation of Austria. How's that for some irony?
3-13-2008 @ 5:58PM
mentalsticks said...
@Lumpy Dog: I agree. We, the Dutch, were very very brave in the war. The Dutch resistance movement was among the fiercest in occupied Europe. And we are still waiting for our iPhones while the Germans and Austrians already have theirs. How's that for justice?
3-13-2008 @ 5:41PM
Azon said...
That was a suprise. And sucha "fast" release?!
Without warning :D
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3-13-2008 @ 5:53PM
mars said...
Still waiting in Canada......
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3-13-2008 @ 6:01PM
Hobbes said...
What bugs me the most is not just the wait (while the rest of the world gets iPhones we're still waiting in Canada), but the fact that there are no news to let us know one way or another whether we're getting iPhones here or not and if we are then when. Come on Apple!!!!! What's going on?
3-13-2008 @ 8:17PM
Justin said...
Come on you Canadians. Hop over the boarder, buy an iPhone, hack it, use it. That's what us Americans do with your cheap medicines every day. Take some back :P
3-13-2008 @ 8:52PM
mars said...
Believe it or not, some people don't want to hack their iPhone. Besides, we are also waiting for more reasonable data plans that will (hopefully) come along with the iPhone. I'm not really eager to pay the $1 per 1MB that some of our service providers currently charge.
3-13-2008 @ 11:10PM
ben said...
$1 mb? hell if you can get that from rogers i'll be impressed. they'll give you $1/mb up to 10, then 55$/mb for every after that
3-13-2008 @ 5:59PM
Billabong said...
Come on CANADA... Austria gets it before us? The whole damn world will get it before it launch up here...
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3-14-2008 @ 2:20AM
Allister said...
Interesting definition of "whole world". Nothing outside of Europe or USA. Your world, maybe, but there are plenty of other countries out there. NZ only got an Apple presence (i.e. online store & iTunes Music Store) 15 months ago.
I'll have saved up for and bought a dozen other gadgets by the time the iPhone "officially" arrives here, I'm sure.
3-13-2008 @ 6:00PM
Nik said...
GOD DAMNIT! You should have seen my face when i read that. Then i re-read it and said fuck. Very loud.
God damn Austrians stealing our first 5 letters! AHH! When the hell do us kangaroo riding, croc hunting bastards get our gawt dang iPhones?! I mean i'm expecting it to come with the opening of the new apple store in Sydney in June/July but seriously. No 3G iPhone by then?
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3-13-2008 @ 6:12PM
mentalsticks said...
Er... well.. historically it's you who stole their first five letters... not to mention the fact that you guys just found Ned Kelly's grave, so stop whining.
3-14-2008 @ 4:57AM
Ted said...
Not to mention that everyone else outside the US pays the most ridiculous pricing for apple hardware. Usually between 10 and 30% more expensive at the current exchange rates. Teh Suck.
3-13-2008 @ 6:18PM
Nik said...
Touche nerd, touche
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3-13-2008 @ 6:28PM
davinci said...
Nik, as an Austrian I can assure you that there actually is some sort of justice being done in one way or the other: we don't have even one single Apple store here in Austria!
That being said: congrats to your new Apple store in Sydney and all the best to all your kangaroos down there :-)
3-13-2008 @ 6:44PM
Michael Schmitt said...
Erica-wow... you amaze me. I think its so cool that you're a programming geek with a great sense of humor. Keep up the fun posts!
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3-13-2008 @ 7:04PM
valthewu said...
the konditorei-part is fun.
think of starbucks-like cafes without the cosy furniture, young people and a very different colourconcept, then you get this:
www.aida.at
or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aida_(caf%C3%A9)
i hope apple won't have a wlan-deal with them...
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3-13-2008 @ 7:19PM
Pete Ware said...
Austria has the iPhone now?
WTF?
When will Canada get it? I'm thinking of tossing Apple!
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3-13-2008 @ 7:45PM
Michael Rose said...
+1 for "konditorei." :-)
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