SIM-Only Mobile Phone Plans

If you’ve been locked into the two-year new-phone-and-plan cycle, you may not be familiar with SIM-only phone plans. An alternative to signing a standard 24-month phone contract, a SIM-only plan allows you to bring your own device to the provider and plan of your choice.

Instead of a new handset, you’ll simply receive a SIM card that’s connected to your telco’s network. Insert it into your unlocked phone, activate and set up your plan, and you’re good to go – without the long-term contracts and hassle of signing up for a new device.

Generally, a SIM-only plan will feature all the inclusions and extras provided on your telco’s standard two-year plans. But because you’re not adding in the cost of buying a brand-new smartphone, you’ll pay less each month, and won’t be required to sign a lock-in contract (unless, of course, you opt for a 12-month plan).

You’ll also get to pick your own device: whether it’s brand new, pre-owned, or your mum’s old Nokia, you’re not limited to the often small range of new phones stocked by providers. Telcos use the promise of a new, shiny smartphone as a means of chaining customers to a network long-term; skip the phone upgrade, and you’ll enjoy more flexibility, more choice, and higher savings.

Reasons to go SIM-Only

The obvious reason to jump to a SIM-only plan – also known as a bring-your-own-phone (BYO) plan –  is the potential to save cash, even just short-term. Reasons you might be better off on a SIM-only plan include:

• You love your current phone and don’t need to replace it.
• You’re looking to cut down on your monthly mobile costs.
• You’re waiting for an upcoming phone release, and don’t want to upgrade or sign a new contract just yet.
• You like to swap between phones, your mobile usage can vary month-to-month, or you just want more flexibility from your mobile plan.

Essentially, if you’re happy with your current phone and want to save on your mobile bill, SIM-only is worth looking into. What you’ll need to decide, besides how much data you’ll need, is if you want to go month-to-month or sign up on a year-long plan, and if you’d prefer a postpaid or prepaid service.

Prepaid SIM-Only Plans

If you like to pay in advance, and don’t want the worry of potential overages, prepaid plans are your best bet. You’ll pay for a set number of inclusions or credit each billing period (usually 28, 30, or 35 days); once this is exceeded, you’ll need to manually recharge before you can call, text or use data.

Prepaid mobile phone plans can be every bit as competitive as postpaid options, and brands such as Boost Mobile, Amaysim and OVO Mobile can offer great deals (as listed below). You’ll also find great value in supermarket mobile brands, such as ALDI Mobile.

Brand	Features	Max Data**/billing period	Advertised Cost^^/billing period
	16GB Plan Unlimited standard national calls & SMS min. cost $34.90 over 30 day plan period	16GBMax Data**/billing period	$34.90Advertised Data^^/billing period	Go To Site
	Large Unlimited standard national calls & SMS 300 international minutes to 32 countries min. cost $34.95 over 30 day billing period	25GBMax Data**/billing period	$34.95Advertised Data^^/billing period	Go To Site
	$40 Prepaid Unlimited standard national calls & SMS Unlimited international calls to 15 countries, 100 mins to 35 countries, 100 texts to 50 countries Get 23GB bonus data on the first 5 recharges. Terms Apply. Ends 25/02/19 Special offer: $40 SIM for $20. Ends 25/02/19 min. cost $40 over 28 day billing period	22GBMax Data**/billing period	$40Advertised Data^^/billing period	Go To Site
	$40 Combo Plus Unlimited standard national calls & SMS 500 standard mins to Zone 1 countries, 100 standard mins to Zone 2 25GB bonus data on activation min. cost $40 over 35 days	20GBMax Data**/billing period	$40Advertised Data^^/billing period	Go To Site
View all mobile plans listed on Canstar Blue			**^^View important information

12-Month SIM-Only Plans

Although many people opt for a SIM-only plan to avoid signing contracts, the biggest deals are usually reserved for customers on 12-month BYO postpaid phone plans. Telcos want you to stick around, so it makes sense that year-long plans come with the biggest value; if you’re not afraid to commit, it’s a great way to lock down a good price and score some great plan inclusions.

