Free WiFi for Tech-Ed Africa? You’d better believe it, thanks to an agreement between Microsoft and MTN Business that will effectively see a 50Mbps international pipe being bolted onto the side of Durban’s ICC for the duration of the event later this month.

Tech-Ed Africa 2010, Microsoft’s premier event for IT professionals and developers, runs from 17-20 October at Durban’s iconic International Conference Centre (ICC) – and is expected to attract 2 500 hard-core geeks for three days of in-depth workshops, demos and insights from an array of top local and international speakers.

MTN Business’ participation means users will be able to access websites and applications using the WiFi provided, as well as take part in presentations that will be done using video conferencing. Microsoft will be splitting the connectivity between free browsing and streaming international presentations.

“We’re proud to demonstrate our highly resilient, low latency technology capabilities to such a tech-savvy audience,” said Angela Gahagan, Managing Executive at MTN Business. “We look forward to making their experience at Tech-Ed a fantastic one.”

Tech-Ed delegates will also get the unique opportunity to get hands-on and personal with the two jewels in Microsoft’s consumer crown, the upcoming Windows Phone 7 and the controller-free Kinect gaming system.

Katrien De Graeve, a Developer Evangelist at Microsoft BeLux, will be showcasing the Windows Phone 7 platform for developers. She plans to make her sessions interesting, practical and above all hands-on.

“I want to show all the capabilities of the phone. In these sessions, we will actually build sample applications end-to-end. After all, Tech-Ed is as much about fun as it is about learning,” said De Graeve.

Windows Phone 7 is a completely new offering when compared to Windows Mobile 6.5: the new device offers a music player, social network integration, Xbox Live games, Office applications, as well as the typical e-mail and contacts integration.

The one thing I cant wait to see is Kinect, Microsoft’s new control scheme for Xbox games:

The highly-anticipated Kinect brings games and entertainment to life in extraordinary new ways, with full body play – no controllers. Microsoft believes the natural, intuitive interface will herald a new era in how people interact with devices in the future.

More details on how to attend the event, as well as links to videos, blogs, product downloads, and other information about this year’s event, can be found at www.teched.co.za. You can also follow the pre-event activities on Twitter on @MicrosoftSA or @TechEd_Africa, using the hashtag #TechEdAfrica.

Expect a lot of updates from TechEd, right here on BandwidthBlog.

Cellucity just made their pricing available on the iPhone 4 for a variety of contracts – while its not Vodacom’s official pricing, you can expect similiar pricing if you can get it through Vodashop. They made this pricing available on the MyBroadband forums, so it ought to be legit… Well here we go:

Vodacom:

APPLE iPHONE 4 16G FREE ON TALK 1000
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G FREE ON iPHONE TALK 500
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R2419 CASH ON BUSINESS, TALK 130 (per minute billing)
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R2759 CASH ON BUSINESS (per second billing)
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R3899 CASH ON TALK 75s
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R2639 CASH ON TALK 120
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R2529 CASH ON TALK 200
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R2299 CASH ON TALK 240
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R2189 CASH ON iPHONE TALK 120
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R1959 CASH ON iPHONE TALK 240
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R2189 CASH ON TALK 350s
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R2069 CASH ON TALK 500
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R2529 CASH ON TOP UP 315, 400s
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R3099 CASH ON TOP UP 315s
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R2419 CASH ON TOP UP 500
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R2299 CASH ON TOP UP 590
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R3439 CASH ON iPHONE EVERYDAY OFF-PEAK 120
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R3669 CASH ON EVERYDAY OFF-PEAK 120 (per minute billing)
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R4349 CASH ON EVERYDAY OFF-PEAK 120 (per second billing)

*** MONTHLY PAYMENT DEALS
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R119 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON BUSINESS, TALK 130 (per minute billing)
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R139 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON BUSINESS (per second billing)
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R129 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON TALK 120
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R129 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON TALK 200
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R99 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON TALK 240
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R109 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON iPHONE TALK 120
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R99 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON iPHONE TALK 240
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R109 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON TALK 350s
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R99 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON TALK 500
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R129 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON TOP UP 315 & 400s
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R149 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON TOP UP 315s (per second billing)
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R119 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON TOP UP 500s
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R109 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON TOP UP 590
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R189 PM FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON TALK 75s
APPLE iPHONE 4 16G @ R169 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON iPHONE EVERYDAY OFF-PEAK 120

