NBN speed upgrade: How to get 5x faster internet in Australia

Starting on 14 September, millions of Australians will be able to access exponentially faster internet without paying a cent extra. Naturally, there’s a bit more to it than that, so here’s what you need to know about the big NBN speed upgrade.

The long and short of it is that NBN Co (the company responsible for much of Australia’s internet infrastructure) is increasing the speed of multiple fixed-line internet plans. Put on the agenda last year, it planned to boost some connection types with up to five times faster speeds. On top of that, it’s introducing a new “Hyperfast” tier capable of reaching 2,000Mbps.

That’s roughly double the peak speeds of some of Australia’s previously fastest residential NBN plans. Labelled “Accelerate Great“, NBN Co’s project to increase speeds is meant to address Australia’s increasing reliance on internet connectivity.

Image: Jay Marshall.

Research from NBN Co indicates that Australians’ data needs are growing, hence the push for faster speeds. On average, an Australian household has 25 internet-connected devices, which is expected to increase to 44 devices by 2030. That’s expected to contribute to exponentially higher download and upload rates in the next few years.

Not everyone will get the faster speeds, however. Read on for all the important details about the faster speeds.

Table of contents

• When is the upgrade happening?
• Who is eligible for the NBN speed upgrade?
• What if I don’t have FTTP or HFC?
• How fast is the NBN speed upgrade?
• How much does the NBN speed upgrade cost?
• What hardware do I need?

When is the upgrade happening?

NBN Co previously announced that its faster speeds will be available to “participating internet retailers from 14 September 2025.”

Some telcos launched new internet plans before the upgrade officially began. Exetel, owned by Superloop, was one of the first, scrapping all of its plans to instead offer just one option: a 500Mbps plan that lets you pause while on holiday to save money.

Tangerine followed suit, launching a new plan with 500Mbps download speeds. Interestingly, as the fine print states, its fastest plan temporarily uses the NBN’s existing 1000Mbps tier before transitioning to the 500Mbps tier once the speed upgrade kicks in.

SpinTel also jumped on the earlier 500Mbps bandwagon, as did newcomer telco Arctel with an eye-catching launch deal.

For the most part, telcos will supply faster NBN speeds starting on 14 September.

Who is eligible for the NBN speed upgrade?

There are a couple of main eligibility criteria to check before getting too excited about the NBN speed upgrade. To start with, the speed upgrades apply to NBN 100 (Home Fast), NBN 250 (Home Superfast), and NBN 1000 (Home Ultrafast) plans.

You also need to have either a Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) or a Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) connection. If you’re not sure what you have, search your address on NBN Co’s website. It will tell you what connection you have, or whether you’re eligible for an upgrade.

What if I don’t have FTTP or HFC?

According to the ACCC’s NBN Wholesale Market Indicators Report, there are more than 2.5 million active FTTP connections and nearly 2 million HFC connections as of March 2025. That still leaves nearly 3.5 million Fibre to the Node (FTTN) and Fibre to the Curb (FTTC) connections that can’t access faster speeds.

NBN Co is still working to make FTTP available to more Australian premises; earlier this year, it pledged to make full fibre available to 95% of the country’s homes and businesses by 2030. It expects that 90% of homes and businesses will have access by the end of 2025. Based on NBN Co’s latest data, nearly four million premises are currently eligible for an FTTP upgrade.

Image: NBN Co.

If you don’t already have FTTP, upgrading is free for many addresses when signing up to an eligible plan. You need to contact an internet provider to confirm this, as costs may enter the equation depending on existing infrastructure.

If a fixed-line connection isn’t possible, there is some good news. Fixed wireless NBN recently got an upgrade, with recent testing reporting download speeds of nearly 300Mbps. 5G internet is also an option, as telcos upgrade their equipment to handle faster speeds.

How fast is the NBN speed upgrade?

In some cases, the upgrade will quintuple existing speeds. NBN 100 plans, or Home Fast, will go from 100Mbps download speeds to 500Mbps. NBN 250, or Home Superfast, will bump up to 750Mbps. Both tiers will also enjoy faster upload rates of up to 50Mbps.

Those on the previous fastest fixed-line NBN technology will get double the upload speeds, going from 50Mbps to 100Mbps, while the 1,000Mbps download speed will remain. For faster download speeds, NBN is launching “Home Hyperfast”, which can reach 2,000Mbps down, and up to 200Mbps up (depending on your connection type).

NBN plan	Old speeds (download/upload)	New speeds (download/upload)
Home Fast	100/20 Mbps	500/50 Mbps
Home Superfast	250/25 Mbps	750/50 Mbps
Home Ultrafast	1,000/50 Mbps	1,000/100 Mbps
Home Hyperfast	N/A	2,000/100 Mbps (HFC) 2,000/200 Mbps (FTTP)

Compared to existing speeds, it’s a pretty substantial upgrade, especially for people on NBN 100 or NBN 250 plans.

