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The 2018 iPhone Range – 60 Second Summary

• There are 3 new iPhone devices available in the 2018 range, the iPhone Xs, Xs Max and iPhone Xʀ.
• Our advice is to buy your iPhone yourself and add a SIM. (See button, below)

Below :

• We provide details on the hardware and software enhancements Apple have brought to this year’s devices.
• We show you which of these features will impact the amount of mobile data you use in your phone plan.
• We examine the options you have to get hold of your 2018 iPhone : A contract with Optus, Telstra or Vodafone or – buying the phone yourself and adding a SIM.
• We show you how to work out which is the best deal for you –  and provide the resources you need, to be able to do that easily.
• We explore the question of the network coverage offered by each phone company.
• Finally, we consider customer satisfaction levels offered by many of the biggest Australian phone companies.
• We have a supplemental section which explains some of the new software features of this year’s iPhone

Buy an iPhone Outright

What is the release date for this year’s Apple iPhone?

If you’d like to know the results of the survey we ran in to iPhone users, you can find that here.

This details of year’s iPhones were announced on September 12 (Cupertino time), with shipping of the phones themselves beginning in September and in the case of the iPhone Xʀ, starting October 19th in the US. Dates for the release of the products in Australia.

Apple is well known for providing innovative and exciting products, and for having a core of die-hard fans. We’ve included details of the specification upgrades you’ll get if you buy an iPhone this year, below. In addition, Apple have shown off some new features for iOS 12, (which we cover in a supplemental section at the bottom of this page.)

2017 was a significant year for Australian iPhones. For the first time, more people bought their iPhones outright and added a SIM themselves. In general, Australia has followed that trend across all new device releases.  70% of people now opt for SIM Only plans and an outright phone purchase, according to our own primary research.

Apple’s launch event was 12.9.18 in Cupertino. Pre-orders will start shortly after that although Australian dates have not yet been announced.
Source : Apple invite.

The 2018 iPhone Range

It’s been an interesting year for Apple. 12 months ago, the iPhone X was the ‘flagship’ device (the most popular and famous phone they have) of 2017, but it didn’t sell as well as was expected.  People, it seems, are gravitating towards earlier, cheaper, iPhone models, lowering the performance of the hero iPhone X.  Part of the problem last year, was the price of the hero product. The iPhone X retailed at $1,579, making the iPhone X a full $350 more costly than the previous year’s equivalent, iPhone 8 Plus.

Our goal here is to tell you the things the phone companies won’t – things about your iPhone which will save you time now and money in the future. Here’s what’s different about this year’s range and what that means to the iPhone plan you should buy.

What’s Different About Apple’s Australian 2018 iPhone Range?

For most of Apple’s history, they have released one new iPhone at a time. They broke that trend in 2014 with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus (the first time Apple had released two ‘variants’ of an iPhone at one time.) This year, there are three models from Apple this year, something that the company has only done once before (last year.)

In the 2018 line up, Apple have confirmed that they will be extending some of the most popular aspects of last year’s iPhone X. Key among those improvements is the continuation of OLED screens in two out of the three iPhones Apple are releasing. OLED displays can get closer to the side of the phone which means, from a design point of view, there will be less ‘bezzel’ available on the Xs and Xs Max devices.

We’ve listed the specification improvements in what we consider to be the order of their significance. We also explain (further down on this page) the reasons that these upgrades are so important in the new iPhone. Each of them means you are likely to use more mobile data in your phone plan.

• New device names for this year’s iPhone range:
  Apple will be departing from previous naming conventions, this time offering the iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max and iPhone Xʀ.
  • The iPhone Xs: (Pronounced ‘Ten Xs’):
    Apple use the suffix ‘S’ to indicate a minor upgrade to the previous year’s device. The Xs will have the same 5.8 inch screen as last year’s iPhone X. Apple are calling the OLED screen in this device (and the Xs Max) as ‘Super Retina.’
  • The iPhone Xs (Max):
    The Xs Max will come with a bigger screen than has been seen in any iPhone produced by Apple to date – 6.5 inches. The bigger screen variant is called the Xs Max.
  • The iPhone XR: This device will come with a 6.1 inch diagonal view-able area, and a cheaper LCD screen which Apple call ‘Liquid Retina’.
• New Screen technology (for iPhones) – OLED:
  • One key change – the type of screen which you’ll get in this year’s iPhones – explaining OLED vs LCD :
    Two of Apple’s three new device releases this year, benefit from an OLED screen. OLED stands for Organic Light Emitting Diode and, in simple terms, it’s a brighter, more beautiful front panel to the iPhone you love. There is a noticeable difference between OLED screens and the alternatives which Apple previously employed. Most iPhones, prior to now, have had back-lit LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screens, a feature Samsung and other device manufacturers moved away from some time ago – at least in their top end devices. You might be familiar with the distinction between the two different screen types from the flat screen TVs you have in your home. OLED screens offer more of the things that make a good screen. They’re brighter, have better colour ‘depth’ and offer improved contrast ratios than LCD alternatives. You’re also less likely to get a headache looking at an OLED screen because each pixel is lit on it’s own – whereas LCD screens are lit from behind – which causes problems or some people’s eyes if they look at the screen too long. Finally, OLED technology means they can get the screen closer to the edge of the device, reducing the size of the bezel. (The metalic edge which holds the screen to the back of the phone.
• Improved processors (chips). The iPhone Xs, iPhone 9 will have an A12 processor / chip:
  • What is an A12 Chip?:
    All three of this year’s iPhone models will have an A12 processor and use ‘LTE chips’ that support faster processing  speeds. It’s unlikely that Apple can be ready for 5G in time, and even less likely that access to 5G will be widespread, so the LTE (Long Term Evolution – 4G)  chips are a stopgap measure that should increase speeds until 5G networks are more freely available around the world. The A11 processor from the iPhone X was around 25% faster than the previous generation’s A10 chip. The step to the A12 processor will offer a similar speed enhancement. Finally, the A12 chip takes up significantly less space in the phone chassis which means Apple can make the phone thinner and lighter. Apple claim that the A12 will be the first 7nm processor on the market – which is true although Huawei have announced a 7nm chip in one of their phones – it just won’t be released until October.
  • What is a bionic chip?:
    The use of the word Bionic in Apple’s chips is just marketing talk. The iPhone X used the A11 Bionic chip, which was built on a 10nm (nanometer) design. The latest chip, called the A12, will use a 7nm design. This will make the processors smaller, faster and more efficient. The claim is that the new processor will give room for a 20% improvement in performance, and reduce power consumption by around 40%. The phones will also use LTE modem chips that support faster data speeds. That’s an important step forward. Increasingly mobile customers require, as we show below, ever increasing demand for data, quicker speeds. Delivering on customer expectations in that area can drastically improve Apple’s user experience.
  • Technical specifications:
    For those of you who like the real detail, A12 chips are sold in a 6 core configuration, 4 of which are performance processors and 2 of which are efficiency processors. This year’s iPhones will also have a 4 core GPU, (Graphical Processing Unit) which will be up to 50% faster than last year’s and an 8 core neural engine.
  • Understanding the reasons apple have approached their processors this way:
    Imagine it was your job to keep the lights on in a tower block and you were doing it with diesel generators. One solution available to you would be to have one huge generator running all the time. In moments of peak demand, the generator would provide enough light to the block to keep the residents happy. However, in the middle of the night, when demand was low because everyone was asleep, that generator would be using a lot of diesel just to tick along. An alternative strategy would be to have lots of different generators connected to the building. As demand for power grew, you could turn the generators on as required. Overnight, you could shut them off totally, leaving one small generator running to service the low level demand that you witnessed. By splitting their processor cores out, Apple are doing the same thing. They send specific jobs that the user requires to each processor (generator) which deals with that task efficiently – because it was designed to do that. If the phone needs an Artificial Intelligence (AI) task dealing with, it turns on the Neural Engine. If the phone or user wants to watch a video, they turn the GPU on. If there’s a lot happening at once, they use the performance chips. And, if the phone is just waiting, they use the efficiency cores.

Hardware features in the 2018 iPhone range that won’t affect your mobile data usage

The iPhone did present some problems. It was named the “most breakable iPhone ever” by the SquareTrade warranty site, despite featuring glass that Apple claimed was the strongest yet.

