Cheapest SIM plans in Australia – December 2023

Are you looking to save on your phone bill? We’ve rounded up the cheapest SIM plans from a range of different carriers to help you find the best price. If you’re unsure about whether a SIM-only mobile plan is what you need, our quick guide to SIM only mobile plans will get you up to speed.

Generally speaking, if you don’t want a new phone or a lock-in contract, a SIM plan is the way to go. It’s easy to get what you need without paying for excess features. Unlimited phone calls and text messages usually come standard, with data and international roaming the main points of difference.

We update this article monthly, so bookmark this page to keep up to date with the cheapest SIM plans. Prices update in real-time, meaning you get the latest deals available in Australia right now. You can also use a custom search to choose a plan that suits your exact needs. All of the plans featured in this article include an expiry period of at least 28 days. You can purchase a SIM plan with a shorter recharge window, ideal for travellers who only need a bit of data while visiting Australia.

Want to save on your internet bill too? Check out the cheapest NBN plans to save even more money. You can also compare the best Telstra SIM-only plans, Vodafone SIM-only plans, and offerings from Boost Mobile.

Contents

• What you need to know
• Phone number portability
• Cheapest SIM plans
• Cheapest 5G SIM plans
• Cheapest 365-day SIM plans

What you need to know about SIM only plans

It’s fairly easy to change your SIM plan provider. However, you’ll need to add a new SIM each time. eSIM technology is emerging as an alternative that sees you store details on your device, instead of a small physical card.

Irrespective of which service provider you go with, the actual network used will be either Optus, Telstra or Vodafone. Many of the cheapest SIM plan providers are mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). This refers to carriers that use the network infrastructure of another company.

Boost Mobile is a popular MVNO that has full access to Telstra’s network, reaching 99.5% of Australians. Not every MVNO includes a network’s full coverage, so it’s worth checking a company’s website to ensure your area is serviced.

In terms of how much data you should choose, data from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) found that Australians generally pay for more than what they need. On average, Aussies use 10.2GB of phone data per month, so it’s likely you could get away with a smaller allowance that costs less. It also depends on how much you stream and download content using your phone. If you mainly use home or office Wi-Fi and don’t stream much, stick with a cheaper plan.

Postpaid versus prepaid

There are a couple of slightly different SIM plan options to choose from. Postpaid refers to plans that operate on a monthly billing cycle, where you pay at the end of each cycle. Postpaid SIM plans generally don’t involve a lock-in contract, so you can freely swap if your needs change or a better deal comes along. If you hit your data cap for a month, your telco might limit speeds until the next cycle or charge extra costs, so check the fine print beforehand.

Prepaid, on the other hand, sees you pay at the start of each cycle for a fixed number of days. Most prepaid SIM plans have a 28-day expiry cycle instead of a full month. Shorter expiries are also available if you need a SIM while travelling, making it a flexible option. The upside is that if you go over your data limit, you won’t incur extra costs. A lot of prepaid plans don’t automatically recharge by default but you can set up auto-recharge manually, with some telcos offering discounts or bonuses if you do so.

Phone number portability

The SIM changeover process takes about 10 minutes of your time. You will receive instructions to visit a website, provide your details, prove your identity (online) and then insert your new SIM. Note you will have a choice to migrate your existing mobile number or choose a new one. About 15 minutes later, you should be up and running. However, the documentation will indicate it may take up to 24 hours and be affected by working hours.

Cheapest SIM plans

Postpaid

One of the current cheapest SIM plans comes from Southern Phone, a provider using the Optus network. Its X Small SIM Only Plan costs just $5 a month for six months, and then costs a still-reasonable $15 thereafter. With this plan, you gain access to Optus’ 3G (which is phasing out in 2024) and 4G networks. Along with unlimited calls and texts, you get 2GB of data each month, and $50 credit for standard international calls. This promotion is live until 31 January 2024.

Another cheap postpaid alternative is Dodo, another Optus network provider. It’s just $10 without any discounts and also includes unlimited talk and text with 2GB of data. It doesn’t include any international call credit but you can purchase an International Talk Pack for $5 as needed.

iiNet (Vodafone network) currently has a $10 monthly deal for the first six months, including 8GB of data, before reverting to $19.99. If you want more data for cheap, iiNet also has a 40GB plan for just $15 a month for six months, half its usual $29.99 price.

