The release of the iPhone 5, which has faster Wi-Fi and 4G high speed capabilities, could hike the cost of mobile phone bills by hundreds of dollars say experts from comparison website MobilePhoneFinder.com.au. Five million of the latest Apple devices have been sold globally over the last week, and 80.6[1] of Australians plan to purchase an iPhone 5 in the near future.

Faster Wi-Fi and 4G speed appears to be the most compelling feature for consumers, with one in four Aussies choosing it as their favourite of the announced specs for the new phone. This enables users to download data at a much faster rate.

Todd Foot, Publisher of comparison website MobilePhoneFinder.com.au, who was also the first in the queue at the Apple store to purchase the new iPhone 5 last week says, “The new 4G could blow out people’s data allocation as part of their plan and there are hefty fees to pay for this. Major telcos excess charges are in the region of 25 cent per megabyte over the allowance. By downloading several emails with, for example, five megabyte attachments, consumers could end up with a bill nearly double their monthly fee.”

There are several networks offering 4G for the iPhone 5 including Optus and Telstra, as well as the resellers, who tend to offer the best value, such as Amaysim, TPG, Dodo and Virgin.

Mr. Foot has the following tips for consumers to avoid paying these charges:

1. Use      Wi-Fi where possible
   Send      large attachments when you are in these hot spots.
2. Setup      your data limits
   Providers      can send you notifications when you are reaching your data limit to      alert   you to this prior to going over it.
3. Calculate      your data requirements
   Look      at what applications use data on your mobile and how much you download.      Then compare the plans on the market at MobilePhoneFinder.com.au to      find the best one to suit your requirements.
4. Consider      a Sim Only deal
   If      you have bought your phone outright then consider opting for a sim only      provider to get a better deal. These are powered by Optus, which provides      4G services.

“The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman reported that last year there was a 26% increase in disputes about mobile internet charges. This will only grow as users can download more data, and faster with 4G. Consumers need to be savvy now to avoid paying extortionate data costs,” concludes Mr. Foot.

MobilePhoneFinder.com.au is a mobile phone and plan comparison service helping Australians save money by comparing phone costs and specs. Get a better understanding of the new iPhone 5 and other devices and plans at MobilePhoneFinder.com.au.

For more information on Mobile Phone Finder visit www.mobilephonefinder.com.au