The phone plan market is a fairly competitive one with dozens of telcos trying to win your business. While smaller telcos tend to offer some of the more competitive discounts and deals on the market, you’ll also see offers available from the big three telcos, including frequent discounts on new smartphones. Whether you’re looking to save a bit of money on your plan, or you’re just looking to sign up to something new, there are plenty of phone plans and deals to choose from.
On this page:
Postpaid offers you might like
The following table shows a selection of sponsored SIM Only plans on Canstar Blue’s database with links to referral partners.
 |
1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $25) SIM Only Postpaid
|
50GB Data/month |
$25.00 Cost/month |
Go to site |
 |
1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $55) SIM Only Postpaid
|
150GB Data/month |
$50.00 Cost/month |
Go to site |
 |
1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $55) SIM Only Postpaid
|
150GB Data/month |
$50.00 Cost/month |
Go to site |
Best Mobile Phone Plans – December 2023
Further below the page you’ll find more details on some of the best mobile plans deals available this month from some of Australia’s most-popular telcos. If you want a quick glance of a few of the offers currently available, these are the best mobile phone plan deals available in December 2023:
- Deal 1: Southern Phone six month discount deals
- Deal 2: Felix three month discount
- Deal 3: Swoop six month discount deal
- Deal 4: Amaysim $18 plan discount and bonus data
- Deal 5: TPG Medium plan discount
Last updated December 2023.
1. Southern Phone six month discount deals
Southern Phone is running a discounts on your plan fees for the X Small, Small and Medium plans. If you’re only after a small amount of data, the X Small plan with 2GB of data, is only $5 per month for the first six months, then $15 per month ongoing. If you need a bit more data, the Small plan with 5GB of data is $15 per month for the first six months then $20 per month ongoing, while the Medium plan with 50GB of data is $20 per month for the first six months, then $25 per month ongoing. These offers expire January 31, 2024. Terms apply.
What’s good about this deal:
- Cheap discounted price and rather cheap standard price for X Small plan
- Discounts are available across three of the four SIM-only 4G plans
- Discounts run over six months
What to look out for:
- Small and Medium plans only include $5 discount
- X Small plan includes just 2GB of data, making it only suitable for light phone users
The following table shows Southern Phone’s X Small, Small and Medium SIM-only postpaid plan. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
2. Felix Mobile three month discount
Felix Mobile is currently offering new customers 50% off the price of their mobile plan for their first three months. The deal applies to Felix’s $25, $30, and $40 plans, saving you up to $60 in your first three months. You can score your discount by entering the promo code FELIX50 at check-out. This offer is available until January 31, 2024 unless extended, terms apply.
What’s good about this deal:
- No excess data charges for use in Australia
- Unlimited data banking on $25 and $30 plans
- No lock-in contracts
What to look out for:
- Only available for new customers (number transfers and new SIMs)
- $40 plan limits your data speeds to 20Mbps
- Plans are prepaid with a 28-day expiry
The following table shows Felix Mobile’s postpaid plans. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
3. Swoop six month 20% discount deal
Swoop has made its recent entry into the mobile plan space with a bang thanks to some fairly generous discounts on most of its postpaid phone plans. You can save 20% off your plan fees each month for six months. That means you can pick up the $40 plan for $32 per month with 40GB of data, but you’ll need to enter the code ‘MOBILE20‘ at the checkout. The $30 and $50 plans also include a 20% discount per month for the first six months. This offer expires December 31, 2023, terms apply.
What’s good about this deal:
- Savings are over six months
- You can save up to $60 over six months on the $50 plan
What to look out for:
- Standard monthly pricing a bit expensive compared to other plans with comparable data inclusions
- Need to use the promo code to access the offer
The following table shows the $40 Swoop postpaid plan. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
4. Amaysim $18 plan discount deal
Amaysim is no stranger to deals and discounts, with something usually on offer each month. Its current offer on the $18 plan with 10GB of data and unlimited data banking is now just $12 for your first renewal and you’ll also get a bonus 5GB of data (15GB in total) for the first three renewals (then $18 with 10GB data per 28-day expiry ongoing). This offer expires December 17, 2023, terms apply.
