Can you believe it? Samsung’s Galaxy S9 is already three months old; they grow up so fast these days.
While the neon-drenched S9 launch feels like it was just days ago, three months is almost an eternity in telco time: we’ve got “unlimited” data plans now, Virgin Mobile is fading away, and there’s a whole host of new Android flagships angling for Samsung’s crown.
With that in mind, we thought we’d take a look at the current state of Galaxy S9 plans and try and hunt for some bargains.
Optus has a promotional offer going that will get you a 64GB Galaxy S9 and 12GB of data for $69 per month. This also includes unlimited talk and text, data-free streaming on Google Play Music and Spotify, and an Optus Sport subscription, but the plan doesn’t come with any international minutes. $74 per month will get you a Galaxy S9+ instead.
You might be able to get an even better deal if you’re a Virgin Mobile customer who’s happy to move across to Optus as part of the closure. If you’re after a S9 (or any other new device on a plan), be sure to check out what kind of offer Optus can hook you up with.
If you haven’t forgiven Optus for the whole World Cup thing, you might want to consider the Telstra-powered Woolworths Mobile. $99.95 per month gets you 25GB of data, a 64GB Galaxy S9, unlimited talk and text, and unlimited international SMS. Upgrading to a S9+ will cost you a little extra; you’ll get billed $105.60 per month.
If these plans are a little too pricey, you can bring your monthly bill down to $83.30 and $87.47 respectively by paying your phone off over 36 months instead. Woolworths Mobile lets you change your base plan for free once every 12 months, so you’re also able to increase or decrease your data allowance every year if your needs change.
If you change to Woolworths Mobile from a non-Telstra provider, you’ll get your first month free.
An actual Telstra S9 plan is still your most expensive option, and there’s not really any standout deals at the moment. However, Telstra’s top-tier plans now all include 24-month subscriptions to Foxtel Now, rather than a single year as you got previously.
Vodafone isn’t running any promotions right now either, but its range has been given an overhaul with the telco’s introduction of “unlimited” data plans. $89.50 per month on a 36-month term will get you a 64GB Galaxy S9 and 40GB of high speed data. If you burn through this, you’ll have unlimited data at speeds of 1.5Mbps. Opting for the S9+ will bump your bill up to $93.50 per month.
Both are a bit pricier if you’d prefer a 24-month term, priced at $109.50 and $115.50 per month respectively.
And here’s a quick look at some of the other plans around right now:
Just to add to this, Ebay is having their Ebay PLUS weekend this weekend from 23rd to 24th June. They will have the Samsung s9 64GB model, mixed colours, for $799 (33% off).
It’s really confusing when articles stay at the top of the news list. I visit Ausdroid a few times through the day, and if I’ve seen the top headline already I normally move on. I don’t know if others are the same, but you could be missing out on eyeballs if you don’t find a way to differentiate “pinned” articles from the rest of the pack.
Even more importantly is the Exynos battery and performance fixed or is the hardware a true Snapdragon 810 style dud?