Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge will be available outright in Australia in mid-April, but the outright purchase costs range from $999 to $1449. If that’s too steep and you’d prefer to buy one on a contract, we’ve rounded up every plan available for both phones in Australia from Optus, Telstra, Virgin Mobile and Vodafone so you can choose the one that’s right for your needs.
Picture: Getty Images/David Ramos
At Lifehacker we often advocate buying a phone outright, but for either S6 model that will require a substantial investment. These are the official RRPs in Australia:
| Model | Memory | RRP |
|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S6 | 32GB | $999 |
| Galaxy S6 | 64GB | $1149 |
| Galaxy S6 | 128GB | $1299 |
| Galaxy S6 edge | 32GB | $1149 |
| Galaxy S6 edge | 64GB | $1299 |
| Galaxy S6 edge | 128GB | $1449 |
You can shop around to find the phones a little cheaper online as outright buys, but they’re still going to be costly. It isn’t necessarily the case that buying on contract will prove less expensive in the long run (a point we’ll return to later). Nonetheless, it’s the predominant approach Australians use when buying mobile phones, and we don’t expect that will differ with the S6 models.
Regardless of which carrier you choose, there are some factors in common. Right now, no-one has launch stock of the 128GB models of the S6 or S6 Edge on contract. If you really want that larger size, you’ll either have to wait or hunt down an outright buy model.
Everyone in selling both colours (Black Sapphire or White Pearl). The vast majority of providers are only offering 24-month contracts. (Vodafone has 12-month contracts, but frankly they’re overpriced and not worth considering.) You can pre-order the phones now, either online or in-store, but they won’t ship until April 10.
For each carrier, we’ve listed every available plan, highlighted the plan cost per month, the additional handset charge (if applicable) and the minimum total cost over the length of the contract. We’ve listed the amount of included data, what texts cost to Australian numbers if they’re not free, how much call credit is included and how many 2-minute calls to Australian numbers you can make on the plan. After listing all the individual carriers, we’ll discuss and compare the best options, and look at whether you could do better by buying outright and going prepaid.
Optus
| Provider | Name | Model | Monthly | Handset | Term | Min total | Data (MB) | Call credit | Texts | #2 min calls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 32GB | $35.00 | $25.00 | 24 | $1,440.00 | 500 | n/a | ∞ | 150 |
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 64GB | $35.00 | $30.00 | 24 | $1,560.00 | 500 | n/a | ∞ | 150 |
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 128GB | $35.00 | $35.00 | 24 | $1,680.00 | 500 | n/a | ∞ | 150 |
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 Edge 32GB | $35.00 | $31.00 | 24 | $1,584.00 | 500 | n/a | ∞ | 150 |
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 Edge 64GB | $35.00 | $37.00 | 24 | $1,728.00 | 500 | n/a | ∞ | 150 |
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 Edge 128GB | $35.00 | $42.00 | 24 | $1,848.00 | 500 | n/a | ∞ | 150 |
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 32GB | $50.00 | $20.00 | 24 | $1,680.00 | 1000 | n/a | ∞ | 300 |
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 64GB | $50.00 | $25.00 | 24 | $1,800.00 | 1000 | n/a | ∞ | 300 |
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 128GB | $50.00 | $30.00 | 24 | $1,920.00 | 1000 | n/a | ∞ | 300 |
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 Edge 32GB | $50.00 | $25.00 | 24 | $1,800.00 | 1000 | n/a | ∞ | 300 |
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 Edge 64GB | $50.00 | $31.00 | 24 | $1,944.00 | 1000 | n/a | ∞ | 300 |
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 Edge 128GB | $50.00 | $36.00 | 24 | $2,064.00 | 1000 | n/a | ∞ | 300 |
