Cheapest SIM plans in Australia compared from under $13/month

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. If you do want a phone, however, check out the current deals on phone plans, including discounted handsets.

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 Optus SIM-only plans.

Contents

• Cheapest SIM plans
• Cheapest 5G SIM plans
• Cheapest 365-day SIM plans
• What you need to know: eSIM, prepaid, postpaid
• Phone number portability
• Best network coverage

Cheapest SIM plans

Postpaid

SpinTel currently sits atop the cheapest postpaid SIM plans in Australia. On the Optus 5G network, new customers can get the $22 plan for $14 per month for the first six months with 25GB of data.

Dodo, which also uses Optus’ 5G mobile network for some of its plans, has a couple of decent postpaid SIM deals for the next couple of weeks. Its 40GB and 60GB plans cost $16.50 and $19 per month respectively, half their normal prices for the first six months.

Without any discounts, SpinTel comes out on top again with its $22 monthly plan. Dodo ($23) and Tangerine ($23) also have fairly cheap postpaid plans, albeit connected to 4G, so that’s another advantage in favour of SpinTel.

Prepaid

You can pretty much set your watch to the fact that iiNet and TPG will sell the cheapest prepaid SIM plans as part of a promotional discount. For the first six months, both Vodafone MVNOs cost $12.50 per month, inclusive of 25GB on a 4G connection. Unlike many prepaid SIM plans, these last a full month, instead of the usual 28-day or 30-day recharge cycles.

Yomojo is another contender this month, selling a prepaid SIM plan on the Optus 4G network for $13.90 each month for the first six months. It nets you 29GB of data each 30-day recharge. After the discount, Yomojo’s 29GB plan costs $23.90 per recharge.

For cheap 5G access, spending a bit more with TPG taps into Vodafone’s expanded 5G network, with 50GB per month. For the first six months, it costs $17.50 per month, followed by its regular price of $35.

Aldi Mobile currently has the cheapest prepaid SIM plan on the Telstra network, priced at $19 per 30-day recharge. It connects to Telstra’s 4G network, providing 10GB of data each recharge.

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, making them better suited to users who need the extra speed or perhaps don’t have reliable NBN connections.

Postpaid

As mentioned before, SpinTel and Dodo offer some of the cheapest 5G postpaid SIM plans. New customers pay either $14 or $16.50 per month for the first six months; SpinTel includes 25GB, while Dodo offers 40GB. The main difference is that once the discounts end, SpinTel costs $22 compared to Dodo’s $33.

Tangerine remains the cheapest 5G postpaid plan on the Telstra network, priced at $29 per month. However, it only uses parts of Telstra’s 5G network, so it’s worth checking the coverage map beforehand.

Prepaid

There are plenty of discounted starter packs, which is a good way to try a network before committing longer term. However, the discount usually only lasts for the first recharge, so it’s worth scrolling to find the best long-term savings.

Felix, which uses Vodafone’s 5G network, costs just $12.50 per month for the first three months. It includes 25GB of data, which isn’t too bad, even when paying Felix’s full $25 price.

Also using Vodafone’s 5G network are TPG and iiNet, both of which cost $17.50 per month for the first six months. They come bundled with 50GB of data, while TPG also offers a 100GB option at a discounted price of $22.50 per month.

At $17.50 per month each, the iiNet and TPG Medium plans are the cheapest 5G prepaid SIM plans. Both are half-price for the first six months and include 50GB of data. Download speeds for both cap out at 150Mbps, which is fast enough for most folks.

On the Telstra network, Boost Mobile’s $26 plan includes 32GB of data for the first three recharges (on a 28-day cycle). The standard 7GB data allocation is smaller than most in its price bracket, but Boost also happens to be the only MVNO with access to the full Telstra network.

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.

Kogan is the current cheapest long-expiry SIM plan, costing $149 for 365 days, providing 200GB on Vodafone’s 4G network. Lyca Mobile, which uses the same network, costs just a dollar more for the same data allocation.

As for Optus, the best deal comes from OnePass Mobile, the rebrand of Catch Connect. It currently costs $150 for its 365-day plan that comes with 200GB. All of the above SIM plans offer a decent gigabyte-per-dollar ratio.

