How to find the best mobile phone plan to suit your needs

With millions of mobile phone accounts active in Australia the business of selling mobile phone plans is huge so there’s little wonder we’re inundated with ads and deals everywhere we turn. So – how do you find something to suit, and just what’s out there.

Know what you need

Before you even start searching the web or looking at ads, heading into telco stores or trying to find a suitable plan – know what you’re using.  How many calls are you making each month?   How many text messages do you send?  Perhaps critically how much data are you using.

You can get this information looking at your bills, or logging into your account page at your telco. Look at 3-6 months worth of usage to try to average out the norm to find what you need going forward.

This will help you find a plan that means you’re not paying for something you don’t need.

Consider everyone

Loyalty is dead.  Carriers don’t reward loyalty, neither should you.  Just because you’ve been with them for ages doesn’t mean the deal is worth sticking with.

You’ll be surprised to know what the carriers have for new customers – bonus data, free access to streaming services, newspapers, movie tickets it’s all on offer.

Plus, the best deals aren’t being offered to those on their fourth year with a telco.

Forget what you think you know about the telcos, and consider them all.  Coverage for all three are excellent, speeds and performance likewise.  There’s no compelling reason to go with one over the other except in the most regional of areas.

Bring your own device

Paying for a $1000+ phone over 24 months isn’t the best thing you can do.  It’s a huge commitment that more than anything leaves you trapped with a single telco.  At the same time, there are phones from $99 right up to $1200 worth looking at – so don’t be blinkered in your view of phones.

Getting a lower cost phone and owning it outright gives you the option to get a SIM Only month to month plan which are not only affordable but also allow you to pay more or less every month depending on your usage needs.

Switching is easy

Love your phone number?  Don’t worry – you can keep it.  Switching telcos takes 5-60 minutes, and your old number goes with you – it’s called Porting your number.  I’ve done it many many times, and it’s fast and hassle free.  Do not let this put you off.

Don’t commit

If you’re already nervous about finding a new plan, don’t commit to something that locks you in for 24 months.  Vodafone offer a 30 day money-back guarantee, and with any other carrier you could consider getting a pre-paid SIM card and just using a different number or phone for a month to see what coverage is like in the areas you frequent.

Some plans

If you’re looking for loads of data and limitless calling and texts, Kogan and Amaysim offer pretty decent deals.

Amaysim : $39.90 – unlimited calls and Texts, 7GB Data – Postpaid with no contract

Kogan Mobile: $36.95 – Unlimited calls and Texts, 7GB Data – Prepaid again, no contract

For those not as hung up on data, but you know where stand on calls and perhaps need to make some international calls now and then, Vodafone have some interesting deals.

Their $60 Plan has 150 mins of International calls and Unlimited Local with 4GB data.  Hit the prepaid market and Vodafone’s MyMix allows you to mix and match your needs to include 300 minutes of international calls, 120 minutes of local calls and just 500MB of data for $35.

If a mobile phone is just something you must have for emergencies and for people to get in touch with you there are long-term prepaid options out there – especially from Aldi.

The Aldi prepaid allows a $15 recharge which is valid for 365 days, that $15 can be used calls or texts charged at 12c per min or 12c per text!

If you can’t find something to suit, I’m always keen to take your calls and help each week on Your Tech Life – just email me and we’ll get you on the show.