Though we can't definitively say this will end up being the priciest iPhone 3G this side of eBay, there's a good chance it will be. Word has it that Vodafone will be offering up Apple's latest 8GB handset for a mind-boggling Rs 31,000 ($712), or Rs 36,100 ($830) for the 16 gigger. Why so serious high? Because neither Vodafone nor Airtel will subsidize the phone, and to add insult to injury, there's not even a 3G highway up and running in India. Grey market operators to capitalize in T-minus 3, 2, 1...

[Via Cellpassion]

When one music store on your handset just isn't enough, there's Vodafone. Evidently not at all content with just the Omnifone-provided unlimited service, the carrier has just revealed a more traditional outlet for buying music on one's phone. Vodafone Music comes pre-installed on Vodafone live! handsets and can be installed on a plethora of others. Put simply, the application enables users to search for songs right on their mobile and purchase them for playback -- nothing too complicated about that, right? Hit up the read link to see if your current cellie is compatible.

[Via UnwiredView]

Want an unattractive candybar? Use Vodafone? Can you wait a little while? If you've answered yes to all three of those questions, look no further than the 724FM, a Huawei-sourced piece that has just crossed the FCC's wires on its way to one or more of the megacarrier's networks around the world. There's no indication on when we might see the value-priced (or so we hope) phone come to market, but with a tri-band EDGE radio, Bluetooth, microSD slot, 2 megapixel camera, and a design that only a mother could love, we don't think there's a ton of anxious anticipation building out there.

[Via Mobil.cz]

So when exactly is the Touch Pro launching? Unless you're in the UK, we can't answer that with terribly high certainty -- but yeah, you Brits now have a target window to start saving for. Vodafone's online business shop says that HTC's mightiest QWERTY handset is "expected" in August, and while we admit that they could simply be airing out their wishful thinking on their product pages, it'd be awfully poor form to do so. Instead, we suspect HTC and Voda are on the hotline with one another here, and we'd give the window some weight. Now, if any other carriers would care to chime in with their own windows -- preferably in August -- we wouldn't try to stop you.

[Via CoolSmartPhone]

So we're getting the impression that there are a lot of Kiwis out there who think they're getting a raw deal from Vodafone on the iPhone 3G. That wouldn't totally surprise us -- they know when they've got an exclusive on a hot item, and they're going to try to milk it for everything it's worth -- but with the Rogers fallout rumors flying, Voda might want to tread lightly here.

Anyway, here's out it breaks down: on a maxed-out plan, you get a 16GB iPhone 3G for $349 and pay $250 a month, which nets you 600 anytime minutes, 600 texts, and 1GB of data. That works out to $264 for the phone and $189 for the plan in US currency, so you get a little bit of a break on the phone (AT&T charges $299), but in exchange, you get totally hosed beyond comprehension on the plan. Americans shelling out $149.99 will get unlimited voice, unlimited data, and unlimited texts, for which they'll gladly pay the $35 extra up front we'd imagine -- so yeah, by our voodoo calculations, that's about a raw a deal as any we've seen.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

See that guy? That's Jonny Gladwell from Auckland New Zealand. He's special no matter how you define the word. He's camped outside of Vodafone NZ right now which puts him on a path to be the world's first iPhone 3G owner. Of course, there's still time for other Kiwi's to get in line at the Wellington and Christchurch shops which will open simultaneously. A red hot trinity of buffoonery to be sure.

[image credit and thanks to Darryl Carey]

Vodafone just went public with the information you already knew, New Zealand will see the world's first iPhone launch at 00:01 local time on the 11th. That's almost a full day before any New York, propaganda farmer gets his. In the UK, O2 is now taking pre-orders (one per customer) on a first come, first serve basis. Better yet, your new slab of 3G will be delivered to your home on the 11th of July by courier where you can activate it from the digital comforts of iTunes. So civilized.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Read -- O2 UK
Read -- Vodafone NZ

Verizon chief Ivan Seidenberg gave a particularly candid interview with the Financial Times recently, revealing that he'd like to see Verizon take full control of Verizon Wireless -- a joint venture with Vodafone in which Verizon holds 55 percent -- given that Verizon is "doing 100 percent of the work." Zing! Despite saying that Voda's "been a great partner," the bulk of the conversation makes it sound like relations are definitely strained between the two telecom giants, and Seidenberg thinks that once bigwig Arun Sarin hands over the Vodafone reigns to Vittorio Colao next month, "maybe he'll want to do something different." You know, "different" as in "sell off $60 billion worth of Verizon Wireless to Verizon Communications." Also interesting is Seidenberg's revelation that Sarin wanted Verizon to snap up Alltel last year before it sold to private equity firms, but thanks to Verizon's majority on the VZW board, they were able to put the kibosh on the plan, apparently over concerns that they'd end up in a nasty bidding war. Alas, all's well that ends well, we suppose.

