New users get 25% off on Amaysim Unlimited plan.
It comes with unlimited local and national calls, unlimited text and unlimited voicemail. Plus it includes 4 GB data, enough for the most assiduous of downloaders. It is also the only unlimited plan to include calls to 13 and 1800 numbers.
Normally the plan costs $39.90/month. But for 1 day you can get it for $30/month
Use the promo code: UNL0625 on registration.
Amaysim plans do not include handsets but will work with any unlocked handset.
The latest Unlimited plan announcement from Amaysim has caused serious shakeups in the market. But is it really as good as it sounds?
Here we compare Amaysim Unlimited Plan with Vodafone $45 Infinite Cap which is one of the most popular SIM only plans in the market today.
Amaysim |
Vodafone |
Winner |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Min Monthly Spend | $39.90 | $45 | Amaysim |
| Network | Optus | Vodafone | |
| Included Credit | None | $45 | Vodafone |
| Calls to Australian Numbers | Unlimited | Unlimited | |
| Texts to Australian Numbers | Unlimited | Unlimited | |
| Voicemail retrivals | Unlimited | 50c/min plus 35c flagfall (can use included credit) | Amaysim |
| Calls to 13/1300 numbers | 29c/min (charged over and above Monthly spend) | 50c/min plus 35c flagfall (can use included credit) | Vodafone |
| Included Data | 4 GB | 500 MB | Amaysim |
| Excess Data | 5c/MB | 25c/MB | Amaysim |
| Social Network Access | Unlimited | Unlimited | |
| Call Centre | Australia | Overseas | Amaysim |
| Prepaid/PostPaid | Both | PostPaid only | Amaysim |
And the winner is Amaysim!
Clearly the folks over at Amaysim put some serious thought into creating a truly breakthrough product, ticking all the right boxes. It is a great deal for heavy users – both for call and data. And happiest would be those who like to stay upto date with the latest phones, but dont want to be tied into 2 year contracts for the privilege.
The only little niggle is the lack of included credit which means that 13/1300 numbers have to be paid for over and above the monthly spend. It can add up if you call those numbers often.
This no frills pricing reminds me of the strategy adopted by low cost airlines, albeit Amaysim has not cut many corners. And that begs the question of how Amaysim will sustain low prices and high operating costs simultaneously. Aggressive pricing, Australian call centres and prime time media advertising all cost a fair chunk of change. How deep are the pockets behind the business?
What are your thoughts on Amaysim in the longer term? And how do you think other carriers will respond?
Telstra product management have been busy lately. The Next G plans, introduced less than a year ago have been replaced again, this time with Freedom Connect plans.
| Plan | Min Monthly spend | Included Credit | Included data | Included Text | MRO credit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom Connect $49 | $49 | $450 | 1 GB | 0 (25c/SMS) | $10 |
| Freedom Connect $59 | $59 | $550 | 1.5GB | unlimited | $15 |
| Freedom Connect $79 | $79 | $800 | 2 GB | unlimited | $20 |
| Freedom Connect $99 | $99 | $1200 | 2.5 GB | unlimited | $25 |
| Freedom Connect $129 | $129 | unlimited | 3 GB | unlimited | $30 |
The new Freedom Connect plans offer more included data, more included credit and unlimited text ($59 Cap and up), but also come with per minute billing and higher call rates compared to the NextG plans they replace. So unless you specifically need more data, in most cases the extra included credit will be cancelled out by the increased call rates.
The new plans include MRO credit that can be used towards handset repayments; on the other hand, the handset repayments on most phones have gone up too. For example, the HTC Desire was free on the $49 NextG Cap but will cost $13/month on the $49 Freedom Connect plan. Comparing Apples to Apples (sorry, couldn’t resist), the iPhone 4 16GB was was $9/month on NextG $49 Cap, and now will be $15/month on the equivalent Freedom Connect plan after applying the MRO credit.
Overall, the new plans leave Telstra customers worse off. In my opinion, the NextG plans served the purpose of making Telstra more competitive and help them regain lost market share in the past one year. But now there is a move back to the old premium pricing model. It remains to be seen whether people reject the new Freedom plans in favour of better value alternatives; or will Telstra continue to attract new users to its premium plans on the back of superior network coverage.
Click here to see all current phones and plans from Telstra.
![Google-Nexus-S-header[1]](http://blog.phonesandplans.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Google-Nexus-S-header1.jpg)
If you’ve been holding out for the Google Nexus S, it is now on sale at Vodafone.
The Google Nexus S went on sale last Friday. It is the first phone in Australia to come pre-loaded with the latest version of the Android mobile phone OS from Google, Android 2.3 also called Gingerbread.
It is not available for outright purchase, but plans start from $44/month on the $29 Cap.
The best Nexus S deal for average phone users would be the $45 Infinite Cap plus $15 for the phone. The Cap comes with unlimited national calls and text and 1 gig of data. And there’s a small bucket of $45 for calls to voicemail, 1300 and 1800 numbers.
Compare all Nexus S plans, or find the best deals using the very clever Mobile Deal Finder.
If you already have a phone, prepaid is a good option for most light/medium phone users. So if you make a couple of calls a day, send a few text messages and don’t need data, prepaid might be the thing for you.
Just Mobile Prepaid 15 is one of the best prepaid offers in the market. Calls are just 30c/min, no connection fee and per second billing. That means you pay only for what you use and no more. More recharge options are available for heavier users: $15, $20, $30, $50 and $100.
Here’s the talktime you get for your dollar:
$15 recharge: 50 mins
$20 recharge: 66 mins
$30 recharge: 100 mins
$50 recharge: 166 mins
$100 recharge: 333 mins
We’ll cover more prepaid deals in the coming weeks. Let us know if you have a tip to share.
And you can follow us on Twitter @phonesandplans for regular phone and plan related news.
The Nokia C3 combines a touch screen with a standard mobile keypad to create an intuitive, easy to use phone. The phone runs on the familiar Symbian S40 OS which is primarily a keypad driven system. But you can use touch for navigating through the phone and keys for entering data creating a smooth integration.
The phone is encased in a slick stainless steel build with a sturdy build. It uses a 2.4″ resistive touch screen that is good enough for the job of introducing a touch screen experience.
A 5MP camera, a good range of messaging tools, WiFi and a 32 GB memory card round up the phone.
It is a budget phone, but delivers a great experience. It comes with the same reliability that once made Nokia the number one phone company in the world.
And follow us on Twitter @phonesandplans for regular phone and plan related news.
Topbuy.com.au are doing some great deals on Samsung products. This time its the Samsung Galaxy S unlocked for just $529 outright which is a pretty good deal on the phone.
Topbuy.com.au are doing a great deal on the Samsung Galaxy Tab. Usually the tablet retails for around the one thousand dollar mark, but this deal is for $673 plus $45 in postage.
Samsung Galaxy Tab is a great alternative to the iPad. It comes with Android 2.2, 7″ touchscreen, Google Navigon and a host of other applications.
On contract:
If you do not want to fork out the entire amount upfront, Vodafone have it on a 2 year contract on the $29 plan plus $26 for the device.
The $29 plan includes 10 MB of data, which you would need to buy separately in case of an outright purchase.
