The Cheapest Way To Buy The iPhone XS and XS Max In Australia

iPhones are never cheap, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look for the best deal when you’re picking up your new one. We’ve hunted down the cheapest iPhone plans for you right here, and we’ve crunched the numbers on whether it’s a better deal to buy on a plan or pick up your phone outright.

iPhone XS on a plan

For this release Optus has come out with the cheapest plan: you can get the 64GB iPhone XS for $85 a month ($40 handset and a $45 plan) on a 24 month plan. With a minimum spend of $2040 over 24 months, you pay just $411 over the outright cost of the handset ($1629).

With only 4GB of data (and 2GB of that bonus data only available until October 9) it’s probably not going to suit most iPhone users, however: with such a top-line phone, you’ll probably want a good chunk of data too. So while this plan is technically the cheapest, you’ll probably end up spending more on extra data.

Note that while some of Vodafone’s plans appear cheaper, Voda has a habit of separating phone costs and plan costs to make their offering seem cheaper. Even its discounted 36 month plan comes in at a minimum spend of $2781, more than $700 more than Optus while you’re locked into a much longer contract.

iPhone XS Max on a plan

Optus has the cheapest iPhone XS Max plan too, with the 24 month plan for the 64GB model coming in at $95 a month ($50 handset and $45 plan). Like the iPhone XS plan above, this comes with a paltry 4GB data, but it’s still the cheapest XS Max phone on the market.

With a minimum spend of $2280 over 24 months, you’ll end up paying $481 over the $1799 cost of the phone – notably a little more than the same plan with the regular iPhone XS.

Buying Outright

[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2018/09/how-to-buy-the-apple-iphone-xs-in-australia/” thumb=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2018/09/Xphone-410×231.jpg” title=”How To Buy The Apple iPhone XS In Australia Today” excerpt=”The Apple iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max will be available to purchase from 21 September. However, simply walking into a store and buying one might be tricky due to high demand – especially if you have your heart set on a particularly colour.”]

Now it’s still too early to get any great deals on the XS or XS Max – you’ll be paying Apple’s retail price of $1629 and $1799 respectively – but if you can afford the cash upfront, it’s going to be cheaper.

Take the iPhone XS on Optus’s $85 plan – each month you’ll pay $17.13 over the cost of the phone itself. While this is quite a small amount, it’s also only covering a small 4GB of data. If you choose a sim-only plan from a budget provider like Dodo, you can get 20GB of data for $15 on a 12 month plan.

The iPhone XS Max plan has even more leeway – paying $20 extra a month, you can easily get a sim-only plan with more data.

If you’re wanting to stick with one of the larger brands, you’re best to buy the new iPhone through Optus on a plan – but if you want an iPhone on the lowest cost, pick up a cheap sim-only plan and buy that iPhone outright.

[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2018/09/every-telstra-plan-for-iphone-xs-and-iphone-xs-max/” thumb=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2018/09/iPhone-XS-410×231.jpg” title=”Every Telstra Plan For iPhone XS And iPhone XS Max” excerpt=”The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max are almost here – and you can sign up for one with an Australian telco right now. If you live in a regional area or like the peace of mind that comes from being on Australia’s largest mobile network, you’re going to want to go with a Telstra plan. Here are all the Telstra plans for the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max!”]

[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2018/09/every-vodafone-plan-for-iphone-xs-and-iphone-xs-max/” thumb=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2018/09/iPhone-XS-410×231.jpg” title=”Every Vodafone Plan For iPhone XS And iPhone XS Max” excerpt=”The iPhone XS and XS Max hit stores on September 21 – but you can pre-order the phones right now through Vodafone if you’re that way inclined. Here are all the Vodafone plans for both the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max!”]

[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2018/09/every-optus-plan-for-iphone-xs-and-iphone-xs-max/” thumb=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2018/09/iPhone-XS-410×231.jpg” title=”Every Optus Plan For iPhone XS And iPhone XS Max” excerpt=”It’s that time of year again when iPhone users scramble to renegotiate their contracts with a shiny new iOS device. This time around there’s a choice between the iPhone XS and the truly massive iPhone XS Max. Here are all the Optus plans for both phones!”]

Found a cheaper way to buy the iPhone XS? Let us know in the comments!