With the iPhone 4S set to launch at midnight in South Africa, details have emerged about MTN’s pricing and packages for the iPhone 4S.

MTN will offer the iPhone 4S on three different packages that start from R499pm to R819pm, all packages will include a 250mb data bundle every month for the duration of the 24 month contract.

MTN are yet to announce at what stores the iPhone 4S will be available from tomorrow, but they have confirmed these pricing on their Facebook page. What I do find dissapointing is the fact that even though they opened up pre-registration of the iPhone 4S they are now requesting that you go into a store tomorrow to get the iPhone 4S.

Yesterday I spent most of the day phoning around in Cape Town to find a MTN store that will have the iPhone 4S on 16 Decemeber 2011, but I was told by every store I phoned that they will not have the phone on launch date, shocking considering I phoned most of the bigger stores.

Both Vodacom and MTN has however told MyBroadband that users should not be concerned and that there will be stock at certain stores where customers can go to on launch date to apply for iPhone 4S contracts. These customers going into stores to take out iPhone 4S contracts will be treated on a first come, first serve basis.

Vodacom has also revealed the stores where the iPhone 4S will be available on launch date, see table below.

With the news of the iPhone 4S launching in South Africa, MTN has now also opened up pre-orders for the device.

Vodacom was the first to officially announce that they will be launching the iPhone 4S in South Africa on 16 December 2011, with the news Vodacom also opened up pre-orders for the device on their website. MTN soon responded saying that they will also be launching the iPhone 4S in South Africa on the 16th of December but there were no word on pre-orders.

MTN has now also opened up pre-orders for the iPhone 4S. Users wanting to get they hands on Apple’s latest iPhone can pre-order their devices on the MTNSP site, the pre-orders are open to new or existing customers wanting to upgrade to the iPhone 4S.

The iPhone 4S features Apple’s lightning fast A5 dual core processor, an all new and impressive 8 Mega Pixel camera, iOS 5 and the much talked about digital personal assistant called Siri that responds to your voice commands.

When Apple announced the launch of their new iPhone 4S, South Africans has been holding thumbs that just maybe the iPhone 4S would launch here. Unfortunately as with most tech products, South Africa is not always on top of the list to get things first.

Apple then announced the second launch wave of the iPhone 4S to a few additional countries and yet again South Africa was left behind, but it seems like we are in for a Christmas surprise.

Vodacom yesterday revealed in a tweet that they will be launching the iPhone 4S in South Africa on 16 December 2011. Rumors was doing the rounds that the iPhone 4S would have launched on 30 November 2011, but later industry players stated that the launch was postponed to December.

MTN has also responded and said that they will also be launching the iPhone 4S on 16 December, but pricing are yet to be confirmed.

If you are a Vodacom customer or would like to become one you can pre-register for a iPhone 4S here.

It has been a hot topic of debate, when will we see the white iPhone 4? After the successful launch of the iPhone 4 in September 2010 in South Africa, consumers have been asking when they could get their hand on the white iPhone 4.

Apple officially made available the white iPhone 4 last month in the US and it seems that South Africans wanting to get their hand on the device won’t have to wait that long.

MTN which launched the iPhone 4 here in South Africa at really affordable prices last year is again at it by being the first to introduce the white iPhone 4 to South Africa.

“From as little as R309 a month, with a 150MB data bundle included, MTN customers can experience world-class internet in their pockets,” says Serame Taukobong, chief marketing officer at MTN South Africa.

The white iPhone 4 will be available at MTN stores from 20 May 2011 without any pre-registrations.

MTN today confirmed that they will be offering the HTC Flyer tablet on contract to customers.

The HTC Flyer Android tablet will be available in South Africa on contract from MTN for under R300 per month.

The Flyer which is a 7″, 1.5GHz, HSPA+ tablet will be available for R299 pm on a MTN 100 Anytime contract with 150MB of data per month. This contract will also only be a 1 year contract as appose to the norm of a 2 year contract and will compete head on with the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

MTN customers can get their hands on the HTC Flyer from 9 May 2011.

Roaming has always been a hot topic of discussion, specially since we have heard allot lately about people going overseas and then coming back to find a cellphone bill amounting to R45 000+ for while they were out of country.

What most people don’t know is that Roaming works a bit different than normal cellphone calls and messaging in their own country, as you also pay for incoming calls and messages even if you don’t pick up your phone, but MTN is about to change that with the introduction of a new seamless roaming innovation.

