Best Optus mobile plans (March 2024)

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(Image credit: Optus)

Optus is the second-largest telco in Australia, and it strikes a nice balance between data, cost and coverage. It also had its reputation severely damaged following the Optus data breach in September 2022 and the nationwide network outage in November 2023, which understandably has people sceptical about whether they should switch to (or stay with) Optus.

The pros of going with Optus is that it generally has strong network coverage across the country, and Optus is even partnering with Starlink to help bring mobile coverage to Australia’s mobile black spots, though this isn’t set to happen until late 2024.

If you’re considering signing up or upgrading your phone with Optus, we’ve laid out the best Optus mobile plans to suit different needs on this page, so no matter what you need, we’ve got you covered. Click the links below to skip ahead to our plan recommendations, or see what’s available from Telstra and Vodafone:

Best Telstra mobile plans
Best Vodafone mobile plans in Australia

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Samsung Galaxy S24 deals
You can now buy the S24 series, and we have a dedicated guide which breaks down all the <a href="https://www.techradar.com/au/phones/samsung-galaxy-phones/best-samsung-galaxy-s24-deals" data-link-merchant="techradar.com"">best Samsung Galaxy S24 plans. We’ve argued that Vodafone is the best option for most people because it includes more data, but Optus costs practically the same and has a wider-reaching network. As for the new phones, the Galaxy S24 series hones in on AI features, which help set it apart from any Samsung phone before it. All told, we think the all-new family of phones are worth upgrading to.

Jump to:
• <a href="#best-sim-only-option" data-link-merchant="#best-sim-only-option"">Best SIM-only option – AU$49p/m for Optus Small plan
• <a href="#best-overall-phone-plan-combos" data-link-merchant="#best-overall-phone-plan-combos"" data-link-merchant="#best-sim-only-option"">Best overall phone + plan combos – AU$111.43p/m for iPhone 15 | AU$107.29p/m for Samsung Galaxy S24
• <a href="#best-cheap-phone-plan-combos" data-link-merchant="#best-cheap-phone-plan-combos"" data-link-merchant="#best-overall-phone-plan-combos"" data-link-merchant="#best-sim-only-option"">Best cheap phone + plan combos – AU$78.94p/m for iPhone SE | AU$78.10p/m for Samsung Galaxy A54
• <a href="#best-premium-phone-plan-combos" data-link-merchant="#best-premium-phone-plan-combos"" data-link-merchant="#best-cheap-phone-plan-combos"" data-link-merchant="#best-overall-phone-plan-combos"" data-link-merchant="#best-sim-only-option"">Best premium phone + plan combos – AU$126.04p/m for iPhone 15 Pro | AU$140.62p/m for Samsung S24 Ultra

Noteworthy Optus deals

We’re running through our picks for the best Optus phone plans below, but before we get to that, the telco has a few sweet deals you should know about:

Best Optus mobile plans: our picks

Best SIM-only option

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Optus Small plan30GB dataAU$49p/m

<a href="https://optus.sjv.io/c/338476/1378182/16505?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.optus.com.au%2Fmobile%2Fplans%2Fshop" data-link-merchant="optus.com.au"">Optus Small plan | 30GB data | AU$49p/m

If you already have a phone, and you’re not keen on starting up a new phone contract, then a SIM-only plan is a great alternative. The Small plan from Optus comes with 30GB of data, unlimited talk and text to standard numbers in Australia and 5G network access. When you hit your data cap, you can still browse without facing any excess data charges, your speed will just slow to 1.5Mbps instead. You can also cancel anytime without facing a fee.