Vodafone and Telstra’s SIM-only plans offer great incentives, but smaller brands such as Southern Phone and Moose Mobile are also worth checking out. Below are just some of the 12-month SIM-only plans featured on Canstar Blue, all of which include unlimited talk and text, and plenty of gigabytes each month.

Brand	Features	Max Data**/billing period	Advertised Cost^^/billing period
	Value 4G Unlimited standard national calls & SMS Special offer: one month free min. cost $299.88 over 12 month plan period	10GBMax Data**/billing period	$24.99Advertised Data^^/billing period	Go To Site
	Moose 29 SIM Only – 12M Unlimited standard national calls Unlimited national and international SMS $400 international credit min. cost $348 over 12 month plan period	18GBMax Data**/billing period	$29Advertised Data^^/billing period	Go To Site
	Green 35 Unlimited standard national calls & SMS min. cost $420 over 12 month plan period	18GBMax Data**/billing period	$35Advertised Data^^/billing period	Go To Site
	$45 Red SIM Only Unlimited standard national calls & SMS 35GB bonus data. Ends 26/02/19 min. cost $540 over 12 month plan period	15GBMax Data**/billing period	$45Advertised Data^^/billing period	Go To Site
	Medium Unlimited standard national calls & SMS Unlimited calls & texts to 15 countries 30GB + 30GB bonus data ‘Peace of Mind’ data included Data-free music and sports streaming Access the free Telstra Air WiFi network  $10 plan credit per month for new services and re-contracting customers min. cost $828 over 12 month plan period	60GBMax Data**/billing period	$69Advertised Data^^/billing period	Go To Site
View all mobile plans listed on Canstar Blue			**^^View important information

Month-to-Month SIM-Only Plans

Not ready to be locked into a single plan or provider? You can always sign up for a month-to-month SIM plan. Most telcos will offer no-contract plans for customers bringing their own devices, although they may come with slightly less data or inclusions than equivalent plans on a 12-month agreement.

Plenty of MVNOs (the smaller operators using the Telstra, Vodafone and Optus networks) sell affordable, data-packed SIM-only plans with no lock-in contract (for example, Yomojo and Exetel). Below is a selection of month-to-month plans compared by Canstar Blue.

Brand	Features	Max Data**/billing period	Advertised Cost^^/billing period
	Moose 25 SIM Only Unlimited standard national calls & SMS min. cost $25 over billing period	10GBMax Data**/billing period	$25Advertised Data^^/billing period	Go To Site
	16GB Plan Unlimited standard national calls & SMS min. cost $34.90 over 30 day plan period	16GBMax Data**/billing period	$34.90Advertised Data^^/billing period	Go To Site
	Large Unlimited standard national calls & SMS 300 standard international minutes to 32 countries 10GB bonus data min. cost $34.95 over 30 day billing period	25GBMax Data**/billing period	$34.95Advertised Data^^/billing period	Go To Site
	Extra Value 4G Unlimited standard national calls & SMS $300 international calls Special offer: one month free min. cost $34.99 over one month plan period	10GBMax Data**/billing period	$34.99Advertised Data^^/billing period	Go To Site
View all mobile plans listed on Canstar Blue			**^^View important information

Unlimited Data on SIM-Only Plans

If you think going SIM-only means limits on your data, think again. Vodafone launched two unlimited data postpaid options earlier this year, and the good news is they’re both BYO-phone compatible.

Vodafone’s $60 Plus Plan and $80 Plus Plan both feature unlimited data, although speeds are capped at 1.5Mbps. But each plan also includes a hefty amount of high-speed 4G gigabytes: 40GB on the $60 option, and 80GB on the $80 plan. The telco also frequently offers bonus data on both unlimited plans, so depending on when you sign up, you can score even more monthly fast gigabytes.

Both plans also include unlimited standard national talk and text, plus up to 3300 standard international call minutes each month. However, these plans are only offered on a 12-month contract, so you do need to be prepared to stick around.