A long-term Telstra SIM plan costs more, however. Everyday Mobile, sold through Woolworths, costs $250 for 365 days with 215GB. Keep in mind that it’s on Telstra’s 4G network; 5G access costs $300 via Boost Mobile’s cheapest long-expiry SIM plan.

What you need to know about SIM only plans

It’s fairly easy to change your SIM plan provider. Even more so with the rise of embedded SIM (eSIM) technology, letting you change plans almost instantly with a compatible device. Instead of requiring a physical card, eSIM stores network information directly to your phone.

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.

See Also

06/11/2024Adam Turner How to use

What is eSIM? All you need to know about the growing phone tech

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 or even less if you choose an eSIM. 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.

Best network coverage

Network coverage is one of the most important factors to consider when buying any phone plan. Low prices and all the data in the world don’t mean much if you can’t get a signal. Fortunately, Australia’s mobile phone network coverage is more competitive than ever because of the TPG Telecom and Optus partnership.

Telstra still boasts the broadest network coverage, reaching 99.7% of the Australian population. Optus and Vodafone aren’t far behind, covering 98.5% and 98.4% respectively. Optus expects to rapidly expand its 5G network, so expect plenty of competition in the next couple of years.

Telco	Overall network coverage	5G network coverage
Telstra	99.7%	91%
Telstra wholesale	98.8%	75%
Optus	98.5%	80.5%
Vodafone	98.4%	Not advertised

More important than percentages is whether your location has coverage. The best way to find out is to check each telco’s coverage map:

• Telstra network map
• Optus network map
• Vodafone network map

The best way to find out if a plan suits you is to try one for a month. Lock-in contracts are largely a thing of the past, so it’s easier than ever to try one provider and swap if it doesn’t work out.

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What Australia’s age assurance report means for social media ban

As Australia’s youth social media ban approaches in December, the government-funded age assurance trial has just handed down its findings, which will form a major part of how the legislation is implemented.

Viewable online, the report states that age assurance “can be done” in Australia. It looked at multiple age verification methods, including facial recognition technology, ID checks, and parental controls.

However, the report conceded that a “margin of error” exists when using age estimation technology. As outlined in the age estimation part of the report, false negative rates — where age assurance methods incorrectly denied users access — varied between ages. It claimed that “systems consistently underperformed” across multiple age gates.

Under the Federal Government’s legislation, Australians under the age of 16 won’t be able to log into major social media platforms. This includes apps like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. YouTube’s belated inclusion caused controversy, although children can still watch content without logging in.

Age assurance methods and challenges

Australia has so far left it open to social media companies as to how they verify users’ ages. Communications Minister Anika Wells previously said that companies “have to provide an alternative to providing your own personal identification documents”.

However, the mixed results of the age verification trials have cast doubts on the legislation’s implementation. Some UK users dodged a similar online age verification policy by scanning the face of the Death Stranding 2 protagonist or by using VPNs.

Australia’s age assurance report also looked at the role of parental controls. It determined that while parental control systems “can be effective”, they “may fail to adapt to the evolving capacities of children” as they grow up.

Research commissioned by Snapchat earlier in the year found that more than half of Australian parents don’t use parental controls. Phone brand HMD recently launched the Fuse, a phone that actively blocks nude content and takes a more holistic approach to parental controls.

Among the challenges identified by the report was “concerning evidence” of excessive data retention. Some age verification techniques “could lead to increased risk of privacy breaches due to unnecessary and disproportionate collection and retention of data.”

On the report’s findings, Minister Wells claimed “there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to age assurance”.

As reported by the ABC, Minister Wells will work with eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant in the coming weeks to decide on the next steps.

The post What Australia’s age assurance report means for social media ban appeared first on GadgetGuy.

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Tesla self-driving features coming to Australia soon

Tesla is starting to roll out its self-driving functionality to compatible cars in Australia.

Dubbed by Tesla as “Full Self-Driving (Supervised)”, the feature is designed to help keep the car in lane while driving, match the speed of traffic, and automatically stop at traffic lights and before obstacles.

It’s not meant to replace drivers or paying attention at the wheel, however. As explained on Tesla’s support page, the self-driving feature is “intended for use with a fully attentive driver”.

Tesla hasn’t set a specific date in Australia for the feature, but Drive has reported that it’s coming very soon as part of a staggered rollout. Self-driving will reportedly come to vehicles made in the past 18 months first, with other models equipped with ‘Hardware 4’ camera technology.