Some telcos have started selling NBN 500 plans early, priced similarly to NBN 100 plans, to take advantage of interest in the speed upgrade.

How much does the NBN speed upgrade cost?

Perhaps in the best news of all, the faster speeds come at no extra cost. NBN internet prices recently went up, but it has nothing to do with the speed upgrade. NBN Co revises its prices every financial year based on the Consumer Price Index, which is the reason behind the increased costs.

Multiple telcos confirmed to GadgetGuy that the costs of existing NBN plans will not increase in September as a result of the speed upgrades. Optus also includes a disclaimer on its website confirming that customers on FTTP and HFC will be brought onto eligible faster plans “at no extra cost”.

As mentioned above, upgrading to an FTTP connection is free for many premises. However, some installations might incur a cost, which your telco will communicate to you before proceeding.

It’s also worth noting that not everyone needs faster internet speeds. Roughly 3.6 million Australians are on NBN 50 plans, according to the ACCC’s data, which is enough for pretty much every essential internet task.

Even though the speed upgrades are free to those on eligible plans, the price of moving from a slower plan to a faster tier is roughly $5-$10 more per month when comparing the cheapest NBN 50 and NBN 100 plans.

As an example, some of the early bird NBN 500 plans cost between $70-90 per month, depending on discounts. Telcos, including Tangerine, SpinTel, Exetel, and Leaptel, all offer different prices and perks, getting ahead of the competition that’ll kick in on 14 September.

Home networking hardware upgrades are another potential cost, which I’ll cover in the next section.

What hardware do I need?

With faster internet speeds around the corner, there are concerns that households’ existing networking gear might be a limitation. As a result, the ACCC updated its industry guidance to ensure that telcos inform customers about what hardware they need.

This mainly concerns modems and routers, the hardware that connects your home to the internet and then to your devices. Most telcos recommend using a Wi-Fi 6 modem and router setup, which is generally fast enough to handle gigabit speeds.

Any networking device that uses Wi-Fi 4 or Wi-Fi 5 technology, however, will struggle to transmit the speeds featured among NBN’s fastest plans. To use a previous example, the $99 D-Link N300 modem router sold by JB Hi-Fi uses Wi-Fi 4 technology. The “300” in its product name indicates a maximum data rate of 300Mbps, which is too slow for the new Home Fast speed of 500Mbps.

You want to make sure any modem or router (or combination) supports both the wired and wireless speeds you want. Some networking gear supports gigabit, or multi-gigabit, speeds via Ethernet, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it can transmit those same speeds wirelessly. A modem or router’s spec sheet should clearly outline its maximum wired and wireless speeds.

See Also

28/08/2025Chris Button Internet/NBN

Vodafone’s Super Wi-Fi Modem is more future-proof than Telstra’s

Telstra recently announced its Wi-Fi 7-compatible Smart Modem 4, which the telco claims is suited to faster speeds. However, the modem’s ports only support 1Gbps speeds. So, while it would be fine for plans between 500-1000Mbps, it wouldn’t be enough for the new 2Gbps tier.

Conversely, new modems from Vodafone and Optus have the 2.5Gbps ports required to access multigigabit speeds. However, if you’re paying for premium internet speeds, you’ll likely bring your own device, instead of relying on telco-provided hardware.

Again, upgrading your networking hardware is only required if you plan to use the faster speeds on offer and want the best possible performance. Other factors, like home layout, device compatibility, and neighbouring interference, also impact network quality.

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Have any questions about the NBN speed upgrade? Let us know, and we’ll find the information you need.

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Massive 60-minute Nintendo Direct airs tonight: When to watch

Nintendo has announced a long 60-minute digital Direct presentation for tonight, where it will show a range of games for both the Switch and Switch 2 platforms. It’s clear that Nintendo isn’t ready to leave behind the more than 153 million original Switch owners, while providing something to look forward to for those who bought its record-breaking console.

In classic Nintendo fashion, the company didn’t share many details beyond confirming that it’ll share “information on upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch games”.

Since launching the Switch 2 in June, Nintendo’s major game launches have been slowly spread out. Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza are the console’s early heavy-hitters, with Pokémon Legends: Z-A due out on 16 October, followed by Kirby Air Riders due out in November.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond doesn’t have a release date yet, making it a prime candidate for tonight’s Nintendo Direct. It’s scheduled to launch this year on Switch and Switch 2, so it certainly fits the bill.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, which featured in an earlier Direct focused on third-party-developed games, doesn’t have a release date, either. However, it’s only coming to the Switch 2. Whether Nintendo wants to focus solely on games across both systems remains to be seen.