What’s good about this deal:
- Decent discount on your first renewal
- Unlimited data banking when you stay on the same plan
- Standard pricing includes good amount of data for your money
What to look out for:
- Only saving over one renewal, which might not seem like a long time
- Each renewal period is 28 days and not 30 days like other prepaid plans
The following table shows Amaysim’s $18 prepaid plan. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
5. TPG T4G Medium plan discount deal
TPG offers discounts on all of its prepaid phone plans for the first six months you stay connected. Choosing the $25 plan with 25GB data, you’ll only pay $12.50 per month for your first six months, then $25 per month ongoing. This offer is available until withdrawn, terms apply.
What’s good about this deal:
- Half-price discount runs over six months
- Standard pricing rather decent price for data inclusion
What to look out for:
- For new customers only
The following table shows TPG’s T4G Medium prepaid plan. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
Looking for a new phone without breaking the bank?
If you’re in the market for a new phone to go with a SIM-only phone plan, you don’t have to spend thousands on a premium device. The OPPO A78 5G offers the basics in a sleek package for under $400 AUD. To find out more about this device, you can read our review of the OPPO A78 5G. If you want to browse more affordable phones, you can read our guide on some of the best budget phones around.
| Phone | Features | Storage Size | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|
128GB | $359 |
Shop Now |
 |
^^View important information | |||
How do we pick the best phone plan deals?
Our editorial team examines deals and offers available from a range of popular Australian telcos, looking at current offers and evaluates these based on a number of factors including both the discounted and standard pricing, inclusions and more.
There are any number of deals and offers running from dozens of telcos at one time, so it still pays to compare deals from a range of providers. What is going to make the best deal is determined by what your individual phone plan needs are — whether that’s based on price, data, etc.
To find the best value phone plans on offer, you can check out our expert guides, using our unique value rank methodology:
Other phone plans and deals
If the above offers aren’t what you’re looking for, there are plenty of other plans and providers out there. Whether you’re looking for a deal or just a new phone plan, it helps to compare plans from a range of providers to ensure you’re getting the best value for your money.
The below table shows a range of SIM-only prepaid and postpaid plans, simply switch between the tabs to see prepaid and postpaid. You can also use our free phone plan comparison tool to compare a range of SIM-only plans and plans bundled with a new phone.
Here is a selection of postpaid plans from Canstar Blue’s database with a minimum of 10GB of data, listed in order of standard cost, lowest to highest, then by data allowance, largest to smallest. Try using our mobile phone plan comparison tool to see a wide range of plans from other providers. This table includes products with links to referral partners.
Here is a selection of prepaid plans from Canstar Blue’s database with a minimum of 10GB of data each month, listed in order of standard cost, lowest to highest, then by data allowance, largest to smallest. If you want to compare a larger range of offers from other providers, use our phone plan comparison tool. This table includes products with links to referral partners.
How to choose a good phone deal
Choosing a good phone deal depends on more than just the price. You need to make sure that the phone plan is going to suit your needs, whether it’s SIM-only or a plan bundled with a new phone.
Phone plan discounts, deals and offers
Many telcos will offer deals on a range of phone plans to entice customers to make the switch. This can be in the form of discounts on your plan fees, bonus data or even discounts on your handset.
There are many offers running at any one time, so it can be hard to determine what kinds of deals give you good value for money. Bonus data is a very common offer from telcos, however for many Aussies, those bonus gigabytes might just be data you never get around to using.
That’s why it’s important to choose a phone plan not based solely on deals and offers, but what is going to suit your needs. While it’s great to save money on a phone plan, if that plan is going to be too expensive for your budget after the discount, or if the plan doesn’t really suit what you need, it’s not worth signing up for.
It’s also worth reading the fine print on deals such as free streaming subscriptions. These offers might have terms like being a new customer to the service, and you might be required to provide payment information on sign up. If you don’t intend to keep using the streaming service after the free period, you’ll need to remember to cancel before being billed. Don’t be tempted to sign up to a plan simply for these sorts of offers — while it’s great to get something for free, if the phone plan you sign up to is too expensive or doesn’t suit your needs, it might not be worth it.
While deals, discounts and offers might look good on paper, they aren’t always the best indication of a good phone plan. That’s why it’s important to always compare a range of plans and providers to find the best deal for you.
What to look for in a mobile phone plan
Choosing a good phone plan might seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be so complicated. Once you’ve decided what type of phone plan, how much data you need and set a realistic budget, you can compare a range of plans from different telcos to find what plan is going to best suit your needs.