Some people have misgivings about Tesla’s autonomous driving technology, especially after YouTuber Mark Rober’s testing. As long as you don’t treat it like Homer Simpson does cruise control, you should be okay.

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How the Asus Zenbook Duo is sci-fi technology brought to life

For as long as laptops have been around, portability has been the name of the game. But traditionally, that’s meant repeating the same formula: one screen, a keyboard, and sacrificing screen space. The Asus Zenbook Duo defies convention with a fully-fledged dual-screen laptop, bringing the stuff of sci-fi movies to the masses.

Multi-display PCs are no longer a convenience confined to the desk. By turning old ways of working on its head, the Zenbook Duo combines two full-sized screens into one convenient device. Through multiple iterations, Asus’s laptop brings a sci-fi-like aesthetic to a practical device perfect for multitaskers who want convenience wherever they go.

Unlike many devices that promise a taste of the future, only to never release or not live up to lofty promises, the Zenbook Duo is a rare gadget that achieves what it sets out to do. Not only is it fun to use, while others look on enviously with single-screen laptops, but it’s also highly practical. That’s not something many futuristic-looking gadgets can claim.

In the beginning

Asus’s attempts at adding a second screen to the humble clamshell laptop have taken on various forms over the years. Smaller screens and foldable displays — there were a few different designs before finding the ideal solution.

Under the Zenbook Pro 14 Duo name, one iteration saw a smaller secondary screen sit atop a compressed keyboard. Praised at the time for being “perhaps the ultimate notebook for habitual multitaskers”, it was aimed at creatives who wanted quick access to touch controls while making the most of the main display.

Alongside the more conventional approach, Asus also produced the Zenbook 17 Fold. A whopping big laptop-tablet hybrid, it used a folding screen technology similar to that used by foldable phones.

The Asus Zenbook Fold served as the blueprint for what would become the Zenbook Duo.

Usable as a clamshell laptop, a giant tablet, or a standalone portable display connected to a wireless keyboard, the Zenbook Fold stood out in a crowd. It paved the way for dual-screen laptops: a device for people who need more screen space than traditional laptops provide, and a large display without needing a separate purchase.

It ultimately served as the blueprint for the modern Zenbook Duo. Instead of a foldable screen, the revised laptop went to two full-sized OLED displays, ensuring it was both practical and cost-effective.

A current-day Zenbook Duo

When Asus debuted the modern Zenbook Duo design in 2024, it transformed dual-screen laptops from novelty to practicality. Multiple screens were no longer a sci-fi fantasy or a gimmick;      they became good enough to accompany everyday workflows.

As GadgetGuy Editor Chris Button put it in his review of the 2024 model, “two screens are better than one”. Dubbed a “multitasker’s dream”, this version of the Asus Zenbook Duo paired its twin screens with an Intel Core Ultra chip for impressively smooth performance. It breezed through work tasks and even surprised with its capable gaming prowess.

It confirmed that dual-screen laptops aren’t a fad: they genuinely bolster the workflow of anyone accustomed to multi-display desktop setups. Having desktop-level convenience with the portability of a laptop is a powerful thing.

Since then, Asus decided to continue with a winning formula, powering up the internals for the upgraded model. The latest Zenbook Duo sports an Intel Core Ultra 9 (285H) processor, making the laptop capable of faster processing speeds and smoother overall performance.

It’s like having a two-monitor workstation wherever you go.

For those with the latest gadgets, including top-of-the-line networking gear, the updated Zenbook Duo connects faster and more efficiently. With the latest Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 wireless technologies, files transmit faster and video calls run smoother, leaving you with more time to get things done.

You can’t look at the Zenbook Duo without mentioning the headline act: its displays. Both screens are full 14-inch OLED displays capable of rendering sharp 3K visuals. With this versatility at your fingertips, every airport lounge, café, and library becomes a haven for creativity and productivity.

Importantly for digital creators, each screen supports stylus input using the included Asus Pen. Digital illustrators and designers can create with cinema-grade precision, thanks to each screen’s 100% DCI-P3 colour accuracy.

It’s remarkable to think that the Zenbook Duo today is faster, more practical, and more affordable than previous attempts at dual-screen laptops.