• Design Changes:
  Apple’s 2018 iPhone models build on the design of the iPhone X released last year. The design of the iPhone X was highly regarded, so most improvements you’ll see in this year’s device range will be inside the device instead of outside.  Visually, the emphasis this year is the device display, with only a thin band of metal visible around the outside of the 2018 line up.
  • A ‘Top Notch’ device: The ‘notch’ at the top of this year’s iPhone screens is here to stay:
    That means the notch will still appear on all of Apple’s 2018 iPhones. While many users don’t find the notch at the top visually appealing, Apple do not yet have the technology to put the face recognition software behind the display. That makes the notch necessary, if not completely desirable.
  • Color options & waterproofing: What does IP 68 mean?
    This year’s iPhone will come with the same silver and space grey color options we got in last years’ models. There is also a gold sheen option for those who want something different. The body is dust and water resistant, to IP 68 specifications. IP means Ingress Protection. IP 68 products are dust and waterproof resistant to a depth of more than 1 meter.
  • Home button & Tough ID replaced with Face ID:
    This year’s models ditch the home button, eliminating Touch ID. Face ID replaced fingerprint technology as the go-to bio-security measure, used to grant people access to their phones.Removing the fingerprint sensor (which, on previous devices, used to rest below the screen) eliminates the need to put in a dedicated sensor elsewhere on the phone, again, reducing the required size of the chassis and freeing up more of the device to be screen.
• An upgraded camera:
  The iPhone camera already compares pretty favorably with other similar devices, so upgrades in this year’s phone cameras are minor. the Xs and Xs Max will have a 7MP front facing camera and a 12 MP Dual lens camera on the back.
• A Dual SIM capability and / or eSIM capability:
  For the first time, Apple have released an iPhone with dual SIM capability, enabled through the addition of an eSIM alongside the physical SIM on the device. eSIM will have far reaching implications for the whole telecommunications industry. This is especially important in an Australian context. eSIMs are a much more useful technology – almost certainly, the future of SIMs in phones. In fact, Apple have been pushing eSIM technology behind the scenes for some time. This is just the first time we’ve seen it in devices. Apple have revealed that the eSIM won’t work until iOS 12, the next version of the handheld Operating System used on iPhones is released.

Which of the new hardware features in this year’s iPhone line up will affect how much data you need in the plan you pick?

In short, you’ll need at least 5GB of data in your phone plan if you’re buying one of this year’s iPhones. Apple’s phones use roughly twice the monthly mobile data of  equivalent Android products, per minute, according to independent research.

iPhones are popular devices. the industry studies them closely, observing the ways iPhone users differ from other phone users – comparing them especially with Android devices. As you can see from the chart below, iPhones use around double the data per minute of alternative products.

Data used per minute on Android vs iOS phones

Source: Analysis Mason.
Be aware that iPhone users get through more data per minute and per month than other phone users. Make sure you have a plan with more than 5GB of data for your 2018 iPhone.

• iPhone users tend to use more data than Android users to begin with:
  Research from Analysis Mason (as well as many others) shows that, on average iPhone users get through more data each month than any other phone user. In tests, Apple iPhones consumed more than twice as much data, per minute, when connected to cellular networks, as Android devices. People love their iPhones, in industry speak, they are ‘more engaged with their devices’. iPhones are also optimized for watching video and listening to music, (streamed music alone can incur up to 3GB of data charges per month) more than any other phone an, as you’ll see from the graph below, video is what uses most of the mobile data you get through in your plan.
• It’s hard to say exactly how much data you need:
  Personal behavior varies by individual, so it’s difficult to provide a single answer about data requirements to the variety of visitors we receive on this site. We’ve suggested 5GB here but that’s only a guide.
• Even then, there is no ‘set and forget’ option:
  The average number of months that people hold on to their iPhones has increased substantially, from 24 to 30 months in recent years, driven by less impressive device improvements between iPhone generations

However, there are some ‘rules of thumb’ that you can use which might be helpful in deciding how much data you need:

Watching Video (e.g. YouTube) On Phones Is What Uses Most Of Your Mobile Data

Source: Cisco
The green element of the chart shows the proportion of mobile data consumed by all phones, including iPhones, which comes from video content. Video makes up more than 80% of what’s used.

Source: OpenSignal
OpenSignal produce some insightful analysis of smartphone network trends. Here, they show that the bigger an iPhone’s screen, the more mobile data the user gets through. This finding is consistent with other work by network equipment manufacturers including Ericsson.

• The bigger the screen on your iPhone, the more data you will use:
  When Apple introduced their ‘Plus’ range (now adapted to ‘Max’ for this generation of iPhones), industry experts and academics examined the difference in mobile data consumption habits of iPhone users. They found that the bigger the phone’s screen, the more mobile (cellular) data they used. (See chart above.) The effect was even more pronounced when users were connected to WiFi networks. You can see this concept explained graphically in the chart above. The bigger the screen, the more mobile data users got through in a month.
• Culturally, people are watching more video on their phones:
  Video content – You Tube Videos, Freeview and so on, make up the vast majority of the data you will use on your phone. (See chart.) Culturally, we’re getting used to watching video on our phones. TV networks are digitizing their programs and making them available over IP networks with services like the ABC iPlayer. The change is especially visible in younger (25 years old and below) people.

Here’s why your new iPhone will use more data when you’re watching video.

• OLED screens are so good, you will find yourself watching more content:
  Apple are not the first company to deploy OLED screens on a smartphone. Experience on other devices with OLED screens show that, frankly, they’re so beautiful, people can’t stop looking at them. OLED screens make it more enjoyable to watch video content on your phone, too. And, as we’ve seen, video makes up the majority of the mobile data that people use on their iPhones.
• 4G devices use more data than older iPhones:
  There may be more intelligence on the web pages than you realize. When, for example, you click a YouTube link on your iPhone, there is a ‘conversation’ (in computer talk) between your phone and the YouTube website. Between them, they will determine that your phone is 4G enabled – it can deal with really fast data. YouTube then decides to show you the best picture quality it can so you’ll enjoy the experience of being on their website a bit more. Boom! Now you’re downloading High Definition TV to your phone and using a lot more data in the process.
• A faster processor means you’ll use more data than you used to:
  Again, industry insights show that, as processor speeds improve, users get through more data.

In short, we recommend at least 5GB of mobile data in your phone plan. If you’re taking a ‘Max’ model, you watch video and can’t help looking at that beautiful screen, you might want more than that.

Should I buy an iPhone myself or get it under contract?

We recommend you buy your iPhone outright and add a SIM. Here’s why.

Generally, our advice is to buy the iPhone yourself, outright and add a SIM to it. Here’s why:

• Last year was the first time that a higher proportion of people bought their iPhone outright and added a SIM:
  Our own research shows that, for the first time in history, more people bought their iPhone themselves, outright and added their own SIM. that’s a significant finding – because Apple’s phones tend to be the most expensive on the market. A $100+ cost takes outright purchase out of the reach of many people, who prefer to split the cost over the course of a 2 year contract.
• Because, it’s often cheaper to do it this way:
  Buying your iPhone yourself and adding a SIM, can work out cheaper than doing the same thing under contract. See our infographic examples of direct comparisons below this section.
• Your data use will rise over time:
  Multiple, independent sources including the ACCC, Cisco, Ericsson and others shows that the average user’s data requirements (how much data they need to keep them connected throughout the month) is rising at a rate of around 70% per year. For example, if you are using 5GB of data now, in a year, on average, you will be using 8.5GB of data and, 12 months from them, nearly 15GB of data. If you’re trapped in a contract, that can result in additional charges, (overage),  at a rate of $10 per GB on most of Australia’s phone plans. Our analysis shows that can cost you hundreds of dollars per year in extra charges. And remember, that’s an average user. If you’re buying a new iPhone, all those new hardware facilities in this year’s iPhone – the ones we covered above – are also going to drive your usage up.
• And the price of data included in Australian phone plans is always falling:
  The cost per GB of data is falling substantially in Australia. We call the phenomenon ‘Data deflation’ and, alone, this trend is a great reason to avoid taking a phone under contract. Buying a phone under contract typically ties you in for up to 24 months. During that time, your data usage will rise substantially. If you take a month to month agreement with your phone company, you are far more likely to be able to benefit from the ongoing reduction in the price of data – by simply moving plans with your current provider or changing phone companies all together. Free Download – The Guide To Australian Phone Plans
• Consider smaller phone companies:
  Just check the pricing in our listings, above, and you’ll notice that smaller phone companies tend to provide phone plans with more data in them than the brands you know (Vodafone, Telstra and Optus.) Again, our own research shows that people don’t understand the number of phone company options they have available to them. In a survey performed in August 2018, only 26% of people knew that there are more than 25 phone companies to choose from.
• Why the included eSIM in this year’s iPhone is so important to your phone plan decision:
  Imagine you sign a 2 year contract with your phone company and, in the middle of it, as Apple have promised, they turn on the eSIM capability which is built in to the phone. From that point, you will be able to change phone companies from ‘Settings’ on your phone. If, however, you are under contract, you won’t be able to leave (unless you pay the Early Exit Fee which will be expensive half way through.) The eSIM your new iPhone will have is yet another reason to avoid a contract.

Finally, when it comes to working out the best way to buy your iPhone, it’s worth knowing they can also be leased, as a way to split the cost without being tied in to a contract. However, there are some limitations to the leasing options which are available currently and we don’t recommend this approach to many people.

Why Buy an iPhone 8 Plus Outright from Mobileciti
+ a SIM from a small phone company

Charlotte

Went with Telstra contract

---

• iPhone 8 Plus 64GB

• 24 months contract on Telstra x $109.00

  $2,616.00

• (= Unlimited Oz Talk & Text + 5GB)

Minimum Total Cost 2,616.00

On Telstra network

William

Found a deal on WhatPhone

---

• Bought an iPhone 8 Plus 64GB from Mobileciti

  $1,198

• $30.00 per month on Belong Mobile
  (month to month)

  $720.00

• ( = Unlimited Oz Talk & Text + 5GB  )

Minimum Total Cost 1,918.00

On Telstra network

By finding a reseller deal on WhatPhone and buying her phone outright from Mobileciti, William makes a

27%

saving

www.whatphone.com.au

Should I get a prepaid plan or a postpaid plan to accompany my iPhone?