Total minimum cost is AU$49

Best overall phone + plan combos

Best overall iPhone + plan combo: our pick

iPhone 15 (128GB)30GB data24 monthsAU$111.43p/m

<a href="https://optus.sjv.io/c/338476/1378182/16505?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.optus.com.au%2Fmobile%2Fphones%2Fapple%2Fiphone-15" data-link-merchant="optus.com.au"">iPhone 15 (128GB) | 30GB data | 24 months | AU$111.43p/m

Want the latest from Apple? The iPhone 15 is the standard model in the series, and it comes with a beefed up 48MP camera. We recommend Optus’ <a href="https://optus.sjv.io/c/338476/1378182/16505?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.optus.com.au%2Fmobile%2Fplans%2Fshop" data-link-merchant="optus.com.au"" data-link-merchant="optus.com.au"">AU$49 Small plan for most people, as it gets you a decent 30GB of data every month and keeps your payments as low as they can be on a 24-month contract. We haven’t seen any big discounts on the iPhone 15 at Optus yet, but they could pop up in a few months – no promises though.

Total cost over 24 months is AU$2,674.32

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Best overall Android + plan combo: our pick

Samsung Galaxy S24 (256GB)30GB data24 monthsAU$107.29p/m

<a href="https://optus.sjv.io/c/338476/1378182/16505?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.optus.com.au%2Fmobile%2Fphones%2Fsamsung%2Fgalaxy-s24" data-link-merchant="optus.com.au"">Samsung Galaxy S24 (256GB) | 30GB data | 24 months | AU$107.29p/m

We’ve argued that Vodafone has the <a href="https://www.techradar.com/au/phones/samsung-galaxy-phones/best-samsung-galaxy-s24-deals" data-link-merchant="techradar.com"" data-link-merchant="optus.com.au"">best Samsung Galaxy S24 plans because it includes more data than Optus, but there’s no denying that Optus has larger 4G and 5G coverage compared to Vodafone. With Optus, you’ll also receive a free Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 when you buy any of the new S24 phones, but the catch is you must remain on a Watch Plan for either 24 or 36 months. Optus’ <a href="https://optus.sjv.io/c/338476/1378182/16505?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.optus.com.au%2Fmobile%2Fplans%2Fshop" data-link-merchant="optus.com.au"" data-link-merchant="techradar.com"" data-link-merchant="optus.com.au"">AU$49 Small plan comes with 30GB of data, and if you choose this plan for your phone you’ll pay AU$107.29 a month.

Total cost over 24 months is AU$2,574.96

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Best cheap phone + plan combos

Best cheap iPhone + plan combo: our pick

iPhone SE 2022 (64GB)30GB data24 monthsAU$78.94p/m

<a href="https://optus.sjv.io/c/338476/1378182/16505?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.optus.com.au%2Fmobile%2Fphones%2Fapple%2Fiphone-se-3rd-gen" data-link-merchant="optus.com.au"">iPhone SE 2022 (64GB) | 30GB data | 24 months | AU$78.94p/m

If you’re keen on Apple’s most affordable handset, we recommend pairing it with Optus’ cheapest plan, the <a href="https://optus.sjv.io/c/338476/1378182/16505?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.optus.com.au%2Fmobile%2Fplans%2Fshop" data-link-merchant="optus.com.au"" data-link-merchant="optus.com.au"">AU$49 Small plan on a 24-month contract. It gets you 30GB of data each month, and if you keep your phone connected to Wi-Fi networks throughout the day, we think that’s enough data for most people. It’ll set you back AU$78.94 each billing.

Total cost over 24 months is AU$1,894.56

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Best cheap Android phone + plan combo: our pick

Samsung Galaxy A54 (128GB)30GB data24 monthsAU$78.10p/m

<a href="https://optus.sjv.io/c/338476/1378182/16505?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.optus.com.au%2Fmobile%2Fphones%2Fsamsung%2Fgalaxy-a54-5g" data-link-merchant="optus.com.au"">Samsung Galaxy A54 (128GB) | 30GB data | 24 months | AU$78.10p/m

We rate the Samsung Galaxy A54 as the <a href="https://www.techradar.com/au/best/best-cheap-phones" data-link-merchant="techradar.com"" data-link-merchant="optus.com.au"">best cheap phone you can buy. It offers a bright screen and captures detailed photos for a phone which has a total cost of AU$699. Most people will find the Optus <a href="https://optus.sjv.io/c/338476/1378182/16505?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.optus.com.au%2Fmobile%2Fplans%2Fshop" data-link-merchant="optus.com.au"" data-link-merchant="techradar.com"" data-link-merchant="optus.com.au"">AU$49 Small plan sufficient, as it comes with 30GB of data a month. Pair it with the Galaxy A54 on a 24-month plan, and you’ll pay AU$78.10 each billing.