Irrespective of Nintendo’s intentions, we’ll all find out soon enough. The Nintendo Direct airs live on YouTube tonight at the following times in Australia:

• 11:00 PM AEST
• 10:30 AM ACST
• 9:00 PM AWST

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Asus RT-AXE7800 wireless router review: Band together

8.3

Embracing the 6 GHz band for a short-range speed boost, the Wi-Fi 6E-capable Asus RT-AXE7800 wireless router is a stepping stone for those homes not ready to make the leap to Wi-Fi 7.

These days, Wi-Fi 7 makes the headlines, but if you don’t need the latest and greatest, older Wi-Fi 6E routers like the Asus RT-AXE7800 still have a lot to offer.

Compared to Wi-Fi 6, the Wi-Fi 6E standard adds support for the 6 GHz band to deliver faster speeds than 5 GHz, but over short distances. Wi-Fi 6 also supports more extra-wide 80 MHz and 160 MHz channels, so you can squeeze through more data.

With the $489 Asus RT-AXE7800, you get the benefit of tri-band 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz networking, plus a few fancy tricks to help your wireless network extend to the farthest reaches of your home.

Keep in mind Wi-Fi 7 routers like the $529 Asus RT-BE92U are becoming more affordable, so it’s worth weighing it up against the RT-AXE7800 to see which is the best fit for your home and budget.

Table of contents

• First impressions
• Specifications and price
• Features
• Quality
• Who is the Asus RT-AXE7800 wireless router for?

First impressions

The Asus RT-AXE7800 wireless router is an unusual hexagon shape but sticks with the “dead spider” design, with six antennas that fold up but don’t swivel.

It’s a common look with gaming routers focused on performance, even though the RT-AXE7800 is not part of the high-end ROG and Asus gaming router ranges.

While the RT-AXE7800 looks striking, it’s a bit of an awkward size and shape, which might make it difficult to place in a convenient location where it can provide good Wi-Fi coverage. Thankfully, it also features mounting holes for attaching it to the wall.

Using the Asus logo on the top to determine the front edge, you find a row of status lights. The upside is that they’re small and subtle, the downside is that they’re difficult to interpret from a distance – unlike the large multi-coloured status lights on the likes of Netgear’s Orbi routers.

While it has a big footprint, the Asus RT-AXE7800’s six antennas fold flat for storage. Image: Adam Turner.

Meanwhile, the recess at the back of the router features 2.5 Gbps and 1 Gbps WAN/LAN ports, with support for WAN and LAN aggregation. You’ll also find three 1 Gbps LAN ports for connecting to wired devices and Ethernet switches around your home.

You miss out on the 10 Gbps WAN and multiple 2.5 Gbps LAN ports on more advanced routers, but that might not matter if you don’t have the broadband connection and home networking gear to make the most of the faster speeds.

This would be part of the reason why the RT-AXE7800 only features a 1.7 GHz processor and 512 MB of RAM, whereas more advanced routers tend to pack more grunt to underpin their high-end performance.

Finally, there’s a USB3.0 port on the back which can connect to a printer, attached storage or a mobile broadband dongle for 4G fallback.

A 2.5 Gbps WAN port is a welcome addition if your home broadband connection can break the 1 Gbps barrier, but not the 10 Gbps barrier. Image: Adam Turner.

Surprisingly, the power and reset buttons are on the bottom of the router, making them difficult to reach – especially if the router is installed up high. The WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) button for easily connecting Wi-Fi devices is also on the bottom, which, once again, is far from convenient.

As a tri-band router, the RT-AXE7800 generates standard 2.4 GHz (up to 574 Mbps) and 5 GHz (up to 4804 Mbps) networks. Plus, there’s an extra 6 GHz band for connecting compatible Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 devices. In theory, 6 GHz can transmit data faster than 5 GHz over short distances, but it’s only rated up to 2042 Mbps here because it doesn’t use as many antennas as the 5 GHz network.

All of this combined gives the router a maximum wireless throughput of 7240 Mbps, but of course, you’re not going to see this in real-world conditions.

The Asus RT-AXE7800’s power, reset, and WPS buttons are very inconveniently placed on the bottom of the unit. Image: Adam Turner.

It’s worth mentioning that, as a Wi-Fi 6E router, you miss out on Wi-Fi 7’s wider 320 MHz channels. You also miss out on Multi-Link Operation (MLO), which allows some Wi-Fi 7-compatible devices to connect to the 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz bands simultaneously and switch between them on the fly.

Asus RT-AXE7800 specifications and price

Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 6E 802.11 ax/ac/n/a/b/g
Bands	Tri band: AXE7800 574+4804+2402 Mbps 2.4, 5, 6 GHz Up to 160 MHz channels
Bandwidth management	2.4GHz 2×2 MU-MIMO 5GHz 4×4 MU-MIMO 6GHz 2×2 MU-MIMO Beamforming OFDMA 1024-QAM high data rate
Antenna	External antenna x 6
Ethernet	2.5 Gigabit LAN/WAN x 1 Gigabit LAN/WAN x 1 Gigabit LAN x 3
USB3.2 Gen 1	USB3.2 Gen 1
Processor	1.7 GHz quad-core processor
Memory	256 MB Flash and 512 MB DDR4 RAM
Dimensions	243 x 223 x155 mm
Weight	1.033 kg
Price	$599 RRP (selling for $489)
Warranty	3 years
Official website	Asus Australia

Features

Like many modern wireless routers, the Asus RT-AXE7800 supports “mesh” networking to improve coverage. This means the wireless router can act as a central hub, working in unison with satellite hubs spread around your house.