Whether you decide prepaid or postpaid, our advice is don’t pick a plan which ties you in for more than 12 months.

Consider your options :

• A month to month agreement on a SIM Only or Prepaid Plan: 
  • Taking a month to month agreement with a phone company will reduce your overage charges:
    We suggest you consider both prepaid and postpaid plans when choosing your SIM Only deal.
  • Don’t ignore prepaid options:
    Prepaid plans are much maligned, especially by older users, as a result, mostly, of prejudice. In reality, a prepaid plan entitles you to access exactly the same network as a postpaid plan and has a unique suite of advantages, unique to the plan type. For example, if you manage your credit balance well, your service will simply stop when you reach your data limit, rather than adding additional charges in the way that a postpaid plan would.
• 12 month SIM Only contracts:
  For those who know they won’t check their phone bill every few weeks, taking a SIM Only plan on a 12 month contract can make a great deal of sense. At the end of that time, you can then evaluate your data requirements to see how they’ve changed, and re-contract, if you so desire. 12 month plans generally offer better price per GB of data performance when you sign up than a month to month plan at the same price point. Of course, that advantage is eroded through the year, as extra data is heaped on to month to month plans (see ‘Data Deflation’ – above)  by the phone companies, as they compete, trying to offer the biggest, attention grabbing headline rates to attract customers.
• Prepaid long expiry plans:
  You can check out our dedicated page on Long Expiry plans for more information on this unique plan type. One key benefit of Long Expiry plans is that, by buying a year of cellular network coverage upfront, you will get a discount. Of course, this plan type is also easy to maintain. Unless you want to, there are no requirements to recharge at all over the typically 12 month lifetime of the plan.

You may also want to explore our dedicated article on phone plans with included international minutes.

How can I make sure I am getting a plan with the fastest possible data for my 2018 iPhone ?

You’ll have to go out of your way to pick a phone plan which does not offer the latest, 4G mobile data speeds.

• LTE / 4G:
  We list phone plans from the most competitive phone companies in Australia, in our tables, shown above on this page. Almost any plan you’ll find on this site will be 4G enabled – which means you’ll have access to the fastest data speeds possible on your iPhone. Those plans that do not offer 4G speeds (they tend to be cheaper, 3G plans) are clearly marked in our listings. In reality, you’ll have to go out of your way to pick a phone plan which does not offer the latest, 4G mobile data speeds these days. They are hard to find.
• 4GX / Double data:
  Some iPhones have a facility to connect twice to a cellular network, at the same time. This capability doubles the speed with which your phone will download data. In the industry, these ‘doubled up’ connections are known as LTE-A which, of course, is techno talk which you don’t and shouldn’t care about. All 3 of the major telcos in Australia offer LTE-A – although each has their own name for it which is confusing. From your point of view, there’s no need to worry. Just buy your SIM as normal and, if your iPhone can benefit from double data speeds (i.e. your phone is capable of delivering the feature and you’re in a part of the phone company network which offers it) everything that needs to happen will happen automatically.
• There’s no 5G yet:
  5G is the next generation of mobile communications. The earliest you’ll see an iPhone with 5G facilities is next year. In reality, it’ll likely be 2020 before Apple release a 5G iPhone, despite the noise Telstra and Optus are making about it at the moment.

New phone plan features to look out for

Data banking is, in our view the fairest way of treating data in a phone plan.

Phone companies are making data ‘fairer’ – at last. Competition has driven some material improvements in the ways your phone company delivers your data. Here are some of the more interesting features, to look out for in the phone plans you’ll see available for your iPhone these days.

• Data rollover:
  Data rollover offers some flexibility in the way you use your mobile data from month to month. Usually, if your plan has, say, 5GB of data in it and, when you get to the end of the month only using, say, 3GB, you’ll lose the remaining 2GB. (Which most people think is unfair.) Data rollover gives you a degree of control over managing that circumstance. With data rollover, for example, in the scenario we just outlined, you would be able to carry over the 2GB of unused data to the next month. Typically, there are restrictions in place which limit the usefulness of Data Rollover as a plan component. For example, you’ll find that the rolled over 2GB is used last in the following month, which makes it more likely you’ll lose it. Additionally, they won’t continue to rollover the same data more than once so if the problem is that your usage has increased in a lasting way (that’s the problem most people find themselves facing) the data rollover won’t help much at all.
• Data Vault / data bank:
  In our view, data banking. a service that Telstra and Belong Mobile both launched this year, is your best bet when it comes to managing data fairly. With a data vault / bank, your data behaves like almost every other product you have in your life. Whatever data you’re given is yours, forever, until you leave the phone company.  The only draw back associated with a phone plan containing this facility is that it can be hard to leave the phone company you sign up with! There is always a pile of data waiting for you and acting as a deterrent to you ‘churning’ as it’s called in the industry.
• An easy to use Self Service app:
  Any phone company worth it’s salt these days, will have a good self service app. (Check our operator reviews, available in the menu at the top of each page for details of the app offered by each telco.) Customers who use the Self Service apps provided by their phone company tend to be more satisfied with their telco, than those who don’t. They’re free, they’re designed to be easy to use, the preclude the need for long, frustrating calls to your phone company’s customer service department and, critically, they are designed to make it much easier to manage your data allowance. You’ll find them easy to use and that they provide visual renderings of how much data you have left in your plan. They also make it easy to buy or turn on extra services such as Roaming or International Calls. Do yourself a favor. Go to the Apple App store or Google Play store and download the Self Service app for your phone company, whichever plan you buy.
• ‘Data free streaming’:
  Data free streaming is now offered by 4 phone companies in Australia. Typically, with this facility, you’ll be granted access to video content by virtue of your plan entitlements and, while you’re watching it, the data downloaded does not count against your phone plan allowances. Optus offers data free streaming of it’s EPL product and data free streaming of some music services. Telstra will let you watch either the AFL or NRL data free. OVO Mobile also offer data free streaming of their sports services. Data free streaming is important when it comes to watching video content on your phone because video consumes so much mobile data, as we explored above. We have a while section on this important plan feature, below.
• Family plans: Yomojo Mobile and OVO Mobile (link above) both offer ‘Family Plan’ features in their SIM Only deals. The big phone companies offer Family Data Sharing plans on all of their SIM Only deals. Here are the commonalities and differences in those family plans.
  • Bulk discount:
    Yomojo’s plans can be purchased for multiple family members at the same time. With each increased subscription in your family to Yomojo, you’ll get an increasing discount. It’s a basic bulk buy deal.
  • Safe and secure phone management software:
    Yomojo and OVO both offer child internet connection management software: Kids are being given phones earlier in their lives. Each smartphone is simply a wireless connection to the internet. Both OVO and Yomojo offer software as part of their plans which will allow you to monitor what your child has access to, to set up ‘white lists’ and ‘black lists’ of websites they can view – for example, you might wish to ban your child’s ability to download pornography on their phone. (Who wouldn’t. ) If you’re buying an iPhone for your child, you might like to consider one of these two providers – Yomojo / OVO. OVO don’t charge their customers for the use of the software, beyond the price of the phone plan. Yomojo do have a small monthly fee.

• Telstra’s ‘Goodbye Extra data charges’:
  Telstra is undergoing a root and branch re-organisation this year, dismissing as many as 8,000 staff in the 3 years ahead. As part of that revised strategy, they’ve introduced a new feature ‘goodbye extra data charges’. Under the scheme, users of (some of their more expensive) Postpaid plan range can opt out of the usual $10  per extra GB of data and, instead, get ‘unlimited mobile data’ at a reduced speed of 1.5 Mbps. The question, of course, which then naturally occurs is – is 1.5Mbps fast enough for me to do what I want to do on my phone. And the answer is – almost certainly, yes it is.

More on content in phone plans – to consider when you’re picking an iPhone plan

Content has become a part of the phone plans offered by a number of phone companies, over the last couple of years. Typical plan inclusions revolve around video streaming and or access to streamed music services like Apple Music. The key phrase here is data free streaming. In the industry, this is known as ‘zero rating’ and we explained what it was in the last section.

• Telstra video and music inclusions:
  Some of Telstra’s plans provide access to a number of premier sport catalogs. For example, at the moment, their postpaid plan range grants you the rights to watch a whole season of AFL, NRL or Australian Gymnastics on your phone.
• Optus video and music inclusions:
  Optus plans famously include access to the EPL – English premier League (soccer). They’re a little different from the plans you’ll get with Telstra. Optus charge an additional service fee every month to enable their customers’ access. They’ve had some teething problems, as you will have noticed if you took an interest in this year’s World Cup, but overall, Optus is winning with it’s now popular EPL content.

