Love your phone but not your mobile phone plan? With a SIM only plan you BYO phone and match a plan to your needs. Start your search by comparing SIM only plans and their data, text and call allowances below.
SIM only mobile plans don't come with a mobile phone. They typically include talk and text credit and a data allowance.
There are two types of SIM only plans: prepaid and postpaid. The main difference, as you might have realised, comes down to when you pay.
A SIM card is a small chip that you plug into your phone's SIM card slot that acts as a 'key' to connect your phone to your service provider's network.
There are also eSIMs, which work in the same way as physical SIMs, only you 'download' it directly to your phone.
SIM only plans typically come with unlimited talk and text to standard Australian phone numbers and a mobile data allowance.
Some SIM only plans also come with international calls included, but that depends on the carrier.
✓ Use your own phone
✓ Change your device any time
✓ Potential for lower monthly costs (not paying for new phone)
✓ Freedom to swap SIM between unlocked phones
✓ Often you won’t be locked-in to a contract
✓ Flexibility to change plans and providers if there’s a better deal
✓ Shop around for a cheaper phone if you don’t need the latest tech
✓ No credit check on SIM only plans without contracts.
X You must be able to afford a phone outright, which is a higher upfront expense
X You won’t have the support of the telco if something goes wrong with your phone (e.g. faulty hardware) and will have to contact the place you bought it from yourself.
Most of Australia’s major telco providers offer SIM only phone plans. These include Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone. But, there are a whole host of smaller providers out there (known as MVNOs) with competitive pricing and inclusions.
So, when it comes time to compare mobile phone plans, make sure you compare the price with what the plan actually includes (e.g. data, and talk and text benefits) across a few different carriers.
While the best mobile phone plans for you will differ depending on your needs, the 2023 Mozo Experts Choice Awards for Mobile Phone Plans revealed some of the best value plans on the market. Winners include:
Yes, you always have the option to carry your existing phone number over when you’re signing up for a new mobile plan. So, don’t fret about having to memorise a new one, or do the rounds on socials to get your new number to your friends.
The process of transferring your number to a new SIM is known as ‘porting’ your number. You can only port your number over to a new SIM whilst your existing mobile service is still active. Your new telco provider will handle the whole process for you so all you really need to do is wait.
Several telcos offer unlimited data on their SIM only plans. However, purchasing a plan with unlimited data will likely come at a higher cost, which isn’t necessarily a good thing for the budget-conscious among us.
But it’s also worth noting that some plans with data limits will offer no excess fees if you go over your data for the specified expiry period. In fact, they’ll automatically roll you over to a sort of unlimited data plan, only your data will likely be capped at quite a slow speed. The speed cap is likely to be in the ballpark of 1.5 Mbps, which isn’t conducive to streaming HD video or downloading large files.
SIM only plans are less likely to require a contract, making for more flexibility if you need to change plans due to changing needs, tighter budgeting, or if you’ve found a better deal. So, chances are you won’t need to sign a contract that locks you in for a certain period of time.
Activating your SIM will be different depending on the carrier. Usually, your SIM card welcome package will contain instructions and website addresses which you’ll need to go through to activate your SIM. The general process is as follows:
Insert the new SIM into your phone and turn on your device
Locate the activation key provided in the SIM card welcome package
Use your wifi connection (either on your phone or on a computer) to head to the telco’s website
Use the activation key to activate your SIM through the carrier’s website
Wait for the activation process to complete and receive a confirmation email or text
Some mobile phone service providers are rolling-out 5G data access on their SIM only plans. However, it is not as widely available as 4G yet. To find out which carriers are offering 5G SIM only plans, compare mobile plans with Mozo.
Sim only plans are also known as bring-your-own (BYO) phone plans and there are plenty of reasons to consider one, like:
If you can afford to buy a phone outright
You like your existing phone and want to keep it
Your phone is ‘unlocked’ from a specific telco provider, or you’re willing to get it unlocked
You’re looking to cut-down on monthly phone-bill costs
You’re waiting on a new phone release so you can upgrade
You don’t want to be locked into a contract (however, some SIM only plans do have contracts)
You want the freedom to switch to a cheaper mobile phone plan provider when a new deal comes up
You want to be able to upgrade your phone whenever you like.