Unlike more expensive options such as the Netgear Orbi 970 mesh Wi-Fi 7, Amazon Eero Max 7 and Asus ZenWiFi BQ16, the Asus RT-AXE7800 doesn’t come with mesh satellite hubs included. Asus doesn’t sell dedicated satellite hubs; instead, its AiMesh Extendable Network technology supports using most other Asus routers as mesh satellites.

It’s worth noting that, when in mesh mode, the RT-AXE7800 doesn’t generate an extra hidden band for dedicated wireless backhaul. It’s a trick employed by more expensive routers, allowing the router and satellite hubs to talk amongst themselves for improved traffic routing. 

Asus also keeps the price down by limiting the RT-AXE7800’s antennas and MU-MIMO (Multi-User Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) capabilities, which take advantage of multiple antennas to help battle wireless congestion. 

The RT-AXE7800 offers 2×2 MU-MIMO on the 2.4 GHz and 6 GHz bands, increasing to 4×4 MU-MIMO on the 5 GHz bands, which is likely to be doing the heavy lifting. While this is surprisingly better than the Wi-Fi 7-capable Asus RT-BE92U (which only offers 2.4 GHz 3×3, 5 GHz 2×2 and 6 GHz 2×2), more expensive routers tend to increase this to 4×4 MU-MIMO on every band, which significantly increases both their speed potential and how they hold up under heavy load.

With the RT-AXE7800, you do have the benefit of “beamforming”, which allows the router to focus its wireless signals on compatible devices that are struggling to maintain a strong connection. It doesn’t make much of a difference up close, but beamforming becomes more effective in challenging conditions over long distances.

When it comes to setting up the Asus RT-AXE7800, you can use the Asus Router app or connect to the router’s admin interface using a browser. There’s a good initial setup wizard to help you get connected to the internet and set up your local wired and wireless networks.

The web interface makes it easy to access the Asus RT-AXE7800’s advanced features. Image: Adam Turner.

You’ve got plenty of free software-based features at your disposal, some of which other brands only offer at a price.

When it comes to security, Asus’ AiProtection Pro (powered by Trend Micro) offers malicious site blocking, infected device prevention and blocking, and an intrusion prevention system. Plus, it offers comprehensive VPN client/server features for secure remote connections.

Parental controls include safe browsing, which relies on lightweight configurable DNS-based filtering rather than running software on end devices. This way, the filtering applies to all devices connected to your network, such as game consoles. 

Parents also get the ability to block access to unwanted websites and apps, along with internet scheduling for enforcing a time-out. 

Quality

To put the Asus RT-AXE7800 wireless router to the test, I turned to a Wi-Fi 6E-capable Lenovo notebook. As a comparison, I ran the same tests with the primary hub of a Netgear Orbi 760 wireless mesh network, which only supports Wi-Fi 6.

At a range of 3 metres from the Wi-Fi 6E Asus router, the Lenovo notebook achieved speeds of 880 Mbps on the 6 GHz band using 160 MHz channels. It was transferring a 2.5 GB disc ISO, coming via FTP from my Synology Network Attached Storage drive, across my gigabit Ethernet LAN to the router and then wirelessly from the router to the notebook.

In comparison, the Wi-Fi 6 Netgear router could only deliver 824 Mbps over 5 GHz 80 MHz channels. So 6 GHz wins out, but that’s not the whole story.

I know from previous Wi-Fi 7 tests that 880 Mbps is about the speed limit of my home gigabit Ethernet network when connecting to the Synology NAS downstairs in my office via a few gigabit Ethernet switches. 

To give Wi-Fi 6E a chance to really stretch its legs, I plugged my MacBook Pro directly into the back of the Asus router using a 2.5 Gbps Ethernet to USB-C adapter (which required dipping into the router’s settings to make the 2.5 Gbps port a LAN port). 

Then I transferred files between the wireless Lenovo notebook and the wired MacBook Pro. With the bottleneck removed, the Asus RT-AXE7800 hit an impressive 1032 Mbps on Wi-Fi 6E (6 GHz, 160 MHz channels). It’s a big step up from the Netgear router’s 824 Mbps on Wi-Fi 6 (5 GHz, 80 MHz), but nowhere near as impressive as the 1824 Mbps (6 GHz, 320 MHz) achieved when testing the Asus RT-BE92U Wi-Fi 7 router earlier this year.