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 32GB | $60.00 | $16.00 | 24 | $1,824.00 | 3000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 64GB | $60.00 | $21.00 | 24 | $1,944.00 | 3000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 128GB | $60.00 | $26.00 | 24 | $2,064.00 | 3000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 Edge 32GB | $60.00 | $21.00 | 24 | $1,944.00 | 3000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 Edge 64GB | $60.00 | $28.00 | 24 | $2,112.00 | 3000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 Edge 128GB | $60.00 | $33.00 | 24 | $2,232.00 | 3000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 32GB | $80.00 | $0.00 | 24 | $1,920.00 | 6000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 64GB | $80.00 | $5.00 | 24 | $2,040.00 | 6000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 128GB | $80.00 | $10.00 | 24 | $2,160.00 | 6000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 Edge 32GB | $80.00 | $5.00 | 24 | $2,040.00 | 6000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 Edge 64GB | $80.00 | $12.00 | 24 | $2,208.00 | 6000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 Edge 128GB | $80.00 | $17.00 | 24 | $2,328.00 | 6000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 32GB | $100.00 | $0.00 | 24 | $2,400.00 | 10000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 64GB | $100.00 | $0.00 | 24 | $2,400.00 | 10000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 128GB | $100.00 | $4.00 | 24 | $2,496.00 | 10000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 Edge 32GB | $100.00 | $0.00 | 24 | $2,400.00 | 10000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 Edge 64GB | $100.00 | $6.00 | 24 | $2,544.00 | 10000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Optus | My Plan Plus | S6 Edge 128GB | $100.00 | $10.00 | 24 | $2,640.00 | 10000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
Optus online order links
On all the plans with a base monthly cost of $60 or more, Optus includes a free six-month subscription to Netflix. (Note, however, that there isn’t any unmetering on Netflix for mobile usage; any Netflix viewing using your 4G will come from your data allowance). Those $60 and above plans also include additional calling allowance for overseas numbers.
Optus has increased the data allowance on its $80 and $100 plans to match the recently increased data allowances on Telstra’s top-priced plans. Optus comes out cheaper; for instance, the 64GB S6 Edge on a plan with 10GB of data will cost a total of $2544 on Optus, while costing $3312 on Telstra.
As is usually the case, the handset charges on any of the plans under $60 are so high that we really can’t recommend them, especially given the meagre data allowances. Note, for instance, that the price difference between the $35 and $50 plans on the cheapest 32GB S6 deal is only $220 over the life of the contract. Note also that there is no point buying the 32GB S6 model on the $100 plan, since the cost is identical to the 64GB model on the same plan.
Telstra
| Provider | Name | Model | Monthly | Handset | Term | Min total | Data (MB) | Call credit | Texts | #2 min calls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Telstra | S | S6 32GB | $55.00 | $25.00 | 24 | $1,920.00 | 1000 | $550.00 | ∞ | 231 |
| Telstra | S | S6 64GB | $55.00 | $29.00 | 24 | $2,016.00 | 1000 | $550.00 | ∞ | 231 |
| Telstra | S | S6 128GB | $55.00 | $33.00 | 24 | $2,112.00 | 1000 | $550.00 | ∞ | 231 |
| Telstra | S | S6 Edge 32GB | $55.00 | $31.00 | 24 | $2,064.00 | 1000 | $550.00 | ∞ | 231 |
| Telstra | S | S6 Edge 64GB | $55.00 | $35.00 | 24 | $2,160.00 | 1000 | $550.00 | ∞ | 231 |
| Telstra | S | S6 Edge 128GB | $55.00 | $39.00 | 24 | $2,256.00 | 1000 | $550.00 | ∞ | 231 |
| Telstra | M | S6 32GB | $75.00 | $9.00 | 24 | $2,016.00 | 2500 | $700.00 | ∞ | 294 |
