Here are October’s best mobile phone plans in Australia

Best Value SIM Plan

Circles.Life 100GB Monthly

Every single month, Circles.Life slightly tweaks the going deal on its 100GB or 20GB SIM plan. You won’t hear any complaints from us, it’s great value on some massive data plans that use the Optus 4G network. However, don’t fret if you miss out on this one (which ends 8 October 2020) because there’s bound to be another deal right around the corner. What you’ll get with this particular deal is 100GB per month at $28 per month for the first 6 months. After that, the monthly price reverts back to $38 per month (which is still a steal in our eyes).  The only requirement is that you use the promo code ONEWEEKONLY at the checkout when you first sign up.

Here’s a quick summary of what that plan gets you.

• 100GB of monthly data
• $28 per month (for first 6 months)
• Unlimited calls and text
• 3GB Bill Shock Protection
• Optus 4G coverage

The ongoing Circles.Life bargain offers unlimited calls and text on the Optus 4G network and no lock-in contract.  To give you an idea of how that stacks up, take a look at other 100GB options on the market. 

Best Value Phone Plan

Vodafone $40 Lite Plan

For our best value phone plan, we use the iPhone 11 64GB as the handset for our comparisons and plans with 10GB or more on a 36-month arrangement.

• 10 GB per month
• Unlimited calls and text
• Vodafone’s $5 Roaming
• No excess data charges
• Vodafone 4G Network
• Further bundle discounts up to 20% with additional services

While Optus’ $39 Optus Choice Plan will save you $1 per month, Vodafone maintains the lead as the best value phone plan for most. Vodafone’s $40 Lite Plan offers 10GB of monthly data (with endless speed-limited data if you go over), unlimited calls and text, and additional discounts for bundled services. With an iPhone 11 64GB, Vodafone’s Lite Plan will cost you under $70 per month if you sign up before 13 October.

If you think you need more monthly data, head over to our best iPhone plans guide for a deeper dive into inclusions and value.

Here are more popular iPhone 11 64GB plans.

Best mobile plan perks this month

Telstra Mobile + 3 months of BINGE

This month, our top pick for perks goes to Telstra’s offer of 3 months of Binge Standard (valued at $42 all up). That same plan also gets you data-free streaming for Apple Music and a handful of sports, as well as 10,000 bonus Telstra Plus points when you bundle a 5G-capable handset before 26 October. As an added bonus, Telstra Plus users can rack up even more free Binge, depending on their tier. Our friends at WhistleOut have explained everything there is to know about Telstra Plus here.

Best Budget Smartphone Plan

iPhone SE 64GB on Vodafone

This month, we’ve added a best budget phone plan to our top picks for those looking to hook up a new handset without breaking the bank. It’s a close tie between the Samsung Galaxy A51 and the iPhone SE this month, and Apple’s contender has clinched the win.

The new iPhone SE is an outstanding budget alternative for Apple die-hards that sports a lot of last-gen tech, like a single-lens 12MP camera, and TouchID, but powers it all with a 2020 A13 processing chip. Vodafone’s $40 Lite Plan comes out on top with 10GB at top speed (with endless speed-capped data afterwards) and $5 international roaming for just over $50 per month if you purchase before 13 October.

With that said, Samsung stans can get their fix for less than $50 per month with Woolworths Mobile’s Galaxy A51 deal.

Cheapest Mobile Plan

Southern Phone 1GB Green SIM Plan

We have two requirements for our cheapest mobile plans category. The plan needs at least 1GB of data and needs to come in below $10 per month. There are technically cheaper Pay As You Go (PAYG) plans but they work out a lot more expensive if you actually use your phone. This month, Southern Phone’s 12-month Green SIM plan takes the win. It gets you 1GB of data to use, and unlimited calls and text on the Optus 4G network.

Here’s a few more of the cheapest mobile plans this month so you can compare your options.

Best Plan for Big Data

Circles.Life 100GB Monthly Plan

When you’ve got a big appetite for data, there’s no point wading in the shallows of 5 to 10GB of monthly data, because if you’re like us, you’ll just end up paying more in excess fees anyway. So this month, we’re expanding our big data category to go far beyond typical usage in Australia to show you the plans that give you the most data available on a phone plan.

This month, there’s just no getting around that sweet Circles.Life 100GB deal. Even if you take a gander at the competition, there’s providers offering more data, but none offer such an absurd amount at a reasonable price. We really hope other telcos start upping their game so we can give them a run in these results, but in the meantime, Circles is your best bet for buckets of data.

Most Popular on Telstra Network

Telstra 40GB SIM Plan

If coverage is your primary concern, you might be looking for the best deal on Telstra’s network (or wholesale network if we’re talking MVNOs). This section doesn’t get the same monthly treatment as the rest of our top picks, but our “most popular” plan filter is still a good indication of the best trending deals and is updated every day.

Most Popular on Optus Network

Circles.Life 100GB Monthly Plan

Similarly, those who have sufficient Optus coverage that don’t feel like spending a primo on Telstra can suss out the results below to find out which plans on the Optus network are trending this week.

Most Popular on Vodafone Network

TPG Medium Plan

There aren’t as many Vodafone MVNOs on the scene as there are for Optus and Telstra, but if the third-biggest Australian network is good enough for your needs, take a look at the trending plans below to find a solid deal.