There is an assumption that buying a phone on a plan is good value, and if you can’t afford to throw down over $1000 in one hit there is some truth to that. However, if you are in the position to buy your iPhone outright you can save a lot of money over the lifetime of that phone by going with cheap SIM-only providers for your mobile plan.
Below we compare the cost of buying an iPhone 13 outright as opposed to on a plan with a major telco. For argument’s sake, we will look at the cheapest 24-month contract you can get with each major telco, and counter that with a comparable SIM-only plan from an MVNO provider on the same network.
- Telstra iPhone outright vs. on a plan
- Vodafone iPhone outright vs. on a plan
- Optus iPhone outright vs. on a plan
- Is it better to buy your iPhone outright?
First let's compare iPhone 13 outright pricing to the cheapest iPhone plans available from the major telcos.
iPhone 13 cost outright
The icon is used to designate a phone as an imported device, rather than local Australian stock. While imported devices are often cheaper, in some cases they may not come with an Australian power adapter, and warranty and repairs can be more difficult. Read about the pros and cons of imports here.
Telstra iPhone outright vs. on a plan
First things first - your iPhone 13 will cost the same whether you buy it outright or through Telstra. The only ongoing cost to take into consideration is the SIM-only plan you’ll bundle with your new iPhone.
Telstra is notoriously the most expensive telco, so it is only fair to wonder if it’s worth hitching your wagon to the provider for the next 24 months.
First let’s look at Telstra’s iPhone 13 plans.
The cheapest Telstra SIM plan will set you back $55 per month, and then you’ll need to add your iPhone repayments on top of that. On the other hand, if you were to opt for a Telstra MVNO, prices start from as little as $10 per month. Below are the most popular Telstra MVNO plans in our database at the moment.
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#1
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Boost Mobile 
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#2
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Tangerine Telecom 
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#3
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Telstra 
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Link not supplied
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#4
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Belong 
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Link not supplied
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#5
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ALDI mobile 
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Link not supplied
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Even if you bought your iPhone outright and decided on a $20 per month plan on the Telstra network, that would still amount to a $35 saving every month. Over the course of two years, that adds up to $840 extra in your pocket.
iPhone 13 Pro cost outright
The icon is used to designate a phone as an imported device, rather than local Australian stock. While imported devices are often cheaper, in some cases they may not come with an Australian power adapter, and warranty and repairs can be more difficult. Read about the pros and cons of imports here.
Vodafone iPhone outright vs. on a plan
As with Telstra, Vodafone doesn’t mark iPhone prices up or down on a plan - the price is the price. Opting for a plan over buying outright simply means that the total cost of the new iPhone will be divided up over 24 or 36 months. For sake of argument though, let’s take a look at 24-month plans with Vodafone.
The cheapest plan available to bundle with an iPhone 13 on Vodafone right now will set you back $40 per month. Vodafone MVNOs on the other hand are even cheaper still than Telstra - namely because most of them are owned by Vodafone itself. Here are the most popular Vodafone MVNO plans available right now.
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#1
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Vodafone 
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#2
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Kogan Mobile 
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#3
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Lebara Mobile 
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Link not supplied
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Buying your new iPhone with Vodafone on the provider’s cheapest plan would cost $960 in plan fees, plus your phone repayments on top of that. However, if you were to opt for a SIM plan that cost only $20 per month on the same network, you would save $480 over the course of two years.
iPhone 13 Pro Max cost outright
The icon is used to designate a phone as an imported device, rather than local Australian stock. While imported devices are often cheaper, in some cases they may not come with an Australian power adapter, and warranty and repairs can be more difficult. Read about the pros and cons of imports here.
Optus iPhone outright vs. on a plan
Just like Telstra and Vodafone, Optus iPhone plans sell your new handset at the recommended retail price. You’ll pay this price over the course of 24 or 36 months, with your SIM plan added on each month.
Optus’ most affordable SIM-only plan costs $45 per month making it a good middle ground between Telstra and Vodafone. Optus’ network is also incredibly popular with MVNOs offering competitive deals. These are the most popular plans in the market at the moment.
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#1
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SpinTel 
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#2
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Dodo 
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#3
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Optus 
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#4
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amaysim 
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Link not supplied
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Once again, let’s assume that you opt for a $20 MVNO SIM with your outright iPhone purchase. Over the course of 24 months you’ll save $600 while getting access to the exact same network as Optus proper.
iPhone 13 mini cost outright
The icon is used to designate a phone as an imported device, rather than local Australian stock. While imported devices are often cheaper, in some cases they may not come with an Australian power adapter, and warranty and repairs can be more difficult. Read about the pros and cons of imports here.
Is it better to buy your iPhone outright?
There are definitely savings to be made by buying outright in many cases. But the answer isn't a simple "yes", for several reasons:
- Buying outright means smacking down $1,000+ in one hit, which won't work for everyone.
- The amount of money you can save will be affected by how much data you want.
- Your savings will also be affected by which carrier you prefer to go with.
Data makes the difference
Of course, when comparing iPhone contracts to SIM-only plans, you'll notice that handset contracts offered by the big carriers often come with a lot more data. This is particularly true when you're shopping for a plan with 30GB or more. This is because, increasingly, we're seeing carriers use big data bonuses to make high-cost plans more attractive.
If you really think you're going to use 30GB a month or more, then these data bonus contracts could be worth it for you. But make sure you do understand how much data you need before getting lured in by the bonuses. The SIM-only plans we used in our comparisons offer more than enough data for the average user and can save you a whole lot of cash.
It depends on the carrier
Unarguably, the biggest savings we found came when comparing a phone contract from the big carriers Telstra, Optus and Vodafone to buying outright and choosing a SIM-only deal from a small provider like Belong or Moose Mobile.
These smaller providers are what the industry calls Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs). Despite the savings MVNOs offer, many Australians still prefer to trust the larger carriers. This is understandable. We know many Australians have questions about the reliability of the network coverage MVNOs can offer.
However, the secret is that no matter which mobile provider you choose for your service, you're always going to end up with coverage from one of three mobile networks: Telstra, Optus or Vodafone. MVNOs buy their coverage from these networks at wholesale prices. That means any MVNO should be able to provide you with the same quality of connection as a big provider.
Major carriers compared
You may still prefer to choose a major carrier. They certainly do offer some nice customer perks. With an Optus contract, for example, you can get a free subscription to Optus Sport on most plans. And on a Telstra contract, you'll get data-free access to Apple Music, free access to some sports streaming apps and free WiFi through Telstra Air.
Not all of these inclusions will be attractive to everyone, and you are paying a premium for them, but they're certainly nice to have. Even if you do choose a major carrier for your service, you can usually still save a bit of cash by choosing a SIM-only deal from them, rather than a contract.
Anula Wiwatowska
Offsite Editorial Lead | Instagram
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