Vodafone’s newest mobile virtual network isn’t like other telcos, it’s a cool telco. Coupling an original value-offer with green values, felix certainly is a refreshing change of pace in the telecommunications sector, and more than enough to make the provider stand out in a crowd.
It’s three pillars are: simplicity, digitisation, and sustainability - but let’s take a look at just how simple the telco is.
In this guide:
- What is felix mobile?
- felix's mobile plan
- How does felix mobile compare
- Who owns felix mobile?
- What network does felix mobile use?
- Green initiatives
- How to sign up to a felix mobile plan
- Can I test felix mobile before I sign up?
What is felix mobile?
felix is a new, SIM-only Australian telco that claims to embody three major principles: Simple, digital, and sustainable. Founded in 2020 the provider is making big promises for customers and for the environment.
Simplicity comes with a focus on digital, everything you do with felix - from ordering a SIM, to managing your account - is done directly through it’s app.
Coming to market as the second carbon neutral provider in Australia after Belong, the telco’s main focus is on sustainability. It supplies its service using 100% renewable electricity and has committed to planting one tree, per month, per subscriber - with the goal being to plant one million trees within the first year.
felix's mobile plans
felix originally kept it simple with just one plan - the first of it’s kind in Australia - named: the felix plan. It came with unlimited talk and text within Australia as well as unlimited mobile data. Although it now has two plans with data caps. Here's the full range:
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#1
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felix mobile
felix 25GB Mobile Plan
$30.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
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#2
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felix mobile
felix 50GB Mobile Plan
$35.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
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|
#3
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felix mobile
felix Unlimited Mobile Plan
$40.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
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#4
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felix mobile
felix Unlimited+ Mobile Plan
$50.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
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Does unlimited data sound too good to be true? Well it kinda is. The catch is that all of your data is capped at speeds of up to 20Mbps down and 20Mbps up. That's just a little bit slower than an NBN 25 plan. 20Mbps is fast enough to peruse social media, stream in HD, listen to music - pretty much all the main things you use your phone for. It should also be fast enough to download apps on the go and tether to your phone in a punch. It's not quite fast enough to replace a home internet connection for most, however.
For comparison, most 4G networks should be capable of at least 50Mbps in metro areas with decent coverage.
Of course we're no stranger to capped speed "unlimited" data. Vodafone and Telstra have been offering this service for a few years now once you go through your data allowance.
According to felix General Manager for Business Development Paul Tierney, the plan will evolve as customers’ needs do. The provider has not ruled out increasing speed caps (it has already increased speeds from 5Mbps to 20Mbps one month in), or adding 5G as an option but there is no timeline on when, or whether these will come to fruition.
On top of the basic felix plan you can pop on two add-ons at any given point. It's important to note that the felix plan, and these add-ons are all contract-free, so you're free to opt in and out as you please.
Unlimited international calls
While international calls don’t come as standard you can add on unlimited talk and text for just $5 per month. Calls and texts are limited to 40 countries, otherwise PAYG charges apply.
You can choose to begin your pack immediately or schedule it for a future date.
Included countries: Austria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Columbia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Guam, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Puerto Rico, Romania, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Canary Islands, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, UK, USA, Vatican, Vietnam.
International roaming
felix’s international roaming proposition could set you up for a year of travel for just $20 per add-on. $20 buys you 100 standard texts and 100 standard call minutes, and 4GB of data for use in over 40 countries.
Your data will continue to be capped to 20Mbps speeds while you roam, which means that you can still watch HD Netflix BUT you’ll just run through your 4GB allowance in an hour and a bit.
Roaming packs can be stacked, meaning that two packs bought simultaneously will yield double the inclusions and double the price. You can also top up your add-on at any point and retain any left over data, text or calls from your previous recharge.
You can choose to begin your pack immediately or schedule it for a future date.
Included countries: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Fiji, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, PNG, Poland, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, Canary Islands, Switzerland, Turkey, Taiwan, Thailand, UK, USA, Vietnam, Vanuatu.
How does felix mobile compare?
