You can already save $1,299 on an iPhone 16

Alex Choros - Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor

Last updated 16 September 2024

Vodafone has come out swinging with an eye-catching pre-order offer for the iPhone 16 family. If you pre-order one on its new $79 promo plan, you'll get $1,299 in credit toward the purchase of the phone. This takes the form of a $36 per month discount on your bill.

This means you'll only pay $100 in handset fees if you were looking at the entry-level iPhone 16, for example. This makes your bill $81.78 per month for your iPhone 16 on a 36-month term with 600GB of data.

For comparison, Vodafone's cheapest "normal" iPhone 16 plan is $87.86 per month on a 36-month term with 50GB of data.

You can also trade in an old phone to further reduce your phone repayments. For example, trading in any phone worth at least $100 - such as an iPhone 11 - would bring the handset repayments to $0 per month for a 128GB iPhone 16. This would mean you'd just pay the $79 plan fee.

Opting for an iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, or iPhone 16 Pro Max means there's a larger gap, and as such, you'd need to trade in a more valuable phone to get handset repayments down to $0 per month.

There is a catch, however. Vodafone's $79 promo plan is only available on a 36-month term, and you can't change your plan or leave early. If you do, you'll forfeit any remaining credit (about $36 per month) and have to pay the full remaining value of your chosen iPhone 16.

You're effectively getting a cheaper price by committing to the same plan for three years. This kinda makes it like the contract plans off old where you'd be locked into a fixed term and pay a hefty breaking fee.

If a three-year commitment isn't for you, Vodafone has extras on some of its other mobile plans. You'll get 120GB of bonus data on its $55 plan, and 140GB of bonus data on its $69 plan, which is being discounted to $60.

Here are Vodafone's 36-month iPhone 16 plans:

These deals run until October 10, but you need to pre-order by September 19 to get the 600GB data allowance on the $79 promo plan. This drops to 200GB from September 20 onward.

If you trade in an old phone, Vodafone will also give you a bonus $150 in credit, on top of your phone's value. This doesn't apply to the $79 promo plan, however.

Here's how Vodafone's cheapest iPhone 16 plans compare to Telstra and Optus:

$60 Optus Choice Plus Plan

100GB data
Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device
36 mths device payments
Deal: $39/mth and 100GB/mth for first 12 months, then 60GB/mth and $60/mth or as notified. New services. Ends 12.11.26. Terms apply.

$73.68/mth

Min. cost $1,287.48

Go to Site

$73.68/mth

(plan + phone)

Min. cost $1,287.48

Go to Site

$84 Essential Upfront Mobile Plan

180GB data
Telstra 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices
36 mths device payments
Deal: Get $10 off for first 12 months on new Upfront Essential Mobile Plan. New services only. Ends 05.10.26

$111.47/mth

Min. cost $1,422.92

Link not supplied

$111.47/mth

(plan + phone)

Min. cost $1,422.92

Link not supplied

$60 Optus Choice Plus Plan

100GB data
Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device
36 mths device payments
Deal: $39/mth and 100GB/mth for first 12 months, then 60GB/mth and $60/mth or as notified. New services. Ends 12.11.26. Terms apply.

$77.86/mth

Min. cost $1,437.96

Go to Site

$77.86/mth

(plan + phone)

Min. cost $1,437.96

Go to Site

$60 Optus Choice Plus Plan

100GB data
Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device
36 mths device payments
Deal: $39/mth and 100GB/mth for first 12 months, then 60GB/mth and $60/mth or as notified. New services. Ends 12.11.26. Terms apply.

$98.68/mth

Min. cost $2,187.48

Out of stock

$98.68/mth

(plan + phone)

Min. cost $2,187.48

Out of stock

Update 16/09: Vodafone increased the data on its $79 promo plan to 600GB. All customers who pre-ordered when it was a 200GB plan will get the 600GB allowance.

Looking for a new NBN plan?

These are the most popular NBN 50 plans with WhistleOut users this week:

#1	Dodo Editor's Pick	Dodo All Fixed Line nbn® Editor's Pick nbn50 Unlimited Plan All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Incl. $30/mth discount for 6 months based on the standard price $87.99/mth. Ends 08.12.26. T&Cs apply. $57.99/mth for first 6 mths, then $87.99/mth Min. cost $57.99 Go to Site*	$57.99/mth for first 6 mths, then $87.99/mth Min. cost $57.99	Go to Site
#2	amaysim	amaysim All Fixed Line nbn® NBN50 All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $40/mth off for the first 6 months ($30 NBN Sale + $10 Standard Intro offer), then $85/mth. Ends 04.10.26 $45/mth for first 6 months, then $85/mth Min. cost $45 Go to Site	$45/mth for first 6 months, then $85/mth Min. cost $45	Go to Site
#3	Tangerine Telecom	Tangerine Telecom All Fixed Line nbn® Value Plus NBN 50/20 All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $25/mth off for the first 6 mths, $64.90/month for first 6 months, then $89.90/month. $64.90/mth for first 6 mths, then $89.90/mth Min. cost $64.90 Go to Site	$64.90/mth for first 6 mths, then $89.90/mth Min. cost $64.90	Go to Site
#4	TPG	TPG All Fixed Line nbn® nbn50 Unlimited Plan All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: $69.99/mth for first 6 months, then $89.99/mth. T&Cs apply. $69.99/mth for first 6 mths, then $89.99/mth Min. cost $69.99 Link not supplied	$69.99/mth for first 6 mths, then $89.99/mth Min. cost $69.99	Link not supplied
#5	Aussie Broadband	Aussie Broadband All Fixed Line nbn® Value nbn - Unlimited All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 47/18 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $25 off for the first 6 months. Promo code SPRING25. $95/mth after promo ends 15.11.26 $70/mth for first 6 months, then $95/mth Min. cost $70 Link not supplied	$70/mth for first 6 months, then $95/mth Min. cost $70	Link not supplied
#6	Superloop	Superloop All Fixed Line nbn® Extra-value nbn50/20 All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Incl. $20/mth off for 6 months! $69/mth for 6 mths, then $89/mth + Bundle & Save $69/mth for first 6 mths, then $89/mth Min. cost $69 Go to Site	$69/mth for first 6 mths, then $89/mth Min. cost $69	Go to Site
#7	iiNet	iiNet All Fixed Line nbn® nbn50 Liimitless All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $20/mth off for 6 mths – $69.99/mth for first 6 months, then $89.99/mth. Use code SAVE20FOR6 $69.99/mth + $10 Upfront for first 6 mths, then $89.99/mth Min. cost $79.99 Link not supplied	$69.99/mth + $10 Upfront for first 6 mths, then $89.99/mth Min. cost $79.99	Link not supplied
#8	Belong	Belong All Fixed Line nbn® NBN Standard Plus – Unlimited All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $36 off for 6 months - $55/mth for first 6 mths, then $91/mth (Offer ends 04.11.26) + Free $80 Mobile SIM $55/mth for first 6 mths, then $91/mth Min. cost $55 Go to Site	$55/mth for first 6 mths, then $91/mth Min. cost $55	Go to Site
#9	Kogan Internet	Kogan Internet All Fixed Line nbn® Silver Unlimited All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Incl. $11/mth off for 12mths. $69.90/mth for first 12 months then revert back to $80.90/mth. Offer available until withdrawn. $69.90/mth for first 12 mths, then $80.90/mth Min. cost $69.90 Go to Site	$69.90/mth for first 12 mths, then $80.90/mth Min. cost $69.90	Go to Site
#10	Flip	Flip All Fixed Line nbn® Unlimited Family nbn50 All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Incl. $16.90/mth off for 6 months - $68/mth for first 6mths then $84.90/mth. New customers only. Ends 31.10.26. T&Cs apply. $68/mth for first 6 mths then $84.90/mth Min. cost $68 Go to Site	$68/mth for first 6 mths then $84.90/mth Min. cost $68	Go to Site

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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