Why you should buy an iPhone Xs Outright
+ a SIM from a small phone company

Kim

Went with Optus contract

---

• iPhone Xs 64GB

• 24 months contract on Optus x $2400.00

  $2,400.00

• (= Unlimited Oz Talk & Text + 20GB)

Minimum Total Cost 2,400.00

On Optus network

William

Found a deal on WhatPhone

---

• Bought an iPhone Xs 64GB

  $1629.00

• $25.00 per month on
  Southern Phone(12months – special offer)

  $600.00

• ( = Unlimited Oz Talk & Text + 18GB  )

Minimum Total Cost 2,229.00

On Optus network

By finding a reseller deal on WhatPhone and buying her phone outright, William makes a

93%

saving

www.whatphone.com.au

• OVO Mobile:
  OVO Mobile are a smaller phone company but they offer some big phone company content inclusions. With OVO, you’ll get access to some niche sports content and also streamed audio services like the Hit Radio Network. All of it is provided data free.
• Don’t pay for anything you don’t need:
  If you’re not in to any of these content bolt ons, then out them out of your mind. In most cases (with the possible exception of OVO Mobile) you’ll pay a lot more for the phone plans which entitle you to access these content libraries – that’s why they’re there! Most phone companies still offer the things you’d expect from a phone plan – the ability to make calls, send SMSs and access the internet. If you don’t want these sports, don’t pay for them. On the other hand, if these data free streaming services appeal to you, the extra charge added to your phone plan is a small price to pay for the quality of content they offer.

Which phone companies have the best coverage for iPhones?

Telstra’s network covers roughly twice the landmass of any other phone company in Australia, including Optus. However, for those living in even slightly more densely populated areas, Telstra connections may be an unnecessary expense.

We have a dedicated page for coverage if you’d like chapter and verse on the subject. Here’s a quick summary.

• Telstra’s blue tick:
  Telstra has a scheme called ‘Blue Tick,’ under which it awards some phones – those which work better in rural areas with low signal quality. Phones identified as deserving a Blue Tick have effectively received a Telstra ‘seal of approval’ that those devices will work well in areas of poor signal quality. In the past, some iPhones have been awarded the Blue Tick and some have not. Look for the Blue Tick on the Telstra site, if this feature is of interest. Remember, you don’t need to necessarily buy the phone from Telstra – the network connection quality would apply to whichever phone company you used. (The Blue Tick still applies, wherever you buy the phone.) Each of the major telcos tests each phone when it’s released to ensure that it works without trouble on their network so you won’t have a problem connecting.
• Telstra’s network covers around twice the land mass of Optus:
  There really is no substitute for the Telstra network if you want land coverage. Telstra covers 2.5m square Km of Australia with a 3G network signal. The closest competitor, Optus, covers around half of that landmass, approximately 1.2 . In practical terms, however, there are many misconceptions about network coverage and speed in Australia. Vodafone actually offer the best coverage and data speeds in Sydney, for example. And the reality is that Telstra covers only a tiny fraction more of the Australian POPULATION than Optus does. Telstra’s signal reaches 99% of the population to Optus’ 98.50% abd Vodafone’s 96.00 % .

Why you should buy an iPhone Xs Outright
+ a SIM from a small phone company

Jean

Went with Vodafone contract

---

• iPhone Xs 64GB

• 24 months contract on Vodafone x $2708.88

  $2,708.88

• (= Unlimited Oz Talk & Text + 20GB)

Minimum Total Cost 2,708.88

On Vodafone network

James

Found a deal on WhatPhone

---

• Bought an iPhone Xs 64GB

  $1628.16

• $36.90 per month on Kogan Mobile

  $885.60

• ( = Unlimited Oz Talk & Text + 17GB  )

Minimum Total Cost 2,513.76

On Vodafone network

By finding a reseller deal on WhatPhone and buying her phone outright, James makes a

93%

saving

www.whatphone.com.au

• Consider Boost Mobile:
  Boost Mobile are one of the better kept secrets in Australian telco. They are the only phone company to resell the entire Telstra Network – but they charge less for it than Telstra themselves do.
• Coverage checker on their site:
  Each phone company, big or small, has a coverage checker map on their site, which you might like to check, before you sign up. Enter your address and phone type and the coverage checker will tell you the liklihood that you will get coverage, where you live and work, in that area.

Why you should buy an iPhone Xs Outright
+ a SIM from a small phone company

May

Went with Vodafone contract

---

• iPhone Xs 64GB

• 24 months contract on Vodafone x $2376.00

  $2,376.00

• (= Unlimited Oz Talk & Text + 3GB)

Minimum Total Cost 2,376.00

On Vodafone network

June

Found a deal on WhatPhone

---

• Bought an iPhone Xs 64GB

  $1628.16

• $20 per month on Boost Mobile

  $480.00

• ( = Unlimited Oz Talk & Text + 3GB  )

Minimum Total Cost 2,108.88

On Telstra network

By finding a reseller deal on WhatPhone and buying her phone outright, June makes a

89%

saving

www.whatphone.com.au

Don’t forget customer service, too

You’re lured with the great deal on your iPhone – and then you’re with the phone company for years! If you ever have a problem, you’re going to want to have considered how satisfied their customers are. Below, we provide the details you need to know. If you’re looking for a rule of thumb, smaller phone companies (the brands you might not have heard from) have better levels of customer satisfaction.)

Network coverage is just one of the factors you are buying when you sign an agreement with a phone company.

• Generally, smaller phone companies offer better customer service. Again, we have a dedicated page showing customer service and customer satisfaction levels for each of the major telcos and which covers many of the smaller networks, too.

Summing up the best way to manage your iPhone purchase this year

The new hardware features Apple are including in this year’s iPhone will mean you will likely use more data in the months ahead than you ever have done before. Specifically, the screen size, processor upgrade and 4G chip Apple have built in to this year’s products, will all both improve your experience of the new phones and also, chew through your mobile data allowance.

As a result, our advice is to buy the phone outright, from Mobileciti and add your own SIM. Done right, as our infographics show, you can save up to 32% on your total spend during the course of the 2 years you would have been under contract. On top of those savings, taking a month to month agreement, from any phone company, large or small, gives you the flexibility to move to a new phone plan or new phone company, whenever you want to. With rising tenures for iPhone ownership, and growth rates in mobile data consumption for individuals of circa 70% per year, (or more, )you’ll be saving yourself a headache, and more than a few bucks, if you buy outright and add a SIM.

You can hit the ‘Continue Reading’ button below, below, for details of iOS 12 – the software that will come in this year’s iPhones, forecasts on wait times / delays between your order and when it will show up – based on experience in previous years, and a comparison between last year’s headline device – the iPhone X and this year’s iPhone devices.

Sources:

• https://www.macworld.co.uk/news/iphone/new-iphone-2018-3646340/
• https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/apple/142864-apple-iphone-2018-what-s-the-story-so-far
• https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/2018-iphones/

What You Need to Read Before You Buy a 2017 iPhone

WhatPhone’s September 2017 survey

How we conducted this survey :

• WhatPhone conducted an online survey of 500 Australians in late August 2017.
• Results were collected immediately afterward and posted to WhatPhone in September, just in time for the 2017 Apple device release.
• We have separated the results we received and added in other useful insights.
• Our goal is to assist people looking to buy the 2017 iPhone.

We surveyed 500 iPhone users. Here’s what we found.

Pick the right 2017 iPhone using the findings of our ‘Mobile Phone Basics’ Survey :

We offer some simple advice to correct some of the misunderstandings people have about phone plans. If you’re buying an iPhone this year, these are the facts you need to know.

We also have some specific information about the eSIM and the Apple Watch.

Our survey focused on iPhone users.

• 75% of people don’t know how many phone companies there are in Australia:
  Mobile phone services are provided by around 50 phone companies in Australia. WhatPhone shows the best of the bunch on this site.
  How can this information help you? :
  Many smaller phone companies share networks with bigger phone companies. They also, typically, offer better SIM Only / Prepaid rates than you’ll get from big phone companies.
• Nearly three-quarters of people did not understand how their data usage is changing:
  If there was a single fact to understand about your phone usage before you buy a plan, it’s that your data usage is rising around 70% per year. Remember, you’re going to own that iPhone somewhere between 24 and 36 months. That means if you start using 5GB, you will be well over 10GB a month usage by the time you upgrade the phone.
  How can this information help you? :
  Do not sign a contract for our iPhone. We suggest you buy it outright and add a SIM yourself.

Understanding a few key pieces of information offer the chance to dramatically lower your stress levels and cost of ownership for your 2017 iPhone.

More than 50% of people think there are 10 or less phone companies in Australia

There are 50 phone companies in Australia. Only 25% of people know that.

Only 25% of Australians realise the number of phone plan and company options available to them. There are around 50 phone companies in Australia. To get the best iPhone plan, shop around.

The key fact that will help you:
You have more options than you think when it comes to picking a phone company. Shop around to find something that suits you personally. There are plans with extra data on the weekend and which offer nice to have extras like sport or streamed music content.

Australia has 3 phone networks but around 50 phone companies. The big companies we all know, Telstra, Vodafone and so on, own the networks.

At the other end of the scale, there are lots of little phone companies, each of which targets a specific group of users with their plans. And remember, when it comes to the networks, if you go with a smaller phone company, you’ll get exactly the same network quality.

Other things to keep in mind:

• Better pricing: 
  Smaller phone companies need to work harder to secure your money. They’ll often offer more data for less $ in their plans.