It’s a laptop, tablet, and portable monitor all in one

What’s under the hood is impressive, but the Asus Zenbook Duo reaches its full potential through versatility. As mentioned before, its touchscreens give the laptop tablet-like functionality. But that’s only one of many hats Asus’ laptop wears.

Equipped with four modes, the Zenbook Duo doesn’t conform to the limitations posed by old-school laptops. That being said, if you ever just need a traditional clamshell laptop, it can do just that. Attaching the included keyboard to the bottom screen instantly adjusts the device to a single-screen setup, handy for when space is limited.

Dual Screen Mode does what it says on the tin, giving you full access to both 14-inch displays. Handily, there’s a bit of flexibility on offer. You can place the laptop on a surface, like your lap, and use both screens independently or as one big screen.

Alternatively, the Zenbook Duo’s built-in sturdy kickstand elevates the screens to eye-level, as if you stacked two monitors on top of one another. Regardless of the setup, the laptop cleverly manages your windows accordingly, ensuring each screen shows your content naturally.

You can even rotate the contents of a screen, making it easy to collaborate on team projects.

Turning the Duo on its side like a book enables Desktop Mode. It’s ideal for working on projects that benefit from seeing lots of information aligned vertically. For example, Desktop Mode fits more of an article, PDF, or coding screen without scrolling than a landscape view. Want to fit in as much information at a glance as humanly possible? This is the way to go.

Finally, there’s Sharing Mode. It employs the Zenbook Duo’s 180-degree hinge, laying completely flat, providing an easy-to-see view for anyone sitting at the same table. Ideal for meetings, it saves awkwardly passing a laptop back and forth. If there are two of you sitting across from each other, you can also set the content of one display to rotate and face the other person.

While other laptops continue to do the same thing, Asus shows that laptops with multiple displays aren’t some far-off abstract concept. They’re here now, and the Zenbook Duo proves that there’s still room for laptops to innovate on exciting sci-fi-inspired ideas.

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DJI Mic 3 upgrades pint-sized microphone with a catch

Audio quality is the backbone of any good bit of video. So many online creatives, from social media creators to video professionals, will attest to the importance of a good microphone. Watch any prominent Instagram or TikTok creator, and you’ll see some variation of a Rode or DJI mic in their hands.

Now, DJI has a new model out, the Mic 3, which upgrades just about everything about the DJI Mic 2. Except for one major thing that professional creators might lament.

Of all the improvements to the Mic 3’s size, features, and adaptability, DJI’s new microphone doesn’t support an external lavalier mic via a 3.5mm connection. In trimming down the transmitter’s size to a svelte 16g (down from the Mic 2’s 28g), it’s one feature that hit the cutting room floor.

DJI’s mics are known for good audio quality, but the issue lies in versatility and aesthetics. Even though DJI’s magnetic transmitter doesn’t take up much space, video professionals and creators who want a more brand-agnostic shoot can’t plug in a subtler clip-on mic that looks neater on camera.

Although small, the microphone’s branding stands out. Image: DJI.

Chatting with GadgetGuy owner Valens Quinn, who rated the DJI Mic 2 quite highly, the new model’s lack of a lav mic input was a big deal. Particularly for professional shoots, having a prominent brand logo visible on a microphone is out of the question. EFTM‘s Trevor Long, also a broadcast professional, shared a similar sentiment about the branding’s prominence.

Otherwise, the DJI Mic 3 offers a lot of impressive improvements. It’s better for group recordings and multi-cam shoots, supporting up to four transmitters and eight receivers simultaneously. DJI has also added adaptive gain control and dual-file 32-bit float internal recording, which saves a backup recording in case one blows out.

Transmission distance also reaches further, up to 400 metres, more than the Mic 2’s 250m. That’ll be welcome news to DJI camera owners, like the Osmo Pocket 3, who can connect directly without a receiver. Creators also have more built-in customisation, including three voice tone presets designed to adjust frequencies before entering the edit suite.

The DJI Mic 3 starts at $369 in Australia, including one transmitter and receiver. There’s a $569 two-transmitter combo that also includes a charging case, the latter of which costs $129 separately. Each variant is available now via DJI’s website.

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

An important aspect of the upcoming NBN speed upgrade is networking hardware. You can have the fastest plan, but it won’t count for much if your modem or router doesn’t support its maximum speeds. As the battle between telcos continues, Vodafone is confident that its new Super Wi-Fi kit is ready for faster internet speeds.

