The best iPhone plans in Australia

Joining the iPhone club has never been the cheapest experience, but it doesn’t need to break the bank either. To help you find the right iPhone plan for you, we’ve done all the hard work to find the best plans for every type of user, whether you’re after the newest iPhone 13 or happy to settle for an older model.

To keep costs low, we’re using the iPhone 13 128GB as our comparison model (unless noted otherwise), paid over a 24-month period. If you’d prefer an iPhone 13 mini, Pro or Pro Max, want more storage, a shorter 24-month contract or a longer 36-month payment plan, no problem. Simply click the ‘Go’ button next to your preferred plan and change your device selection on the telco’s website.

Let’s go.

Vodafone $45 Lite+ Plan at a glance:

• 80GB data (30GB + 50GB bonus)
• 24-month handset repayments
• Capped 2Mbps speed after 80GB
• 5G network access
• 100 mins of calls to 36 countries
• 3-month Amazon Music Unlimited subscription
• No contract

If you want the cheapest Vodafone plan to pair with an iPhone, go for our last winner: the Vodafone $40 Lite Plan. But for $5 extra each month you can double the data with the Vodafone $45 Lite+ Plan, which is better value and we reckon is absolutely worth the cost. Those working, living and/or playing inside the Vodafone 5G network footprint will want the extra data because all Vodafone plans com with 5G access.

If you manage to burn through all 80GB, speeds are capped at 2Mbps for the rest of the billing cycle, which means no end-of-month bill shock. The Vodafone $45 Lite+ Plan also includes 100 minutes of calls to 36 selected countries, something that’s not part of the cheaper $40 Lite Plan.

Here’s how Vodafone’s plan stacks up against the most popular plans:

• 80GB data
• 24-month handset repayments
• Capped 1.5Mbps speed after 80GB
• 5G network access
• Unlimited calls and SMS to 35 countries
• Data sharing
• Optus Sport + OS fitness subscription
• No contract

With the Vodafone Amazon Music perk set to expire soon and no word on whether it will continue, we’re opting for the more predictable fixed perks of the $55 Optus Choice Plus Plan. For starters, the foundation of this Optus plan is 80GB of data for $55 a month. This includes access to the Optus 5G network, but if you go through all your data because of 5G, speeds are capped at 1.5Mbps for the rest of the month.

If you’re the kind of phone user who doesn’t come close to that cap, you can share that 80GB with eligible plans under the one account. This Optus plan also comes with unlimited calls and SMS to 35 selected countries, plus an Optus Sport + OS Fitness subscription (valued at $14.99 per month).

Not convinced? Here are more popular iPhone 13 plans:

Vodafone $65 Ultra+ Plan at a glance:

• 300GB data (100GB + 200GB bonus)
• 24-month handset repayments
• Capped 10Mbps speed after 300GB
• 5G network access
• 3-month Amazon Music Unlimited subscription
• Unlimited international calls to 36 countries and 200 minutes to 54 countries
• No contract

If you can nab the Vodafone $85 Ultra+ Plan for $65 a month (that pricing sticks for as long as you stay connected), it’s absolutely worth grabbing because it has unlimited max-speed data, curbed only by a 30GB max-speed hotspot restriction. Otherwise, any other time, the Vodafone $65 Super+ Plan is a great mix of price, data and perks.

That $65 monthly plan cost comes with Vodafone 5G access and 300GB of data. If you do topple that mighty data cap, speeds are capped at a very useable 10Mbps for the rest of the billing cycle. This Vodafone plan also comes with unlimited calls to 36 selected countries, plus 200 monthly minutes to another 54 dialling destinations. If Vodafone continues to extend the deal, the Vodafone $65 Super+ Plan may also come with three months of Amazon Music.