| Telstra | M | S6 64GB | $75.00 | $13.00 | 24 | $2,112.00 | 2500 | $700.00 | ∞ | 294 |
| Telstra | M | S6 128GB | $75.00 | $17.00 | 24 | $2,208.00 | 2500 | $700.00 | ∞ | 294 |
| Telstra | M | S6 Edge 32GB | $75.00 | $13.00 | 24 | $2,112.00 | 2500 | $700.00 | ∞ | 294 |
| Telstra | M | S6 Edge 64GB | $75.00 | $17.00 | 24 | $2,208.00 | 2500 | $700.00 | ∞ | 294 |
| Telstra | M | S6 Edge 128GB | $75.00 | $24.00 | 24 | $2,376.00 | 2500 | $700.00 | ∞ | 294 |
| Telstra | L | S6 32GB | $95.00 | $0.00 | 24 | $2,280.00 | 6000 | $900.00 | ∞ | 378 |
| Telstra | L | S6 64GB | $95.00 | $4.00 | 24 | $2,376.00 | 6000 | $950.00 | ∞ | 399 |
| Telstra | L | S6 128GB | $95.00 | $8.00 | 24 | $2,472.00 | 6000 | $950.00 | ∞ | 399 |
| Telstra | L | S6 Edge 32GB | $95.00 | $4.00 | 24 | $2,376.00 | 6000 | $950.00 | ∞ | 399 |
| Telstra | L | S6 Edge 64GB | $95.00 | $8.00 | 24 | $2,472.00 | 6000 | $950.00 | ∞ | 399 |
| Telstra | L | S6 Edge 128GB | $95.00 | $15.00 | 24 | $2,640.00 | 6000 | $950.00 | ∞ | 399 |
| Telstra | XL | S6 32GB | $130.00 | $0.00 | 24 | $3,120.00 | 10000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Telstra | XL | S6 64GB | $130.00 | $2.00 | 24 | $3,168.00 | 10000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Telstra | XL | S6 128GB | $130.00 | $4.00 | 24 | $3,216.00 | 10000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Telstra | XL | S6 Edge 32GB | $130.00 | $4.00 | 24 | $3,216.00 | 10000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Telstra | XL | S6 Edge 64GB | $130.00 | $8.00 | 24 | $3,312.00 | 10000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Telstra | XL | S6 Edge 128GB | $130.00 | $12.00 | 24 | $3,408.00 | 10000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
Telstra online order links
Yesterday, Telstra announced that it was increasing data allowances across its contract plans and including a free six-month subscription to Foxtel Presto. (Again, this isn’t unmetered, so if you watch using 4G it will use your data allowance.)
Those new allowances kick in for contracts that begin after April 9, and the S6 and S6 Edge don’t ship until April 10, so you would presume they would apply. Telstra’s pricing announcement release includes the increased allowances, and hence we’ve included them in the table above.
However, Telstra’s actual pre-order pages for the phone still include the old lower allowances, presumably because it won’t update its back-end systems with the new prices until April 9. Technically, if you pre-order, you’re contracting for the lower allowances, not the higher ones. While we think it’s a reasonable assumption that the new allowances actually be offered, if you’re planning to buy from Telstra we’d suggest going into a store and having someone confirm that in writing. (We’ve asked Telstra to clarify what’s happening with the new plans and the S6/Edge, and we’ll update when we hear.)
The increased data allowances make the higher-priced plans more tolerable, but even so, the Telstra premium is still very much in place. For instance, the only plans that don’t include an additional charge for the handset are the $95 and $130 deals for the entry-level 32GB S6. As we’ve already noted, at the top price levels Optus’ plans with equivalent data allowances are cheaper.
Virgin
| Provider | Name | Model | Monthly | Handset | Term | Min total | Data (MB) | Call credit | Texts | #2 min calls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virgin | $30 Plan | S6 32GB | $30.00 | $29.00 | 24 | $1,416.00 | 300 | $300.00 | $0.28 | 127 |
| Virgin | $30 Plan | S6 64GB | $30.00 | $36.00 | 24 | $1,584.00 | 300 | $300.00 | $0.28 | 127 |
| Virgin | $30 Plan | S6 128GB | $30.00 | $43.00 | 24 | $1,752.00 | 300 | $300.00 | $0.28 | 127 |
| Virgin | $30 Plan | S6 Edge 32GB | $30.00 | $34.00 | 24 | $1,536.00 | 300 | $300.00 | $0.28 | 127 |
| Virgin | $30 Plan | S6 Edge 64GB | $30.00 | $41.00 | 24 | $1,704.00 | 300 | $300.00 | $0.28 | 127 |
