Best Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus plans in Australia (March 2023)

Samsung Galaxy S23 in purple on purple background with TechRadar deals text overlay
(Image credit: Future)

The new Samsung Galaxy S23 range is now available to buy, and there’s some seriously good offers available from the telcos and outright retailers. In case you missed it, there are three new phones for you to choose from: the regular S23, the S23 Plus and the S23 Ultra. We’re taking a closer look at the first two on this page, as we have a dedicated guide to the best Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra plans if you want to check out the premium phone.

Prices for the regular Samsung Galaxy S23 start at AU$1,349, while the S23 Plus will cost you a little more at AU$1,649. The S23 offers 128GB and 256GB storage options, while the S23 Plus comes in 256GB and 512GB models.

There are more options for buying the new Samsung Galaxy S23 series than just going straight to a telco, and we’d even argue that your outright options are better than ever, particularly with the Samsung Subscription offer – we’ve got the full details on that below. 

If you’re considering buying the phone outright, check out our dedicated guide to the best SIM-only plans for recommendations on smaller telcos to pair your new phone with.

Noteworthy Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus deals

Various telcos and outright retailers are offering competitive deals on the brand-new Samsung Galaxy S23 range – these are the ones you should know about before committing to a contract:

Samsung (opens in new tab)
Outright deal

Samsung | save up to AU$250 when you buy with Samsung Subscription (opens in new tab)

The Samsung Subscription program allows you to buy direct and pay off your new device interest free over 18 months, with the option to upgrade to the latest model for free after 12 months. Better yet, Samsung is discounting both devices when you buy via its subscription – you’ll save AU$200 on the standard S23 (from AU$1,349 down to AU$1,149) and AU$250 on the S23 Plus (from AU$1,649 down to AU$1,399). The caveat is that you need to sign up with Latitude Pay, which usually has a AU$10p/m account fee, but this fee will be waived if the Samsung Subscription is the only active plan on your Latitude account. Offer ends March 6; be sure to check the full terms and conditions before signing up.

• Samsung is also offering various bundle deals until March 6 – find more details on the Samsung Australia site (opens in new tab).

Amazon (opens in new tab)
Outright deal

Amazon | first 200 customers receive a pair of Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro free with purchase (opens in new tab)

Amazon is throwing in a free pair of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro earbuds for the first 200 customers who purchase any new device from the Samsung Galaxy S23 series. The Buds 2 Pro have an RRP of AU$349, so it’s not a bad deal if you can get it. Since it’s limited to the first 200 customers though, we’re not sure how long this offer will last. Offer available until March 5, while stocks last.

Telstra (opens in new tab)
Plan offer

Telstra | get up to AU$1,100 in credit when you trade-in an eligible phone for the S23 (opens in new tab)

Telstra is offering up to AU$1,100 in credit when you trade-in an eligible phone for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus, or up to AU$1,000 in credit for the regular S23. Offer ends March 20, see Telstra’s website for more details.

Optus (opens in new tab)
Plan offer

Optus | get a bonus Galaxy Watch 5 when you buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 on a plan, add a Watch plan + stick with Optus over 24 or 36 months (opens in new tab)

Signing up for the Samsung Galaxy S23 on a plan with Optus could net you a Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 for free. In order to get it, you’ll need to stick with Optus for a 24- or 36-month plan, and also stay connected to an Optus Watch plan, which costs AU$10 a month. Offer available until March 31, head to the Optus website for more details.

Vodafone (opens in new tab)
Plan offer

Vodafone | get AU$500 in bonus trade-in credit, on top of credit for the eligible device (opens in new tab)

For the best deal on a plan, we really like current Vodafone’s offer. It gets you AU$500 in bonus handset trade-in credit in addition to any value you receive for the older phone itself – more details below in our recommended plan section. Offer available until March 3.

Woolworths Mobile (opens in new tab)
Plan offer

Woolworths Mobile | save AU$150 on any device in the Samsung Galaxy S23 series (opens in new tab)

Woolworths Mobile is offering AU$150 off any device in the Samsung Galaxy S23 series, as long as you purchase it on a Woolworths Mobile plan and stay connected for 24 or 36 months. Offer available until February 28, head to Woolworths Mobile for more details.