• Better fit:
  There are so many of these fit:er phone companies that they tailor their phone plans to specific groups of users. If you need a PAYG plan, if you want to build your own plan , have more data on the weekend or make international calls more than other people there is a small company out there with your name on it.
• Smaller phone companies often use the same networks as the big phone companies :
  Compare smaller phone companies alongside the bigger phone company brands you know. Take Kogan Mobile, for example. This small phone company is one of the most popular telcos chosen by WhatPhone visitors every month. Kogan rent access to the Vodafone 3G and 4G network. Kogan plans offer exactly the same speeds and coverage as you will get if you go direct to Vodafone. Kogan’s customer support is even offered by Vodafone.

Only 25% of people correctly estimate the rate at which their data use is changing

Remember, your data usage is rising – fast!

Picking the best iPhone plan means knowing that your data usage will increase over time.

The key fact that will help you

If you’re like a regular iPhone user, you will use more data every year you have your iPhone. We suggest you avoid signing a contract for your iPhone. If you buy your new iPhone outright (see some suggestions below which minimize the cost of that) and add a SIM Only plan the phone companies will give you more data every year.

Check these statistics out.

Stay out of contract – they’ll give you more data.

Don’t buy an iPhone under contract in 2017. Optus’ data offering, at the same price more than doubled for those who are NOT under contract over the last 2 years.

Stay out of contract – they’ll give you more data!

Don’t buy an iPhone under contract in 2017. Vodafone’s data offering, at the same price more than doubled for those who are NOT under contract over the last 2 years.

How much data will my 2017 iPhone use ?

We recommend plans with 10GB or more for the 2017 iPhone.

Some of the best research we’ve ever seen in to iPhone data usage came from Citrix two years ago. See the chart below. It very clearly expresses the key factor to consider when picking a data plan. The newer your iPhone, the bigger the screen, the more data you will need.

This Citrix infographic shows how your iPhone screen can affect your data consumption.

As you can see, to make sure you get the right iPhone plan, you need to consider how new your iPhone is and how big it’s screen is.

Above : Source : Cisco

Other things you might like to consider

In our latest Australian phone usage poll, the data plan which was used by the most people was 11GB or above. Since the latest iPhone will have the biggest screen Apple has bought to market to date and the fastest processor, we recommend plans with 10GB or more for your iPhone.

Average statistics are of limited use. People’s data usage is far from standard.

We suggest you consider plans with data allocations of 10GB or more for your iPhone plan.

How you can avoid signing a contract for your iPhone

If you take a SIM Only or prepaid plan the phone company you choose will give you extra data every few months. Check out these charts.

• Leasing options : 
  The key reason people buy a phone under contract is to avoid the upfront cost. You can now avoid that one off payment by leasing a phone. Moose Mobile is one company which offers the facility but there are others. You don’t even have to use a phone service from those phone companies to get a leased phone.
• Refurbished phones : 
  Refurbished phones are offered by Kogan and MobileCiti allow you to save between 32% and 43% of the list price in this way.
• Second hand phones : 
  eBay is a great place for second hand phones. You’re still paying up front and a one off payment for them but you can save more than 50% of the list price by picking this sort of device.
• Flexibility to move companies : 
  When you lease your phone or find a way to make the upfront purchase affordable, you then have free reign for decisions like changing your phone company.
• Data growth : 
  Moving phone company will get you a lot more data than signing a contract. Data gets cheaper every year for those who are not under contract.

Summing up these findings for the iPhone

The phone, especially when it’s an iPhone, is the glamourous end of your contract. The plan you take with it requires a bit more thought.

You have a huge number of options available to you but don’t worry : They’re easy to compare. Go to one of our comparison pages and you can make a decision in a few minutes.

Consider smaller phone companies. You’ll often get the same network as if you went to one of the bigger phone companies at a better price as if you went with one of the brands you’re more familiar with.

Don’t sign a contract to get your iPhone! Staying on a month to month agreement gives you more data as time goes on and, as you’ve seen from our graphs, you are going to need it. If you were going to buy an iPhone under contract to avoid the upfront cost, you have alternatives; leasing, refurbished phones and second hand phones, for example.

SIM Only Plans for iPhone

Do you already have your own iPhone ? If you got your iPhone from somewhere like eBay, a family member hand me down or a generous friend, you might just need a SIM Only plan from the phone companies. If that’s what you’re doing, you are part of a growing trend. In this article we show you how to get the best deal on your iPhone SIM card. We try to explain the different types of SIM Only / BYO / Prepaid plans and we compare the recommendations we make in some detail with the competition so you don’t have to.

Quick summary : iPhone + SIM Only plan is often the best deal

60% of iPhones are used with a SIM Only price plan

A huge proportion of iPhones ( roughly 60% ) are sold outside of the contract terms offered by the major phone companies in Australia these days. An increasing proportion of better informed Apple phone buyers are opting to get hold of the latest Apple gadgets outright. The CEO of eBay has even recognized the value of resold Apple phones to his business. In the press recently was his announcement that second hand iPhones net eBay billions of dollar every year.

If you are prepared to shop around, and you know where to look, this page is a great start! Most of the time, it’s a smart decision to buy your new iPhone yourself, outright and to add a SIM Only plan to it. However, whether you’ve been given an iPhone, you’ve bought it yourself, outright or you picked it up second hand, here are the best ways to get yourself a great deal on the SIM you put inside it.

What’s the difference between SIM Only and BYO Mobile ?

SIM Only and BYO mean exactly the same thing.

The terms SIM Only and BYO Mobile are simply different marketing ‘spins’. There is no difference at all between them. Generally, SIM Only / BYO plans are what’s called ‘postpaid’ plans. That means you use the service before you pay your bill. Technically, these are often ‘On Account’ services. On Account means you need to settle up at the end of the month with your phone company. However, remember, with SIM Only / BYO plans, there’s no contract of service between you and the phone company beyond the month you’re in. It’s worth noting though, that, to make it more convenient, you’ll probably set your SIM Only / BYO SIM plan up to continue automatically at the end of the month.

Prepaid plans are also SIM Only / BYO plans

Postpaid / On Account SIM only services are subtly different to prepaid SIM Only services. All prepaid plans are also SIM Only / BYO. They’re called prepaid because you pay for the service before you use it. One benefit of prepaid is that you cannot overspend beyond the amount you commit to at the start of the engagement. If you spend $30 on a recharge, the most they can get out of you is $30.

The benefits of choosing SIM Only plans for your iPhone

Any SIM only deal you end up with for your iPhone, prepaid or postpaid is likely to do you a number of favours :

• It’ll probably save you money :
  Compared to the alternative ( buying your phone under contract with one of the major phone companies ) buying an iPhone yourself and adding in a SIM is likely to save you money. Especially if you do it the way we advise below. Don’t believe us ? We’ve done the maths to prove this point before in our article – “Buying my phone outright, will I save money?”
• SIM Only Plans give you total flexibility :
  • Change usage when you want to :
    With most SIM Only / BYO providers you can move up or down plans whenever you want to with no additional cost. If you know you need more voice, SMS or data one month, you can move your plan up, just for that month.
  • You can leave whenever you want to :
    The biggest commitment you’re making is the month you’re in. If you see a better SIM only deal which would suit your iPhone usage better, from a different provider – you can leave there and then.
  • No Early termination Fees :
    When you decide you’ve had enough you’ll move on without penalty. ETPs are a charge employed by the phone companies to recoup the cost of the iPhone they gave you. If you want to leave before your iPhone contract ends you’ll need to pay them back for the phone. If they haven’t give you an iPhone – because this is a SIM Only plan, then they won’t charge you ETPs.

We use the terms SIM Only and BYO interchangeably throughout this article.

We use the terms BYO and SIM Only throughout this article – because they mean the same thing. Below, we have separate sections on prepaid SIM Only plans and also SIM Only Data plans. In each section, we make a recommendation on the best SIM Only plan to put in your iPhone. Further down, we compare the recommendations we’ve made with the key competitive plans to explain the reasons we’ve chosen what we have.

Our recommended plans are likely to give you the best iPhone SIM Only results

How can MVNOs save you money

MVNOs save their customers money by leasing network access ‘in bulk’ from the three, major Australian phone companies. Then they sell it, to customers like you, at a significant discount.

With MVNOs, you can take advantage of lower rates, and SIMs that are contract-free.  They almost always offer better deals than the major phone companies. They don’t have the same marketing spends to pass on in the costs they charge you. They don’t spend nearly as much on advertising their brand as the others. By keeping their business models simple, they reduce the support costs and pass the savings on to you. They also need to charge less because they’re not as well known as their multinational competitors.

By keeping their business models simple, MVNOs reduce the support costs and pass the savings on to you in their SIM Only plans.

It’s important to realize that the network coverage component of the ‘product’ the MVNOs sell is very often exactly the same thing being sold by Optus or Vodafone. The coverage you’ll get from an Optus MVNO is exactly the same as the coverage you’ll get from Optus itself. There are a few exceptions and ‘gotchas’ to think about. We’ve covered those in detail, below.

Myths about MVNOs: Prioritization

Some shoppers suspect that MVNOs are getting low quality network bandwidth. For example, minutes that aren’t used by carriers during peak activity. That’s just not true.  In many ways, network access is like electricity. It’s a utility which is the same whomever or whichever company you buy it from. You will not get a lower priority on the network if you go with an MVNO.

Why are MVNO deals cheaper?

The MVNOs marketplace is highly competitive. The competition is focused where you want it. MVNOs have an agreed charter with the major phone companies. Each MVNO is set up to focus on servicing ( selling to ) a particular segment.