For more data at a low price, Kogan Mobile has a $15 monthly SIM plan with 10GB of data. Kogan uses the Vodafone network, and this plan gets you 4G coverage. Postpaid SIM plans on the Telstra network start at $20 via Numobile. It only uses parts of Telstra’s network, so check the coverage map beforehand.

Prepaid

On the Prepaid side, the current cheapest SIM plan comes from TPG (Vodafone 4G network). Its plans are half-price, with the normally $20 12GB plan just $10 for the first six months. One perk to note here is that the TPG prepaid plans operate on a monthly cycle, not the 28-day or 30-day expiry of other products. You can also pay an extra $5 for unlimited international calls to 37 countries including New Zealand and the UK.

Yomojo (Optus), Lebara (Vodafone), and Lycamobile (Telstra) all sit around $15, although Lycamobile has a 28-day expiry compared to the others’ 30-day window.

Cheapest 5G SIM plans

As 5G rolls out to more parts of Australia, and compatible phones become cheaper, it’s easy to take advantage of higher download speeds. 5G SIM plans cost more, so are better suited to users who need the extra speed or perhaps don’t have reliable NBN connections.

Postpaid

One of the cheapest postpaid 5G SIM plans is Belong’s 25GB tier at $29 per month. Owned by Telstra, Belong uses parts of its parent company’s network, with downloads capped at 150Mbps, which is still pretty fast. On the Optus side, Southern Phone has a $30 monthly 5G SIM plan with 20GB of data, and up to 100Mbps download speeds.

There are a few data-heavy deals live now, led by Aussie Broadband offering its 80GB 5G monthly SIM plan for $32.50 for the first six months. It’s a half-price discount for a service that normally costs $65 per month.

You’ll need to pay more for 5G on the Vodafone network, however, with the cheapest monthly plan coming in at $40 if you sign up by 14 December 2023. It includes a reasonably competitive 40GB but other plans, like Tangerine’s 50GB tier, include more for less.

Prepaid

If you want to dip your toe into 5G, Telstra has a $17 prepaid starter kit until 25 December 2023, giving you a discounted 28-day cycle before recharges start at $35. It also includes 20GB of bonus data for the first three recharges, on top of the standard 15GB.

Boost Mobile has the cheapest prepaid 5G SIM plan at $22 for each recharge, lasting 28 days, albeit only with 7GB of data. An advantage Boost has over other Telstra MVNOs is full network access, meaning it provides more comprehensive coverage than those that only use part of the network.

Speaking of which, Aldi Mobile costs $29 per 30-day renewal and includes 25GB, plus an additional 25GB for the first three recharges. It uses parts of Telstra’s network, so check that your location is included on the coverage map. On the Optus network, Amaysim’s $30 plan (28-day expiry) with 32GB of data is also decent value.

Cheapest 365-day SIM plans

If you know what you need over a longer period and want to save money in the process, a 365-day SIM plan might do the trick. Simply pay once per year, and get a bank of data to use with unlimited calls and texts. It’s a cost-effective way of paying your phone bill for basic internet users who aren’t big downloaders.

At the top of the list is Kogan with a $100 365-day SIM plan including 120GB, although this promotion ends soon on 3 December 2024. Catch Connect follows closely behind with a discounted $109 plan that comes with 120GB to use throughout the year. On the Optus 4G network, this plan is on sale until 12 December 2023, before it goes back to its original price of $150.

Need more data? Amaysim includes 150GB with its long-expiry plan, discounted to $135 until 17 December 2023. For $150, you can grab 240GB with Vodafone’s Prepaid Plus Starter Pack, a $100 discount.

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Cheapest NBN plans – December 2023

Are you looking for the best value or cheapest NBN plans? GadgetGuy has done the searching for you.

Now’s the best time to shop around and save money on your internet, as recommended by the ACCC, with changes to wholesale NBN coming into effect, impacting prices. Australians are downloading more than ever, so it’s important to find the cheapest NBN plan that suits your needs.