Best Samsung Galaxy S23 plans: our picks

Samsung Galaxy S23 series lying face down on a cream table

(Image credit: Samsung)

Best overall Samsung Galaxy S23 plan

Samsung Galaxy S23 (128GB) (opens in new tab)

Samsung Galaxy S23 (128GB) | 40GB data | 24 months | AU$101.20p/m (opens in new tab)

We’re awarding Vodafone with the best Samsung Galaxy S23 plan, because it’s offering AU$500 in bonus trade-in credit when you hand in an older device, and that’s in addition to the credit you could receive for the device itself. Any credit you receive will be deducted in instalments off your monthly bill. If you go with Vodafone, we recommend pairing the device with the AU$45 Small plan (opens in new tab), which will give you 40GB a month. Alongside handset repayments, you’ll be paying AU$101.20 each billing (excluding trade-in credit). Don’t want to trade-in your current device? Woolworths Mobile has the cheapest plan.

Total cost over 24 months is AU$2,428.80

Best premium Samsung Galaxy S23 plan

Samsung Galaxy S23 (256GB) (opens in new tab)

Samsung Galaxy S23 (256GB) | 40GB data | 24 months | AU$105.37p/m (opens in new tab)

For just over AU$4 more a month, you could get the Samsung Galaxy S23 with 256GB of storage from Vodafone. If you trade-in an eligible device, Vodafone will give you an extra AU$500 in trade-in credit on top of what you’ll receive for the older phone itself, which will be deducted from your monthly bill. Vodafone’s AU$45 Small plan (opens in new tab) will give you 40GB of data, and matched with handset repayments you’re looking at AU$105.37 each billing (excluding any trade-in credit).

Total cost over 24 months is AU$2,528.88

Best Samsung Galaxy S23 plans: our picks

Best overall Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus plan

Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus (256GB) (opens in new tab)

Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus (256GB) | 40GB data | 24 months | AU$113.70p/m (opens in new tab)

Vodafone’s also got the best plan for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus. We highly recommend trading-in an older phone if you can, because Vodafone will shout you AU$500 in extra credit on top of the value you could receive for the device itself (just note you’ll need to stick with Vodafone over 12, 24 or 36 months). We think Vodafone’s AU$45 Small plan (opens in new tab) offers the best value, and combined with handset repayments, you’ll pay AU$113.70 a month. Trading-in an older phone could reduce that cost though.

Total cost over 24 months is AU$2,728.80

Best premium Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus plan

Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus (512GB) (opens in new tab)

Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus (512GB) | 40GB data | 24 months | AU$122.04p/m (opens in new tab)

If you want more storage for your new phone, we still recommend going with Vodafone and taking advantage of its AU$500 trade-in deal. On top of any credit you might receive for your older device, Vodafone will also throw in AU$500 in bonus credit, all of which will be deducted from your monthly bill. We’d argue Vodafone’s AU$45 Small plan (opens in new tab) is the best plan to pair it with, as it’s the cheapest option and will get you 40GB of data a month. Combined with handset repayments, your bill will be AU$122.04 a month, excluding any trade-in offers.

Total cost over 24 months is AU$2,928.96

Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus models in a circle

(Image credit: Samsung)

Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus at a glance: what you need to know

Samsung hasn’t introduced any drastic upgrades to the Galaxy S23, so what exactly is new? For a start, the Samsung Galaxy S23 has a new look. Cleaner, smoother lines are in, and the raised metal plate that housed the Samsung Galaxy S22’s three cameras is out. From what we’ve seen so far, the aesthetic is reminiscent of a modern iPhone.

All three phones in the S23 line now carry a custom Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset made specifically for Samsung, which is claimed to deliver a big kick in performance versus the S22 equivalents. While we haven’t had the opportunity to benchmark it yet, this CPU could mean improved 8K video capture and smoother gaming.

Unfortunately, Samsung hasn’t done much to update its rear three-camera array on the S23 and S23 Plus, so you’re getting largely the same specs as the S22s. However, Samsung claims you’ll get better photos thanks to its upgraded CPU, so the software is doing more of the heavy lifting with AI. Practically speaking though, the S23 and S23 Plus still use a 50MP wide, 12MP ultrawide and a 10MP optically stabilised 3x optical zoom camera. 

One major point of difference between the regular S23 and the S23 Plus is size. The standard S23 has a 6.1-inch AMOLED screen, while the S23 Plus stretches its display to 6.6 inches – both look bright and colourful. Since the S23 Plus is a bigger device, you get the added benefit of being able to squeeze in a bigger battery. We’ve yet to put either phone’s battery life to the test.

We don’t think either phone is a must-have upgrade for anyone currently sporting Samsung’s S22 from last year, but if you’re due for a new device, then the S23 looks to be a good choice for the Android crowd. If you want to go all-out though, consider the premium and productivity-focused Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

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.