Best Telstra mobile plans (March 2023)

There’s a lot to like about Telstra’s offerings – while its plans are often the most expensive in the market, Telstra’s impressive coverage can be worth the steeper price of entry, particularly if you’re living in a regional or remote area of Australia.

Telstra hit its customers with a price hike on July 1, 2022, which increased the price of all its mobile plans by up to AU$4 extra a month. It reduced its mobile plan offering down to three options: the Basic plan (40GB for AU$58), the Essential plan (180GB for AU$68) and the Premium plan (300GB for AU$89).

We’ll be taking a look at various phones on this page, and seeing how they stack up on the Telstra network. If you’d like, you can jump ahead to our plan recommendations below:

Jump to:
Best SIM-only option – AU$58p/m for Telstra Basic plan
Best overall phone + plan combos – AU$116.29p/m for iPhone 14 | AU$97.54p/m for Samsung Galaxy S22
Best cheap phone + plan combos – AU$87.95p/m for iPhone SE | AU$89.20p/m for Google Pixel 6a
Best premium phone + plan combos – AU$130.87p/m for iPhone 14 Pro | AU$135.04p/m for Samsung S22 Ultra

Noteworthy Telstra deals

Before we get stuck into our phone and plan recommendations, you should know about Telstra’s current phone deals:

Best Telstra mobile plans: our picks

Best SIM-only option

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Telstra Basic plan (opens in new tab)

Telstra Basic plan | 40GB data | AU$58p/m (opens in new tab)

Telstra has the most expensive mobile plans among the three major telcos, but it does have the widest-reaching network in Australia, which will be essential for some. With this in mind, we’d recommend Telstra’s cheapest plan as the best overall, which gets you 40GB of data for AU$58 a month (before the price increase, it was AU$55 a month). The good news is that this plan now comes with access to Telstra’s 5G network as standard.

Total minimum cost is AU$58

Best overall phone + plan combos

Best overall iPhone + plan combo: our pick

iPhone 14 (128GB) (opens in new tab)

iPhone 14 (128GB) | 40GB data | 24 months | AU$116.29p/m (opens in new tab)

The latest iPhone is now available, and if you want to be on the Telstra network, the Basic 40GB plan (opens in new tab) is our recommendation. That will see you pay AU$116.29 each billing for 40GB of data, which is pricey compared to Optus and Vodafone’s equivalent plans to be sure. The Basic plan is the cheapest option available from Telstra, and comes with 5G access included.

Total cost over 24 months is AU$2,790.96

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Best overall Android + plan combo: our pick

Samsung Galaxy S22 (128GB) (opens in new tab)

Samsung Galaxy S22 (128GB) | 40GB data | 24 months | AU$97.54p/m (opens in new tab)

We’re expecting the release of the Samsung Galaxy S23 in February, so consider holding out if you want the latest device. If you’re happy with the S22 though, Telstra is currently offering a AU$300 discount on it (though Vodafone has it beat with a AU$400 saving). Pairing the S22 with Telstra’s AU$58 Basic plan (opens in new tab) will get you 40GB of data, and it’ll cost you AU$110.04 a month on a 24-month contract.

Total cost over 24 months is AU$2,340.96

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Best cheap phone + plan combos

Best cheap iPhone + plan combo: our pick

iPhone SE 2022 (64GB) (opens in new tab)

iPhone SE 2022 (64GB) | 40GB data | 24 months | AU$87.95p/m (opens in new tab)

The iPhone SE 2022 is Apple’s 'budget' iPhone, with a starting price of AU$719. For an affordable plan, we’d recommend pairing Telstra’s AU$58 Basic plan (opens in new tab) with the 64GB iPhone SE in black, red or white, which will see you pay AU$87.95 a month. You’ll get 40GB of data to play with each month, unlimited talk and text to standard numbers in Australia and 5G access.

Total cost over 24 months is AU$2,110.80

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Best cheap Android phone + plan combo: our pick

Google Pixel 6a (128GB) (opens in new tab)

Google Pixel 6a (128GB) | 40GB data | 24 months | AU$89.20p/m (opens in new tab)

The Google Pixel 6a is an affordable phone at AU$749, but fair warning, Telstra’s got the most expensive plan (Vodafone is your cheapest option). If you need to go with Telstra, we recommend the Basic 40GB plan (opens in new tab) – that’ll cost you AU$89.20 each billing period if you pay it off over 24 months. Telstra’s plan is AU$13 more a month than you’d pay over at Vodafone, but you might be swayed by Telstra’s better coverage.

Total cost over 24 months is AU$2,140.80

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Best premium phone + plan combos

Best premium iPhone + plan combo: our pick

iPhone 14 Pro (128GB) (opens in new tab)

iPhone 14 Pro (128GB) | 40GB data | 24 months | AU$130.87p/m (opens in new tab)

For the best premium iPhone, you’ll want to go with either the 14 Pro (opens in new tab) or 14 Pro Max (opens in new tab), depending on your size preference. The Pro has the same 6.1-inch screen size as the regular iPhone 14, while the Pro Max stretches out to 6.7 inches. Whichever you go with, we think Telstra’s Basic plan (opens in new tab) on a 24-month contract is best, as it’ll get you 40GB of data from AU$130.87 a month.

Total cost over 24 months is AU$3,140.88

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Best premium Android + plan combo: our pick

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (128GB) (opens in new tab)

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (128GB) | 40GB data | 24 months | AU$135.04p/m (opens in new tab)

If you want to buy Samsung’s premium phone, we’d suggest waiting until the release of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, as it’s expected to be unveiled in February (and is tipped to have better cameras too). Still want the S22 Ultra? Then pair it with Telstra’s Basic plan (opens in new tab), which will see you pay AU$135.04 a month on a 24-month contract. The Basic plan comes with 40GB of data each month, or an extra AU$10 each billing can get you 180GB if you need.

Total cost over 24 months is AU$3,240.96

  • Looking for something cheaper, or have your own phone? Check out the best-value Australian 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.