• What you need to know
• Which NBN plan?
• Cheapest NBN plans – December 2023
• NBN 12 plans
• NBN 25 plans
• NBN 50 plans
• NBN 100 plans
• NBN 250 plans
• NBN 1000 plans

What you need to know

If you want broadband internet in Australia, your main and most reliable choice is via the National Broadband Network (NBN). Although the NBN provides the internet backbone, it does not sell plans directly to the public. Instead, telecommunication vendors package up retail and business plans, which include different features and levels of customer support.

NBN availability

The NBN is available to all Australians, but the way you access the NBN may be different. This might include a fixed cable into your home, wireless access via an antenna on your roof or a satellite dish. To see what technology is available to you, start by visiting the NBN getting connected page. After entering your address, you will be shown the technology available at your address. You will also see which providers or NBN retailers sell access in your area. In Sydney alone, we were presented with 123 different retailers.

Speed and reliability

It is important to understand that the speed and reliability of your NBN plan can differ by retailer. Each buys internet capacity from the NBN. This capacity is then shared with a certain amount of the retailers’ customers. This means that a retailer may have faster speeds in one suburb versus another based on how many customers are accessing the overall capacity. It’s always good to ask your neighbours who they are with and their experience with a particular NBN retailer.

It’s also worth checking the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) website regularly. They publish quarterly broadband performance results, measuring how well telcos deliver on advertised internet speeds. You want to be certain that you’ll get the speeds you pay for, so this is a good starting point.

For those customers looking for an NBN alternative, we suggest the following GadgetGuy guides: How does 5G fixed-wireless stack up as an NBN alternative and Caravanner’s guide to connecting to the internet anywhere.

Having good internet speed is more than just a fast broadband connection. For more, be sure to check out GadgetGuy’s guide to improving your internet for more information.

Which NBN plan?

When evaluating an NBN plan, consider the following criteria:

• Data Limits – Is there a monthly download limit of data, or is the plan unlimited?
• Download Speed – Best measured at its busiest in megabits per second (Mbps) typical evening speed. Is it enough to watch Netflix? (Netflix requires 10-25Mbps depending on resolution quality.) Larger households with members using the internet simultaneously will require higher download speeds.
• Cost – How much do you pay each month, and is there a connection fee?
• Contract – Are you locking yourself to a retailer for a period, or is it month to month?
• Telephone – Is a fixed-line telephone service bundled into the plan?
• Customer service – What hours are supported, and is it an Australian-located call centre?
• Upload speed – Important for people who save large files online, like photos and videos.

Changing providers

If you wish to change internet providers, the process involves signing up with the new retailer in-store or online. You may receive a new Wi-Fi router, and you may have to return your old router to your previous retailer. The retailer-provided router is generally low quality but provides a fixed-line telephone connection if selected.

Your retailer might offer you an email address. Still, we recommend using a non-telco-specific email address such as Gmail or Hotmail, allowing you to easily change NBN retailers.

The NBN changeover process can take less than an hour, but depending on the location and NBN technology, it could take a few days. To take advantage of introductory offers, you could swap your provider every six months.

Suppose you do not wish to leave your existing provider. In that case, you may be able to negotiate a better rate by comparing it to cheaper offerings.

Cheapest NBN Plans – December 2023

Here are the cheapest NBN plans at the time of writing. We update this article monthly, but the prices listed in the tables update in real time, giving you up-to-date and accurate information.

Many of the retailers display promotional prices aimed at new and returning customers. These offers generally involve paying a discounted rate for six months before reverting to a standard price. To view the details of promotional offers, click on the green text labelled ‘deal’, which will also show the standard price.

Each plan featured here includes unlimited data. Some providers let you save a few dollars every month by choosing a plan with a data cap. If you know you don’t need much data, use this search tool to find plans with monthly data allowances.

NBN 12 plans

Aimed at people who only need the internet for browsing online and checking emails, an NBN 12 plan isn’t blazingly fast but saves money. Prices recently increased across the board as a result of the new wholesale pricing structure. You could previously find plans for less than $50 but no more, unfortunately.

Currently, the cheapest NBN 12 plan comes from iiNet at $54.99 per month for six months using the code “NBNBF10”. However, the deal ends on 5 December, so you’ll need to be quick. After the promotion, the price reverts back to $64.99, a price shared by most other retailers.