Comparing felix to other competitors in the Australian market is tricky - it's apples vs oranges. When comparing phone plans we tend to look at data allowance, price, international call options, and coverage to help you figure out the best option for you.
Data allowance
This one is a difficult line to walk. felix gives you unlimited data at a limited speed, while other providers will give you limited data at unlimited speeds. Hell, major providers even offer unlimited data at capped speeds once you go through your data allowance as well.
What would you trade? Speed, or data limits? That is the real question here. If you don't want to be held down by speed caps then felix may not be the best option for you, but if you're a glutton for data then maybe shaped speeds aren't the worst compromise - especially given that 20Mbps isn't unreasonable.
For the price of a felix plan, you can generally get between 10GB and 100GB on uncapped speed data, per month depending on which provider you go with. If you go with an Optus, Telstra, or Vodafone postpaid plan then you'll get unlimited data after you go through this monthly amount, but at capped speeds.
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#1
|
Dodo
Editor's Pick
Medium Mobile Plan
$30.00/mth
Min. cost $15
|
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#2
|
Tangerine Telecom
30GB 5G Mobile SIM
$30.00/mth
Min. cost $15
|
|
#3
|
Optus
$60 Optus Choice Plus Plan
$39.00/mth
Min. cost $39
|
|
#4
|
Belong
25GB Mobile Plan
$34.00/mth
Min. cost $34
Link not supplied
|
|
#5
|
Swoop
250GB SIM Only 5G
$40.00/mth
Min. cost $40
|
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#6
|
SpinTel
$35 Mobile Plan
$35.00/mth
Min. cost $35
|
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#7
|
Coles Mobile
$35 Mobile Plan
$35.00/mth
Min. cost $12
Link not supplied
|
|
#8
|
More
30GB 5G Mobile SIM
$33.00/mth
Min. cost $33
Link not supplied
|
|
#9
|
Moose Mobile
Moose 50 SIM Only
$40.00/mth
Min. cost $40
Link not supplied
|
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#10
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Everyday Mobile
$40 SIM Only
$40.00/mth
Min. cost $40
Link not supplied
|
There is only one plan on felix mobile which will set you back $35 per month. While this isn't the cheapest deal out there, it's also not the most expensive. For $30 per month and under you can nab some great SIM-only deals with a generous heaping of data to go along with it.
Below is a look at what kind of plans you can get for less than $30 per month.
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#1
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SpinTel
Editor's Pick
$23 Mobile Plan
$12.00/mth
Min. cost $12
|
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#2
|
Dodo
Editor's Pick
Medium Mobile Plan
$30.00/mth
Min. cost $15
|
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#3
|
Tangerine Telecom
30GB 5G Mobile SIM
$30.00/mth
Min. cost $15
|
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#4
|
Pivotel
25GB Mobile Swift Plan
$11.45/mth
Min. cost $11.45
|
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#5
|
Swoop
30GB SIM Only 5G
$14.00/mth
Min. cost $14
|
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#6
|
Moose Mobile
Moose 23 SIM Only
$14.00/mth
Min. cost $14
Link not supplied
|
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#7
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Aussie Broadband
Saver 5G SIM Plan
$30.00/mth
Min. cost $30
Link not supplied
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International calls don't come standard with felix's plan, but you can add them on for just $5 per month. This option can be toggled on, and off when necessary so you're not paying for features you're not using. For a fiver you'll get unlimited talk and text to 40 countries, but there is more on that later on down the track.
For between $30 - $40 per month there are other providers who tap on some international call inclusions. However usually you'll need to trade off either the amount of minutes, or the amount of locations that you can contact. Telstra powered providers generally offer unlimited talk and text to 15 international locations, Optus MVNOs give 100 to 200 international minutes to 35 countries, and Vodafone providers offer around 100 international minutes to Zone 1 countries.
Below are comparable plans with international calls included.
