Best iPhone 13 plans in Australia

After another year of rumours, leaks and wild speculation, the iPhone 13 has finally been revealed. Is it everything you hoped for? Maybe not if you’re already rocking an iPhone 11 or iPhone 12 but iPhone X, XR and XS owners could easily be tempted to upgrade. As usual, you’ll only find the iPhone 13 on a plan through Australia’s three major mobile carriers: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Luckily for you, these providers tend to get a little cutthroat at this time of the year, fiercely competing for your custom with some outstanding phone plans. So without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the best iPhone 13 plans in Australia.

• Monthly data: 40GB
• Monthly plan price: $45
• Duration: 12, 24 or 36 months
• Network: Vodafone 4G/5G

Taking into consideration monthly data and cost, handset repayments, perks and 5G availability, our pick for the best overall iPhone 13 plan goes to the $55 Optus Choice Plus Plan. It’s the perfect middle-ground plan for those wanting lots of data, a lower monthly cost and reliable coverage.

You’ll get a hefty 80GB of data to use each month (with endless data capped at 1.5Mbps if you go over), the usual unlimited talk and text in Australia, unlimited standard international talk and text to 35 destinations, a free subscription to Optus Sport and OS Fitness and access to Optus’ growing 5G network.

That’s the plan we’d recommend over all others for the best balance of features and value but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right pick for you specifically. If our top pick doesn’t suit your needs, you’re bound to find something in the tables below, which are ranked by popularity.

• Monthly data: 40GB
• Monthly plan price: $45
• Duration: 12, 24 or 36 months
• Network: Vodafone 4G/5G

By now, every iPhone user knows all too well that there’s no such thing as a cheap iPhone. There used to be a time when telcos would discount the cost of the device if you contracted over 24 months but these days, most plans are technically month-to-month and your handset repayments are simply the total cost of the device spread out over 12, 24 or 36 months. That makes it even harder to find a cheap deal on a new iPhone at launch but the flexibility is welcome.

To find the cheapest iPhone 13 plan, you only need to look at the cheapest SIM plans currently available through Telstra, Optus and Vodafone.

It will come as no surprise that the gong for Cheapest iPhone 13 goes to Vodafone Mobile. For $40 per month plus handset costs, Vodafone gives you 40GB of monthly data (well above the monthly average for Australians), unlimited calls and text to standard national numbers, and three months of Amazon Music Unlimited as a bonus (valued at $11.99 per month). The Vodafone $40 Lite Plan is available on a 12, 24 or 36-month arrangement. The only difference between those options is that you’ll pay more for your handset per month on the 12 or 24-month plan but you’ll also pay it off quicker.

Here are the cheapest iPhone 13 plans currently available.

• Monthly data: 300GB
• Monthly plan price: $65
• Duration: 12, 24 or 36 months
• Network: Vodafone 4G/5G

So you’re looking to buy the new iPhone 13 but you need a truckload of data to go with it. Gone are the days where 10GB was considered a luxury. What if I told you that you could get the new iPhone 13 with unlimited data. Not speed-capped ‘endless data’. Truly unlimited data. Vodafone recently launched Australia’s first unlimited data mobile plan with no speed limits. The $85 plan is eligible for Vodafone 5G and unlimited standard national calls and texts.

An unlimited mobile plan? Sounds too good to be true. What’s the catch? Vodafone’s deal is mostly exactly what it sounds like except that you’re limited to 30GB per month for personal hotspot (e.g. tethered) connections. That and you’re stuck on the Vodafone network, which is a lot better than it used to be but its 5G network is still the smallest in Australia.

If you really want to take advantage of your new iPhone’s 5G speeds, you’re going to want a plan that’s got the network to support it. Which leads us to…

• Monthly data: 300GB
• Monthly plan price: $89
• Duration: 12, 24 or 36 months
• Network: Telstra 4G/5G

In the great Australian 5G race, Telstra was always going to lead the pack. Optus and Vodafone are putting in work and slowly catching up but that doesn’t change the fact that Telstra was the first provider to reach 70% coverage (of populated Australia) with its 5G network. When the next iPhone releases this time this year, it could be a different story. But if you really want to max out your iPhone’s speed potential, Telstra 5G is the only sensible option in 2021.

Telstra’s $65 Medium Upfront Plan is usually its cheapest 5G-enabled plan, but thanks to a special preorder deal, you can get the $115 Extra Large Upfront Plan (which comes with an extra 100GB data) for the same price for the first 12 months of your service. If you’re not keen to continue after those 12 months are up, it’s a contract-free plan, so you can jump ship to a cheaper one with no penalty.

Optus, Vodafone and Telstra only sell the iPhone 13 on 5G-eligible plans (with the exception of Telstra’s 4G-only $55 Small Upfront Plan). If you’re happy to go with Optus or Vodafone in exchange for a lower monthly bill, here are their most popular 5G plans.

• Monthly data: 300GB
• Monthly plan price: $89
• Duration: 12, 24 or 36 months
• Network: Telstra 4G/5G

If you’ve already come to terms with the fact that you’ll be paying a premium for Telstra’s leading network coverage, you’ve got two options: buy the iPhone 13 outright and sign up with a Telstra MVNO or get the iPhone 13 through Telstra.

If you’re after the best Telstra plan, we reckon there’s no beating the $115 Medium Upfront Plan, which is currently on sale for the same price as the 80GB $65 Medium Upfront Plan. It’s also our top 5G pick overall (see above) and comes with 180GB, unlimited talk and text in Australia and perks like data sharing across up to 10 eligible services.

To see how it stacks up against other Telstra plans, check out the telco’s most popular iPhone 13 plans below. Keep in mind, Telstra’s cheapest $55 Small Plan doesn’t include 5G access.

• Monthly data: 300GB 
• Monthly plan price: $65
• Duration: 12, 24 or 36 months
• Network: Vodafone 4G/5G

If you don’t need regional coverage and you’re not too fussed about 5G coverage, you’ll save some dosh by opting for an iPhone 13 plan through Vodafone. Vodafone has already featured heavily in our top picks in this list so it comes as no surprise that our top pick on the Vodafone network is the Super Plan.

At $55 per month, it comes with a whopping 150GB data (60GB standard + 90GB bonus), and if you somehow manage to use it all up, you can still browse at speeds up to 10Mbps at no extra cost.

As always, you’ve got the option to buy your iPhone 13 outright and get a SIM from a Vodafone MVNO if the network covers your needs. But if you’d prefer to pay your iPhone 13 off over time, here are some of the most popular Vodafone iPhone 13 plans currently available.

• Monthly data: 100GB
• Monthly plan price: $59
• Duration: 12, 24 or 36 months
• Network: Optus 4G/5G

The middle child of the Australian telco market, Optus Mobile has historically offered some of the best deals on Apple iPhone at launch. This year, there are fewer perks and bonuses to tempt you to switch to the second-largest network in Australia. But if you're already an Optus customer or need just a little more coverage than Vodafone offers, there are still plenty of reasons to give Optus a red hot go.

The $55 Optus Choice Plus Plan offers a generous 80GB data allowance, with no excess data charges (though your speeds will be capped at 1.5Mbps) and a free Optus Sport and OS Fitness subscription, valued at $14.99.

If that plan doesn't float your boat, here are the most popular Optus iPhone 13 plans currently available.