A segment is just a group of users. Here are a couple of our favorite MVNOs and the segments they are designed to address.

The recommendations on this page are specific to the iPhone range.

Finally, we’ve made our recommendations on this page specific to the iPhone range. We have tried to include recommendations on both 3G plans and 4G plans which meet the typical usage requirements.

The iPhone 4s is still in market and requires only a 3G plan since 3G is the fastest network speed it can use. For later phones, released after LTE / 4G became standard on iPhone releases ( including, specifically, the iPhone 5, iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c) we recommend a range of plans including 4G options so you can make use of this important feature.

We have recommendations on the best SIM Only plans for your iPhone if you are an average user, a very high users ( who needs an unlimited plan ), prepaid recommendations and recommendations for those looking for data led iPhone plans.

Finally, we’ve also included recommendations for each network in Australia. Below you’ll see plans from MVNOs which use the Optus, Vodafone and Telstra network.

Whatever plan you need, whatever network you want, we have a recommendation for a SIM Only plan for you !

Best SIM Only Plans December 2018

• Optus Mobile Network
• Vodafone Network
• Telstra Mobile Network

Winner ! Prepaid plans with included streamed audio.

Optus are a reliable brand with great coverage , great value and some unique Optus value you won’t find elsewhere.

My Daily Plus :
Unique in Australia, $2 days offers huge data : Unlimited minutes to standard Australian mobile & landlines. Calls are charged per min. They also include unlimited STD national SMS & MMSs. With this plan, you are only charged for the days you connect your phone to the network !

• $2 per day = Unlimited standard national talk and text  + 500MB A DAY. Charged per KB. Auto bump up with an extra 524MB data for an extra $2. Maximum of $4/1GB for the day. All for use in Australia. Fair Go Policy applies.
• Optus SIM Starter Kit $10.00 = Unlimited calls and SMS/MMS in Oz +  5GB

Epic Data plans:

• Optus Prepaid Epic Data $10.00 = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 5GB
• Optus Prepaid Epic Data $20.00 = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 12GB
• Optus Prepaid Epic Data $30.00 = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 10GB + 25GB bonus data
• Optus Prepaid Epic Data $40.00 = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 20GB + 25GB bonus data
• Optus Prepaid Epic Data $50.00 = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 30GB + 25GB bonus data
• Optus Prepaid Epic Data $60.00 = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 40GB + 25GB bonus data
• Optus Prepaid Epic Data $70.00 = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 45GB + 25GB bonus data
• Optus Prepaid Epic Data $80.00 = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 50GB + 25GB bonus data
• Optus Prepaid Epic Data $100.00 = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 60GB + 25GB bonus data

Epic Value plans:

• Optus Prepaid Epic Value Recharge $15.00 = Unlimited calls and SMS/MMS in Oz + 500MB
• Optus Prepaid Epic Value $30.00 = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 1GB
• Optus Prepaid Epic Value $40.00 = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 10GB
• Optus Prepaid Epic Value $50.00 = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 15GB
• Optus Prepaid Epic Value $180.00 = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 60GB

See our full Optus prepaid review,  check out Optus’ recharge options, or see all prepaid plans.

CHECK OPTUS PREPAID PLANS

 

Strong, Simple Plans & A Well Known Brand

Amaysim | Prepaid Plans | Optus Mobile Network 3G+4G

Amaysim are the 4th biggest phone company in Australia with over 1m customers. They consistently have one of the highest customer satisfaction ratings in the industry and have prepaid (28 day expiry) plan range – just select the option you want in their checkout. With Amaysim, you’ll get:

• Strong plan range:
  Amaysim have a range starting at $10 per month and rising to $50 per month. Data inclusions are up there with the best available and, with Amaysim, things are nice and simple. You’re just buying voice calls, SMS and data. There are no optional extras.
• New International Inclusions:
  Any plan you buy, starting at $30 per month will now include free International Calls to 12 destinations.
• Great Customer Experience:
  Amaysim are consistently one of the best performing†phone companies when it comes to customer satisfaction.

Amaysim’s plan range:

• Amaysim Unlimited Prepaid $10 = Unlimited calls and SMS + 1.5GB of data.
• Amaysim Unlimited Prepaid $20 = Unlimited calls and SMS + 2.5GB of data.
• Amaysim Unlimited Prepaid $30 = Unlimited calls and SMS + 10GB of data.
• Amaysim Unlimited Prepaid $40 = Unlimited calls and SMS + 20GB of data.
• Amaysim Unlimited Prepaid $50 = Unlimited calls and SMS + 40GB of data.
• Amaysim Unlimited Prepaid $60 = Unlimited calls and SMS + 60GB of data.
• Amaysim As You Go $10 = 15c per min voice, 15c per SMS and 15.4c per MB data.

You can find out more about this company in our Amaysim review.

CHECK AMAYSIM PLANS

 

Vaya Mobile | Winner of The Best Value Plans 2018 Award

Postpaid | Month to month agreement | On the Optus 3G + 4G Network

Vaya offer a range of affordable postpaid plans on the Optus Network. They were recently bought by Amaysim and have cleaned up their image since they were acquired. Customer service complaints are down and they now offer a price match guarantee ñ a unique feature in the Australian market.

With Vaya, you will get:

• Access to the full Optus 3G and 4G network:
  Optus’ 4G network now rivals Telstra for speed and coverage. With Vaya, you can get access to the same thing.
• Unique ‘Price match Guarantee’:
  Uniquely, Vaya will match any other price plan you can
• The WhatPhone 2018 Best Value Plans Award:
  How could we not give Vaya the best value plans award when they will offer to match any other plan on the market?
• Nothing you don’t need:
  Vaya plans don’t have entertainment options, data rollover, data

Vaya month to month plans

• Vaya Unlimited S $16.00 = Unlimited Calls & SMS + 2GB.
• Link = Unlimited Calls & SMS + 6GB.
• Vaya Unlimted L $36.00 = Unlimited Calls & SMS + 15GB.
• Vaya Unlimited XL $44.00 = Unlimited Calls & SMS + 30GB.
• Vaya Unlimited XXL $56.00 = Unlimited Calls & SMS + 50GB.

All talk time and SMS for use in Australia to Australian numbers. All data is for use in Australia. You can learn more about this company in our Vaya Mobile review.

CHECK†VAYA†SIM PLANS

 

Southern Phone

Postpaid | Month to month + 12 month contracts | Optus 3G and 4G Plus

Southern Phone are a well known, full service phone company brand based in New South Wales with some great .

With Southern Phone you’ll get :

• A choice of month to month or 12 month agreements:
  Unusually, Southern Phone offer access to their plans as either 12 month contracts or, month to month agreements.
• A choice of the Telstra Mobile 3G + 4G or Optus 3G + 4G Plus network:
  Southern Phone are one of the few Australian telcos who offer their customers a choice of the Optus or Telstra Mobile network.
• Best for bundles:
  Picking up a SIM Only plan as well as a fixed broadband connection will get you a discount.

Southern Phone Month to Month Phone Plans (All Green Plans on the Optus 3G+4G Plus Network.) 

• Southern Phone Green $12 M2M = Unlimited calls & SMS in Oz + 500MB of data.
• Southern Phone Green $22 M2M = Unlimited calls & SMS in Oz + 3GB of data.
• Southern Phone Green $35 M2M = Unlimited calls & SMS in Oz+ 10GB of data.
• Southern Phone Green $50 M2M = Unlimited calls & SMS in Oz+ 15GB of data.

Southern Phone 12 Months Phone Plans (All Green Plans on the Optus 3G+4G Plus Network.) 

• Southern Phone Green $12 12M = Unlimited calls & SMS in Oz + 1GB of data.
• Southern Phone Green $22 12M = Unlimited calls & SMS in Oz + 7GB of data.
• Southern Phone Green $35 12M = Unlimited calls & SMS in Oz + 18GB of data.
• Southern Phone Green $50 12M = Unlimited calls & SMS in Oz + 23GB of data.

You can find out more about this company in our dedicated Southern phone review.

CHECK SOUTHERN PHONE SIM PLANS

 

SpinTel

Postpaid | SIM Only | Month to Month Agreement | Optus 3G + 4G Plus Network

SpinTel are a postpaid provider with a one of the most useful data management features we’ve seen. With SpinTel plans your data is ‘capped’ when you reach your limit. With most other post paid phone plan providers, when you hit your limit, you’ll be charged $10 for an extra GB which is not as fair as we’d like to see.

With SpinTel you’ll get:

• Great data pricing:
  Compare SpinTel to the best of the rest and you’ll see, at the price points they sell, SpinTel are often the best value.
• ‘Capped plan’ data limits:
  If you want your phone service’s data to stop at a limit you set, SpinTel are the right phone company for you. So far as we know, they are the only company to offer this feature.

SpinTel plans for your mobile.