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#1
|
Dodo
Editor's Pick
Medium Mobile Plan
$30.00/mth
Min. cost $15
|
|
#2
|
Tangerine Telecom
30GB 5G Mobile SIM
$30.00/mth
Min. cost $15
|
|
#3
|
Swoop
250GB SIM Only 5G
$40.00/mth
Min. cost $40
|
|
#4
|
Coles Mobile
$35 Mobile Plan
$35.00/mth
Min. cost $12
Link not supplied
|
|
#5
|
More
30GB 5G Mobile SIM
$33.00/mth
Min. cost $33
Link not supplied
|
|
#6
|
Moose Mobile
Moose 50 SIM Only
$40.00/mth
Min. cost $40
Link not supplied
|
|
#7
|
Everyday Mobile
$40 SIM Only
$40.00/mth
Min. cost $40
Link not supplied
|
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#8
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Aussie Broadband
Value 5G SIM Plan
$40.00/mth
Min. cost $40
Link not supplied
|
felix coverage is the same as Vodafone, making it among the smallest reaching providers in the country.
This is not to say that Vodafone coverage won't suit you, but it is always worth checking provider coverage maps before committing to a mobile plan.
Comparing felix to other unlimited providers
We're no stranger to unlimited phone plans now. Every major provider offers some version of unlimited data along with its plans.
For Telstra, this comes in the form of capped speeds once you run out of your full speed data. If you use your whole data allowance you can continue to browse at speeds of 1.5Mbps.
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Telstra
$84 Essential Upfront SIM Plan
$74.00/mth
Min. cost $74
Link not supplied
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Vodafone offers a scaled unlimited data system - the more you spend, the more uncapped data you get, and the faster your capped speeds are once it runs out. Lite plans come with capped data of 2Mbps, Super plans with speeds of 10Mbps, and Ultra plans with 25Mbps. You can even get, what the provider calls unlimited data on prepaid plans but this is still capped at 1.5Mbps. You can find a more detailed comparison with Vodafone on our felix vs Vodafone plans guide.
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#1
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Vodafone
$68 Medium SIM Only Plan
$50.00/mth
Min. cost $50
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#2
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Vodafone
$78 Large SIM Only Plan
$55.00/mth
Min. cost $55
|
On the other hand, Optus does things a little bit differently. While all postpaid plans now come with unlimited data at 1.5Mbps once you use your included data, you also have the option to pay for top ups at full speed.
Optus also has a second unlimited data offer dubbed Unlimited Data Day. You can pay $5 to get unlimited data for 24 hours with no speed restrictions.
The Unlimited Data Day add-on is available to Optus customers on postpaid plans and prepaid customers on a recharge worth at least $30. It can be purchased through the My Optus app. While Optus plans typically support data sharing, the unlimited data add-on cannot be shared. It can only be used in Australia.
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#1
|
Optus
$69 Optus Promo Plan
$69.00/mth
Min. cost $69
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#2
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Optus
$70 Optus Choice Plus Plan
$70.00/mth
Min. cost $70
|
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#3
|
Optus
$90 Optus Choice Plus Plan
$90.00/mth
Min. cost $90
|
Who owns felix mobile?
TPG Telecom - the recently merged entity of TPG and Vodafone - owns felix.
What network does felix mobile use?
felix’s services are powered by Vodafone’s 3G and 4G networks, but currently customers won’t have access to 5G.
How does felix mobile help the environment?
Described as a “passion project” by felix General Manager for Business Development Paul Tierney, felix is one of just two carbon neutral telcos in Australia.
The telco is powered by 100% renewable electricity, achieved by investing in renewable energy projects across the country. Similarly carbon emissions are neutralised by supporting certified Carbon Offset schemes both in Australia and internationally.
You can read more about sustainable telcos here.
Furthermore, as part of a reforestation initiative, the provider vows to plant one tree, per month, per subscriber to the service. With a goal of one million trees planted in the first year, around 83,333 Aussies will need to jump on board the provider from the get-go to reach that in 12 months.
How to sign up to a felix mobile plan
In order to sign up to a felix plan you’ll need to download the app. This is available to download through the App Store and Google Play.
Can I test felix mobile out first?
Technically no, you won't be able to get free access to the service in order to test it out. However the provider is offering a seven-day "happiness guarantee" - if you sign up and aren't satisfied within the first week then you can contact customer service for a full refund of your plan fees.
Anula Wiwatowska
Offsite Editorial Lead | Instagram
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