New year? New you? New phone plan? The start of a new year is always a great time to take stock off your life, check your expenses, and see if there’s any money to be saved. Changing your phone plan is a super easy way to bring down your monthly bills, especially if you haven’t swapped for a while.
If you own your own phone or have already finished paying out a contract, your best bet is looking at a SIM-only plan. SIM-only plans tend to offer better value than plans that come with a phone since you can also look at options from smaller providers – also known as MVNOs.
MVNO plans to be a little “no frills” and rarely get you more than the basics, but more often than not, they’re cheaper than the big guys. But hey, the big guys have been known to sling a great deal or two from time to time too.
So, if you’re thinking about kickstarting 2021 with a new phone plan, here are five we think you should consider.
Vodafone
Vodafone has cut $5 per month from its cheapest plan while bumping the data allowance. This means you’ll pay just $35 per month for 50GB for your first year if you sign up before January 28. You’ll pay $40 per month after your initial 12 months are up, but you’ll keep your 50GB allowance for the life of your plan. Since the plan is contract-free, you’re always able to leave as soon as the discount runs out.
This plan also has unlimited data at 2Mbps speeds if you manage to go over your cap, and $5 per day roaming for when overseas travel is A Thing again.
As is standard with Vodafone, you can slash your monthly bill by bundling multiple plans on the same account. You’ll get a 5% discount for each postpaid plan after your first, up to a maximum of 20%. Mobile, tablet, mobile broadband, and NBN plans can all be bundled.
Optus
Optus has partnered with Flybuys for a range of SIM-only plans that actually represent better value than its standard fare – especially now that it’s offering a 25% discount on the lot.
A 20GB plan for $26.25 per month is the standout deal, and it also gets you an Optus Sports subscription and a bonus 1000 Flybuys points. For comparison, $39 per month only gets you 10GB on a standard Optus SIM-only plan. The only catch is you’ll need to sign a 12-month contract for the Flybuys plan, while Optus’ normal plans are contract-free.
The plan is still delivered by Optus, you’ll just need a Flybuys account to get it. After your first two years on the plan are up, you’ll go back to paying full price – $35 per month – but you’ll almost certainly be able to find a better deal by then.
It’s available until January 31.
Circles.Life
Upstart telco Circles.Life is currently offering 100GB for just $30 per month, which is a huge amount of data for not a lot of money. Most other 100GB plans will set you back at least $45 per month. If you’re after a huge allowance, Circles is hard to beat.
Just be aware that this pricing will only last for your first year with Circles, after which you’ll pay $38 per month. The plan is contract-free however, so you can leave as soon as your discount expires. We’d say $38 for 100GB is still a solid deal.
If you somehow manage to blow your allowance, Circles gives you an extra 3GB of “bill shock protection” data at no extra cost, effectively making this a 103GB plan. If you still need extra, you can purchase a 3GB top-up for $6. Considering most telcos charge $10 per gigabyte, this is genuinely pretty reasonable.
To get this deal, you’ll need to use the promo code 100NEWYEAR before January 18.
Circles is powered by the Optus network.
Moose Mobile
Moose Mobile is a smaller provider powered by the Optus network that’s definitely worth considering. $23.80 per month gets you 20GB on a no-contract plan, making it one of the best bang-for-buck options around. If you’re happy to commit to a 12-month term, Moose will cut your monthly bill to $22.
And hey, what other telco is going to make you think of poutine?
felix
felix is a new MVNO owned by Vodafone with a rather unique proposition. Instead of a standard data allowance, the plan has unlimited data – albeit capped to speeds of 20Mbps. While 4G can certainly go faster in metro areas, 20Mbps is more than enough to do most tasks online, whether it’s streaming Netflix on the go or even tethering in a pinch. It’s just a little slower than an NBN 25 plan, which is a big upgrade from the 5Mbps cap felix originally launched with.
The plan will set you back $35 per month, and also includes unlimited talk and text.
felix is powered by the Vodafone network.
Alex Choros is Managing Editor at WhistleOut, Australia’s phone and internet comparison website.
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