NBN 25 plans

Suited for streaming videos in HD in addition to basic online tasks, an NBN 25 plan gives you a bit more flexibility for not much more money. Tangerine (using Vocus Group infrastructure) remains the cheapest NBN 25 plan, with a $49.90 monthly offer for six months, which then increases to $64.90.

Other decent deals are also available from Exetel, Swoop, and Southern Phone. It’s worth noting that Southern Phone’s $55 offer runs for 12 months, instead of other providers’ six-month promotions. As a result, this ends up being the cheapest NBN 25 plan over 12 months.

Most other retailers hover around $65 when not discounted. Keep an eye on prices, as Aussie Broadband was one of the first to increase the cost of the NBN 25 tier, meaning others might soon follow suit.

NBN 50 plans

One of the most popular tiers, the NBN 50 plan supports 4K video streaming and is better for multiple simultaneous users. Unfortunately, this speed tier was hit hard by wholesale pricing changes, increasing prices en masse.

Tangerine has a $59.90 deal for the first six months, down from $79.90. Exetel is also one of the cheapest NBN 50 providers, offering a $60.99 promotion for the first six months.

Outside of discounts, Kogan Internet claims the cheapest NBN 50 plan at $68.90 per month.

NBN 100 plans

NBN 100 plans let your household stream multiple videos at once and still have bandwidth for online gaming.

Throughout December, competition for the cheapest NBN 100 plan is tight. Exetel, Sintel, Superloop, Tangerine, and Dodo all have six-month deals close to $70 per month. Most plans then revert to an $85 monthly fee but several sub-$80 plans include offerings from Kogan and Swoop.

Of the currently discounted plans, Exetel and Spintel advertise typical evening speeds of 100Mbps, while the others report slightly slower 95Mbps speeds during peak time.

NBN 250 plans

Not content with just streaming videos, NBN 250 plans significantly reduce the time waiting for large downloads. Whether you want to download the latest video game or save a whole bunch of media for offline viewing, this gets it done quicker.

Spintel currently has the cheapest NBN 250 plan at $75 a month for the first six months. It’s even one of the cheapest plans at its standard $85.95 pricing. However, Spintel’s advertised typical evening speeds are 211Mbps, slower than many of its competitors. During December, you can get an NBN 250 plan with Swoop at a monthly $84 rate for the first six months. It then jumps back up to $119, although it’s one of the few retailers to advertise full 250Mbps evening speeds.

Faster tiers like NBN 250 are among the major beneficiaries of the changed wholesale pricing. Retailers have dropped pricing in general, so there will be plenty of competition in the coming months.

NBN 1000 plans

You don’t like waiting for downloads to finish, that’s why you’re looking at this section. As long as you don’t expect to hit full speeds during peak periods, NBN 1000 plans are for households that live on the internet.

Superloop remains the cheapest NBN 1000 plan in December, offering its ‘Lightspeed’ tier for $99 a month for six months. Without discounts, its $109 price point is still good value, especially considering Superloop advertises one of the fastest evening speeds at 600Mbps.

Swoop, with typical evening speeds of 582Mbps, also has a $99 promotion but its regular price is a much higher $139. Exetel is also in the ballpark, although its fastest plan only peaks at 500Mbps.

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As well as the cheapest NBN plans, make sure you check out the cheapest pre-paid SIM plans to save the most amount of money.

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NBN sets new download record, all thanks to Call of Duty & Fortnite

Australians set a new internet traffic record for the NBN network in November, largely off the back of two major video game releases.

Data from NBN Co, the company behind much of the country’s internet infrastructure, pointed to 3 November as being the network’s biggest-ever traffic day. That’s the same day the wildly popular Fortnite OG update launched, in addition to Call of Duty Modern Warfare III’s early access period.

At its peak, NBN traffic reached a record 26.76 terabits per second (Tbps), beating the previous record of 24.98 Tbps in June. This massive figure has been described as the equivalent of over half a million simultaneous Fortnite downloads at 50 Mbps.

In a significant display of the pastime’s widespread popularity, gamers drove the NBN network’s top five data consumption days in 2023. Despite this, streaming remains the number one use of the network, with browsing, social media, and gaming following closely behind.

