Leading comparison site WhistleOut has launched new comparison technology to analyse the new breed of telco offerings in Australia where iPads and tablet computers are being increasingly offered on contract, adding to the device and billing confusion already swamping consumers.

The market now has more than 160 contract options where plans are offered just like mobile phones: a monthly payment for a broadband plan which enables the user to access the internet away from WiFi, and $0 or a small monthly payment for the iPad or tablet .

Cameron Craig, Director of WhistleOut, says: “I expect buying on plan will become the predominant way to buy a tablet. In just three years, we have seen the tablet become an everyday item and the early adopters have all purchased at full price early on. The rest of the market will be harder to convert so a monthly plan is the next phase in going mass market. Having a monthly payment and embedded 3G connectivity for one price is an obvious choice for many.”

Contract prices for new iPads are being offered from $34 per month for 24 months, putting tablets in the same league as mobile phones and allowing families and students to have more than one in the house without spending thousands up front.

WhistleOut now compares over 160 tablet contract plan options for tablets from 5 telcos across 13 tablet models including 106 individual iPad contracts alone. At the launch of the first iPad in April 2010, no contract options were offered to consumers.

The burgeoning new market has been broken down by WhistleOut into three price categories:

• iPad 2 from $34 per month for 24 months
• The New iPad from $38 per month for 24 months
• Android Tablets from $29 per month for 24 months

For consumers the wide range of price plans won’t save them substantially over the contract period.

Cameron, says: “Buying a tablet out-right with a prepaid broadband plan can the cheapest overall option if you don’t intend to use data on a monthly basis. A plan gives you plenty of mobile internet convenience and you avoid the upfront cost which is attractive to many, but it will end up costing you more than the basic WiFi tablet. Consider what you’re looking for and how much you’ll use the connectivity.” For the full price range visit WhistleOut’s Tablet Comparison.

Tablet computer ownership is on the rise in Australia: currently 18 per cent of households own a tablet and this is forecast to double to be 39 per cent by 2013[1]. Australians are also increasingly accessing online media using devices other than desktop and laptop PCs while commuting or travelling, growing from 42 per cent in 2010 to 55 per cent in 2011[2].