• Spintel BYO $9.95 = 200 minutes standard calls and unlimited SMS in Oz + 2GB
• Spintel BYO $15.95 = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 3GB
• Spintel BYO $19.95 = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 5GB
• Spintel BYO $22.95 = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 9GB
• Spintel BYO $39.95 = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 15GB

CHECK SPINTEL SIM PLANS

 

OVO Mobile – Free Video & Radio Content

Prepaid | 30 day expiry | On the Full Optus 3G and 4G Network 

OVO’s offer a totally new way of looking at a phone company – they’re one of our best selling partners. Their plans are, pretty much on a par for data inclusions with the best in the industry. In addition to talk time, SMS and data, OVO’s plans include exclusive access to exclusive video content. All of OVO’s plans come with ‘OVO Play’ an app which lets you watch their free content on your plan. With OVO, you’ll get:

• Free Video Content – Motorsport, Sailing, Gymnastics & Water Polo :
  OVO offer a growing list of free video and audio content. Motorsport fans might like the 400 Thunder Professional Drag Racing Series, Australian GT, Formula Drift and other petrol head live streaming. OVO Play also includes other sports like sailing and gymnastics. The price of the content is included in the monthly line rental charge you pay OVO for your prepaid plan. So, importantly: You won’t see your data balance decline while you’re watching them, the streamed content is free.
• Free Streamed Audio:
  OVO’s plans also offer FREE radio streaming, also included in your plan offers access to the Tripple M network and other selected stations.
• OVO for Kids:
  OVO’s plans come with the offer of free access to Parental Lock software. Buy your child the $9.95 plan from OVO and you’ll be able to monitor what they access on their phone and set times for it to turn off and turn on it’s own connection to the internet.

OVO Plans for your mobile

Picking an OVO plan is simple. All of OVO’s plans include Unlimited talk and SMS in Australia to Australian numbers plus superfast 4G data.

• $9.95 Unlimited = $500 standard calls and unlimited SMS + 1GB.
• $14.95 Unlimited = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 2GB.
• $19.95 Unlimited =Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 4GB.
• $29.95 Unlimited = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 10GB.
• $34.95 Unlimited = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 25GB.
• $49.95 Unlimited = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 40GB (40GB every 30 days ongoing if purchased on or before the 31 January 2019). 

You can learn more about them and their unique content in our OVO review.

CHECK  OVO MOBILE SIM PLANS

 

Kogan Mobile – Best Value on the Vodafone Network

Prepaid | 30 day expiry | On the Full Vodafone 3G and 4G Network 

Kogan Mobile keep it simple. They have some of the most competitive SIM Only / Prepaid plans in Australia, on the much improved Vodafone network. With their multi month recharge options, Kogan add some genuine value and choice to the market.

With Kogan, you’ll get

• Monthly, quarterly or annual options : Do you want a single recharge payment with a 1, 3 or 12 month validity ? With Kogan, you’ll get discounts for multi-month purchases you were going to make anyway. They add the convenience of less frequent running out / topping up. And they keep the total predictability and flexibility of prepaid.

Kogan’s 30 day plan range :

Kogan’s 30 day plans all have Unlimited talk and SMS in Australia to Australian numbers. The difference is the amount of data which is included.

• Kogan SMALL $16.9 – 30 Days = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 3GB.
• Kogan MEDIUM $29.9 – 30 Days = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 13GB.
• Kogan LARGE $36.9 – 30 Days = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 20GB.
  
• Kogan EXTRA LARGE $49.9 – 30 Days = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 40GB. 90% OFF – save $45.00. Valid for new Kogan Mobile customers. Offer ends 11:59PM 31.01.2019
• Kogan SMALL $46.90 – 90 Days = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 3GB.
• Kogan MEDIUM $79.90 – 90 Days = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 13GB.
• Kogan LARGE $99.90 – 90 Days = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 20GB.
• Kogan EXTRA LARGE $139.90 – 90 Days = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 40GB.
• Kogan SMALL $179.90 – 365 Days = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 3GB every 30 days. 10% OFF – save $18.08. Valid for new and existing Kogan Mobile customers. Offer ends 11:59PM 31.01.2019
• Kogan MEDIUM $299.90 – 365 Days = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 13GB every 30 days. 25% OFF – save $77.25. Valid for new and existing Kogan Mobile customers. Offer ends 11:59PM 31.01.2019
• Kogan LARGE $399.90 – 365 Days = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 20GB. 35% OFF – save $145.60. Valid for new and existing Kogan Mobile customers. Offer ends 11:59PM 31.01.2019
• Kogan EXTRA LARGE $529.90 – 365 Days = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 40GB. 40% OFF – save $214.80. Valid for new and existing Kogan Mobile customers. Offer ends 11:59PM 31.01.2019

All talk time and SMS for use in Australia to Australian numbers. All data is for use in Australia. See all Kogan Plans including 90 day and 365 day plans. You can find out more about this company in our Kogan Mobile review.

CHECK  KOGAN MOBILE PLANS

Telstra Mobile – Best For Coverage

Prepaid + Postpaid | Month to month and contract

Telstra are unrivalled in Australia for coverage, with a 3G signal that covers roughly twice the landmass of any other phone company except Boost Mobile.

• Unique coverage footprint:
  Access to 2.5m square Km
  of the Australian landmass.
• Unique video content:
  Only Telstra provides data free streaming of the AFL, NRL and Australian Gymnastics in their plans.
• Fair data:
  Telstra now offer ‘Data Banking’ on some of their plans and provide Unlimited data options.

Telstra’s Plan Range :

• Telstra Pre-Paid Extra $30.00 = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 8GB!
• Telstra Pre-Paid Extra $40.00 = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 18GB!
• Telstra Pre-Paid Extra $50.00 = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 28GB!
• Telstra Pre-Paid Extra $60.00 = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 38GB!
• Telstra BYO Plan $49.00 = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 30GB!
• Telstra BYO Plan $69.00 = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 60GB!  $10/mth credit applied – Now price $59.00.
• Telstra BYO Plan $89.00 = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 90GB!

All talk time and SMS for use in Australia to Australian numbers. All data is for use in Australia. You can learn more about this company in our Telstra Mobile review.

CHECK TELSTRA MOBILE  PLANS

 

Belong Mobile | Fairest For Data

Postpaid | Month to Month agreement | On The Telstra Mobile Network 3G+4G

Belong sell access to the Telstra Mobile Network. They have a simple to understand plan structure with options on data, national ($5 extra) and international calls ($5 extra.) Belong also offer the fairest treatment of data that any phone company in Australia have. a ‘data vault’ feature. Whatever data you buy, is yours, forever. It just keeps rolling over until you use it or leave them.

With Belong, you’ll get:

• Data Vault:
  All Belong’s Mobile plans come with ‘data vault’. When you buy your data, it just keeps rolling over until you decide to use it or leave them!
• $5 International Calls:
  And if you want to make Unlimited International Calls (to 10 selected destinations – or to 23 selected countries’ landlines) just add $5.

Belong Plans For Your Mobile

• Belong Mobile $10 = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 1GB of data.
• Belong Mobile $15 = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz with unlimited international calls & text to 36 selected countries + 1GB of data.
• Belong Mobile $25 = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 5GB of data.
• Belong Mobile $30 = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz with unlimited international calls & text to 36 selected countries + 5GB of data.
• Belong Mobile $40 = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 15GB of data.

All talk time and SMS for use in Australia to Australian numbers. All data is for use in Australia. You can learn more about this company in our Belong Mobile review.

CHECK BELONG MOBILE SIM PLANS

Boost Mobile | Best Prepaid Data Rates On The Full Telstra Network

Prepaid | 28 day expiry | On The Telstra Mobile Network 3G+4G

Boost Mobile are a reliable brand. They are the only phone company other than Telstra to resell the full Telstra ‘Retail’ Network. With Boost you’ll get:

• The full Telstra Mobile Network
  Other phone companies resell part of the Telstra Mobile Network. Only Boost and Telstra plans allow you access the whole thing.
• Free streamed audio:
  Data free streaming of Apple Music (requires subscription) on top of the data included in your plan.
• A range that includes 7 day and 28 day plans: 
  Boost offer a selection of plans including 7 and 28 day variants.
• Recharge options from $10 to $50:
  Boost have a total of 5 recharge options for their prepaid plans, ranging between $10 and $50.

Boost Mobile Plans For Your Mobile

• Boost $20 Prepaid = Unlimited calls & SMS in Oz + 3GB data.
• Boost $30 Prepaid = Unlimited calls & SMS in Oz + 12GB data.
• Boost $40 Prepaid = Unlimited calls & SMS in Oz + 22GB data.
• Boost $50 Prepaid = Unlimited calls & SMS in Oz + 32GB data.
• Boost $70 Prepaid = Unlimited calls & SMS in Oz + 52GB data.

All talk time and SMS for use in Australia to Australian numbers. All data is for use in Australia. You can learn more about this company in our Boost Mobile review.

CHECK  BOOST MOBILE PLANS

Southern Phone

Postpaid | Month to month + 12 month contracts | Telstra Mobile Network 3G and 4G

Southern Phone are a well known, full service phone company brand based in New South Wales with some great .

With Southern Phone you’ll get :

• A choice of month to month or 12 month agreements:
  Unusually, Southern Phone offer access to their plans as either 12 month contracts or, month to month agreements.
• A choice of the Telstra Mobile 3G + 4G or Optus 3G + 4G Plus network:
  Southern Phone are one of the few Australian telcos who offer their customers a choice of the Optus or Telstra Mobile network.
• Best for bundles:
  Picking up a SIM Only plan as well as a fixed broadband connection will get you a discount.