New NBN record in numbers

NBN Co also dropped some interesting factoids about how Australians use the national network. On average, Aussies downloaded 423GB each month, up 50 per cent from three years ago. Granted, that’s the average, not median, figure, so it’d be impacted by outliers. Regardless, it’s a big number, indicative of how much of our lives have moved online.

In October, City of Playford residents, encompassing South Australian suburbs like Elizabeth, downloaded an average of 613GB a month, the most of any local government area. NBN Co likened the number to downloading The Lion King (the original 1994 animated version) 124 times.

The number of households breaking the terabyte barrier in a month also increased this year. Over 830,000 homes and businesses downloaded at least 1,000GB in October 2023, a 14 per cent increase year-on-year. Unsurprisingly, school holidays were the busiest network times, with Sunday the day Australians used NBN internet the most. If you noticed congested internet at night, that’s probably because 9 pm – 10 pm routinely saw the most use.

See Also

01/11/2023

Cheapest NBN plans – November 2023

Although not all Australians use the NBN network, a significant portion of the population does. Approximately 8.6 million homes and businesses use NBN, accounting for more than 80 per cent of the country’s download traffic, according to Dr Robert Joyce, Head of Customer Strategy and Innovation at NBN.

“Our 2023 Top Network Insights show our customers are using more data than ever,” Dr Joyce said. “New network usage records were set and broken three times in the last 12 months.”

Calls to shop around

Reiterating recent calls from the ACCC to compare NBN plans following the recent wholesale pricing change, Dr Joyce encouraged users to check if their current plan is still the best fit.

“With data usage more than tripling in the past seven years, and with average households now having around 21 connected devices, it’s a timely reminder to check your home broadband plan is still meeting what you want from your broadband service,” Dr Joyce said.

“On our fastest residential plan, downloading a Call of Duty 130GB game update can take just 18 minutes compared to six hours on a 50 Mbps plan.”

Not all internet service providers are equal, however, which is why it’s important to compare the cheapest NBN plans to avoid paying for more than you need. If gaming’s a big part of your life, you’ll want a plan capable of handling large downloads, as NBN Co’s data shows.

Read more internet news on GadgetGuy

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DJI Osmo Pocket 3 review: one camera to rule them all

8.8

Buy on Amazon

For anyone who wants to up their content game, the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 should be on their shortlist. Distinct from standard action cameras like the DJI Osmo Action 4 or GoPro Hero 12 Black, it’s a portable gimbal camera that combines features you wouldn’t normally be able to get in a single, compact device.

So why would you choose the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 over a high-quality smartphone camera or even a pro-level cinema camera?

DJI Osmo Pocket 3 review

• What’s in the box?
• Specifications
• Features
• Shooting
• Stability and subject tracking
• In-camera effects
• Add-ons
• Testing it out
• Who is it for?

What’s in the box?

Osmo Pocket 3 (standard):

• Osmo Pocket 3 camera
• Protective cover
• Handle with 1/4 in thread

Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Combo:

• Osmo Pocket 3 camera
• Protective cover
• Handle with 1/4 in thread
• DJI Mic 2 transmitter
• Battery handle
• Mini tripod
• Carrying bag

The Creators Combo kit is my recommendation for everything you need including an external mic, tripod, battery handle and more.

DJI Osmo Pocket 3 specifications

Price (Pocket 3 only)	$849
Price (Creator Combo)	$1,129 – click to see inclusions
Official website	DJI Australia
Warranty	12 months
Dimensions	139.7×42.2×33.5 mm (L×W×H)
Microphones	3
OLED Touchscreen	Size: 2.0 inches Resolution: 314×556 Brightness: 700 nits
Memory	microSD up to 512 GB (not included)
Sensor	1-inch CMOS
Lens	Format Equivalent: 20 mm Aperture: f/2.0 Focus Range: 0.2 m to ∞
Max video bitrate	130 Mbps
Video Format	MP4 (H.264/HEVC)
Photo Format	JPEG/JPEG+DNG
Battery	1300mAh
Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth BLE 5.2, BR/EDR
More specifications	Official specs page

Features

At the heart of the camera is a one-inch CMOS sensor. This is designed to capture up to 4K resolution at 120 frames per second – but this is only achievable in slow-motion mode. Otherwise, it operates at 60 frames per second. The CMOS sensor is capable of low-light recording too, and a recent software update introduced a dedicated low-light mode. It’s tuned to improve the appearance of different skin tones too, and there are 10-bit D-Log M and HLG modes for High Dynamic Range (HDR) footage and advanced colour grading. For those that might not know, 10-bit recording means the little Pocket 3 can record up to one billion colours, and gives editors the ability to fine-tune colour and exposure.

