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.
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.
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 National Calls: Belong’s price plans are data first. If you want to add Unlimited Australian National calls, it’ll cost you $5 a month, on top of the price of your data.
$10 International Calls: And if you want to make Unlimited International Calls (to 10 selected destinations – or to 23 selected countries’ landlines) just add $10.
Belong Mobile $30 = Unlimited calls & SMS in Oz + 15GB (5GB plus 10GB welcome gift).
Belong Mobile $35 = Unlimited calls & SMS in Oz with international calls & SMS to selected countries+ 15GB (5GB plus 10GB welcome gift).
Belong Mobile $45 = Unlimited calls & SMS in Oz with international calls & SMS to selected countries + 40GB(15GB plus 30GB welcome gift).
Belong Mobile $50 = Unlimited calls & SMS + 45GB (15GB plus 30GB welcome gift).
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.
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 = $200 standard calls and unlimited SMS / MMS + 1GB. Save 50% for each of the first 3 months.
$19.95 Unlimited = $500 standard calls and unlimited SMS / MMS + 2GB. Save 50% for each of the first 3 months.
$29.95 Unlimited = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 5GB. Save 50% for each of the first 3 months.
$34.95 Unlimited = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 10GB. Save 50% for each of the first 3 months.
$49.95 Unlimited = Unlimited calls and SMS in Oz + 19GB. Save 50% for each of the first 3 months.
You can learn more about them and their unique content in our OVO review.
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.
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.
Prepaid | 30 day expiry | On the Full Vodafone 3G and 4G Network
If you’re after an unlimited plan with incredible data inclusions, or you make calls overseas, in our view, you need look no further than Lebara. Lebara use the much improved Vodafone 3G + 4G network which covers more than 96% of Australians. With Lebara, you’ll get :
Big Data on the Vodafone 3G + 4G network: Lebara’s plans include enough data for even the most ravenous data eaters.
Broad Range Including Plans With International Calls: Lebara have Unlimited International Call plans at $29.90 and $49.90 price points. Lebara’s cheaper international call rates cover all the major destinations including : UK, USA, Greece, China, Canada, Germany, Denmark, France, South Korea and Switzerland. (Inclusions vary, see our review.)
Multi-Month-Options: Lebara have 30 day plans, 180 day plans and 360 day plans. Buy up-front and save.
Lebara Small Plan $24.9 = Unlimited standard calls and SMS in Ozwith unlimited standard call to 10 selected countries + 3.5GB of data.
Lebara Medium Plan $29.9 = Unlimited standard calls and SMS in Oz with unlimited standard call to 15 selected countries + 15GB of data first month (5GB + 10GB bonus).
Lebara Large Plan $39.9 = Unlimited standard calls and SMS in Oz with unlimited standard calls to 18 selected countries + 26GB of data (10GB + 16GB bonus). Now only $15.90!
Lebara Extra Large Plan $49.9 = Unlimited standard calls and SMS in Oz with unlimited standard calls to 50 selected countries + 30GB of data (20GB + 10GB activation bonus).
Lebara Medium Plan $160 – 180 Days = Unlimited standard calls and SMS in Oz with unlimited standard calls to 15 selected countries + 5GB of data.
Lebara Large Plan $225 – 180 Days = Unlimited standard calls and SMS in Oz with unlimited standard calls to 18 selected countries + 16GB of data.
Lebara Medium Plan $300 – 360 Days = Unlimited standard calls and SMS in Oz with unlimited standard calls to 12 selected countries + 5GB of data.
Lebara Large Plan $420 – 360 Days = Unlimited standard calls and SMS in Oz with unlimited standard calls to 18 selected countries + 16GB of data.
You can find out more about this company in our full Lebara Review.
Data is an important asset these days, and going over your limit can be expensive and annoying. Phone companies can add extra charges to your account for additional data, or throttle your speed once you reach your limits.
Avoiding extra data charges on your Android device is as easy as keeping track of how much data you’re consuming, and stopping unnecessary data usage to help you stay under. Thankfully, Android has a number of features that can help you keep within your limits and keep your charges down.
Keeping Score
Android phones have a lot of useful built-in features that can help you keep track of your data usage, and even set personal limits. If you want to check your usage, go to Settings, and then Mobile data. There will be further settings you can select with options like displaying your usage on your locked screen. Remember to check that your mobile plan and your phone are on the same timing – your data might renew every calendar month, or on a 30 day cycle.
You can also choose to enable built-in features like the “data saver”, which works in the background to restrict app access to mobile data. You’ll have to customise your selection based on apps you want live updates for – if getting your Facebook notifications in real time is important to you, you might want to exclude that app from data-saving functions.
Ask Your Provider
Your provider is a good source of information about your usage, as they’re the ones billing you! Some providers can send you information via text or over the phone, but the most common way to check your usage is via your provider’s app or website. Most providers provide the option to receive alerts when you reach designated data limits to let you know how you’re tracking – if you get a 50% data usage alert with 75% of the billing period left, it’s time to cut back.
Check your Permissions
Some apps might be using mobile data, even while connected to Wi-Fi. The easiest way to prevent that is to turn mobile data off through going to your settings and under mobile networks, uncheck the “data enabled” box.
You can individually select how much access your apps have to your mobile data. Go to your setting and look through the app section. Some apps, such as your email, are constantly checking using data. If you can, it’s best to modify their permissions so that they only update on occasion, either when you manually check or perhaps on an hourly basis.
Know Your Data Drains
Some apps and functions use more data than others. Some of the biggest drains on your data are:
Video streaming
Music streaming
Emails, especially with large attachments
Software updates
Online gaming
Music/video file sharing
Remote backups
Apps to Keep You on Track
Data saving – like Datally: While you can probably get most of these data-saving functions on your phone, if you don’t want to hunt around your settings then an app is a great idea – and there are a number to choose from. Datally is a data-saving app released by Google that uses a VPN to track data usage.You get real time information on your data usage, and can choose hourly, weekly or monthly breakdowns. Opt to block apps from your data in data-saving mode, get recommendations for how to save more, and receive an alert when available Wi-Fi is nearby.
Lite versions of apps – like Facebook MessengerLite: Some apps have lite versions that are designed for people with less access to data. The file size is smaller, and the data they require to function is reduced. Facebook Messenger Lite is a great example.
Browsers with data compression – like the Opera Browser: Some internet browsers have data compression functions that mean you use less data while you’re browsing the internet. This is usually available as a feature in the app settings. Opera and Chrome have this function to help you save data.
Your Android phone is packed with features and settings that can help you track and reduce your data usage. If you want control all in one place, there are many free apps available for download that can help you out. Take charge of your data consumption, so you can get the most out of your Android phone.
Having worked in 3 countries for 4 telcos on both voice and data products, Neil is in a position to give you the inside track. Get beyond the marketing messages to the best plan for you.