SIM only mobile (March 2021) is just that. You buy a SIM from a myriad of operators and choose from a plethora of monthly, no-lock in, pre-paid plans. We can’t tell you what is the best or cheapest. There are too many choices with a myriad of short-term promotional rates, variables, extras and conditions.
GadgetGuy’s Guide to SIM only mobile (March 2021) tells you the differences and what to look for. Please use this guide as a tool to help you ‘sort the wheat from the chaff’. If any of the terms we use don’t mean a lot there is an explainer at the end.
SIM only mobile (March 2021)
Contents
SIM only mobile means you have a mobile phone bought outright or the contract has expired. Buy a SIM (either online and posted to you) or go to Coles, Woolies or major CE retailers and pick up a SIM. Cost is usually $2-15. It may be called a starter pack and may have bonus data. Don’t worry too much about the marketing hype.
The three carrier networks are Telstra, Optus and Vodafone (MNO or Mobile network operators). They resell various ‘bits’ (capabilities) of the network to Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs).
MVNOs
MVNOs usually offer pre-paid monthly roll-over plans with no lock in contracts. If you do the sums, you will probably find that buying a handset outright using an MVNO for a specified monthly data amount and unlimited calls and text within Australia is a much better deal than a MNO offers.
If you have an existing mobile number, you will be given a choice to keep your current number when you activate the new plan. Activation is usually quick and painless.
Warning on VoLTE and Wi-Fi Calling – its not as widespread as you think
This could well be the most important aspect of which MNO or MVNO you use. VoLTE means your voice calls can use 4G LTE (data), not fall back to 3G. Wi-Fi calling is part of VoLTE and seamlessly swaps between the Carrier network to your home/office/coffeeshop Wi-Fi network (and vice versa) for calls and SMS.
Telstra has it in most city/suburban areas but not all the network. It only allows Boost Mobile to offer it. Optus is rolling it out but at present only allows Moose and Spintel to have it. Vodafone are rolling it out but coverage is very limited and as far as we know no MVNO has access to it.
5G
At present no MVNO has 5G access. Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone have very limited coverage. In Telstra’s case its 5G starts at $65/80GB per month.
We think 5G is not a deciding issue at all. 4G will be around for many years. But Telco’s are starting to re-allocate 3G bands to help 5G coverage so don’t expect 3G to be around for too much longer.
Coverage is really important too.
Telstra and Optus are neck-and-neck. The main thing here is to see what signal strength you get with each network. You can measure -dBm (lower the better) with a free Android app called Network cell Info where you get where you work, live and play. Vodafone is more for capital cities/suburbs and some larger regional cities. Take the carrier coverage maps with a big grain of salt – they are based on ‘models’ not real reception.
How much data will you need?
The best advice is to check your exisitng plan’s data consumption to see what you have been using.
See also
GadgetGuy has some great advice here including a tool to help you calculate data needs. As a guide
- Occasional users who regard a smartphone as a device to make and receive calls are flat out using 1GB a month – often only a few MB for telemetry and location.
- Average users with daily browsing, email and search will, at best, need 3-5GB (about 100-120MB per day).
- Power users that stream Spotify (music) and some YouTube (video) generally get by with 20-30GB.
- And if you are a ludicrous user have a very close look at how to cut down.
SIM ONLY MOBILE (March 2021)
- Based new sim-only 3/4G mobile plans on the <50GB a month data use, no lock in contract
- SIM purchase at extra cost – usually from $2-15
- Ignores temporary sales incentives or bonus data offers (that usually are time limited)
- All have Unlimited Nat calls & text and some have optional at extra cost international voice and data roaming
- Roll-over data or data bank conditions vary. Some lose the data the end of the next month.
- VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling may be the deal maker
- Links below are to the MNO/MVNO SIM only mobile pre-paid page. Unlike price comparison websites, GadgetGuy make no revenue from a click-through or your purchase of a plan – we are 100{a7758c3706987b952e6c06b8e84de22b0478c6ec9e4b4c13f69a9ea693861278} objective.
| Company | Data GB | Roll Over (up to) | VoLTE | Cost/mth | Cost/GB |
| Optus Flex | 30 | 200GB – no 5G | Yes | $30 | $1 |
| Amaysim (owned by Optus) | 30/50 | No but includes some international outbound calls and SMS | No | $30/40 | $1/.80 |
| Moose Mobile (Optus) | 1/6/20/35 | No but includes some international outbound calls and SMS | Yes | $8.80/15.80/23.80/29.80 | $8.80/2.63/1.19/1.00 |
| Telstra | 40 | No but includes some international outbound calls and SMS | Yes | $55 | $1.38 |
| Woolworths pre-paid (Telstra) | 1/12/30/42 | 200GB. Bonus 10{a7758c3706987b952e6c06b8e84de22b0478c6ec9e4b4c13f69a9ea693861278} off one monthly shop to $50 | No | $10/20/30/40 | $10/1.66/1/.95 |
| ALDI (Telstra) | 3/20/40 | Continuous (conditions apply) | No | $15/25/35 | $5/1.25/87.5 |
| Boost Mobile (Telstra) | 5/20/30 | Continuous (conditions apply) | Yes | $20/30/40 | $4/1.50/1.33 |
| Vodafone Lite | 10/30 | No – 2Mbps speed cap after data limit reached | Some areas and 5G | $40/45 | $4/1.5 |
| Lebara (owned by Vodafone) | 3/12/30 | No | No | $14.90/24.90/29.90 | $4.97/2.08/1.00 |
What the jargon means
A list ‘phone plan’ related terms that you should know:
- BYOD – Bring Your Own Device means you already have a mobile phone and just looking for a plan to get the phone connected.
- Mobile plan – Refers to a bundled mobile and plan together to be paid off as a monthly fee
- Outright device – You buy a phone without a plan
- Pre-Paid – You pay upfront for your mobile plan via direct debit or credit card
- Post Paid – You are billed each month for your phones usage (this guide is not about that)
- Unlimited standard national calls & texts – offered on most plans these days, which means for a call to fixed-line phones and mobiles, there is no limit in how many or how long you talk for. Unlimited texts mean you can send as many texts with no further charge to any Australian mobiles.
- International calls – This is a call to another country, and your plan may or may not include this. If this is important to you, make sure your plan includes this or understand your charges.
- International texts – as above but for sending a text message to a mobile in another country.
- Data – refers to the allowance your monthly data GB. (1 hour of low-resolution video will consume around 0.5GB of data)
- 3G/4G/5G – refers to the connection your phone has with the mobile network. The higher the number, the faster the data speed. The lower the number, the increased ability to pass through walls etc. Most users will not see any real benefit of going to 5G at this time.
- Number portability – The ability to change carrier but keep your existing number. This only works for new accounts.
For the latest GadgetGuy mobile phone news and reviews, click here.
