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A member of Australia's 'Big Three' next to Telstra and Vodafone, Optus is the second-largest telco in the country, striking a pleasant balance between coverage, cost and data. Although, with the September 2022 Optus data breach and the nationwide network outage in November 2023, Optus has seen a surge of complaints, with people understandably sceptical about whether they should switch to (or stay with) Optus.
Optus isn't the only telco with problems, though. In the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman’s (TIO) latest report covering Q1 2024, the proportion of complaints against Optus decreased from 30.7% to 22.8%, with Vodafone, Telstra, TPG and Tangerine all seeing significant increases. One of the biggest benefits of going with Optus is that it (generally) has strong network coverage across the country, and Optus is even partnering with SpaceX to bring coverage to Australia’s mobile black spots, though SMS compatibility will launch later this year, with voice and data not becoming available until late 2025.
It's worth mentioning that Optus has recently increased plan prices, with the Optus Small Choice Plus plan, which was previously AU$49p/m, is now AU$52p/m, while the Medium Choice Plus plan has increased from AU$59p/m to AU$62p/m.
Luckily, that slight price increase comes with massive data increases, jumping from 30GB to 50GB and 100GB to 180GB respectively. If you’re considering signing up or continuing your time with Optus by upgrading your phone, we've got you covered no matter what you need, with the best Optus Mobile plans for all different phones, plans and prices laid out on this page. Click the links below to skip ahead to our specific plan recommendations, or see what’s available from Telstra and Vodafone:
Jump to:
• Best SIM-only plan – AU$52p/m Optus Small Choice Plus plan
• Best overall phone plans – AU$114.43p/m for iPhone 15 | AU$101.95p/m for Samsung Galaxy S24
• Best cheap phone plans – AU$106.12p/m for iPhone 14 | AU$66.49p/m for Samsung Galaxy A55
• Best premium phone plans – AU$129.04p/m for iPhone 15 Pro | AU$135.28p/m for Galaxy S24 Ultra
We'll get to the best Optus plan's in a second. First, here are some awesome deals for Optus as part of their EOFY mobile deals.
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Already happy with your phone or looking to avoid lock-in phone contracts? There's no need to upgrade! You can grab yourself a tasty new SIM-only plan and continue as you were, just with a cheaper plan – or one that provides more value. Optus doesn't offer the cheapest SIM-only plans, but you do get a moderate amount of value out of them. For a touch over AU$50 per month you get 50GB of Data as well as the standard unlimited calls and texts. If you don't mind paying a little more for a lot more data, you can grab the Optus Large Choice Plus plan for just AU$69p/m for the first 12 months before it reverts to AU$89p/m.
Total minimum cost is AU$52
Best overall iPhone + plan combo: our pick
Taking on the dynamic island of the iPhone 14 Pro, the iPhone 15 is a truly wonderful phone. If you don't need the extra size or power of the iPhone 15 Plus or iPhone 15 Pro, respectively, you'll be more than satisfied with this handset. In our iPhone 15 review we said its "versatile screen technology is paired with new materials, lovely contoured edges [and] a powerful A16 Bionic CPU" and of course – a USB-C port. Pairing it with Optus’ AU$52 Small plan gets you 50GB of data every month, unlimited calls and texts and access to Optus' huge range of coverage.
Total cost over 24 months is AU$2,746.32
Best overall Android + plan combo: our pick
We've made it clear that Vodafone reigns supreme as the place to be for the best Samsung Galaxy S24 plans, but there’s no denying that Optus has greater 4G and 5G coverage compared to Vodafone and – thanks to the time-limited EOFY sales – you can save AU$200 on any S24 phone and claim a free Samsung Galaxy Watch6 when you sign up for a 24 or 36 month plan. Optus’ AU$52 Small plan comes with 50GB of data, and if you choose this plan for your phone you’ll pay just over AU$100 a month.
Total cost over 24 months is AU$2,446.8
Best cheap iPhone + plan combo: our pick
