So you’re buying an iPhone 6. Good for you! New gadgets are always fun. Heed this warning, however: just because you’re seduced by the shiny doesn’t mean you should bankrupt yourself making it yours. Here’s the absolute cheapest way to get yourself a new iPhone 6 on a plan in Australia.
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The Method
Let’s just note something really quickly: this isn’t the best value way to get an iPhone 6 in your life. It’s merely the cheapest. Value means different things to different people, so it’s hard to make recommendations based on what’s good value.
We’ll certainly let you know what we think is the best bang for buck, but you should make decisions based on your own financial positions. It’s you who has to pay the bill for the next 24 months, remember.
For a more comprehensive analysis of every single iPhone 6 plan on the market, head over to Lifehacker’s Planhacker page and see how all your options stack up.
Cheapest?
It’s safe to assume that if you want the absolute lowest price for your iPhone 6, you’ll be looking at the 16GB model on entry-level plans. That means you won’t get a huge amount of storage on your phone, nor will you get generous inclusions.
Let’s run through the carriers:
Telstra
The 16GB iPhone 6 will run you a minimum of $77 per month on Telstra.
That consists of the $55 Mobile Accelerate Plan which includes $550 worth of calls, 500MB of data over 24 months. That means the phone itself will cost an extra $22 per month on a 24-month contract.
Optus
The 16GB iPhone 6 will run you a minimum of $60 per month on Optus.
That consists of the $35 MyPlan which includes 300 standard minutes of calls, unlimited SMS and MMS, and 500MB of data over 24 months. That means the phone itself will cost an extra $25 per month on a 24-month contract.
Vodafone
The 16GB iPhone 6 will run you a minimum of $74 per month on Vodafone.
That consists of the $70 Red Plan which includes Infinite standard national calls and texts and international texts plus 300 international minutes, and 3GB of data over 24 months. That means the phone itself will cost an extra $4 per month on a 24-month contract.
(Vodafone does offer Red Plans at lower than $70 per month, but from what we’ve seen they don’t trigger the phone inclusions.)
Virgin
The 16GB iPhone 6 will run you a minimum of $55 per month on Virgin.
That consists of the $30 plan which includes $300 of standard calls and texts and 300MB included over 24 months (a special iPhone launch offer will see you get an extra 2GB of bonus data when you switch networks). That means the phone itself will cost an extra $25 per month on a 24-month contract.
So what does this tell us? Well, you can safely assume that the cheapest way to get an iPhone 6 16GB is on Virgin, which is great because they also run on Optus’ powerful 4G network. Despite the fact that the phone repayment is one of the highest around, the bonus 2GB switch-over offer is compelling, and the plan cost is quite low.
Best Bang For Buck?
Bang for buck doesn’t mean “least amount of money” per month. It means getting the most plan inclusions possible at the cheapest possible price.
After a lengthy analysis, we’d have to say Vodafone and Virgin have tied for best bang for buck iPhone deals.
Let’s go middle-of-the-road for a moment and assume you want the 64GB iPhone 6, for example. Virgin will offer it to you for an extra $3 per month on its $80 plan, which includes unlimited standard national calls and texts, $150 credit for international calls and 4GB of included data. Plus, if you’re switching networks, Virgin will give you 2GB bonus data as well, taking the total inclusion up to 6GB.
Vodafone will offer it to you for an extra $2 per month on the $80 plan, taking the total cost up to $82 per month. That includes Infinite standard national calls and texts and international texts plus 300 international minutes, and 4GB of data. A special launch offer on the iPhones will take that data limit up to 5GB.