Total cost over 24 months is AU$1,874.40

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Best premium phone + plan combos

Best premium iPhone + plan combo: our pick

iPhone 15 Pro (128GB)30GB data24 monthsAU$126.04p/m

<a href="https://optus.sjv.io/c/338476/1378182/16505?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.optus.com.au%2Fmobile%2Fphones%2Fapple%2Fiphone-15-pro" data-link-merchant="optus.com.au"">iPhone 15 Pro (128GB) | 30GB data | 24 months | AU$126.04p/m

The <a href="https://optus.sjv.io/c/338476/1378182/16505?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.optus.com.au%2Fmobile%2Fphones%2Fapple%2Fiphone-15-pro" data-link-merchant="optus.com.au"" data-link-merchant="optus.com.au"">iPhone 15 Pro and the <a href="https://optus.sjv.io/c/338476/1378182/16505?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.optus.com.au%2Fmobile%2Fphones%2Fapple%2Fiphone-15-pro-max" data-link-merchant="optus.com.au"" data-link-merchant="optus.com.au"" data-link-merchant="optus.com.au"">iPhone 15 Pro Max are Apple’s most premium devices, and the one you choose will mostly come down to size and price. We’re going with the 15 Pro here, and pairing it with Optus’ <a href="https://optus.sjv.io/c/338476/1378182/16505?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.optus.com.au%2Fmobile%2Fplans%2Fshop" data-link-merchant="optus.com.au"" data-link-merchant="optus.com.au"" data-link-merchant="optus.com.au"" data-link-merchant="optus.com.au"">AU$49 Small plan on a 24-month contract. That’ll set you up with 30GB of data, unlimited talk and text to standard numbers and access to an expanding 5G network.

Total cost over 24 months is AU$3,024.96

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Best premium Android + plan combo: our pick

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (256GB)30GB data24 monthsAU$140.62p/m

<a href="https://optus.sjv.io/c/338476/1378182/16505?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.optus.com.au%2Fmobile%2Fphones%2Fsamsung%2Fgalaxy-s24-ultra" data-link-merchant="optus.com.au"">Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (256GB) | 30GB data | 24 months | AU$140.62p/m

Optus and Vodafone are both offering the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra for AU$140.62 a month, but you might be swayed over to Optus if you want wider 4G and 5G coverage. Plus, Optus is throwing in a free Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 at no extra cost when you buy the S23 Ultra, but you must also remain on an Optus Watch Plan for either 24 or 36 months. We recommend pairing the S24 Ultra with Optus’ <a href="https://optus.sjv.io/c/338476/1378182/16505?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.optus.com.au%2Fmobile%2Fplans%2Fshop" data-link-merchant="optus.com.au"" data-link-merchant="optus.com.au"">AU$49 Small plan to set yourself up with 30GB of data each month.

Total cost over 24 months is AU$3,374.88

  • Looking for something cheaper, or have your own phone? Check out the best-value SIM-only plans
Jasmine Gearie
Ecommerce Editor

Jasmine Gearie is an Ecommerce Editor at TechRadar Australia, with a primary focus on helping readers cut through the jargon to find the best mobile and internet plans for their needs. She crunches the numbers to maintain dedicated guides to the latest phones, NBN and broadband plans of all types, and covers the important telco industry news. She also hunts down tech deals on laptops, phones, gaming consoles and more, so readers know where to buy the products they want for the cheapest prices.