It’s no surprise 6 GHz can clearly deliver the goods when you get up close and personal, but I wanted to see how it would cope with some distance.

In the next room, 9 metres away, the Wi-Fi 6E Asus router still hit 824 Mbps on 6 GHz, whereas the Wi-Fi 6 Netgear router could only muster 696 Mbps on 5 GHz.

At a range of 15 Mbps, down a flight of stairs,  the Wi-Fi 6E Asus router managed 400 Mbps on 6 GHz, but struggled to stay connected. Switching over to 5 GHz, the Wi-Fi 6E Asus router comfortably hit 600 Mbps. Meanwhile, the Wi-Fi 6 Netgear could only squeeze out 80 Mbps at this range (to be fair, the Netgear router is designed to be part of a three-hub mesh, so at that range you’d hopefully be closer to one of the other hubs).

To be honest, I was expecting that 6 GHz would struggle to outgun 5 GHz from the next room, so it was impressive seeing 6 GHz deliver the goods at a decent range.

Who is the Asus RT-AXE7800 wireless router for?

If your devices can make the most of the 6 GHz band, then the Asus RT-AXE7800 will certainly deliver a speed boost to homes still relying on a Wi-Fi 6 or earlier router.

That said, the RT-AXE7800 is the awkward middle child of the Asus router line-up, seemingly Asus’ only Wi-Fi 6E router wedged between a wide range of Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 models. As such, it’s hard to get too excited about the $489 Asus RT-AXE7800 when it’s less than $50 to set up one of Asus’ Wi-Fi 7 routers.

Asus RT-AXE7800 wireless router

Using a 6GHz band to good effect, the Asus RT-AXE7800 Wi-Fi 6E router is reliably speedy, even though Wi-Fi 7 only costs a bit more.

Features

8.5

Value for money

7

Performance

9

Ease of use

8.5

Design

8.5

Positives

Tri-band Wi-Fi 6E adds 6 GHz band and more extra-wide channels

Mesh compatible

Free parental and security tools

Negatives

No Wi-Fi 7 support

Not that much cheaper than Wi-Fi 7 models

8.3

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Fujifilm’s big 8K cinema camera has a very tall sensor

A big week for cameras has just gotten bigger, after Fujifilm announced the GFX Eterna 55 cinema camera.

It follows Canon’s recent unveiling of its compact video-centric EOS C50 camera, although Fuji’s camera aims for a different audience. Geared towards professionals, the US$16,499.95 GFX Eterna 55 is a serious bit of kit.

Built around a large 43.8mm x 32.9mm 4:3 sensor, Fujifilm’s new camera has one of the tallest sensors in a digital cinema camera. This 102MP sensor can shoot in 8K at 30fps, supporting 4:2:2 10-bit colour depth.

Despite being a digital camera, the GFX Eterna 55 includes 20 different film simulation modes aimed at producing a cinematic look and feel. It also has plenty of editing flexibility, supporting F-Log2 and F-Log2 C formats.

Fujifilm hasn’t confirmed the Australian pricing yet; expect more info closer to its October release window.

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Cheapest iPhone 17, iPhone Air, and 17 Pro deals in Australia

In one of the most anticipated tech reveals of the year, Apple officially announced the full iPhone 17 range at its annual September event. It showed off its new-look iPhone 17 Pro alongside the debut of the slimline iPhone Air as part of the popular brand’s handset refresh.

This year’s range sports upgraded cameras, more powerful internals, and — for the first time on a base model — a 120Hz display on the iPhone 17. Prices haven’t changed too much, but for anyone keen to upgrade, it’s worth shopping around to save some money.

Here’s where you can find some good deals in Australia, ready for the iPhone 17 launch.

Table of contents

• Price and release date
• Deals and plans

iPhone 17, iPhone Air, and 17 Pro price and release date

You’ll notice a slight difference in the iPhone storage variants this year. Apple now starts the iPhone 17 with 256GB of storage, while keeping it at the same price as the 128GB iPhone 16.

Compared to last year’s iPhone 16 Pro range, the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are as much as $150 more expensive, depending on the storage configuration.

See Also

10/09/2025Chris Button Headphones

iPhone 17 event: Every major new Apple device announcement

Pre-orders for the entire iPhone 17 and iPhone Air range start at 10:00 PM AEST on 12 September 2025. After that, it’s only a week until the phones launch, arriving in Australia on 19 September.

Here’s how much each new iPhone costs in Australia:

iPhone 17:

• 256GB: $1,399
• 512GB: $1,799

iPhone 17 Pro:

• 256GB: $1,999
• 512GB: $2,399
• 1TB: $2,799

iPhone 17 Pro Max:

• 256GB: $2,199
• 512GB: $2,599
• 1TB: $2,999
• 2TB: $3,799

iPhone Air:

• 256GB: $1,799
• 512GB: $2,199
• 1TB: $2,599

iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone Air deals

Telstra

Telstra will share its iPhone 17 deals closer to pre-orders opening on Friday night. Keep checking in for any updates between now and then.