| Virgin | $30 Plan | S6 Edge 128GB | $30.00 | $45.00 | 24 | $1,800.00 | 300 | $300.00 | $0.28 | 127 |
| Virgin | $40 Plan | S6 32GB | $40.00 | $20.00 | 24 | $1,440.00 | 500 | $450.00 | $0.28 | 190 |
| Virgin | $40 Plan | S6 64GB | $40.00 | $27.00 | 24 | $1,608.00 | 500 | $450.00 | $0.28 | 190 |
| Virgin | $40 Plan | S6 128GB | $40.00 | $34.00 | 24 | $1,776.00 | 500 | $450.00 | $0.28 | 190 |
| Virgin | $40 Plan | S6 Edge 32GB | $40.00 | $25.00 | 24 | $1,560.00 | 500 | $450.00 | $0.28 | 190 |
| Virgin | $40 Plan | S6 Edge 64GB | $40.00 | $32.00 | 24 | $1,728.00 | 500 | $450.00 | $0.28 | 190 |
| Virgin | $40 Plan | S6 Edge 128GB | $40.00 | $36.00 | 24 | $1,824.00 | 500 | $450.00 | $0.28 | 190 |
| Virgin | $50 Plan | S6 32GB | $50.00 | $17.00 | 24 | $1,608.00 | 1000 | $500.00 | ∞ | 211 |
| Virgin | $50 Plan | S6 64GB | $50.00 | $21.00 | 24 | $1,704.00 | 1000 | $500.00 | ∞ | 211 |
| Virgin | $50 Plan | S6 128GB | $50.00 | $25.00 | 24 | $1,800.00 | 1000 | $500.00 | ∞ | 211 |
| Virgin | $50 Plan | S6 Edge 32GB | $50.00 | $23.00 | 24 | $1,752.00 | 1000 | $500.00 | ∞ | 211 |
| Virgin | $50 Plan | S6 Edge 64GB | $50.00 | $28.00 | 24 | $1,872.00 | 1000 | $500.00 | ∞ | 211 |
| Virgin | $50 Plan | S6 Edge 128GB | $50.00 | $33.00 | 24 | $1,992.00 | 1000 | $500.00 | ∞ | 211 |
| Virgin | $60 Plan | S6 32GB | $60.00 | $13.00 | 24 | $1,752.00 | 2000 | $700.00 | ∞ | 296 |
| Virgin | $60 Plan | S6 64GB | $60.00 | $18.00 | 24 | $1,872.00 | 2000 | $700.00 | ∞ | 296 |
| Virgin | $60 Plan | S6 128GB | $60.00 | $23.00 | 24 | $1,992.00 | 2000 | $700.00 | ∞ | 296 |
| Virgin | $60 Plan | S6 Edge 32GB | $60.00 | $18.00 | 24 | $1,872.00 | 2000 | $700.00 | ∞ | 296 |
| Virgin | $60 Plan | S6 Edge 64GB | $60.00 | $25.00 | 24 | $2,040.00 | 2000 | $700.00 | ∞ | 296 |
| Virgin | $60 Plan | S6 Edge 128GB | $60.00 | $30.00 | 24 | $2,160.00 | 2000 | $700.00 | ∞ | 296 |
| Virgin | $80 Plan | S6 32GB | $80.00 | $0.00 | 24 | $1,920.00 | 4000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Virgin | $80 Plan | S6 64GB | $80.00 | $5.00 | 24 | $2,040.00 | 4000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Virgin | $80 Plan | S6 128GB | $80.00 | $10.00 | 24 | $2,160.00 | 4000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Virgin | $80 Plan | S6 Edge 32GB | $80.00 | $5.00 | 24 | $2,040.00 | 4000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Virgin | $80 Plan | S6 Edge 64GB | $80.00 | $12.00 | 24 | $2,208.00 | 4000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Virgin | $80 Plan | S6 Edge 128GB | $80.00 | $17.00 | 24 | $2,328.00 | 4000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Virgin | $100 Plan | S6 32GB | $100.00 | $0.00 | 24 | $2,400.00 | 6000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Virgin | $100 Plan | S6 64GB | $100.00 | $0.00 | 24 | $2,400.00 | 6000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Virgin | $100 Plan | S6 128GB | $100.00 | $3.00 | 24 | $2,472.00 | 6000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Virgin | $100 Plan | S6 Edge 32GB | $100.00 | $0.00 | 24 | $2,400.00 | 6000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Virgin | $100 Plan | S6 Edge 64GB | $100.00 | $6.00 | 24 | $2,544.00 | 6000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Virgin | $100 Plan | S6 Edge 128GB | $100.00 | $10.00 | 24 | $2,640.00 | 6000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
Virgin Mobile online information link
Weirdly, Virgin Mobile isn’t allowing any online pre-orders right now. If you want a pre-order, you have to do it by phone (though this will apparently be fixed at some point before April 10).
Virgin Mobile uses the Optus network (indeed, the company is fully owned by Optus). In reality, the fact that Optus has increased its data allowances to match Telstra’s means that it very much comes off as second-best in this comparison: for the same amount of money, Optus almost always give you a better data and calling allownace.