Of course, it’s hard to overlook the Pocket 3’s compact size and innovative design. The actual camera unit is tiny, so it fits easily on a small integrated gimbal, which in turn is mounted on a handle that houses a rotatable two-inch OLED display. Flick the display to horizontal mode to record in 16:9 or flip it back for native 9:16 recording mode.

The handle also incorporates a rechargeable battery, and you can add external attachments including an extended battery and a base with a ¼-inch screw for affixing other accessories like tripods and mounts.

The Pocket 3 has “full-pixel fast focusing” to keep your subject sharp while you move around, and there’s DJI’s latest ActiveTrack 6.0, which is a face and object tracking system to help keep your subject in the frame. This is all supported by the integrated gimbal, with three-axis mechanical stabilisation for beautifully fluid camera movements.

There are a few “SpinShot” gimbal modes too that automatically rotate 45 and 180 degrees, for a cool spiralling effect. And you can also choose from: 

• Motionlapse: From sunrises to city traffic, capture the gorgeous and surreal flow of time
• Digital Zoom: Up to 4x digital zoom lets you get closer in any shot
• Panorama: Give sweeping landscapes and scenes the full detail they deserve
• Glamour Effects 2.0: for smoothing out skin and other beauty ‘adjustments’

According to DJI, the internal battery delivers up to 116 minutes for 4K/60 footage or 166 minutes of 1080p/24 capture. You can charge up to 80 per cent of the battery in 16 minutes. If you choose the Creator Combo package, which is what I reviewed, there’s an additional Battery Handle to further extend operating times.

In terms of audio, the Pocket 3 has both internal stereo mics and it can also wireless connect to up to two DJI Mic 2 transmitters – with one included in the Creator Combo kit. The internal mics record omnidirectional sound and can reduce wind noise. With the USB audio protocol, the Pocket 3 can connect to other external mics and monitoring earphones too.

Shooting

Thanks to its portable dimensions, it’s easy to get out and shoot with the Pocket 3. It’s so light too, at just 180 grams. The combination of gimbal, fast auto-focus and tracking makes it a snap to create footage that’s in focus, stabilised and creative. 

The OLED screen is bright and easy to see outside, and the menus are like other DJI products such as the Osmo Action 4. Swipe down for settings, up to change your resolution and frame rate, to the right to review your captured footage and left for camera shot settings.

The Pocket 3 is a versatile shooter great for social content and even smart-follow modes.

Overall, there are three gimbal modes to choose from: FPV, Tilt Lock and Follow. Each has its uses, such as Tilt Lock which locks the horizon line for creating push-ins and pans or FPV for free-flowing and all-directional rotation.

When shooting, there’s a handy symbol on the screen that reverses the gimbal so it points towards you, and press it again and it will go back to facing outwards. You can select between different gimbal speed modes as well – from slow to standard to fast. Slow creates a silky smooth effect, while fast creates more of a jerky look. Standard seemed adequate for most purposes. 

When you’re done, the gimbal locks into place and there’s a handy protective cover and bag included in the Creator Combo kit.

Stability and subject tracking

In terms of stabilisation, this doesn’t appear to be post-processed, nor are there any settings for it. The gimbal’s completely mechanical stabilisation is great because it negates any post-cropping of your image as well. I took the Pocket 3 with me on a run and it was buttery smooth. Yes, you could still tell I was making strides, but it was not jerky or jarring. This is similar when walking, or orbiting around an object.

The ActiveTrack 6.0 system works very well and makes it easy to stay focused on a moving person or object in your scene. Tracking directs the gimbal so it pans and tilts to stay on your subject. This can be initiated by simply tapping on the person or subject in the viewfinder, or you can use the app. I liked using the Dynamic Framing mode, which lets you position your subject slightly off-centre in the frame for a creative look, rather than dead centre. 