Here’s how it compares to other big-data plans (200GB+):

Telstra $65 Medium Upfront Mobile Plan at a glance:

• 80GB data
• 24-month handset repayments
• Capped 1.5Mbps speed after 80GB
• 5G network access
• Data-free Apple Music streaming
• Data-free live sport (AFLW, Netball and My Football Live apps)
• 30 minutes standard international calls to all countries
• No contract

If coverage is the most important factor for you when considering a new iPhone plan, Telstra is your best bet, particularly if you live in a more rural area. As Australia’s fastest-growing 5G network, however, the buy-in isn’t cheap, with Telstra’s $65 Medium Upfront Mobile Plan being the least expensive way to get 5G access with Telstra.

For your money, you’ll get 80GB of full-speed data, capped at 1.5Mbps if you go over. There’s also data-free Apple Music streaming (though you will have to pay for the subscription), as well as data-free live sport through the AFLW, Netball and My Football Live apps. Despite the high price tag, this plan only comes with 30 minutes of standard international calls, so if you need more, you may need to fork out for an International Calling Pack, which can cost an additional $10 to $30 per month.

If 5G doesn’t matter so much to you but you still want Telstra’s coverage, here is the telco’s most popular iPhone 13 plans with and without 5G access:

Vodafone $40 Lite Plan at a glance:

• 40GB data (10GB + 30GB bonus)
• 24-month handset repayments
• Capped 2Mbps speeds after 40GB
• 5G network access
• 3-month Amazon Music Unlimited subscription
• No contract

The cheapest iPhone plan available in Australia is the iPhone SE on Vodafone’s $40 Lite Plan. If you simply want an iPhone on a plan and don’t care about getting the latest and greatest, it’s hard to go past the iPhone SE. Apple’s budget-friendly handset packs the innards of the fantastic iPhone 11 into the compact body of the iPhone 8, and the result is perhaps the best-value device Apple has ever made.

Paired with Vodafone’s killer-value $40 Lite Plan, you’ve got yourself a seriously good deal, with 50GB to play with each month (and capped 2Mbps speeds afterwards), 5G access, bundle discounts for eligible plans, and even a three-month Amazon Music Unlimited subscription.

To see how it stacks up against the competition, here are the most popular iPhone SE (2020) plans right now:

$55 Optus Choice Plus Plan at a glance:

• 80GB data
• 24-month handset repayments
• Capped 1.5Mbps speed after 80GB
• 5G network access
• Unlimited calls and SMS to 35 countries
• Data sharing
• Optus Sport + OS fitness subscription
• No contract

If you want the cheapest iPhone 12 plan, go with the $45 Optus Choice Plus Plan. The thing about that plan, though, is it only comes with 20GB of data, which isn’t much. For not a whole lot more per month, you can quadruple that data with the 80GB that comes with the $55 Optus Choice Plus Plan. This Optus plan also comes with 5G access, data sharing, 1.5Mbps speed cap (if you go over your max-speed limit), unlimited calls and SMS to 35 countries, plus an Optus Sport + OS Fitness subscription.

Here are more popular iPhone 12 plans:

Vodafone $45 Lite+ Plan at a glance:

• 80GB data (30GB + 50GB bonus)
• 24-month handset repayments
• Capped 2Mbps speed after 80GB
• 5G network access
• 100 mins of calls to 36 countries
• 3-month Amazon Music Unlimited subscription
• No contract

Admittedly, access to the Vodafone 5G network isn’t going to do you much good with the iPhone 11, which isn’t a 5G-compatible handset, but the rest of the plan perks apply. If you want the cheapest iPhone 11 plan, stick with the Vodafone $40 Lite Plan. But that comes with 40GB instead of the 80GB that’s part of the $45 Lite+ Plan, and we reckon double the data is worth the $5 extra per month.

If you get through all 80GB on a 4G connection, there’s no need to worry about bill shock because speeds are capped at 2Mbps for the rest of your billing month. This Vodafone plan also includes 100 minutes of calls to 36 countries, plus a three-month Amazon Music subscription (at least for now).

Here are more popular iPhone 11 plans: