The best iPhone plans in Australia this month

The iPhone 12 is well and truly the dominant Apple smartphone on the block this month. To help keep monthly costs low, we’re using the iPhone 12 64GB handset as our comparison model. If you fancy something more powerful, these plans also pair great with other Apple and even Android smartphones.

In terms of changes, Vodafone’s $40 Lite Plan now owns three of our five core categories, as well as the popular pick for Vodafone plans, most likely because of the boosted additional data promo. The only other shuffle this month is the $119 Optus One Plan, which combos 500GB of data with limited-time competitive pricing to take out the top spot for data lovers.

Best value iPhone plan this month

Vodafone $40 Lite Plan

Vodafone $40 Lite Plan at a glance:

• $91.20 per month (first 12 months)
• $96.20 per month (next 12 months)
• $35 for plan (normally $40); $56.20 for iPhone 11 64GB
• 50GB data (10GB + 40GB bonus)
• Capped 2Mbps after 40GB
• $60 credit over 12 months
• $70 trade-up credit
• 3-month Amazon Prime subscription
• Bundle discounts
• 5G network access
• No contract

If you’re keen to keep the monthly cost of repaying an iPhone 12 over 24 months below $100 but also want access to a great plan, the Vodafone $40 Lite Plan is well worth considering. It costs $91.20 for the first year ($96.20 thereafter), which nets you 50GB of data for the life of the plan (just sign up by 21 December 2020). That’s pretty impressive given this is technically a 10GB plan.

Speaking of data, part of Vodafone’s not-so-long-ago plan refreshes means that the usual 1.5Mbps speed throttling after you breach your cap has been upped to 2Mbps for this plan, which means no excess data costs and a connection speed that can keep you happily online with basic connectivity. It’ll be easier to burn through data on this plan, too, because it includes 5G access. You can also save extra bucks by bundling this plan with one or more eligible plans and score up to $70 trade-up credit for swapping an eligible handset (expires 13 Jan 2021).

You can see this plan alongside other value-packed plans below.

Best perks iPhone plan this month

Vodafone $65 Super+ Plan

Vodafone $65 Super+ Plan at a glance:

• $111.20 per month (12 months)
• $121.20 per month (12 months)
• $55 for plan (normally $65); $56.20 for iPhone 12 64GB
• 200GB data (100GB + 100GB bonus)
• Capped 10Mbps speed after 200GB
• $120 credit over 12 months
• $70 trade-up credit
• 3-month Amazon Prime subscription
• Bundle discounts
• International calls
• 5G network access
• Month to month

If you’re not put off by that $111.20-per-month asking fee, there are a stack of perks to be found in the Vodafone $65 Super+ Plan. While bundling this plan with an iPhone 12 64GB normally costs $121.20 a month, the first year has a $10 monthly credit, which brings it down to that $111.20 monthly price point. Bundle other eligible plans to save up to 20 percent, and you can take advantage of $70 trade-up credit when you trade an eligible device before 13 January 2021 (extended from 13 November 2020).

This plan also comes with 5G access as standard, and given faster 5G speeds, you’ll want plenty of data to take advantage of it. While this plan normally comes with a generous 100GB, Vodafone will double the monthly data if you sign up before 21 December 2020. Even if you burn through that 200GB of data, you have unlimited additional data to use, albeit capped at a very respectable 10Mbps. The final perks of this Vodafone plan is international calls and texts to 37 countries and 200 minutes of calls to a further 53 international dialling destinations, plus Vodafone is chucking in three months of Amazon Prime for anyone who signs up by 31 January 2021.

