Upgrade & Protect explained: Telstra vs. Optus vs. Vodafone

If you’ve tried to sign up for a phone plan through Telstra, Optus, or Vodafone recently, you might have come across the words Upgrade & Protect. This is an add-on that all three of Australia’s big carriers offer for customers who want to upgrade their phone sooner without having to pay off the cost of their current device.

The simple sale’s pitch here is that, in exchange for an additional monthly fee, you can make your next device upgrade a little bit more seamless. However, that high-level pitch doesn’t really do much to answer the question of whether Upgrade & Protect is good value, how it compares to things like AppleCare and the Samsung’s New Galaxy Club, nor what the differences are between the three providers that currently it. 

To help you determine whether Upgrade & Protect is the right fit for your budget and situation, we’ve done the work of comparing what each of Australia’s big three network providers has to offer and how they stack up against one another.

How does Telstra Upgrade & Protect work?

Telstra’s Upgrade & Protect add-on is priced at $15 per month and available to Telstra customers who buy a mobile phone or tablet on a plan. 

If you’re signed up for this service, you’ll gain a handful of perks. The biggest is the ability to essentially sell your secondhand device back to Telstra before your contract is up. Importantly, this will not save you money on the cost of your new device. On the upside, it will free you up from any outstanding device fees relating to your old device and move you over onto a new plan for a new device. 

If you wait until the last 12 months of your contract term (or six months if you’re on a 12-month contract), “upgrading” this way won’t cost you anything on top of the baseline monthly membership fees. Opting to upgrade earlier than that will incur an additional $99 fee, and if your device is not in what Telstra deems to be good condition you’ll pay extra on top of that. 

As part of Telstra’s Upgrade & Protect add-on, you’re also entitled to two screen replacements (priced at $99) or damaged device upgrades (priced at $249) per year. However, it’s worth noting that there is some small print here in terms of how many times you’re allowed to take advantage of those inclusions. At most, you can claim two screen replacements, two damaged device upgrades, or one of either within a single 12-month period.

How does Optus Upgrade & Protect work?

Optus Upgrade & Protect plan works much the same way as Telstra’s does. You pay $15 a month on an eligible plan. You’re entitled to two screen replacements a year and when you’re ready to upgrade, you can offload your old device for either free or a $249 fee depending on its condition. 

The one difference to note here is that Optus Upgrade & Protect is included on some plans as a freebie, meaning you can reap the benefits without paying an extra cent for it. 

Depending on how frequently you upgrade, that could end up translating into some fairly sizable savings. Over the course of a year, you’re looking at $180. Over a 24-month period, that doubles to $360. If you’re on a 36-month plan, you could end up paying as much as $540 for Upgrade and Protect.

How does Vodafone Upgrade & Protect work?

Vodafone’s Upgrade & Protect plan is largely comparable to that of its rivals. However, as you’d expect, it is a little more competitively priced overall. While those who sign up are looking at the same $15 per month that they would with both Optus and Telstra, the fees that Vodafone charges elsewhere are a tad thriftier.

Should your old phone is returned in good working condition, you’ll pay $0 to upgrade if you’re less than a year from the end of your contract. If you’ve got more than a year left, you’re looking at $99. 

If your phone is damaged, you’ll have to pay $199 instead. That’s $50 less than what you’re looking at with Optus and Telstra. 

What’s more, Vodafone also offers the option to exchange your current device for a different one instead. You can even take advantage of this option without sending back your original device, though it will cost you a one-off $349 fee and see that device blocked from the Vodafone network.

If you need to get the screen on your phone replaced, the first fix will cost you $0. Additional screen replacements cost $45, and you aren’t limited to two a year like you are with Optus and Telstra.

The final difference between Vodafone and its rivals is that this carrier offers Upgrade & Protect on tablets as well. In practice, this works the same as it does with mobile devices. However, the fees are slightly smaller on average.

Vodafone is also looking to offer Upgrade & Protect on smartwatches in the near future, though an exact ETA for this service is currently unknown. 

How does Upgrade & Protect compare to AppleCare?

Regardless of which carrier you’re with, Upgrade and Protect is significantly cheaper than what you’d pay for AppleCare. At the same time, it doesn’t offer the same sort of comprehensive coverage. 

Aside from Vodafone, Upgrade & Protect typically only offers a set number of screen replacements per year and nothing else. For comparison, AppleCare includes unlimited repairs for accidental damage, plus theft and loss coverage for up to two claims every 12 months.

Apple Care also costs more, with prices typically starting at $17.99 depending on which and how many devices you want coverage for.

AppleCare doesn’t offer any sort of priority pathway for swapping out your existing device for a new one. However, if you’re concerned about keeping your device working for as long as possible than you are the ability to move off it once something better comes along then it might be a better choice than Upgrade & Protect.

Is Upgrade & Protect insurance worth it?

These days, most premium smartphones are built to go the distance and consumers are happy to wait a few years between upgrades. If you’re more impatient, an early adopter or just like the idea of not having to worry about what to do with your old device when you inevitably swap it out for the newest model, then Upgrade & Protect insurance might be worth looking into.

The case for these schemes is less about saving a few bucks and more about escaping the entanglement of a 24-month or 36-month mobile plan. If you were to buy the latest iPhone on a plan, then upgrade it a year later, you’d be looking at $180 in Upgrade & Protect fees, plus another $99 for the early upgrade fee (regardless of which provider you’re with) at a minimum.

Ultimately, the benefit you’re getting for this sub-$300 premium is that you can easily wrap up your previous contract and jump to a fresh one, provided your phone is in good working order. Depending on the RRP of the device you upgrade to, you might end up paying more per month. Still, what you’re really saving with the process described above is the extra hassle and steps of buying out your previous contract and then selling your old device to offset the cost before signing up for a new plan.

Fergus Halliday

Digital Content Editor

Fergus Halliday is a journalist and digital content editor at WhistleOut Australia. He’s written about technology, telecommunications, gaming and more for over a decade. He got his start writing in high school before interning at magazines like CRN Australia and freelancing for publications like the AU Review, Gizmodo, Kotaku, GamesHub, Press Start, ScreenRant, Superjump, Nestegg, and more.

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