Every one of Australia's biggest telcos are getting in on Apple's newest iPhone, but it still requires some time to see who's offering the best iPhone 16 mobile plan. Along with the iPhone 16 and its various models, the biggest announcement at Apple's Glowtime event earlier in September was the long-awaited reveal of Apple Intelligence.
While Apple's AI features will be compatible with the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, those devices have officially been discontinued by Apple. Therefore, the iPhone 16 offers you the most affordable way to take advantage of Apple’s latest AI developments (when it’s officially rolled out in December). Despite heavy trade-in bonuses from both Telstra and Optus, Vodafone is currently the telco to go with if you're looking to pay off your new iPhone 16 alongside a SIM plan. If you'd rather buy outright, we recommend pairing it with one of our best SIM-only plans to keep prices down.
While Optus is advertising a gift card worth up to AU$1,500 when you trade in your old device, you'll only earn that much with the trade-in of an iPhone 15 Pro Max. Vodafone meanwhile is offering 3 months of BINGE, as well as a AU$150 bonus on top of any trade-in credit you earn with your old device. fYou can also take AU$1,299 off your new device when you pair it with Vodafone's AU$79 Promo Plan over 36 months.
With that being said, these are the two best iPhone 16 mobile plans available right now.
Best iPhone 16 plans: our picks
Best overall iPhone 16 plan
Best premium iPhone 16 plan
Compare iPhone 16 telco plans
Still want to know what other carriers are offering? Here's a quick look at what you'' pay each month for the 128GB iPhone 16 over a 24-month contract.
Other iPhone 16deals
iPhone 16 Key Information
Both iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models have received large upgrades over the iPhone 15, at least by Apple standards. There's an all-new A18 (and A18 Pro) chipsets specifically built to handle the rigours of AI functionality through Apple Intelligence, while the cameras have seen significant changes to hardware and software.
Apple Intelligence offers a whole array of AI features across Apple's entire range of existing applications. There's language models similar to ChatGPT for texts or emails, a new 'Visual Intelligence' app that is just like Google Lens and even image and emoji generators.
The improvements aren't all software based, though. Regarding hardware, the iPhone 16 series sports an upgraded camera with a new physical camera control button that directly interacts with the camera app, allowing you to snap shots like a digital Camera. Apple's new 'Fusion camera' is the new 48MP main camera thanks to its ability to swiftly change between taking storage-friendly images and high-resolution photos, as well as offering Stereoscopic capture for Apple Vision Pro.
Coming in five vibrant and attractive colourways – Ultramarine, Pink, Black, Teal and white – the iPhone 16 can be yours today for AU$1,399, AU$1,599 and AU$1,799 depending on which storage option you choose.
