Best Value Plans/Prepaids using the Telstra Network

Givemethemoney on 04/08/2013 - 13:56

I have read alot of threads about various low-cost carriers and have realised than it's probably better to exit my plan after it has expired, but I am quite happy with the Telstra network and was wondering which of the cheap providers piggyback off the Telstra Network?

My current phone is nearing the end of it's effective life (given it has a tendency to freeze and crash when receiving phone calls).

I generally use less than 1.5GB a month in terms of data and currently receive unlimited texts and $550 in calls and MMS.

Have only used a android smartphone and seems ok (apart from software issues, but I assume that's more due to HTC than Android). Based of GSMarena specs I am thinking of eventually upgrading to the Samsung Galaxy S3 or S4 when prices drop (based of rumours of the S5 being released in a few months)

So out of the good value carriers who provides network coverage comparable with Telstra (for obvious reasons I am staying clear of Vodafone and in some areas I travel frequently Optus has no coverage).

Mobile

Comments

  • PLA74 on 04/08/2013 - 14:08

    OMG, I was gonna post this topic in the forum area as well, as I am in the same boat as you pretty much but I'm using a Galaxy Note 2 phone.

    • Miss Dior on 04/08/2013 - 16:44
      +3

      Aldi is great. Its a pest to have to recharge, I prefer a post pay plan for that reason, but otherwise its $15 or $30 (for a year) with a bolt on of $35 every 30 days. Sim card is $5 with $5 included calls. You can recharge online or from your phone, by phone or app. Unlimited texts, MMS and domestic calls, 5Gb data and I think there is still $10 worth of international calls included as a special. If mine ends on a weekend and I don't need it I just wait to recharge when I do. I can still receive calls through the base $15 or $30. All my friends who are on plans are jealous when I tell them my monthly bill and most are waiting out their plan period to change to Aldi. I'm using a Nokia N9 that I got for $99 outright at Dick Smith thanks to Ozbargain earlier in the year with a hard cover from Officeworks that cost $1 with a screen cover included. Then I pop it in a small leather case that was about $7 at Dick Smith on special. All in all its been my best bargain with help from Ozbargain posters.

  • geforce2003 on 04/08/2013 - 14:20
    +3

    Boost, now half price @ DSE, plus ING paywave…(But it seems WA's DSE doesn't come with paywave machine.)

    • PLA74 on 04/08/2013 - 14:42
      +1

      Yeah that's odd, my local DSE Mt gravatt in brisbane qld doesnt have pay wave/paypass machine either

      • geforce2003 on 04/08/2013 - 14:57

        or maybe we can purchase DSE gift card from another reatil store, then use gift card purchase SIM card..?

      • justdidsomemath on 06/08/2013 - 08:51

        I've been to 3 Dicksmith stores in the past month, none had paywave :(

    • leonheart1 on 04/08/2013 - 15:04

      The annoying thing about this is that you have to keep changing numbers or pay $40 a month.

  • zfa on 04/08/2013 - 16:30

    It's actually easier to work out how much you want to pay then pick the best plan based on that given your assumed usage. There's just so many very similar plans out there.

    Personally I just paid up for a year of Kogan which may not be the most popular on here with all the folk disgruntled by the recent price changes but for $25 per month for 6GB of data and unlimited calls, SMS etc. I'm happy (though its now slightly dearer). With the couple of hundred bucks I spent on a new Android handset (THL W100) I'm up for less than $500 all in and I use my mobile a hell of a lot including lots of international calls (use Rebtel so actually included in my free minutes). Sure it's not the cheapest but it's perfect for me. You need to look at your usage and at what you want to spend as it's not as easy as folk just saying 'this is the best plan for anyone'.

    • Givemethemoney on 04/08/2013 - 23:12

      True, looks like my current usage might have been missed amongst the details.

      Data: 1.5-2GB per month MAX
      SMS: Unlimited
      Call Value: $550 per month
      International Calls: No need

      Would prefer 3G, 3.5G or 4G as that's what I am on (My phone apparently can't use 4G, but uses HSDPA

  • nicois on 04/08/2013 - 19:56

    For me, I get a new telstra prepaid starter pack each month ($15, sometimes $10). As long as you don't mind porting your number (twice) each month and you don't make lots of calls, this is a pretty good deal.

    For $17 each month, you'll get:
    - $250 'bonus credit' for calls and SMSs. So if you send say 50 SMS a month you could still make about 4 hours' calls a month just from this
    - $30 'real' credit. The best bit: you can spend it on the android play store on whatever apps (or books?) you like.
    - 400Mb data. Sure, not heaps, but if you don't stream video to your phone across 3g you probably won't use this all up.

    The extra $2 a month goes on buying an optus reseller SIM, as you can't port direct one telstra prepaid account to another, funnily enough. (If you sign up with Yatango this month, it will save you an extra $2 as they will ship you a SIM for free).

    If you really want to go all-out and paying $17 is still too much, there's an app called Payback on the android market. You can make an in-app purchase with your telstra 'real' credit, and half of it goes to the bank account or paypal account you provide, if I understand it correctly. But I reckon paying $17 a month is already good enough and there are plenty of real android apps to spend money on.

  • Geewhizz on 05/02/2015 - 09:04

    My current phone is nearing the end of it's effective life (given it has a tendency to freeze and crash when receiving phone calls).

    You DO realise they have to provide you with a working phone for the life of your contract?

    A friend is on Aldi and is very happy with it. We would probably also go that way if TElstra ever decides to phase out the Encore Cap plan.

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