Virgin Mobile’s only point of distinction in this regard is that it offers a limited form of data rollover, where any data you don’t use in one month is carried over to the next month. Note however that you can’t accumulate more than two months’ worth of data at once — the data carries over for one month, but that carry-over amount expires if you don’t use it.
Vodafone
| Provider | Name | Model | Monthly | Handset | Term | Min total | Data (MB) | Call credit | Texts | #2 min calls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vodafone | $30 Plan | S6 32GB | $30.00 | $32.00 | 24 | $1,488.00 | 300 | $300.00 | $0.30 | 127 |
| Vodafone | $30 Plan | S6 64GB | $30.00 | $34.00 | 24 | $1,536.00 | 300 | $300.00 | $0.30 | 127 |
| Vodafone | $30 Plan | S6 Edge 32GB | $30.00 | $37.00 | 24 | $1,608.00 | 300 | $300.00 | $0.30 | 127 |
| Vodafone | $30 Plan | S6 Edge 64GB | $30.00 | $39.00 | 24 | $1,656.00 | 300 | $300.00 | $0.30 | 127 |
| Vodafone | $40 Plan | S6 32GB | $40.00 | $30.00 | 24 | $1,680.00 | 500 | $400.00 | ∞ | 169 |
| Vodafone | $40 Plan | S6 64GB | $40.00 | $32.00 | 24 | $1,728.00 | 500 | $400.00 | ∞ | 169 |
| Vodafone | $40 Plan | S6 Edge 32GB | $40.00 | $35.00 | 24 | $1,800.00 | 500 | $400.00 | ∞ | 169 |
| Vodafone | $40 Plan | S6 Edge 64GB | $40.00 | $37.00 | 24 | $1,848.00 | 500 | $400.00 | ∞ | 169 |
| Vodafone | $50 Plan | S6 32GB | $50.00 | $28.00 | 24 | $1,872.00 | 1000 | $500.00 | ∞ | 211 |
| Vodafone | $50 Plan | S6 64GB | $50.00 | $30.00 | 24 | $1,920.00 | 1000 | $500.00 | ∞ | 211 |
| Vodafone | $50 Plan | S6 Edge 32GB | $50.00 | $33.00 | 24 | $1,992.00 | 1000 | $500.00 | ∞ | 211 |
| Vodafone | $50 Plan | S6 Edge 64GB | $50.00 | $35.00 | 24 | $2,040.00 | 1000 | $500.00 | ∞ | 211 |
| Vodafone | $60 Plan | S6 32GB | $60.00 | $20.00 | 24 | $1,920.00 | 2000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Vodafone | $60 Plan | S6 64GB | $60.00 | $22.00 | 24 | $1,968.00 | 2000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Vodafone | $60 Plan | S6 Edge 32GB | $60.00 | $26.00 | 24 | $2,064.00 | 2000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Vodafone | $60 Plan | S6 Edge 64GB | $60.00 | $28.00 | 24 | $2,112.00 | 2000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Vodafone | $70 Red | S6 32GB | $70.00 | $48.00 | 12 | $1,416.00 | 3000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Vodafone | $70 Red | S6 64GB | $70.00 | $52.00 | 12 | $1,464.00 | 3000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Vodafone | $70 Red | S6 Edge 32GB | $70.00 | $58.00 | 12 | $1,536.00 | 3000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Vodafone | $70 Red | S6 Edge 64GB | $70.00 | $62.00 | 12 | $1,584.00 | 3000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Vodafone | $70 Red | S6 32GB | $70.00 | $11.00 | 24 | $1,944.00 | 3000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Vodafone | $70 Red | S6 64GB | $70.00 | $13.00 | 24 | $1,992.00 | 3000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Vodafone | $70 Red | S6 Edge 32GB | $70.00 | $17.00 | 24 | $2,088.00 | 3000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Vodafone | $70 Red | S6 Edge 64GB | $70.00 | $19.00 | 24 | $2,136.00 | 3000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Vodafone | $80 Red | S6 32GB | $80.00 | $43.00 | 12 | $1,476.00 | 4000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Vodafone | $80 Red | S6 64GB | $80.00 | $47.00 | 12 | $1,524.00 | 4000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Vodafone | $80 Red | S6 Edge 32GB | $80.00 | $53.00 | 12 | $1,596.00 | 4000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Vodafone | $80 Red | S6 Edge 64GB | $80.00 | $57.00 | 12 | $1,644.00 | 4000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Vodafone | $80 Red | S6 32GB | $80.00 | $6.00 | 24 | $2,064.00 | 4000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Vodafone | $80 Red | S6 64GB | $80.00 | $8.00 | 24 | $2,112.00 | 4000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Vodafone | $80 Red | S6 Edge 32GB | $80.00 | $11.00 | 24 | $2,184.00 | 4000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Vodafone | $80 Red | S6 Edge 64GB | $80.00 | $13.00 | 24 | $2,232.00 | 