MTN has announced their seamless roaming innovation that gives MTN prepaid, topup and postpaid customers access to free incoming calls and messages when traveling in the South and East Africa region (SEA).

“We realise our customers sometimes do not want to roam or even receive incoming calls due to the costs associated with doing so. Now, with free incoming calls on offer, MTN is empowering its customers to roam with ease,” says Serame Taukobong, Chief Marketing Officer at MTN South Africa.

Although this is a step in the right direction there are still some aspects that remain very expensive when roaming, like data charges for instance. MTN charges 25c per 25KB of data usage in the SEA region which equates to more than R10 per Megabyte, meaning updating a few statuses online and viewing a photo or two could easily send your cellphone bill sky high.

The introduction of the new seamless roaming from MTN also means that prepaid and topup users do not have to register or pay any fees to activate their roaming when traveling to any of the SEA countries, but postpaid customers will have to apply for roaming access and a deposit may be required.

HTC makes some pretty cool Android phones, the HTC Desire being one of the best Android phones on the market and the day they announced the HTC Desire HD it was evident that they would have another winner in their lineup of Android phones.

Shortly after the release of the HTC Desire HD in October 2010 in other countries, I caught a glimpse of it on the MTN website where they already advertised it with certain packages, but I took it with a grain of salt as it was not published in any official MTN brochures.

The first time I saw the HTC Desire HD in a brochure was in November 2010, and since then this new HTC Android phone has been advertise with both MTN and Vodacom, but the question still remains is the HTC Desire HD actually available in South Africa.

I have heard of numerous people who are still waiting to get their hands on HTC Desire HD, having already waited more than 6-8 weeks despite the device being advertised by both MTN and Vodacom.

This weekend my wife went to upgrade her phone and one of the device she looked at was the HTC Desire HD, but upon enquiring about the availability of the device, the lady behind the counter quickly told me that they have no idea when they will actually get the device and that she has clients that are waiting for more than 8 weeks already.

Now my question is, and maybe Leaf can answer this, is the HTC Desire HD available in South Africa? And why do cellphone companies advertise products they clearly do not have stock of?

Do you know anybody who has a HTC Desire HD? How did he/she obtain it? Would love to hear.

Both Vodacom and MTN has released devices the past week that enables consumers to browse the web from the comfort of their couch on their televisions, eliminating the need for a computer to be connected to the web.

The devices differ quite allot with MTN opting for a desktop phone device called InternetOnTV and Vodacom a keyboard device called the WebBox, both devices plug into your TV. Here is how the MTN InternetOnTV stack up against the Vodacom WebBox.

Although both these device aim to bring cheap affordable Internet to the unconnected without the need of a computer the data bundled with them are quite disappointing and not to mention the prices to top up Internet bundles with both providers. MTN are however looking at providing a 90min uncapped option for the MTN InternetOnTV device but the price are however still unknown.

At this time the MTN InternetOnTV device looks like its the winner of the two, offering faster speeds and the ability to make voice calls.

MTN today launched InternetOnTV, a home phone and Internet device in one that will bring cheap affordable Internet Access to the masses through their televisions.

The launch of the MTN InternetOnTV device comes just days after Vodafone launched their WebBox through a partnership with Vodacom here in South Africa.

The MTN InternetOnTV device however is way better when compared to the WebBox Vodacom has launched. The device includes a built-in 3G modem that supports 7.2Mbps connectivity, a keyboard, RCA cables and a mouse, and can be used with a MTN PayAsYouGo sim card to surf the web from you TV.

“Through the launch of our InternetOnTV device, we aim to increase internet penetration among previously disadvantaged and unconnected communities in South Africa,” explains Mapula Bodibe, General Manager: Consumer Marketing at MTN South Africa.

The device does not only offer users web browsing, but owners of the MTN InternetOnTV device can also make phone calls and send and receive SMS messages and emails.

Unlike the WebBox from Vodacom, the InternetOnTV device offers social media integration, MS Office document support and 3G 7.2Mbps and a built in media player supporting MP3, AAC, DIV, WMA and MPEG4 codecs.

The MTN InternetOnTV device will be on sale at selected Jet retail stores countrywide at a cost of only R999, and Jet account holders can choose to pay of the device over six months interest free. The packages includes R60 worth of airtime which can be converted to a 75MB Internet bundle.

Although the device is a bit more expensive than the Vodacom WebBox one must note that this is a 3G capable device and that it includes Voice and Messaging functionality, but price wise for the poor this device will still be a bit too much for their pocket, although I have to give credit to MTN for making it available through Jet stores on interest free credit.