Bundled with a Vodafone NBN or 5G home internet plan, the modem router combo uses the faster Wi-Fi 7 technology. However, like Telstra’s recently updated Smart Modem 4, Vodafone’s gear only includes the 2.4GHz and 5GHz network bands. High-end Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 routers support a wider and faster 6GHz band, although it requires compatible devices to take full advantage.

Although Vodafone doesn’t specify the modem router’s maximum speeds, its specs show promise. Notably, it houses a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port, which is significant for two reasons. One is that it’ll likely perform better with the NBN’s upcoming multi-gigabit speed tiers. And two, it has an edge over Telstra’s device, which only supports 1Gbps inputs.

In terms of specs, Vodafone’s networking device is more comparable to Optus’ 5G modem recently stocked by SpinTel. Optus takes the slight edge with two 2.5Gbps Ethernet ports, while also advertising its maximum 6,000Mbps bandwidth.

The Vodafone Super Wi-Fi comes in two flavours: an NBN variant and one for 5G connections that has a Nano SIM card slot. Vodafone also draws attention to the fact that it offers add-on mesh units to help reliably spread wireless connectivity throughout bigger homes. It’s worth noting that the mesh units only have 1Gbps Ethernet ports, unlike the main modem.

“We’ve seen too many customers with great internet plans but poor Wi-Fi performance,” said Andrew O’Connor, Vodafone’s GM Fixed Line Product.

How much does the Vodafone Super Wi-Fi Modem cost?

You can’t purchase the new networking devices separately. Instead, the modem and one mesh unit come with a Vodafone home internet plan.

It doesn’t cost anything for customers who stick with the telco for 24 months on an NBN plan, or 36 months on a 5G internet plan. Vodafone prices the Super Wi-Fi Modem at $336, which only comes into play if you leave a plan early.

As outlined in the telco’s critical information summaries, customers who leave early are charged either $14 per month for NBN or $11 for 5G, according to how many months are left to run on the 24 or 36-month term.

For those who want additional mesh units, Vodafone charges either $6 (NBN) or $4 (5G) per month on top of the internet plan costs over 24 or 36 months.

For reference, when looking at the cheapest NBN plans, Vodafone is currently selling a 250Mbps plan for $74 per month for the first six months. There’s a lot of competition at the moment, with NBN 500 plans tipped to be the next big thing.

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Pixel 10’s Magic Cue failed the ultimate test: buying footy tickets

Of all the new Pixel 10 features touted by Google at its recent announcement event, Magic Cue looked like the most useful. An AI-powered feature that collates information from multiple apps and brings it to you when you most need it? That sounds great! When I tried to use Magic Cue when buying footy tickets, however, it was nowhere to be seen.

As advertised by Google, Magic Cue is meant to “surface the info you need, when you need it”. Theoretically, the feature should trawl through information stored in your Google apps — messages, Gmail, calendar, and the Keep notes app — and automatically bring that info to your attention in context-specific situations.

Ahead of launch, Google demonstrated the feature in various scenarios. A phone call to an airline prompted a pop-up including a user’s flight booking information. When a friend messaged to ask where dinner is, the answer automatically appeared from a calendar item. All of it is designed to stop you from swapping between apps to find deeply buried information.

I received a Google Pixel 10 Pro XL to test out, and Magic Cue didn’t appear once. My grand plan was that it would streamline the process of buying tickets to the upcoming Adelaide Crows qualifying final during a member pre-sale. I thought it would save me from opening my notes app to copy my member barcodes, and then show me the pre-sale link — all of which was stored on the phone in multiple locations.

Let’s just say I’m glad that I had a backup plan.

Setting up Magic Cue

According to Google’s official support documentation, Magic Cue kicks in 24 hours after first setting up a Pixel 10. With this in mind, I set up the Pixel 10 Pro XL several days before the member pre-sale.

I then saved all the information I needed in multiple locations. First, I saved the member barcodes required to access the pre-sale, followed by the pre-sale link, plus the date and time the sale began. Keeping in mind the Magic Cue-compatible apps, I saved these details in the following apps:

• Pixel Screenshots
• Gmail
• Keep notes
• Calendar

Screenshot: Chris Button.

