Vodafone enters the Aussie video-streaming arena with its own Android TV box

In a market that’s already saturated with streaming devices like Telstra TV and Optus’ Fetch TV, another Australian telco has joined the fray.

Vodafone Australia has today announced that it will be launching Vodafone TV, a streaming box powered by Google’s Android platform, in April.

Coinciding with the release of the streaming device will be Vodafone’s expansion of its broadband service to more cities in Australia, namely Brisbane, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Perth and Hobart. Currently Vodafone’s NBN plans are available only in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, Geelong and Newcastle.

Bundle up

Vodafone TV will retail for $120 and comes bundled with a 12-month standard Netflix subscription if you sign up for one of the telco’s higher speed NBN plans (ie. the $80 NBN 50 or $100 NBN 100 plan) before June 30, 2018. 

If you've already got yourself a Netflix subscription, never fear! Vodafone will provide a code that you'll be able to redeem any time before August 31, 2018 to keep your service streaming. 

At $120, Vodafone’s streaming box is cheaper than Telstra TV 2 and Fetch Mini, not to mention Apple TV as well. It’s a tad more expensive than the Foxtel Now Box and Amazon’s Fire TV Stick, but Vodafone TV is 4K compatible and works with free-to-air TV tuners. It also comes with a remote with one-button access to Netflix and YouTube.

Image: supplied

Image: supplied

Pricing and availability

Vodafone TV will be available at all Vodafone stores from mid-April and will retail, as mentioned earlier, for $120 if you want to purchase it outright. 

You don’t need to have a Vodafone broadband plan to use the device, but if you’d like to sign up for one, the box can be paid for with an additional $5 per month on your internet bill over a 24-month plan.

Sharmishta Sarkar
Managing Editor (APAC)

Sharmishta is TechRadar's APAC Managing Editor and loves all things photography, something she discovered while chasing monkeys in the wilds of India (she studied to be a primatologist but has since left monkey business behind). While she's happiest with a camera in her hand, she's also an avid reader and has become a passionate proponent of ereaders, having appeared on Singaporean radio to talk about the convenience of these underrated devices. When she's not testing camera kits or the latest in e-paper tablets, she's discovering the joys and foibles of smart home gizmos. She's also the Australian Managing Editor of Digital Camera World and, if that wasn't enough, she contributes to T3 and Tom's Guide, while also working on two of Future's photography print magazines Down Under.