Optus

Like Telstra, we’re currently waiting for Optus to reveal its iPhone 17 pre-order and launch deals, so check back soon for an update.

Here’s a look at the telco’s current postpaid plans, which will likely be used as a bundle with Apple’s new phones.

Vodafone

Vodafone was the first local telco to announce its iPhone 17 deals, which include up to $1,400 of credit when ordering one of the new phones.

It starts with $200 of bonus trade-in credit when trading an eligible phone towards any of the new iPhone models. That’s on top of any existing trade-in value your phone already has.

Vodafone’s other main offer is $1,200 of credit when signing up to the telco’s $79 Extra Large Plan alongside buying the new iPhone. The credit is applied in the form of a $33.34 monthly discount over 36 months, so it requires a long-term commitment.

Separate from Vodafone’s Extra Large Plan promo, it’s also offering discounts across various other postpaid plans. When buying one of the new iPhones, you can get a discount on the first 12 months on either the Small, Medium or Large plans.

It works out to be an $8 monthly discount for the Small plan, $13 for Medium, and $18 for Large. Vodafone’s terms and conditions mention that the bonus trade-in credit stacks with either the Extra Large offer or the monthly discount offers.

Apple store

Apple isn’t the sort to offer a launch discount, so trading your old iPhone is the main appeal of going directly to the Apple Store.

If you’re keen to upgrade to one of the iPhone 17 models, you can get up to $1,205 in credit when trading in another iPhone. That maximum value applies to a 1TB iPhone 16 Pro Max in good condition.

Apple publishes the current trade-in value of older iPhones online, including up to $80 for an iPhone 8 from 2017.

Additionally, Apple has a carrier deal with Vodafone that offers $1,599 off “any iPhone” when you connect to a $79 Vodafone plan over 36 months, or $1,399 off on a $69 plan.

JB Hi-Fi, Officeworks, and Harvey Norman

Australia’s major retailers haven’t detailed their iPhone 17 deals yet. Many of the usual suspects, like JB Hi-Fi, Officeworks, and Harvey Norman, have online listings ready to go when pre-orders kick off.

Once the pre-orders lift, we’ll have a clearer idea of where the big retailers sit. Here’s where you can find their online listings in the meantime:

• Harvey Norman
• JB Hi-Fi
• Officeworks

GadgetGuy occasionally uses affiliate links and may receive a small commission from purchased products.

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Tweaked AirPods Pro 3 bolsters ANC and measures your heart rate

Redesigned with upgraded active noise cancellation and in-ear heart rate sensing, the long-awaited AirPods Pro 3 has been announced by Apple overnight.

Apple says that its new in-ear headphones were designed based on “over 10,000 ear scans” to provide a better fit than the AirPods Pro 2 that originally launched in 2022. Each earbud is slightly smaller, with the tips relocated so they provide a more secure fit.

A new XXS ear tip size comes in the box now, totalling five different sizes. More water-resistant, the Pro 3 also has an IP57 rating, up from the Pro 2’s IP54 sweat-resistant rating.

One of the biggest inclusions is the addition of a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor. As explained by Apple, the sensor flashes an infrared light 256 times per second to measure blood flow, helping to measure heart rate during workouts. It’s not the first in-ear heart rate sensor — the Sennheiser Momentum Sport has also tracked heart rate — but it’s another way to keep tabs on exercise metrics.

Image: Apple.

For most people, the biggest update is improved ANC. Apple claims the AirPods Pro 3 blocks out up to twice as much noise as the Pro 2, and up to four times compared to the original Pro. Notably, the battery life extends to as much as eight hours with ANC on, more than the Pro 2’s six hours.

Similar to competing buds, like the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 and Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, the new AirPods support in-ear language translation. When paired with an Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhone (anything from the iPhone 16 onwards), the most recent AirPods models (Pro 3, Pro 2, and AirPods 4) can translate between languages during conversation.

Arguably the most important aspect, audio quality, has also been tweaked. Apple reworked the acoustic architecture, Adaptive EQ, and Transparency features to improve clarity and the breadth of the sounds that come through the earbuds.

AirPods Pro 3 release date and price

In Australia, the AirPods Pro 3 will arrive in stores on 19 September, with pre-orders open now. They cost $429, slightly more than the $399 price tag of the Pro 2 model.

Apple’s latest headphones join the iPhone 17, iPhone Air, and iPhone 17 Pro as part of the company’s major September release schedule. While not reinventing the wheel, the new AirPods could attract people who haven’t upgraded their headphones in several years.

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Incredibly slim iPhone Air makes some sacrifices along the way

As widely anticipated, Apple has announced the iPhone Air overnight, the brand’s slimmest phone that matches its Pro phones in some ways, while cutting back in some areas.