The Pocket 3 was smooth and stable during my run, and the AutoTrack 6.0 helped keep my furry friend in the frame.

There’s a handy Product mode too, which prioritises focus on objects in the foreground, should you want to show-and-tell about a piece of jewellery, gadget, cupcake or what-have-you.

You can permanently enable selfie face-tracking via the menu, which means that whenever you’re in selfie mode, the face-tracking will ensure you are focused, and the gimbal will pan left to right and up and down to keep you in frame. This is fab when setting the camera on a tripod for a piece-to-camera.

In-camera effects

For those who want to polish up their look, Glamor Effects 2.0 does things like smoothing out your complexion, whitening your teeth or even making your face look thinner. You’ll need to be connected to the DJI Mimo app as the effects are applied in the app and not via the Pocket 3 itself. 

For playing around, the Timelapse, Hyperlapse, Lowlight and Slo-mo modes can come in handy, plus there’s Panorama, Livestream and webcam support, and you can shoot photos. For slo-mo, you can reach up to 240 frames per second in 1080p mode, or the aforementioned 120 in 4K.

Using the out-of-the-box recording settings, the camera is happy to manage aperture, ISO and colour temperature settings to suit lots of lighting situations. Yes, there are manual adjustments for most things, and DJI’s 10-bit log and HLG are handy for colour grading. However, the standard colour settings are just fine for most uses. 

I tried out the 15mm / .75x wide-angle lens attachment too, which you get in the Creator Combo package. It’s a handy option that snaps over the original lens with a magnet and helps fit more into the scene. I also appreciated the handy storage spot for it in the protective cover, as it would otherwise be very easy to lose.

Add ons

I didn’t experience any issues with short battery life or heat generation while recording a fair amount of footage in 4K / 50fps mode. As you get the external 950mAh battery handle in the Creator Combo kit, this increases your total charge by 62 per cent. So, if you’re running low after the rated 116 minutes of 4K/60 recording, you can just snap this on. Plus, as recharging gets you 80 per cent of the main battery in 16 minutes, there’s little to fret over.

Attachments snap onto the bottom of the handle and what I like about them is that they each have a USB-C port. So, if you connect a tripod, you’re not blocking the USB-C charge port that’s on the bottom of the handle.

Testing it out

During testing, the 1” CMOS sensor’s broad dynamic range meant that going from indoors to outdoors didn’t create excessive blown-out skies, nor did the inside get so dark that you couldn’t see any detail. When the sun does go down, I was impressed with Pocket 3’s low-light performance. The ISO can hit 6400, which does create some noise, however nothing excessive, and there’s still lots of detail visible as the scene gets darker.

I did try to use the Pocket 3 with Microsoft Teams, but it had problems with my setup. I could only get an image preview to appear if I selected ‘auto-brightening’ but my picture did not appear for any of the other participants. I’m sure this can be ironed out with a software fix.

Various shots showing the Pocket 3’s dynamic range including internal and external shots, as well as low-light and close-ups.

When reviewed in Adobe Premiere, the 4K footage was very detailed, the colours are realistic, and there’s visible detail in low light. It’s great to have the option of 16:9 as well as 9:16 native recordings too. 9:16 is captured in 3K, so I had lots of resolution to play with.

Overall, I was impressed with the quality of the footage, and it’s fantastic for all sorts of purposes – vacations, family events, pets, products, interviews, etc. Where it doesn’t compete with a more pro setup is that the standard 20mm f/2.0 lens will always have that slight fisheye effect, where the image distorts from the middle as it moves towards the edges, but this is a common thing for most action camera-based setups. This is where pro-lenses come into their own. Still, you could use the Pocket 3 for creating dynamic b-roll or run-and-gun interviews for corporate or web-based productions. For enthusiasts, the Pocket 3 won’t leave you wanting for anything else. 

Who is the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 for?

This little unit is almost perfect in many ways and makes me seriously reconsider what I include in my camera kit bag. It will certainly complement, and even replace, some of it. 

The Pocket 3 out-matches high-end phone cameras’ internal stabilisation thanks to the built-in three-axis gimbal, meaning you can create smooth and dynamic footage that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to do.