4000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Vodafone | $100 Red | S6 32GB | $100.00 | $36.00 | 12 | $1,632.00 | 6000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Vodafone | $100 Red | S6 64GB | $100.00 | $40.00 | 12 | $1,680.00 | 6000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Vodafone | $100 Red | S6 Edge 32GB | $100.00 | $46.00 | 12 | $1,752.00 | 6000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Vodafone | $100 Red | S6 Edge 64GB | $100.00 | $50.00 | 12 | $1,800.00 | 6000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Vodafone | $100 Red | S6 32GB | $100.00 | $2.00 | 24 | $2,448.00 | 6000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Vodafone | $100 Red | S6 64GB | $100.00 | $7.00 | 24 | $2,568.00 | 6000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Vodafone | $100 Red | S6 Edge 32GB | $100.00 | $7.00 | 24 | $2,568.00 | 6000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
| Vodafone | $100 Red | S6 Edge 64GB | $100.00 | $9.00 | 24 | $2,616.00 | 6000 | n/a | ∞ | ∞ |
Vodafone online order links
While no carrier will have stock of the 128GB S6 and S6 Edge models at launch, Vodafone is unusual in not having even announced pricing for it. It’s also the only carrier with 12-month plans, though the handset fees are set much higher in those cases.
Customers who sign up for Red plans will receive a free Spotify subscription (6 months on the $70, 12 months on the $80 and 24 months on the $100). Red plans also include 300 minutes of international call credit each month.
On $40 and $50 plans you can opt out of infinite text for infinite calls to other Vodafone users. We haven’t included that variant in the table, as we figure texts will be more useful for most people.
Right now, Vodafone is adding 1GB to any Red plan ordered online before April 9. Even with that added, it suffers from not having the same data allowances as Telstra and Optus on its higher-priced plans — we wouldn’t be totally surprised to see this change ahead of launch, which happened with the iPhone 6 last year.
Tables & Comparisons
Here’s the full table with all the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge plans announced so far. You can click on a column heading to sort or filter for specific download allowances, models, prices or companies. Click in the bottom-right corner for a maximised view.
As is always the case, the lower-value plans are terrible value across every company. By the time you’ve paid the very high handset charges, you’ll spend as much as you would for the more expensive plans. (This also applies to some extent to Vodafone’s 12-month plans.)
Which plan you choose will be heavily influenced by the available carriers where you live. In many metropolitan areas, all three networks work well, but there are always black spots. Don’t commit to a network you haven’t used until you’ve tested reception using a friend or family member’s phone where you live (and ideally where you work as well).
With that said, there are some obvious patterns to consider here. Virgin Mobile, to be honest, is out of the running — Optus uses the same network and offers better deals. Vodafone’s slightly lower data allowances also make it tougher to recommend, though some of the other spin-off features (such as cheaper international roaming and free Spotify) do make it a better-value offering.
In price terms, Optus has a definite edge on Telstra on plans with a higher data allowance. That said, you could do better and have more flexibility by going prepaid if you factor in reselling the phone earlier. Do your sums carefully.
Spotted another plan we’ve missed, or an error? (We try hard to avoid these, but mistakes happen.) Share your thoughts, corrections and preferred plans in the comments.
Comments
2 responses to “Planhacker: Every Australian Samsung Galaxy S6/S6 Edge Plan”
1450 outright? for 128gb edge, wowee. No thanks.
Why doesn’t Vodafone have the 128gb version of both s6 and edge? All the other telcos do. Is Vodafone moving away from offering large capacity phones?
Edit: I see you picked up on that as well.
It really comes down to how good a price you can get on an outright price (without waiting months and months).