[Via mocoNews]

Consider yourself an Apple fanatic? Gotta have the latest and greatest the moment it's available? Ok... prove it. We have it from a trusted source that the world's first iPhone 3G will be on sale at 00:01, Friday July 11th, in New Zealand -- that's still Thursday, July 10th at 5:01 in the AM in Cupertino or 13:01 hours in London. At that precise minute, Vodafone NZ will swing open the doors of its Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch shops to your overeager HSDPA jones. So, now that you know the next move is all yours.

Read -- 00:01 NZ time calculated globally

With Planet Earth's wireless juggernauts jumping on the LTE train while there's still room, we suppose the latest report from ABI Research isn't all that shocking. According to it, there will be some 32 million LTE network subscribers by 2013, and with the commercial launch not expected to go down before 2010, our abacus suggests that we're talking about 32 million over just 3 years. The firm asserts that the Asia-Pacific region will account for most of those folks (around 12 million), while the rest get split 60% / 40% between Western Europe and North America. You think we're just going to let you make this outlandish claim and then fuhgetaboutit, don't you ABI? Nah, we're creating a Google Calendar reminder for this day in 2013 right now to check back and see just how accurate you really were.

[Via SlashPhone]

Sure, we may have run the HTC Touch Diamond into the ground in recent memory, but seeing as we're not remorseful bunch, here's a bit more. Vodafone's business shop has dropped the Touch Diamond on its pages, tangible proof that a real carrier launch is just around the corner. While still slated as coming soon, we now know it will be priced from £free and they're even throwing in a free Bluetooth car kit. Good on ya Vodafone, now hurry up already, we're awful tired of waiting.

[Via CoolSmartPhone]

Remember that time Vodafone was targeting May for the launch of the BlackBerry Bold? Yeah, those were the days! Let's not dwell on the past, though -- no use crying over spilled milk, our mommies always used to say. Instead, let's focus on exactly when Vodafone thinks it can launch the Bold now, which happens to be August -- and this time, the word comes from an official Voda website that was intended for public consumption, so they have more eyeballs on it and more liability if they miss the date. Thing is, the description of the phone lists the Sony Ericsson W980i, not the Bold, so maybe there's just a little smidge of buffoonery going on behind the scenes. August sounds totally plausible, though, so we're sticking with it until we hear otherwise.

[Thanks, Andrew]

Update: It's been updated to July -- sweet. It's like the opposite of a delay!

This morning we're getting a first look at unsubsidized prices for the iPhone 3G in Europe. Vodafone Italy have set an out-of-contract price for the iPhone 3G at 499/€569 ($773/$881) for the 8GB/16GB models, respectively. Subscription rates have not yet been announced. While steep, those prices are actually smartphone-reasonable in Italy (and around Europe) where an HTC Touch Cruise with its WiFi, tri-band HSDPA data, GPS, and touchscreen sells for €549. Capisce?

[Thanks, Andrea]

Truth be told, Fixed Mobile Convergence still isn't talked about much (comparatively speaking) 'round these parts. Yeah, we've seen a few FMC routers scattered about, but Vodafone's taking a stand by rolling out its Station in Italy. The box, which was developed in cooperation with Huawei, is an integrated switch / router with ADSL2+, WiFi, UMTS / HSPA (via a removable USB key) and four Ethernet ports. Essentially, it's designed to combine voice with fixed and mobile broadband services, and it enables users to make calls on their handset through a fixed line connection when they're kicking back at home. We're also hearing that the device will eventually make its way to other Vodafone markets, but there's been no word yet on future rollout dates.

[Via GigaOM]

Alright, Vodafone's making this too easy: going to its link for the LG Secret is currently producing a "Sorry, we could not find the product requested" error, which only serves to reinforce the phone's stealthy name. We're figuring they're just working out a few technical details on their end, but at any rate, LG's fashionable 5 megapixel slider should now be available from Voda retailers in the UK, offering a 2.4 inch scratch-resistant display, carbon fiber shell, HSDPA, and all the other spoils that go with being a high-end device these days. It clocks in at just 11.8mm to boot, which should be slim enough to make it a secret in your pocket, too. Looks like the carrier's selling it for anywhere from free to £250 (about $491) depending on the plan you select, so cost shouldn't be a concern (upfront cost, anyway) if you absolutely must have this one.

[Via MobileBurn]