Not to be outdone, Telstra now also includes unlimited data on its Medium and Large 12-month SIM-only plans. Like Vodafone, this unlimited ‘Peace of Mind’ data is capped at speeds of 1.5Mbps, but you’ll also get great full-speed data inclusions on both plans: currently, the $69 Medium plan features 40GB per month (30GB + 10GB of bonus data), while the $89 Large option includes 60GB.

Telstra’s unlimited data SIM plans also come with unlimited international talk and text to 15 countries, and the Large plan throws in 2GB of overseas data roaming each month. If you opt for the Large plan, you’ll also get a bonus 12-month Foxtel Now starter pack subscription.

Brand	Features	Max Data**/billing period	Advertised Cost^^/billing period
	$50 SIM Only Plus Plan Unlimited data*(capped at 1.5Mbps after 60GB) Unlimited standard national calls & SMS min. cost $600 over 12 month billing period	60GBMax Data**/billing period	$50Advertised Data^^/billing period	Go To Site
	$60 SIM Only Plus Plan Unlimited data*(capped at 1.5Mbps after 40GB) Unlimited standard national calls & SMS 10,000 Qantas Points 60GB bonus high-speed data. Ends 26/02/19 min. cost $720 over 12 month billing period	40GBMax Data**/billing period	$60Advertised Data^^/billing period	Go To Site
	$80 SIM Only Plus Plan Unlimited data*(capped at 1.5Mbps after 80GB) Unlimited standard national calls & SMS 20,000 Qantas Points 70GB bonus high-speed data. Ends 26/02/19 min. cost $960 over 12 month billing period	80GBMax Data**/billing period	$80Advertised Data^^/billing period	Go To Site
	Medium Unlimited standard national calls & SMS Unlimited calls & texts to 15 countries 30GB + 30GB bonus data ‘Peace of Mind’ data included Data-free music and sports streaming Access the free Telstra Air WiFi network Online only offer: $10 plan credit per month for new services $59 per month for re-contracting customers min. cost $828 over 12 month plan period	60GBMax Data**/billing period	$69Advertised Data^^/billing period	Go To Site
	Large Unlimited standard national calls & SMS Unlimited calls & texts to 15 countries 60GB + 30GB bonus data ‘Peace of Mind’ data included 2GB international data roaming Data-free music and sports streaming Access the free Telstra Air WiFi network min. cost $1,068 over 12 month plan period	90GBMax Data**/billing period	$89Advertised Data^^/billing period	Go To Site
View all mobile plans listed on Canstar Blue			**^^View important information

Unlocking your phone

Before you take your phone to a SIM-only plan, you’ll need to make sure that it’s unlocked from its original network. If you bought your device on a postpaid plan, it’s probably already unlocked, but there are exceptions. Fortunately, unlocking a device from a specific telco’s network is easier than ever; you can usually do it yourself online, provided you have your phone’s IMEI number.

To find this number, simply dial *#06# from your mobile phone. Once you’ve got this number ready, head to the website of the telco that you bought the phone from originally, or call its customer service centre. Be aware that while it’s normally free to unlock your phone, you may be asked to pay a fee for prepaid phones if you service is still relatively new.

If you bought your device at full price directly from the manufacturer, or from a retailer such as JB HiFi, great news: your phone is unlocked out-of-the-box, and free to take to your choice of provider and plan.

Which SIM-Only plan is right for me?

So you’ve reviewed an array of SIM-only phone plans in a variety of price brackets, and now you’re ready to make a change. Before you switch, there’s still a few questions you’ll need to ask yourself to make sure you’re jumping on the right plan.

• Which phone network do I prefer? There are three phone networks in Australia – Telstra, Optus and Vodafone, with TPG set to launch its own network in the near-ish future. Smaller service providers use one or more of these networks to deliver their services.
• What inclusions do I need? There is little point paying for unlimited calls and texts if you’re not going to make the most of them. Likewise, give serious thought to how much data you actually need.
• What is my budget? If you’re bound by a budget like most of us, compare plans in a particular price segment, and search for the best value you can get for your money.

At the end of the day, a SIM-only plan is a great choice if you want the freedom to choose your phone, or you’re after more variety in plan offerings – the choice of which plan, however, is completely up to you!

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Featured SIM-only plans