More than 24 hours after setup, I couldn’t get Google’s fancy new feature to pop up. So, I returned to Google’s support page. It suggested I check the app permissions (everything was already enabled) and update everything.

After double and triple-checking everything, I was adamant that I’d followed Google’s instructions to the letter. Another 24 hours passed, and still nothing.

The disclaimer of “it may take time to start showing relevant suggestions to new info” provided little solace. With no concrete timeline to go on, it didn’t instil any confidence that the feature would work by the time the pre-sale rolled around.

Always have a backup plan

Now, despite what you may think, I’m not a complete idiot. To test Magic Cue ahead of the ticket pre-sale, I asked my partner to message me, specifically asking what time the tickets went on sale and what our member barcodes were.

Guess what happened? Nothing. No information or helpful guidance whatsoever.

Then, I asked my partner to repeat the process, except by sending an email to my Gmail account instead. I also sent an email from my work account asking the same questions. Surely Magic Cue would know what’s up, considering I’d already received several emails containing the very information it needed to source?

Nope. Sweet FA. Nothing appeared as I started replying to the email that painstakingly used the same words and phrases stored elsewhere on the Pixel phone.

Even on the morning of the pre-sale, I couldn’t tempt Magic Cue to stop stubbornly hiding. Disappointed, I resorted to my MacBook and manually copied the info I needed from my Notes app to then use in a web browser.

Meticulously following the instructions didn’t help on this occasion. Screenshot: Chris Button.

Doing it manually meant I made the pre-sale on time and bought my tickets in 10 minutes flat. Bada bing, bada boom.

I’m not the only one who struggled with Magic Cue during the Pixel 10 review period, either. EFTM‘s Daniel Tyson couldn’t get the feature to work, while Scott Plowman labelled its lack of functionality as “disappointing”.

WhistleOut Australia‘s Alex Choros managed to get Magic Cue working, if you can call it ‘working’. Choros’ testing resulted in the feature surfacing completely incorrect information. Similar to others’ experiences, including mine, there were plenty of instances where it simply didn’t appear.

It’s possible that post-launch updates could improve Magic Cue’s reliability. But I wouldn’t rely on it to help you right now.

It’s yet another example of an AI feature that promises the world but fails to perform when it counts. Here’s hoping the opposite proves to be true for my beloved Crows in their final next week.

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Powerful new Roborock stick vacuum challenges the big brands

Roborock has a new home appliance in Australia, the H60 Hub Ultra, with the promise of hygienic and allergy-friendly cleaning.

Mainly known for its robot vacuums, Roborock’s new appliance is a cordless stick vacuum that comes with an auto-empty station. This dock, which also doubles as a charging station, looks like a big white cylindrical tube, sucking up the vacuum’s contents in a sealed dust bag that Roborock claims holds up to 100 days’ worth of dirt.

Roborock’s $999 stick vacuum has 210 air watts (AW) of suction power, designed specifically for dry messes. It’s tricky to compare the vacuum’s suction with competitors; some use AW as a unit of measurement, while others use pascals (Pa).

For comparison, Dyson’s V8 Absolute stick vacuum, which also retails for $999 in Australia, is rated to 115AW of suction. On raw numbers alone, the H60 Hub Ultra seems powerful for its price bracket.

The docking station promises hands-free emptying. Image: Roborock.

Roborock also touts the vacuum’s built-in green light that detects hard-to-see dust and dirt. It shoots out the light at a 140-degree angle to assist when debris blends in with the floor.

From a hygiene perspective, the H60 Hub Ultra includes a HEPA filter as part of its filtration system. That’s a pretty common feature among reputable vacuum brands, and one that ensures tiny particles get picked up so they don’t linger around and bother allergy sufferers.

The stick vac also comes bundled with a few different attachments. One is an anti-tangle brush, designed for cleaning hair and pet fur without clogging up the system. There’s also a motorised mini-brush for cleaning mattresses, and a two-in-one crevice tool that gets into corners.

Roborock’s auto-emptying adds to its ever-expanding home appliance range, spanning high-end robot vacuums and wet-dry vacuums. Out now in Australia, the H60 Hub Ultra is stocked via Roborock’s online store and major home appliance retailers.

