We’ve just gotten confirmation from JB Hi-Fi that the retailer will no longer be taking pre-orders for, or selling, the 3G version of the PlayStation Vita and is limiting its stock to the Wi-Fi version of the console only.
Consumers who had already pre-ordered through JB Hi-Fi’s online store have now received emails stating the following:
Hi Guys,
We have just been advised that ‘PLAYSTATION VITA CONSOLE (3G/WIFI) [PRE ORDER BONUS HEADPHONES + DLC]’ is no longer available for order through the JB Hifi Online Store.
Unfortunately, we have now been forced to cancel this item from your order, or cancel the order if it was a single item order (this may take up to 24 hours to update in your order history).
However, you can still order the Wifi Version. I have included a link below for your perusal.
http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/game/ps-vita/playstation-vita-console-wifi-pre-order-bonus-headphones-dlc/658866
Please note – We only process payment when an order has been dispatched out from our warehouse. You have not been charged for this order.
We do regret any inconvenience that this has caused you.
Kind Regards,
The JB Hi-Fi Online Team
Apparently the reason for JB’s change of heart has been Sony’s decision to announce Vodafone as its preferred 3G partner for the PlayStation Vita.
“As Telstra dealers we have an agreement to not stock Vodafone products in our stores,” said an official spokesperson from JB Hi-Fi.
The 3G version of the PlayStation Vita comes packaged with a Vodafone SIM card, but the console isn’t tied to one specific network. Users can just as easily use another SIM card with the PlayStation Vita.
“We’ve decided to just keep it simple,” said the JB Hi-Fi rep, when we informed him of this.”This is actually the first call we’ve had about the decision, so we don’t think it’ll make too much of an impact.”
IThe 3G version of the PlayStation Vita has already drew the ire of some consumers for being overpriced when compared to the regular Wi-fi version. JB Hifi has a lion’s share of the games market in Australia, so this may contribute to the Wi-Fi version of the PS Vita being the most popular choice when the handheld is released on February 23.
Daniel
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 10:51 AMI’m sure Vodafone is good somewhere on earth. Just not in Australia.
Virus__
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 11:27 AMReally, they’re locked to Vodafone? I hope no one in my area is getting one then, they won’t be able to use it with their lack of real 3G service here.
Zap
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 11:32 AMNot locked, just bundled. Exclusively.
Plop your Telstra card in after purchase.
Dr What?
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 11:47 AM“The 3G version of the PlayStation Vita comes packaged with a Vodafone SIM card, but the console isn’t tied to one specific network. Users can just as easily use another SIM card with the PlayStation Vita.”
Ruffleberg
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 10:52 AMI was going to get the Wi-fi anyway.
Nick
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 10:54 AMThis is what you get when you choose preferred carriers
James
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 12:26 PMAre you talking about Sony in picking Vodafone or JB Hi Fi in choosing Telstra?
Personally, the Telstra deal seems more worrying than the Sony one.
Thom
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 1:18 PMThis is fairly standard practice, and I think its great the device isn’t locked to vodafail. But seriously, how is management miss this?
Glenn
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 10:54 AMHands up if you have a smartphone.
If you raised your hand you can lower it now, now google “*your model phone* wifi hotspot”. With Wifi hotspot enabled, your Wifi Vita will now be able to connect to the internet via your phone and your existing phone data plan (Which is probably more than adequate). For this very reason, and so I don’t have to buy a seperate 3G data plan, I’ll be getting the wifi only Vita.
Shintu Sundae
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 12:44 PMthats hella expensive to do..
buckE182
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 5:18 PMHow is it expensive? There is no cost at all as long as your carrier doens’t charge for HotSpot and you have enough data usage. I have an iPhone 4 and use this feature all the time. Barely uses any battery power to run it. I have 1gb per month data usage which I never use. So if I get a Vita I will do all heavy downloading on home wi-fi and just use the hotspot feature of my iPhone when I need to get internet to the Vita on the go.
Mr Waffle
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 1:00 PMDat power usage. Not really good for on-the-go gaming…
Shanks
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 10:47 PMI think most of us that know that their phone has hotspot or know how to use it … Will only get the wifi PS Vita =)
Thom
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 11:06 AMI really would have thought Sony Australia would have anticipated this. Kind of retarded to cut yourself off from the biggest retailer.
Riavan
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 11:11 AMI don’t think vita will sell that well here anyway.
noko
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 11:22 AMVodafone? *vomits* In a contract with them for 13 months now, and I am never going back to them after my contract ends. You know they’re really bad when you lose reception in the Melbourne CBD.
Blackhawk
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 2:24 PMSame here. Sitting in my room right now, 2 bars. And let’s not forget the 5 – 10 Kbs download speed. God I hate vodafone.
Ry34
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 11:25 AMscrew paying for yet another 3g data plan, I’m going to get myself a wifi vita
Stevorooni
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 11:30 AMI don’t know why they even made a separate 3G model, they should have just had the Wifi model with a port (or an empty bay to hide it away) for a Vita 3G dongle for those who want it.
PT
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 11:48 AMNah, that’d be ugly as. Plus, that sounds more like Microsoft’s philosophy.
thejiveman
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 11:47 AMYou could get one of those 3g portable wifi thingys. Put it in your back pack on your way to work. Thats what i’ll be doing. I cant blame them i guess, bit unfair on those who ordered it though.
Ryan
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 12:12 PMThat, is a bloody awesome idea!
N3RD1001101
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 11:47 AMSo… why not just include a free Telstra prepaid sim with the Vita, and urge buyers to use that instead?