Dropping the ’17’ name entirely, the iPhone Air arrives as an in-between device. In terms of price, its $1,799 starting point sits in the middle of the iPhone 17 Pro and the standard 17. Although it only has one rear camera, the Air uses the same A19 Pro chip as the 17 Pro, leapfrogging the base model as far as processing power is concerned.

More than raw specs and features, form factor is what sets Apple’s slim new phone apart. Based on Apple’s published measurements, the iPhone Air is 5.64mm thin, more slender than the 17 (7.95mm) and the 17 Pro Max (8.75mm). Its resulting weight of 165g is also noticeably lighter than the 177g and 231g of the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro Max respectively. It stands taller than the standard 17, too, with a 6.5-inch 120Hz display.

Compared to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, a similarly slimline phone from earlier in the year, the physical design is neck-and-neck. Samsung’s thin phone is slightly thicker at 5.8mm, but two grams lighter at 163g. To most people, that’s a negligible difference.

Image: Apple.

Keen photographers might find the Air somewhat lacking, however. Its sole rear 48MP ‘Fusion Camera’ produces the reported equivalent of 2x optical zoom, along with more editing options, like turning photos into soft-focused portraits later on. But there’s no built-in macro functionality, limiting the ability to get up close and personal with potential subjects.

Like previous overseas models, the iPhone Air only takes eSIM technology. Anyone still rocking a physical SIM card would need to swap to the digital alternative or opt for a different phone.

Battery life is the main area of concern for those curious about slimmer phones. Based on Apple’s specs, the Air lasts up to 27 hours of continuous video playback. That’s the lowest of the new phones, albeit by three hours. Apple sells an add-on MagSafe battery pack for $159, which might defeat the purpose of getting a slim phone in the first place.

iPhone Air price and release date

Coming to Australia at the same time as the rest of Apple’s new devices, the iPhone Air will release on 19 September 2025, with pre-orders beginning on 12 September. Here’s how much it costs per storage configuration:

• 256GB: $1,799
• 512GB: $2,199
• 1TB: $2,599

Its colours are comparatively muted when placed alongside the iPhone 17 range, coming in sky blue, light gold, cloud white, and space black.

Like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge before it, the iPhone Air’s biggest challenge is convincing buyers that cutting back on camera versatility and battery life is worth having a thinner phone. For folks with small physical pockets and deep figurative pockets, that might be enough of a selling point.

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Redesigned iPhone 17 Pro sports big camera upgrades

More angles, more curves, more powerful hardware: the iPhone 17 Pro has a brand-new look, which Apple says delivers all-around greater performance.

Described by Apple as a “forged plateau”, the back of the phone has what appears to be a rounded rectangular cutout, along with an elevated camera bump that spans nearly the whole width of the device. According to Apple, this design enabled the company to fit more in, including a larger battery, which now reportedly lasts up to 37 hours of video playback time.

Also on the inside is Apple’s new A19 Pro chip, with performance claims of “up to 40 per cent better sustained performance than the previous generation”. Apple goes as far as saying the chipset’s CPU is the “fastest CPU in any smartphone”.

This time around, Apple has increased the starting storage of the iPhone 17 Pro from 128GB to 256GB. However, at a starting price of $1,999 — which is the same as the 256GB iPhone 16 Pro model — it simply means a higher entry cost for Apple’s Pro line.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max also gets a 2TB option (if you have a spare $3,799 lying around), likely geared towards those who will make the most out of the handset’s advanced video recording features. Depending on the storage configuration, the Pro Max is as much as $150 more expensive than last year’s model.

Image: Apple.

As alluded to earlier in the year, Apple’s Pro phones finally enjoy a bright colour: “cosmic orange”. It adds a touch of personality to a series that has previously lacked a splash of colour. Alongside it are deep blue and refined silver as alternate options.

More pro-level cameras

As for the all-important camera array, there are upgrades across the board. The telephoto camera now has an 8x optical zoom and a “56 per cent larger” sensor.

Video enthusiasts now get to shoot in ProRes RAW and Apple Log 2, adding more flexibility in the editing suite. For professional shooters, the iPhone 17 Pro supports a feature called “genlock”, which syncs footage between different cameras. In other words, Apple’s new phone is designed to fit into a multicam environment.

On the front, the selfie camera steps up from last year’s 12MP to an 18MP shooter. On top of the megapixel boost, it now uses Apple’s Centre Stage technology, which stabilises the imagery to keep everyone in frame, in up to 4K HDR video quality.

