Since Google’s Home launched in Australia we’ve been waiting for the ‘deals’ on and including the smart speaker to start to appear. This week, Telstra signalled their intentions to include Google Home into their smart home platform so we have decided to have an in-depth look at what Telstra was offering with their home internet bundles. We found a deal with a ‘free’ Google Home included.
Telstra is selling this bundle as their “Home Internet: Our Best Bundle Ever” bundle, but what makes it so good? The plan includes:
- 1000GB of included data each month for your home internet
- Unlimited local, standard and National calls including calls to Australian Mobiles
- A Telstra TV unit, powered by Roku
- A Telstra Smart Home Starter kit (choice of 2 — see below) and
- One Google Home
The bundle has a monthly price of $124 on a 24-month contract. The billing is actually split between $99 for the home internet and phone bundle and $25 per month for the Telstra Smart Home Starter Kit and subscription with a free Google Home. This makes the smart home starter pack and the Google Home cost $600 over 24 months, which is the standalone cost of the starter pack by itself, so technically this is still a free Google Home.
The said, if you’re not wanting $600 worth of Telstra home automation equipment, which is — as best as we can tell– not actually compatible with Google Home, then you may be wanting to find a different way of acquiring one. That said for people who do pick up these kits while getting connected to Telstra, Google may just get a few more Google Homes into peoples houses.
It is interesting seeing Telstra on board with Google Home/Assistant. Wonder if that will head to them offering some kind of integration between google assistant and Telstra TV.
You’re very welcome, guys.
I walked into my local Telstra Shop earlier and had a look around. I asked the question as to what’s exactly on offer but it didn’t really appeal to me. I’m still turn as to how I’d implement these devices with a power saving ‘auto off’ power board.
And then, is it really worth it if I’m the only person using it?
It would be pretty cool if the motion sensor, when activated, would stream the camera onto the top corner of an Android powered tv… wishful thinking I guess.
Decisions decisions decisions…
What’s the Telstra smart home “subscription”?
I believe that it’s the monthly price of the ‘contract’.
You’re subscription is to the “Best Bundle Ever – Home internet bundle” for 24 months.