Monkey-Harvest
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 11:54 AMI’m sure Vodaphone wouldn’t be too happy with that since they have an agreement with Sony to be the preferred partner.
oggob
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 1:18 PMTrue and I know they are different products, but there is only one thing that is different between JB selling the 3G Vita and 3G iPads.
Both are unlocked, it’s just the Vita has a sim card in the box and the choice of words used by the spokesmen, “agreement to not stock Vodafone products in our stores”, that’s been really picky, because last time I checked I was buying a Sony product first and foremost.
As the Vita isn’t locked, surprised they aren’t using as a chance to ‘upsell’ Telstra plans instead, with a special Vita rate that undercuts whatever the Vodafone plans are.
Gavin
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 2:37 PMI believe the choice is specifically because of JB Hi-Fi’s agreement with Telstra.
Cannon
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 12:04 PMVoda phone … why vodaphone … JB is my prefered supplied of electronic’s but guess i may tempt fate with an EB look.
mattroe
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 12:09 PMMy mate’s with Vodaphone and has the absolute worst 3G connection. We compared download speeds by downloading a small app, Optus took 20 seconds and Vodaphone took literally 10 minutes. The preorder cancelling is disappointing, the partnership with Vodaphone is even more disappointing.
PlimpyD
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 12:30 PMI beg to differ. I’ve just given up on Optus and gone with Vodafone, my reception is a hell of a lot better. I commute for my studies and on a uni day I end up traveling close to 3 hours per day, with Optus I had reception for maybe half an hour of that, with Vodafone I have reception close to 2 hours. It’s far from perfect but for me Vodafone is a hell of a lot better.
Tristan Damen
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 12:10 PMGAME is selling the Wi-fi and 3G consoles with Ridge Racer bundled for 349 and 419 respectively.
http://www.game.com.au/ps-vita-wifi/playstation-vita/NGPPSP2
One_Man_Matrix
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 1:12 PMVodafone sucks… I recently finished a contract with Vodafone where the 3G hardly worked, now my Telstra plan is amazing, it’s quick and responsive in the unlikeliest of places…
I’m picking up the Vita 3G because I like having all options, but will just tether it to my 4S and leach the 3G from my Telstra plan…
Daniel
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 2:06 PMI have a 3G model Pre Ordered
But I have NO desire to use the Vodafone 3G sim card included…no siree I will head straight to a Telstra Shop and be grapping a Telstra Sim Card…I am locked into a Vodafone contract with my iPhone and I absolutely freaking HATE Vodafone…its the worst service I have ever endured
Otherwise I would gladly have went a WiFi model and just tethered my Phone to it…But no, I am not doing that, I will pay the extra for 3G and grab a Telstra Sim Card and be happy that way
Ynefel
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 4:01 PMJB’s agreement with Vodafone must be worth a pretty penny in order for JB to forsake selling a model of a new product, regardless of how many people we think will or won’t buy it. Money talks, bullshit walks.
monkeyd_93
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 4:04 PMWhen they announced vodafone was the preferred partner, i assumed it meant it would get sold at vodafone stores, rather than having it bundled with the vodafone sim, so it could be sold anywhere and consumers could freely pick and choose carriers. Vodafone must have paid a bloody truckload to be ‘preferred partner’.
Nick L
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 4:45 PMThis is old news. I work at JB, we told the customers almost a month ago.
TJW
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 4:45 PMSpend less money on “exclusive partnerships” and more on their network? Nah.
I’ve been with pretty much every Telco over the years but in spite of their flaws I’m glad I’m with Telstra now.
Jedikilla
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 6:03 PMJust go amaysim. They are awesome. I haven’t looked back.
GameFreak
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 8:30 PMYou people don’t seem to read the latest news. I knew 3 weeks ago JB Hi-Fi would not be selling the 3G variant, as JB have an exclusive Telstra contract and cannot sell Vodafone products. Naturally the packaging of these will have the Vodafone logo on them, which also breaks JB’s agreement. Now if the PS VIta was sold with no Vodafone branding externally (on packaging) this may differ, but other than this if you want 3G no point seeing JB.
nik
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 9:10 PMReads an awful lot like supply restriction. I’d call the ACCC if I cared about anything Sony.
Has
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 1:57 PMi wqas with voda for 2 years live in Sydney. Holly crap, they are CRAP !!! worst phone service ever and traveling on the train to work, hardly ever had reception and almost no 3g. moved to TPG/Optus….hundred times cheaper and faster. i would go to Telstra but im a tight ass.
Paul
Thursday, March 8, 2012 at 6:42 PMYou might want to rethink getting just the wifi version. Seriously, I bought the wifi and found out that the “NEAR” function and google maps didn’t work because the wifi version does NOT have the GPS function built in. It tries to approximate your location via your IP address but it really doesn’t work. It kept telling me it couldn’t obtain location data.
Who knows what functions they’ll come out with for 3G. I wouldn’t want to be left out. Plus there are games that have location specific functions and the wifi won’t be able to do it. There IS NO GPS function built into the WIFI.
I’ve ditched my Vodafone sim and bought an Optus sim card for $30 bucks and got the $130 plan for 15GB for 12 months. I found this site looking for why I can’t log into the playstation network with the Optus sim card. I’m not sure if I did something wrong or if Sony’s making it hard to use other cards because they are in bed with Vodafone. They said that “they could no guarantee the quality if you use another service”. But it’s not locked? Hmmmm…. something’s not right. I bought a mobile broadband sim for my iPad2 from Optus and it worked right away.
I love Vita though! The cross game party chat is AWESOME and I just love the personal feeling of a portable unit and being in contact with my REAL gamer friends!
Go VITA!!
Paul
Thursday, March 8, 2012 at 6:43 PMI failed to mention that I’m giving the wifi to my son for his birthday in April and went out and bought a 3G model for myself. :-)