APPLE iPHONE 4 32 GIG
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R1389 CASH ON TALK 1000
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R2869 CASH ON iPHONE TALK 500
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R3549 CASH ON BUSINESS, TALK 130 (per minute billing)
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R3899 CASH ON BUSINESS (per second billing)
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R5039 CASH ON TALK 75s
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R4309 CASH ON TALK 120
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R3669 CASH ON TALK 200
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R3439 CASH ON TALK 240
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R3329 CASH ON iPHONE TALK 120
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R3099 CASH ON iPHONE TALK 240
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R3329 CASH ON TALK 350s
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R3209 CASH ON TALK 500
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R3669 CASH ON TOP UP 315, 400s
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R4239 CASH ON TOP UP 315s
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R3549 CASH ON TOP UP 500
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R3439 CASH ON TOP UP 590
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R4579 CASH ON iPHONE EVERYDAY OFF-PEAK 120
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R4809 CASH ON EVERYDAY OFF-PEAK 120 (per minute billing)
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R5489 CASH ON EVERYDAY OFF-PEAK 120 (per second billing)

*** MONTHLY PAYMENT DEALS
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R69 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON TALK 1000
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R139 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON iPHONE TALK 500
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R179 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON BUSINESS, TALK 130 (per minute billing)
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R189 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON BUSINESS (per second billing)
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R209 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON TALK 120
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R179 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON TALK 200
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R169 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON TALK 240
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R169 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON iPHONE TALK 120
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R159 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON iPHONE TALK 240
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R169 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON TALK 350s
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R159 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON TALK 500
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R179 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON TOP UP 315 & 400s
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R209 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON TOP UP 315s (per second billing)
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R179 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON TOP UP 500s
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R169 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON TOP UP 590
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R249 PM FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON TALK 75s
APPLE iPHONE 4 32G @ R229 PER MONTH FOR 24 MONTHS + SUBSCRIPTION ON iPHONE EVERYDAY OFF-PEAK 120

MTN also announced their pricing – which seems to be a much simpler structure:

MTN is offering the iPhone 4 on the following packages (all on a 24 month MTN AnyTime 200 contract):

16GB iPhone 4 with a 150MB internet bundle: R379 per month

16GB iPhone 4 with a 300MB internet bundle: R429 per month

32GB iPhone 4 with a 150MB internet bundle: R429 per month

32GB iPhone 4 with a 300MB internet bundle: R479 per month

Overall pricing is definitely lower than in the past, turns out the competition with MTN is driving prices lower. Hooray for competition!

Looks like it might be the case. Several sources on twitter is reporting that both Vodacom and MTN will be releasing the iPhone 4 on 00:00 on 22 September. Thats tomorrow night folks.

You can go pre-register for the phone over at Vodacom and MTN‘s websites. No info on pricing yet Update: iPhone 4 pricing for South Africa here, probably due to the operators not wanting to play their hands too early. But seeing as South Africa has traditionally had some of the highest iPhone pricing in the world, we can only hope for the best. Maybe the competition will fix things a bit.

I have tried phoning a few stores on where to get one, but clearly Vodacom and MTN’s own stores are not really kept up to date on the iPhone launch. And here I was hoping to get myself the best birthday present…

This morning MyBroadband had an interesting  article about the sales of iPhone vs Blackberry in SA. Despite the success of iPhone worldwide, somehow the handset has reached less than 1% of the SA mobile market. While this low figure is probably more to do with the SA mobile demography, I thought I might look a bit more into it. A user called Filip Chudzinski over at iFun put together a infographic chart with the worldwide cost of unlocked iPhone 4s. Unfortunately SA was not on that chart, so I decided to add SA to it as well, seeing as our iPhones are unlocked as well.

But first off, you might ask how am I able to “project” iPhone 4 prices? Well, this is the current price of the iPhone 3GS in SA. Since the iPhone 3G was launched in SA, the price of the iPhone has not dropped in SA. In fact, it has gotten more expensive. Now we can say this is because of exchange rate, but the Rand is a bit stronger these days, but iStore stills charges a price of R8699 for 16GB or R9999 for 32GB. So, if we assume the iPhone price stays the same with the release of iPhone 4, here is a comparison of worldwide unlocked iPhones. Please note this does not include phone which are network locked, like in the US with AT&T.

It looks pretty grim right? With iPhone 4 there is bound to be some competition however – it is not only Vodacom who is carrying it this time around, lets hope MTN can somehow drop the price somewhat. On the other hand, with the 3GS, the price was suddenly a thousand rand more per model than the 3G.

But lets stay optimistic, competition can be a great thing after all…

Sources:

iClarified (Creative Commons)

iStore iPhone Tariffs

Euro to Rand pricing on 2 August 2010