Want to know which carrier is offering great value on the brand new Samsung Galaxy S III? Take a look at our always awesome table comparing the major telcos and their similarly priced plans. Remember, you have to take into account your own personal preference, each networks capabilities in your area and all that wonderful stuff before coming to a conclusion. Each to their own! Let’s begin.
| Vodafone | Optus | Telstra | Crazy John’s | Virgin | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plan Cost | $59/mo | $60/mo | $59/mo | $55/mo | $59/mo |
| Repayments | $5/mo | $5/mo | $13/mo | $0 | $5/mo |
| Cap Credit | $750 | $650 | $550 | $750 | $700 |
| Total Cost | $1,536 | $1,440 | $1,728 | $1,320 | $1,536 |
| Data | 1.5GB | 1.5GB | 1.5GB | 2GB | 3GB |
| Calls | 98c/min (+40c) | Unlim Optus – 90c/min (+35c) | 90c/min (+35c) | Unlim CJs – 99c/min (+40c) | Unlim Virgin – 99c/min (+40c) |
| SMS | Unlim national | Unlim national | Unlim national | Unlim national | Unlim national |
| Video Call | $1.47/min (+40c) | $1.00/min (+40c) | 90c/min (+35c) | $1/min | 99c/min (+40c) |
| MMS | 55c | 50c | 50c | 50c | 60c |
| Int. SMS | Unlim int. | 50c | 50c | 35c | 45c |
| Int. MMS | 55c | 75c | 75c | 50c | 60c |
| Link | Vodafone | Optus | Telstra | Crazy John’s | Virgin |
If you want International calling included, only two choices are Virgin and Vodafone, don’t suggest Vodafone as service is still crappy! With Virgin your entire calling amount is available for International, and even better, what you don’t use in one month, gets rolled over to the next month – Brilliant! Customer service is fantastic compared to all the others too! Telstra has better network in more remote places, but if you don’t need those locations, then don’t waste your money!!
DONT PURCHASE THIS PHONE… shocking device!!!!! never works and very slow!!!! if you like wasting money this is right up your alley..
Optus total cost isn’t right unless your are excluding a free month or something but still doesn’t seem right, Vodafone has 2 months free so doesn’t look right, please check and reissue
Vodafone has announced that they have the 32gb version of the S3 coming to them in the coming days and will be shipped to customers by next week.
http://vodafone.com.au/tools/order-tracking/index.htm
Your article has one MAJOR mistake. On the Crazy Johns $55 plan you also get unlimited sms
Wayyy Too expensive at the moment! Best time to shop for the phone I reckon will be around September – October when the iPhone 5 comes out and Samsung will lower the price of the handset!
Really? I don’t think so. Check out what the 4S is selling for, pretty much the same as the Galaxy S3, or even more. Wait 4+ months?! If I wait that long, Id rather get the Galaxy S4 😉
It is frustrating that the Galaxy Note hasn’t dropped in price since the S3 arriving. Most plans are actually more expensive than the S3. So good they didn’t go for that exclusive carrier nonsense for a month or so like they did with the SGS. Lots of good competition on the S III!
IMO the most attractive offer for S3 right now is VirginMobile’s
$29 bigcap + $20 handset repayment. At just $49 per month
and you get $450 worth of call credit and 2.25GB of data. Amount of call credit
is little low compared to other $59+ plans, but data allowance is right
up there with the rest (in fact better than all carriers except virgin’s own).
What about reception? Is that included?
To the people considering Telstra (let’s face it, why waste your time with another carrier) you are much better off to buy outright and go prepaid than sign up to a plan. Buy the phone for $747 outright at DSE, so you still have local warranty. Recharge $40 per month Cap Encore gets you $550 of cap credit & 800MB, buy 2x $20 700MB data packs. This gives you $510 cap credit and 2.2GB data Over 24 months this is a total spend of $1,707, lower cost than the equivalent Telstra contract, more data, and absolute freedom to move up… Read more »
Cap Encore is exactly what I do too, right down to the extra data packs. I did this with my S2 last year. So awesome not being locked in. The other advantage is that if you somehow use all your credit for the month, just buy more. Unlike the exorbitant costs if you go over with a plan.
Yeah, but I get 6.2GB of data from Vodafone for only $60 a month. Putting up with Telstra’s inflated prices and legendary poor customer service is not worth it for slightly better signal.
But that’s Vodafone, hardly a comparison.
My point was the comparsion of Telstra contract to outright and Telstra Prepaid. I don’t consider Optus or Vodafone viable options, i’ve used them both and will never go back.
Voda, Virgin & Optus = S**t customer service. S**t network.
Telstra = S**t customer service. Good network.
All of them are evil, but I’d rather go Telstra – the lesser evil among them.
I always buy outright then go prepaid. Cheaper in the long run and no commitments.
I must be doing it wrong. $747 (phone) + 24x$40=$960 (Cap Encore recharge) + 24x$40=$960 (2x$20 700MB data packs) = $2667. How did you get $1707 Matt?
The data packs come out of cap credit, not real money
Ahh. OK. How do you purchase them?
When you recharge you get cap credit and data, plus the value of the recharge to be spent on plus packs, ie additional data or text or calls. I recharge $50 every month then use the $50 to buy a 3gb data pack. It really is great value for money
Sounds like a good deal. I bet lots of people would have no idea how to buy plus packs using the value of their recharge. I hate how Carriers make this stuff confusing. I once asked a Telstra rep to explain the MRMO bonus (or whatever it’s called). He couldn’t! He said to me “just don’t worry about it”.
Anyway, I’ll probably do something similar to you, or that plan Buzz is on. Thanks for explaining it. Seems my brain wasn’t made for this stuff o_0
Buzz, Scott and myself are all on telstra prepaid. If you need more info I’m happy to help, you know where to find me!
In a bar in Sydney? Just jokin, thx Matt. Will take you up on that in the next month or two.
We’re also the 1%.
Wow, that’s some great info. I used to recharge more just for the extra data, this makes Telstra prepaid even better value, amazing really. Thanks.
That may have been slightly misleading.. I meant that when you recharge $40 you get $510 ‘cap credit’ and that same $40 as credit, to make up the total $550. The initial recharge amount can be used to buy data packs, so you can use $40 for data, but that $510 remains as credit for calls and sms only.
If you recharge $40 you are better off getting 2x$20 700mb packs, if you recharge $50 you can get 3GB for $49.
Just ordered mine from Optus Online. As an existing customer, they waived my early cancellation fee (only 2 months left), give me the 2 months free, delivery free, and $0 handset on $60/month. Now the wait game begins…
Did they pocket the extra month you paid in advance at the start of your contract? I have noticed that they often say they are waiving the fee but neglect to remind you that you paid an extra month upfront!
Must’ve missed that piece of info but considering the 2 months access free, I’m not too worried. =)
Optus seem to be pro-actively offering the Samsung Galaxy S3 to existing customers, and waiving early exit fees.
65×24 = 1560 🙂
Oh but 2 months free if online!
Has anyone heard what someany of these are asking for when it comes to an outright price?
$825 @Allphones
I was at allphones in brisbane city yesterdau. Told 825 then went to a place downstairs and told me 798. My plans expires september for free upgrade and my telco told me 364 to buy it out and start with a new plan so i called them and got a free uograde now instead. So mines on its way
Telstra said to me yesterday that, if you’re an existing Telstra customer, they have an outright price. From memory it was just shy of $800 (but don’t quote me on that).