Sale

DJI Osmo Pocket 3, Vlogging Camera with 1” CMOS & 4K/120fps Video, 3-Axis Stabilization, Fast Focusing, Face/Object Tracking, 2″ Rotatable Touchscreen, Small Video Camera for Photography, YouTube

• Footage That Stands Out – With 4K/60fps video, 64MP photo, and 3-axis stabilization, DJI Osmo Camera allows you to capture stable footage that pops with life-like detail.
• Effortlessly Frame Your Shots – Get the ideal composition with Osmo Pocket 3’s expansive 2-inch touch screen that rotates for both horizontal and vertical shooting.
• Ultra-Steady Footage – Say goodbye to shaky videos! Osmo Pocket 3’s advanced 3-axis mechanical stabilization delivers superb stability. Enjoy smooth footage while dancing, chasing pets, or hiking.

$ 782.07

Buy on Amazon

Plus, the one-inch CMOS sensor and excellent audio setup with the external DJI Mic 2 transmitters mean that I can leave my high-end camera and lenses behind for many ‘run and gun’ type shoots. 

The basic kit is relatively low-priced too, so the Pocket 3 is accessible to enthusiasts and content creators alike. Or you can build it into something more capable with the available accessories.

The Pocket 3 isn’t an action camera per se though, as it doesn’t have the robustness or water resistance, so you’ll still need one for getting into the muck. But for vlogging, product shoots, or just fun with the kids, pets, holidays, travel and the like, this camera really delivers.

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DJI Osmo Pocket 3

The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is a fantastic video camera for content creators and enthusiasts, with a built-in gimbal and great audio options.

Performance

9

Features

9

Value for money

8.7

Design

8.5

Ease of use

8.7

Positives

Compact design with built-in gimbal for smooth shooting

Capable 1" CMOS sensor that manages challenging lighting conditions

Excellent audio options including the optional connection to the DJI Mic 2, plus decent built in 3-mic array

Fantastic looking 4K footage and support both 16:9 and native 9:16 aspects for social content

Great selection of add ons included in the Creator Combo kit such as tripod and battery handle

Negatives

Still has that slightly fisheye look with the standard lens

8.8

Buy on Amazon

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I would wear this Windows XP ugly sweater in a heartbeat

Although Christmas ugly sweaters are more of an American thing, on account of the festive holiday happening in our summer, I do love gaudy knick-knacks. And the Windows XP-inspired ugly sweater ticks all the right boxes.

There’s just one thing: it only launched in the US, and is already sold out.

Earlier this week, Microsoft announced the nostalgia-fuelled merch featuring the iconic default wallpaper that came with Windows XP computers. Titled “Bliss”, the photo of the idyllic grassy hills and bright blue sky was taken by former National Geographic photographer Charles O’Rear.

He snapped the picture in the late 90s of the Californian Sonoma County landscape, which Microsoft then licensed for use with its 2001 operating system. If Sonoma sounds familiar, it’s likely because Apple recently used the name for its latest version of macOS.

Windows XP was the operating system of my childhood and many other millennials who likely saw the famous photo on a daily basis. Not only that, but the catchy boot-up and shutdown jingles still ring in my head today.

It might be weird to recall computer software with such reverence: it was just an operating system, after all. On the contrary, Windows XP represented more than just a computer interface. I, among many others, fondly associate it with a specific moment in time. Brands sure know how to monetise nostalgia – I’d cop the Windows XP ugly sweater in a heartbeat.

Windows ugly sweater for a good cause

It’s not just sheer capitalism behind the merch. Sweaters sold went towards supporting The Nature Conservancy, an environmental preservation organisation. Even though the threads are already sold out – without an Australian release, I might add – there’s still a cool website on display that harkens back to the Windows XP era.

On a similar theme, Sony recently shared an update on Aloy’s Forest Project, an initiative aimed at global reforestation tied in with Horizon Forbidden West, a PlayStation 5 game that released last year. The campaign has so far resulted in more than 600,000 trees planted worldwide and 1,800 acres of wildlife restoration.

Sustainability is a big talking point among tech companies, with many of them adopting various strategies to reduce environmental impacts.

With all that said, I’d still like a Windows XP ugly sweater, please. As long as it’s made sustainably, though.

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