Best budget iPhone plan this month

Vodafone $40 Lite Plan

Vodafone $40 Lite Plan at a glance:

• $63.29 per month (first 12 months)
• $68.29 per month (next 12 months)
• $35 (normally $40) for plan; $28.29 for iPhone SE 64GB
• 50GB data (10GB + 40GB bonus)
• Capped 2Mbps speed after 50GB
• $60 credit over 12 months
• Bundle discounts
• No contract

Despite its relative newness, the Vodafone $40 Lite Plan is already proving to be a popular pick with iPhone pundits, and it’s easy to see why. Whether you want to check out one of the better-value iPhone deals (scroll up), most popular Vodafone iPhone plan (scroll down), or the best budget iPhone plan, you’re looking at the same one. Paired with an iPhone SE 64GB, this plan comes to $63.29 for the first 12 months, care of $5 monthly credit throughout the first year.

While you won’t get the $70 trade-up credit if you’re not upgrading to an iPhone 12, you can still get up to 20 percent off by bundling this with other Vodafone plans. The base plan comes with 10GB of data, but it’s effectively 50GB care of 40GB of bonus data, which is yours as long as you stay connected (just sign up before 21 December 2020). Additionally, you’ll score three months of Amazon Prime if you sign up by 31 January 2021.

Check out this perk-packed plan next to perky alternatives below.

Best big-data iPhone plan this month

$119 Optus One Plan

$119 Optus One Plan at a glance:

• $121.19 per month (first 12 months)
• $175.19 per month (next 12 months)
• $65 for plan (normally $119); $56.19 for iPhone 12 64GB
• 500GB data
• Capped 1.5Mbps speed after 500GB
• International talk and text
• 10GB roaming data
• 5G network access
• Optus Sport + Fitness
• Month to month

The mobile data wars between telcos are now bearing more fruit for consumers. Vodafone was recently offering up to 500GB a month as part of a promotion, but with that done and dusted, Optus has the most data you can nab in a monthly plan. Get in by 21 December to pay $65 a month for the first year before the $119 Optus One Plan reverts to $119 thereafter.

Even if you somehow manage to burn through that 500GB of data, Optus recently lifted excess mobile data charges, which means speeds are throttled to 1.5Mbps for the duration of the billing cycle. This plan has other perks, too. International talk and text, 5G network access, Optus Sport + Fitness, as well as international talk and text.

If you miss out on the pricing deal, consider the $79 Optus Choice Plan as a worthy alternative, which comes with 240GB of data. Check out these Optus plans next to other big-data alternatives below.

Best iPhone 11 plan this month

Vodafone $40 Lite Plan

Vodafone $40 Lite Plan at a glance:

• $76.62 per month (first 12 months)
• $81.62 per month (next 12 months)
• $35 for plan (normally $40); $41.62 for iPhone 11 64GB
• 50GB data (10GB + 40GB bonus)
• Capped 2Mbps after 40GB
• $60 credit over 12 months
• 3-month Amazon Prime subscription
• Bundle discounts
• 5G network access
• No contract

The Vodafone $40 Lite Plan is back again, this time for those looking to save money by opting for an iPhone 11 64GB handset instead of the newer iPhone 12. By choosing last-gen tech, you’ll pay $76.62 a month for the first year before reverting to $81.62 thereafter. Bring that cost down further by bundling this Vodafone plan with other eligible ones to score up to 20 percent off a month.

That monthly cost isn’t a whole lot more than opting for the less powerful iPhone SE. Get in by 21 December 2020 to quintuple your data, too: instead of the usual 10GB, you can nab 50GB for the life of the plan. Even if you burn through it, the $40 Lite Plan is capped at 2Mbps for the rest of the billing cycle, which means no excess data charges. On top of this, you also get three months of Amazon Prime ($20.97 value) if you sign up by 31 January 2021.

You can see this iPhone 11 plan stacked next to other alternatives below.

Most popular Telstra iPhone plan this month

Telstra $55 Small Mobile Plan

Telstra $55 Small Mobile Plan at a glance:

• $111.20 per month (24 months)
• $55 for plan; $56.20 for iPhone 12 64GB
• 40GB data
• 1.5Mbps data shaping after 40GB
• Three-month Binge Standard subscription
• 20,000 bonus Telstra Plus points
• Month to month

It took out the top spot for best iPhone 11 plan, but the Telstra $55 Small Mobile Plan is also the most popular Telstra pick right now for anyone looking to bundle a Postpaid plan with an iPhone 12. And it’s pretty easy to see why. While discounts are seemingly the domain of Vodafone, what you see is what you get with this Telstra plan, which has a monthly cost of $111.20 on 24-month repayment terms.