Here are some things to consider when choosing a phone plan:
- Do you want a new phone on a plan or SIM-only?
- Type of plan (prepaid or postpaid)
- Plan length (month-to-month, long-term, etc)
- Data inclusions
- Mobile network (Telstra, Optus or Vodafone network)
- Cost
- Any extras (entertainment add ons, international calls, international roaming, 5G coverage, etc)
Prepaid vs postpaid SIM-only
If you choose to go with a SIM-only plan (a plan without a handset bundled), you’ll need to decide if you prefer prepaid plans or postpaid plans.
As the names would suggest, prepaid is where you pay for your plan upfront and once you’ve reached your expiry period (often 28 or 30 days, but can be short like seven days or long like 365 days/12 months), your plan will either reset if you have auto renew, or you’ll need to recharge it. Often with prepaid, if you’ve used up your inclusions before the expiry period, you’ll not be able to use those inclusions (often data) until the next renewal, or you’ll need to add on more allowance, like extra data (if available).
Postpaid is a plan that you pay for after you’ve used it, usually in the form of a monthly bill. If you use up your inclusions, you might be charged extra for continued use, such as $10 for 1GB of additional data. This can result in bill shock if you’re not careful, so monitoring your usage is important.
Some telcos are offering ‘subscription’ style plans, or postpaid plans where you pay your bill upfront. These are similar to prepaid in a way, but rather than expiry periods and renewals, it’s a monthly basis where you pay for your inclusions or bill upfront.
Mobile networks
Most Australians won’t need to worry about which mobile network has coverage in their area as Telstra, Optus and Vodafone all cover the majority of the Australian population. However, in some areas, reception with one network might be patchy compared to another. It’s important to check which mobile network covers your area, and any places you frequently visit, before signing up to a plan.
Of course, just because Telstra, Optus and Vodafone operate these mobile networks, doesn’t mean these telcos are your only option for a phone plan. Smaller providers known as Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) offer plans using one of the three mobile networks. Some MVNOs even offer plans with 5G access, so it’s worth comparing plans from a wide range of providers.
FAQs about phone plans and deals
The cheapest phone plans are SIM-only plans, which are plans without a phone bundled in. These are available as both prepaid and postpaid plans and can cost for around $10 per month or less. Generally these plans have small data inclusions (1GB-2GB) and might also have limited call minutes. Some cheap prepaid plans might have a short expiry period (around seven days) so you’ll want to look at plans with a 28 or 30-day expiry period for the best value.
If you’re willing to spend a bit more than $10 per month, there are some good value plans between $10-$20 per month, which usually have a bit more data (5GB-10GB). If you already have a phone you’re happy to use and don’t need huge data inclusions, it’s very easy to find cheap phone plans to suit your needs.
If you want speed when on the go, the good news is that 5G mobile phones and phone plans are becoming more readily available. This latest generation of mobile technology is capable of reaching theoretical speeds of 1000Mbps (or 1Gbps), which are the same speeds that are possible with NBN’s fastest speed tier. While real world 5G performance might be closer to 100-300Mbps, that’s still very fast and might even be faster than your home internet.
Keep in mind that because 5G networks are still rolling out, you might not have 5G coverage in your area. You’ll also need a 5G-compatible handset to connect to a 5G network.
Telstra, Optus and Vodafone all operate 5G mobile networks, and in addition to buying 5G plans from the big three telcos (and the option to bundle with 5G smartphones on your plan), some smaller telcos are also offering 5G plans. However, these plans are typically more expensive than the 4G-only counterparts.
Seniors who don’t use their mobile phone for much beyond calls, text messaging and occasional internet usage (web browsing and emails) might find a cheap, low-data plan suits their needs. Some telcos also offer ‘pay as you go’ plans (similar to original prepaid plans), which could also be a good option for seniors who don’t use their phone much.
For more information, you can read our guide on phone plans for seniors.
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all when it comes to phone plans for kids. You’ll need to consider your child’s age and their phone plan needs to determine what type of plan will be best suited to them. However, for younger children, especially for a first phone plan, a cheap, low-data plan might be the best option.
Prepaid plans are also a good choice for kids, as it puts the responsibility on your child to monitor their usage and you’re not hit with a big phone bill because of excess data use.
For more information, you can read our guide on the best phone plans for kids.