Southern Phone Month to Month Phone Plans (All Orange Plans on the Telstra Mobile Network)

• Southern Phone Orange $30 M2M = Unlimited calls & SMS in Oz + 5GB of data.
• Southern Phone Orange $45 M2M = Unlimited calls & SMS in Oz + 15GB of data.
• Southern Phone Orange $60 M2M = Unlimited calls & SMS in Oz + 30GB of data.

You can find out more about this company in our dedicated Southern phone review.

CHECK SOUTHERN PHONE SIM PLANS

Before you choose a SIM Only plans for my iPhone

The first question that we suggests you answer, before you decide to go ahead with a SIM Only purchase is about how does the SIM Only option compare to your others.

There are 2 obvious choices that you have when you want a new iPhone. You can buy your iPhone outright or you can get it under contract. The way you deal with this will affect your spend over the next 2 years.

• Do you want to buy your iPhone outright.
  Buying the your iPhone yourself, outright means you will pay for it in full, in one up front payment, similar to if you were buying a new camera.
• Do you want to get your iPhone under contract.
  This means signing up to a term based agreement, usually 24 months. During this time, you agree to pay the phone company you choose a minimum amount once a month for the term. When you sign up to an iPhone contract, this can result in a reasonably significant monthly payment. Think in the region of $70 per month, each month, for 24 months.

Let’s take a look at the ramifications of those decisions.

Option 1 – Buy iPhone Outright and choose a SIM Only Plan

In option 1, where you buy the hardware yourself, you will be able to get the best price for your iPhone SIM Only plan. When you have purchased the device outright, you can take out a SIM only plan ( also known as a BYO mobile plan ) for use with your iPhone.

Since when you buy outright, the telco you’re with doesn’t have to buy the iPhone hardware ( the physical phone ) product and charge it back to you over the duration of your contract ( because you’ve bought it yourself ) the inclusions ( the rates per minute / text / Megabyte of data ) you’ll get with the SIM Only plan for your iPhone are usually much, much better ( often twice as good or better ) than the alternative that it makes sense to do it.

On SIM only plans, you can often ‘get out’ much easier too. This makes sense if you think about it. The reason the telcos ‘tie you in’ to long contracts is to make sure you pay them back for the device. Where there is no device to pay back ( as in SIM only plans ) you often get much more reasonable Early Exit Fees – they’re the charges you pay to get out of your contract wtih your telco. ) Most SIM only plans, including whichever you choose for your iPhone, have no early exit fees at all.

Option 2 – Take out a Contract – not a SIM Only Plan

Where you go in to a contract with your telco ( option 2 ) you pay less up front for the device ( here, an iPhone. ) $0 upfront charging is an important consideration for many people, especially the more budget conscious, buyer. Under most contracts with Australian telcos at the moment, there are a heap of $0 upfront iPhone options available. That means that if you want to, you can completely avoid any up front component or ‘lump sum’ fee being paid before you can get your new iPhone.

However, since the telco has paid for the device, they want their pound of flesh and you’ll be tied in to a contract for the better part of 2 years with them while they extract it from you ! And the way the hardware cost of the iPhone you’re taking shows up is in the price of the plan you get on your SIM. You’ll find that you are paying significantly more ‘per minute’ or ‘per Megabyte’ than people who take SIM only plan for your iPhone.

In fact, very often towards the end of your contract with the telco, they will offer you a bonus. From month 21 of your contract ( some telcos start even earlier ) they will very often let you upgrade ( stay on the same or a similar plan, under a newly ‘renewed’ contract ) and give you a brand new device. This is just one of the ways they encourage you to stay with them !

Remember :
If you always like to have the latest phone / iPhone and you sign up to an iPhone contract, as we’ve examined here in the option 2 scenario, you will see the new iPhone come and go before you can ‘upgrade’ ! The phone companies are pretty inflexible when it comes to letting you upgrade too soon.

What makes a good iPhone SIM Only deal ?

Good iPhone SIM Only deals come from the major operators in all shapes and sizes. What makes a good one is finding one that suits your specific needs. Here are the things to look out for when you’re making your mind up :

Make sure that the basic voice, text and data inclusions match your future usage requirements. One of the best ways to do this is to check your own online billing history at your current telecommunications provider. Whichever phone company you’re with, you will always have access to an online depository which will tell you how much you have used of each.

• Voice :
  Your usage is often best measured in the number of calls you made. Make sure you count up your typical month.
• Text :
  You should also count the number of texts your making and ensure that the iphone SIM Only plan you take out covers your requirements.
• Data :
  Is the one to be careful of. The critical trend that Whatphone always warns people about is that their data usage is likely to double during the course of their contract with their telco. If you used 1GB a month on average last year, you could be using 2 GB or 3 GB by the end of your contract. Make sure that the iPhone SIM price plan you sign up has sufficient data included and that there are facilities to add more data later.
• Network coverage :
  We provide commentary on this page about multiple different phone providers. Every major network is represented with an MVNO. Consider your network coverage requirements. If you need metro / city coverage – you’ll be able to get it with Vodafone. For the best pricing from a Vodafone network, we recommend Cmobile Red If you want access to the Optus network, we suggest Amaysim. And, finally, if you need rural coverage and 98.6% population coverage, network coverage which is among the best in Australia, we recommend Cmobile Blue.
• Customer Service :
  Your iPhone SIM Only plan will give you access to the call centers of the telcos you commit to for the time you are using their network. Consider the experience you have had with phone company in the past. Consider the reputations of the telecommunications provider that you are considering going with. Is it important to you to have a call center based in Australia ? Would it make sense to go with a mobile only provider to cut down the time you spend in queues waiting to talk to someone who can fix your problem ? Customer Service is, essentially, like a form of insurance. When it all goes wrong, Customer Service is who you call. And, unfortunately, it’s not always as easy as saying you get what you pay for. Some of the larger telecommunications providers have the most frustrating call centers !

What makes a good iPhone SIM Only deal is in finding the right blend of compromise or trade off between all the elements we’ve described here. Together, it’s these things that will give you the experience you’re going to have with the telecommunications provider you choose.

Questions to ask yourself about your BYO iPhone Plans

Here, we suggest a few key questions you might like to answer to ensure the plan you pick is right for you.

Key Questions for BYO iPhone plan buyers

Remember, everyone is different. No-one can tell you exactly the right plan for you. The decision you make should ivolve careful consideration of the CIS or Critical Information Summary. You’ll find it on any product page on any of the Phone Companies websites. Some important questions to ask yourself when reviewing the CIS are :

• Is Voicemail retrieval included in my plan ?
  How often do I pick my voicemail up ? How much of my cap or allocated minutes will that ‘cost’ me every month ?
• Does this plan include charging for 13 or 18 numbers ?
  How often do I call those ? When I call them, am I on hold for 45 minutes ?!
• Where do my friends and family buy their phones and plans from ?
  Many phone companies include plans which allow for free calls to others on the same network. If you call the same people a lot, this can make a big difference to your expenses and the BYO iPhone plan that’s right for you.
• If I don’t use all my voice allocation, what happens to it ?
  Some providers ( notably Virgin Mobile ) let you ‘roll over’ unused credit.
• How much does it cost to call customer services ?
  Not all the telcos include calls to their call center within the cap or minute allocation you get. Many customers consider this adding insult to injury – being charged to log a complaint about the Telco’s service !
• Do I need more data ?
  All of the phone companies offer ‘Bolt Ons’ sometimes called ‘DVAs’ or Data Value Adds. For a few dollars more, you can buy another few hundred MB of data or a GB.

Remember, most people find they use their phone a lot more in the first month because it’s a new toy. Then usage tends to increase over the course of your contract. Most customers find their data usage is doubling every year. Think carefully about what the best plan for your iPhone including all the data you need.

4G iPhone Network Coverage

In Australia, the 4G network was first launched by Telstra in 2011. Optus has 3G coverage in many of Australia’s most significant cities. Vodafone plans to roll out some 4G coverage in the first half of 2013. All the telcos – Optus, Virgin Mobile, Telstra and Vodafone Australia are working hard and spending significant quantities of money upgrading their existing network coverage to 4G speeds.

Find out more about how the 4G Coverage of Optus, Vodafone, Telstra and Virgin Mobile compare in Australia .

With 4G on the iPhone 5, data access and other network services are faster than you’ve ever experienced them before. Owners of iPhone version 5 or above can download and stream high-definition video from YouTube, without a stutter. Key benefits include :

• Emails come down faster :
  Emails, even those with large attachments can be sent and received in just seconds.
• Maps work more quickly :
  Browsing maps, including the onboard iOS maps ( much maligned but actually, turning in to quite a nice feature ) is fluid and fast, even when swooshing around your iPhone 5’s screen quickly.
• Downloads are here sooner :
  Downloading songs from iTunes is done in a fraction of the time you would experience over a 3G connection.
• Video calling is simpler :
  Facetime has been enabled over the 4G network on the iPhone 5, allowing you to talk face to face with the people you want to
  ( if they too have an iPhone ! )
• High Res Images :
  Higher resolution images can be viewed and downloaded in a flash if your iPhone is connected on the 4G network.
• Better browsing :
  Browse the web is a significantly improved – you are likely to be amazed and impressed at how quickly web pages load on your iPhone 5.