One of the nation's largest providers of mobile phones and the new kid on the mobile block are battling it out with high class technology havens for the everyday consumer.

In what is shaping as the next generation of retailing, super stores full of shiny surfaces and glamourised technology aim to turn shopping into a fully immersive brand experience.

A week after Apple’s first and flagship store opened, Telstra has just unveiled their new showcase store in Melbourne.

Compared to Apple's multi-millionaire dollar glass-walled temple in Sydney, Telstra’s I-Life store doesn’t feature iPods but has many competing products lined up to touch and try out.

The Telstra effort is the largest state-of-the-art interactive telecommunications store in Australia, the press releases promising it will to ‘transform the Melbourne CBD landscape and bringing a touch of 'Times Square' meets '5th Avenue' to the corner of Bourke and Swanston Streets.’

Both stores offer free internet connection and so act like a large, free open-plan internet café.

Locations 

Telstra - Corner of Bourke and Swanston Streets, Melbourne

Apple - Corner of King and George Streets, Sydney 

More info

Gadget Guy article