Best Optus mobile plans

(Image credit: Optus)

Jump to:

Noteworthy Optus deals
Best SIM-only plan
Best overall phone plans
Best cheap phone plans
Best premium phone plans
Foldable plans

A key member of Australia's big-three telcos, and is the second biggest of the trio, slotting in between Telstra and Vodafone. While it's not quite as affordable as the latter, with four plans ranging from AU$52 and AU$82 per month, Optus strikes a nice balance between cost, data and coverage. In fact, a report late last year saw Optus once again crowned the fastest mobile network.

Of course, the Optus data breach and nationwide network outage are hard to forget, but in the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman’s (TIO) 2023-24 annual report, the number of complaints towards Optus has dropped by more than 5,750, which was a near 30% decrease year-on-year. Telstra and Vodafone, meanwhile, have dropped only 0.5% and 15.7% respectively – though Vodafone's reported number of 5,039 is still the lowest number of complaints(Telstra had 22,624).

The best prepaid plans and best SIM-only plans are an attractive option worth considering for those who are already happy with their smartphone – providing a similar product for considerably less. However, if you're looking to pair one of the best phones or best cheap phones with a SIM plan, Optus is one of the best. To make things easy, we've collected all the best deals and offerings on the most popular phones below.

• Best Telstra mobile plans
• Best Vodafone mobile plans in Australia

Jump to:
• Best SIM-only plan – AU$52p/m Optus Small Choice Plus plan
• Best overall phone plans – AU$110.29p/m for the iPhone 16 | AU$108.19p/m for the Google Pixel 9
• Best cheap phone plans – AU$79.74p/m for the iPhone 13 | AU$81.10p/m for the Samsung Galaxy A55
• Best premium phone plans – AU$141.52p/m for the iPhone 16 Pro Max | AU$143.62p/m for the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
• Best foldable phone plans – AU$126.94p/m for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 | AU$166.54 for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6

Noteworthy Optus deals

We'll get to the best Optus plans in a second. First, here are some deals currently available through Optus on some of the best phones right now.

Best Optus mobile plans: our picks

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Best SIM-only plan

Optus Small Choice Plus | 50GB Data | AU$52p/m

Itts AU$52 monthly price tag isn't exactly cheap, but the Choice Plus plan is Optus' most affordable postpaid phone plan. Vodafone's AU$49 Small Plan is considerably cheaper, but Optus blows to Telstra's cheapest AU$65 Basic plan Optus' out of the water. Plus you get the fastest 5G connection in Australia. This plan offers 50GB of data each month to go with unlimited national talk and text, and unlimited international talk and text to 35 destinations.

Total minimum cost: AU$52 | Total cost over 24 months: AU$1,248

Best overall phone plans

Best overall iPhone + plan combo: our pick

iPhone 16 (128GB) | 50GB Data | 24 Months | AU$110.29p/m

If you're looking to grab the latest iPhone on the market, but don't necessarily need the size or power of the iPhone 16 Plus, Pro or Pro Max, combining your new iPhone 16 with the Optus Choice Plus plan could be the way to go. You get access to Apple Intelligence, the new action button and camera control, with 50GB of monthly data. Plus, the iPhone 16 comes in some beautiful colours like pink, teal and ultramarine.

Total cost over 24 months is AU$2,646.96

Best overall Android + plan combo: our pick

Samsung Galaxy S25 (256GB) | 50GB Data | 24 Months | AU$109.85p/m

There's lots of competition when it comes to the best Android phone for most people, but we've opted to recommend the Galaxy S25 over the Pixel 9. Combined once again with the Choice Plus plan from Optus, you get an incredible smartphone at a relatively affordable monthly price. This price is especially good right now, as not only is Optus taking AU$250 off the price of the handset, you'll also get a Galaxy Watch 7 for free.

Total cost over 24 months is AU$2,636.40

Best cheap phone plans

Best cheap iPhone + plan combo: our pick

iPhone 16e (128GB) | 50GB data | 24 months | AU$93.61p/m

There's a new best cheap iPhone, and Optus is providing a very enticing price on it. That's right – the iPhone SE 4 is here in the form of the iPhone 16e. Less than AU$4p/m more expensive than an iPhone 13 from Optus – and the same price as the iPhone 12 – the latest iPhone on the market is an incredible option. This affordable iPhone provides 128GB of storage to go with your 50GB of data, the all-new C1 Modem, action button, Apple Intelligence and more.

Total cost over 24 months is AU$2,246.64

Best cheap Android phone + plan combo: our pick

Samsung Galaxy A55 | 50GB Data | 24 Months | AU$81.10p/m

If you're looking for the best cheap Android phone, there's a whole heap of options to choose from. We've opted for the Galaxy A55 here – with its successor on the horizon – and the price you get is excellent, with the device itself only costing you AU$29.10 on top of the AU$52 Optus Small choice Plus plan. Beautifully designed with a large 6.6-inch display, smooth performance and long-lasting battery, it's about as good as a phone gets at this price.

Total cost over 24 months is AU$1,946.40

Best premium phone plans

Best premium iPhone + plan combo: our pick

Best premium Android + plan combo: our pick

Best foldable phone plans

Best overall foldable + plan combo: our pick

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 (256GB) | 50GB Data | 24 Months | AU$126.94p/m

If you're in the market for a foldable phone, but don't want to shell out for the bigger, tablet-like Galaxy Z Fold 6 or Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is a fantastic foldable smartphone. It has a refined build and durable design, powerful performance and helpful (and fun) Galaxy AI features. Its cover display is a touch less feature-filled than we'd have liked, but it does let you take care of the necessities without opening it up.

Total cost over 24 months: AU$3,046.56

Best premium foldable + plan combo: our pick

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 (256GB) | 50GB data | 24 months | AU$166.54p/m

If you're looking for a tablet and new phone, you can buy both at once with this Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 combined with the AU$52 Optus Choice Plus plan. While tablets are still better for watching the best streaming services thanks to their aspect ratio, playing games, scrolling socials and reading books on the Z Fold 6 is a marvel. Plus, when you don't need its larger display, the cover screen works excellently as a (slightly thicker) regular handset. We said it was close to perfection in our Galaxy Z Fold 6 review, and grabbing it in conjunction with a plan from Optus will be a lot easier on your wallet in the short term. Premium foldable's don't come cheap.

Total cost over 24 months: AU$3,996.96

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

See more Phone Deals

A Digital Content Writer for the Australian TechRadar team, Max covers all things tech and lifestyle and is keen on using tech to make life easier. A 2023 journalism graduate, Max has written across sports, entertainment and business for brands like Zero Digital Media and Valnet.Inc, but found his love for tech in his time at GadgetUser. At home when covering everything from the latest deal and coupon code to the most recent streaming service output, phone or smartwatch, Max excels at using his research, experience and writing ability give you more time to use your tech, not waste time finding it.