That cost gets you 40GB of data, but you don’t have to worry about any data-related bill shock at the end of the month thanks to 1.5Mbps data shaping. The included three-month Binge Standard ($42 value) is a nice cherry on top, as is the data-free streaming for selected sports and Apple Music, plus the 20,000 bonus Telstra Plus points.

The top spot for most popular Telstra Postpaid plans may change throughout the month based on demand, but this pick is accurate as of 17 December.

Most popular Optus iPhone plan this month

$49 Optus Choice Plan

$49 Optus Choice Plan at a glance:

• $105.19 per month (24 months)
• $49 for plan; $56.19 for iPhone 12 64GB
• 60GB data
• Capped 1.5Mbps after 60GB
• $10 for double data
• International talk and text
• Data sharing
• Optus Sport + Fitness
• 5G network access
• No contract

The arrival of 5G means that eligible new and recontracting Optus customers can nab an iPhone 12 64GB handset and pay a bit more for double the data. While the $49 Optus Choice Plan cost $105.19 a month on 24-month repayment terms for an iPhone 12 64GB, add on another $10 a month for 120GB instead of 60GB. This is a helpful add-on for those who blow through 60GB of data in a month, but Optus also recently ditched its excess data charges, so you avoid bill shock and keep using your data, albeit at 1.5Mbps capped speeds..

This Optus plan also comes with international talk and text to 35 selected countries, as well as data sharing between eligible Optus plans (a great way to use up those extra gigabytes), and Optus Sport + Fitness.

The top spot for most popular Optus Postpaid plans may change throughout the month based on demand, but this pick is accurate as of 17 December.

Most popular Vodafone iPhone plan this month

Vodafone $40 Lite Plan

Vodafone $40 Lite Plan at a glance:

• $91.20 per month (first 12 months)
• $96.20 per month (next 12 months)
• $35 for plan (normally $40); $56.20 for iPhone 11 64GB
• 50GB data (10GB + 40GB bonus)
• Capped 2Mbps after 40GB
• $60 credit over 12 months
• $70 trade-up credit
• 3-month Amazon Prime subscription
• Bundle discounts
• 5G network access
• Month to month

It may be relatively new , but the Vodafone $40 Lite Plan is back for the fourth time in a row this month with one of the best value iPhone deals around. It may have “$40” in the plan name, but you can treat that as $35-per-month for the first year which, coupled with a $56.20 iPhone 12 64GB repayment fee, comes out to $91.20 for the first year and $96.20 thereafter. You can make that monthly cost lower, too, with $70 of trade-up credit for compatible devices, and bundle discounts that stretch up to 20 percent.

It may only be a 10GB plan at its core, but sign up before 21 December 2020 to score an extra 40GB, which means 50GB of max-speed data per month for as long as you stick with this plan. Still, even 50GB can be easily chewed through with this 5G-capable plan, but the real beauty is you get 50GB of max-speed data, then it’s capped at a still-usable 2Mbps for the rest of the month.

The top spot for most popular Vodafone Postpaid plans may change throughout the month based on demand, but this pick is accurate as of 17 December.

In Australia, the iPhone 12 price ranges from $1,199 for an iPhone 12 Mini 64GB model and stretches up to $2,369 for the iPhone 12 Pro Max 512GB variant. If you bundle a new iPhone 12 with a plan that has repayment terms of 12, 24, or 36 months, that handset cost is spread out, but you can opt to buy an iPhone 12 outright.

Below is a complete list of pricing for the iPhone 12 in Australia. Please note that the list below doesn’t yet include best price options for all iPhone deals because iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone Pro Max handsets are not yet available for pre-order.