A lot of telcos offer phone plans with big data allowances, but for many Aussies, these big data plans might have more data than we actually need. For moderate usage — web and social browsing, some video and music streaming, etc for a couple hours each day — plans with 10GB-30GB per month might be enough to get you through.
If you want more information about mobile data and how much you’ll need, you can read our mobile data guide.
If you’re after a prepaid plan, there’s a lot to consider. While many prepaid phone plans are available on a 28-day, 30-day or monthly expiry period, there are also many long-term and short-term plans.
Choosing the best prepaid plan will depend on not only the expiry period you prefer, but also how much data you need, along with your preferred mobile network (if any) and options like auto recharge, 5G coverage and international calls.
To help you choose the best prepaid plan, you can check out our expert picks guide on the best prepaid phone plans.
SIM-only plans come in many shapes and forms with both prepaid and postpaid plans available as SIM-only plans. For some, looking for a SIM-only plan could mostly refer to postpaid phone plans that are billed monthly and don’t include a new phone bundled with the plan.
Choosing the best SIM-only plan could come down to your budget and how you use your phone to determine how much data you need and whether you should go prepaid or postpaid. If you’re after the SIM-only postpaid plans, there are plenty of choices available from cheap plans with small data inclusions to big data phone plans.
If you want a little guidance, you can check our expert picks guide on the best SIM-only plans or compare a wider range of plans with our free-to-use SIM-only plan comparison tool.
Choosing the best iPhone plan will depend on which phone you want and any plan inclusions that are important to you. iPhone plans are typically only available from Telstra, Optus and Vodafone, with the option to pay off your phone over a 12, 24 or 36-month payment period and bundle with a postpaid plan. The iPhone you choose and plan you bundle your phone with will determine how much you pay for your plan each month.
You can use our free iPhone plan comparison tool to help you compare a range of plans, but if you’re looking for some more guidance, you can use our expert picks guide on finding the best iPhone plan for you.
Samsung releases a lot of different phones each year with the more premium Galaxy S series, the foldable Galaxy Z Flip and Fold series and the budget-friendly Galaxy A series. Many of these phones are typically available on a plan from telcos, including Telstra, Optus and Vodafone.
Choosing the best Samsung Galaxy plan will be a combination of choosing the best Samsung phone for you, and combining that with a phone plan that suits your needs. This will mean choosing if you want a premium phone, a cheaper budget-friendly phone or maybe a foldable phone. Once you’ve chosen your phone and start comparing plans, you’ll want to consider things like network coverage, data allowance, cost and any other extras that are important for you.
If you’re after a phone plan with only data and no call or SMS inclusions, you may prefer to look for a data-only plan, which are the same as SIM-only mobile broadband plans. Mobile broadband plans can be bundled with a modem or dongle to provide internet to your computer or tablet, but you can also buy this as a data-only SIM card, which can be used in your mobile phone. You can read our guide about data-only plans to find out more.
Keep in mind that a data-only SIM may prevent you from accessing any verification codes you have set up that are sent to you via SMS to access your online banking, social media accounts, ticket purchases and more. So while you might typically use a messaging app to keep in touch with friends and family and feel like you don’t need calls or SMS, you still might need a phone number to access certain services.
If you have a dual-SIM phone or phone with eSIM capabilities, having a data-only plan in addition to a standard phone plan can come in handy if you want a lot of data or need to hotspot from your phone regularly.
International call inclusions are widely available from a range of telcos offering both prepaid and postpaid plans. However, some telcos may only include international calls on its more expensive plans. It’s also fairly common for international calls to be capped — maybe by restricting the minutes or including a set amount of call credit — and for calls to be restricted to select countries only. Some telcos might also only offer international calls on a pay-as-you-go basis or require you to add on an international call pack for an additional cost.
To choose the best phone plan with international calls for your needs, you’ll want to consider which country or countries you make calls to, along with how often and how long those calls tend to be. If you make regular and long international calls, you might need to look at phone plans that include unlimited international calls, such as plans from Amaysim, Boost Mobile, Everyday Mobile, Optus and Vodafone.
If you don’t make international calls too often and they tend to be shorter calls, you can compare phone plans from a wider range of telcos to see which phone plan and international call inclusions will be the best option for you. You might also want to compare which countries are offered in the call inclusions as one telco might offer calls to one country, while another telco might not.
Share this article