That also includes the ability to use the front and back cameras at the same time, so you can show what’s happening while chatting using the front camera.

iPhone 17 Pro price and release date

Apple confirmed that the iPhone 17 Pro will launch in Australia on 19 September 2025. Pre-orders open on 12 September, with the pricing as follows:

iPhone 17 Pro

• 256GB: $1,999
• 512GB: $2,399
• 1TB: $2,799

iPhone 17 Pro Max

• 256GB: $2,199
• 512GB: $2,599
• 1TB: $2,999
• 2TB: $3,799

On paper, this year’s Pro phones look to be a decent upgrade for camera enthusiasts, while the increased internal power buffs the devices’ processing and gaming capabilities.

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3 things I’m wishing for from Apple’s iPhone 17 event

We’re only hours away from finding out exactly what Apple has in store for the iPhone 17. The company’s “awe dropping” September event is set to air during the early hours of the Australian morning, giving Apple diehards a first glimpse at the latest hardware.

Countless publications have speculated about what Apple has in store for this year’s event. Based on reliable reporting from the likes of Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, it’s all but assured that we’ll see the debut of the slender iPhone 17 Air. Of course, there will be a new set of Apple Watches. And there’s a good chance Apple will announce the AirPods Pro 3.

But these are all relatively known quantities. Where’s the surprise, the fun and whimsy, and something truly innovative?

I want something that makes choosing to upgrade a painfully obvious decision. So, here are 3 things I’m hoping for when Tim Cook and Co take to the stage during the iPhone 17 event.

Some of these are absolute pie-in-the-sky ideas. They’re not necessarily grounded in reality or what will likely happen. Still, these are things I hope come to pass in the future, if not overnight.

New features that don’t involve Apple Intelligence

Every phone company wants to be the one that lands the knockout blow in the AI heavyweight bout. But in trying to get there, all we’ve seen is attempt after attempt of lofty claims, followed by underwhelming execution.

Apple is guilty of it; Apple Intelligence has faced its fair share of hurdles, including incorrectly summarising news headlines. A much hyped Siri overhaul won’t arrive until 2026, so troubled its development has become.

Fortunately, for Apple, its competitors haven’t fared much better. Their only main difference is actually shipping various AI features, regardless of functionality.

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Google’s Magic Cue, which is meant to pull information from multiple apps in context-specific situations, straight up didn’t work at launch. Samsung’s Now Brief feature is similarly limited in functionality.

So, when a tech company puts its AI features front and centre as some sort of selling point? To quote the modern-day philosopher Shania Twain: that don’t impress me much.

Give me more stuff like the Camera Control button on the iPhone 16, a new camera, or something obvious that makes it easy to tell I’m picking up a 17, as opposed to any other phone from the past few years.

There’s already a bunch of stuff coming in the iOS 26 update. Just give us something that will reliably work out of the box.

Bring back fun colours

Admission time: I think iPhone design peaked with the iPhone 5C. Yeah, it was made with plastic, and it wasn’t as powerful as the then-flagship iPhone 5S. Still, it had something few other phones have shown since: personality.

I loved my bright green iPhone 5C. Looking back, I shouldn’t be surprised; I grew up using a Creative Zen Vision:M in an almost identical shade of green.

I didn’t have to spend extra money on a fancy case just so I could enjoy some colour with my phone. Unboxing it, the 5C immediately had more charm than most of the black, silver, and muted-tone phones we have today.

I love this thing. Image: Apple.

To be fair, you can still get some reasonably nice-coloured phones. Only if you want the standard model, that is.

So, I was excited when leaks suggested that the iPhone 17 Pro might get a bright orange variant. Too long have premium phones relegated tech enthusiasts to the doldrums of yawn-inducing shades. I want my technology to be fun and functional, damn it.

Apple, give the people (me) what they (I) want: some fun Pro phone colours.

A camera that takes real photos

Modern phones take great-looking pictures. Almost too great-looking, if you ask me.

Trying the Fujifilm X Half earlier in the year reminded me how different the process of taking photos is between a dedicated camera and a phone. Not just in the physical sense of holding down and pressing the shutter, either.

I’m mainly referring to the computational processing that goes on in the background every time you take a photo using a phone. In fact, pressing the virtual shutter on a phone usually doesn’t result in taking a single photo.

If this photo were taken on a phone, the lower third would be as bright as the top part, flattening the overall look. Image: Chris Button.

Instead, it captures multiple images at the same time, which the phone then combines into a single composite image. Rather than giving you full control, AI takes over, attempting to create what it thinks is the perfect-looking image.

While the resulting colours often look nice, the process usually flattens everything. There are no dramatic shadows or highlights, just an evenly lit picture that tries to make everything visible. And by focusing on everything, nothing stands out,

Third-party apps, like Halide, let you disable this degree of processing. However, I’d love for Apple to bake that experience into the native camera app. I’m on Becca Farsace’s side here: let a shadow be a shadow! Let me use my phone’s camera as a camera untethered from the computing power that infests every other corner of the device.

Part of the fun of technology is experimenting, making mistakes, and pushing a device to its limits. If Apple let me do that with the next iPhone’s camera, I’d be a happy chap.

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