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Samsung teases new phone, tablet, and “multimodal” AI

Samsung is gearing up to announce its next suite of mobile devices next month, teasing a Galaxy event for 4 September.

From the limited information available so far, Samsung’s announcements revolve around more seamless connectivity across more of its devices. To use the company’s words, its aim is “redefining effortless connectivity and productivity”. What that looks like in practice, we’ll have to wait and find out.

What we do know from Samsung’s teaser, however, is that September’s Galaxy event will include “premium AI tablets” and a new Galaxy S25 device. Looking back to September last year, Samsung announced the more affordable Galaxy S24 FE phone alongside the Galaxy Tab S10 range of tablets.

Although it’s no guarantee of what Samsung has in store for September, it seems to line up with what the mobile brand has teased so far. Samsung hasn’t announced the Galaxy Tab S11 yet; it did launch the Galaxy Tab S10 FE in April earlier this year.

With a focus on connectivity between devices, Samsung could be upgrading its Quick Share technology. Like Apple’s AirDrop functionality, Quick Share lets Galaxy users send files between devices. Samsung also mentioned “multimodal capabilities”, so it’s likely using AI to try and bridge multiple devices and apps together, like Google’s new Magic Cue feature.

Samsung will livestream its September Galaxy event live on YouTube and via its website. Here’s when you can watch in Australia:

• AEST: 4 September 7:30 PM
• ACST: 4 September 7:00 PM
• AWST: 4 September 5:30 PM

That timing gives Samsung a bit of breathing room before Apple’s big September announcement event, which will air in the early hours of 10 September. Apple’s event is expected to follow tradition in announcing the iPhone 17 for a late-September launch.

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Update adds text summaries of what your Arlo camera sees

AI-based home security spans a lot of different features nowadays, from cameras being able to identify people to alerting homeowners to fires. Home security brand Arlo wants to streamline things even further with event captions and video-based search.

Having previously updated its smart home security range with features like person and vehicle recognition, the American brand recently launched Arlo Secure 6. It’s the latest version of its subscription service that adds various features on top of each device’s built-in smarts.

Event captions are now available to users on the $15 monthly Arlo Secure Plus plan, summarising any happenings picked up on camera. According to Arlo, the feature “generates concise and accurate descriptions of motion-detected events”.

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Instead of reviewing footage manually, Arlo intends for the feature to provide the SparkNotes version via text. Based on the feature’s description, it describes events, like a package delivery, via text in the Arlo Secure app.

Coming later, Arlo’s video search feature lets you search for specific footage by using text-based queries. Like a lot of tech companies, the emphasis is on using “natural language”. So, you shouldn’t need to use specific phrases; the feature should find footage based on a description of what you’re looking for.

Arlo’s video search announcement follows several similar features from competing smart home security brands. Amazon’s Ring brand rolled out a beta text-based video search in March this year for its $29.95 monthly Home Premium subscribers. Meanwhile, Reolink announced a local AI search feature on its Floodlight Elite WiFi camera, without the need for a subscription or cloud connectivity.

Arlo hasn’t confirmed an exact date for its video search feature, other than saying it will “roll out in the coming months”. Until then, Arlo users can rely on event captions to get quick summaries of what’s happening at home.

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Elon Musk’s Starship Test Flight 10 rises from the ashes

For those rocket watchers out there, it’s been a great day for SpaceX’s Starship program, with it nailing all milestones on Test Flight 10. Designed for colonising the moon and Mars, Elon Musk’s Starship program has suffered three terrible previous test flights, none of which were able to complete their programs. Flight 10’s long list of successes include:

• Successful launch of the Superheavy booster
• Successful hot-stage separation of the booster (lower half) and Starship (top half)
• Successful return of the Superheavy booster to its landing point in the Gulf of America
• Successful deployment of Starship’s dummy payload, consisting of 8 mock-satellites
• Successful relighting of one of Starship’s Raptor engines in space to prove returning from orbit
• Successful re-entry of the Starship through the earth’s atmosphere and testing of heat tiles
• Successful Starship landing on target in the Indian Ocean, near the west coast of Australia

However, there were a few tense moments including one of the booster’s raptor engines flaming out during launch, and some type of damage to the aft section and at least one aft flap of Starship during the critical re-entry phase. Also, no booster catch attempt was part of the plan for this launch. Thankfully, none of these issues stopped the progress of Test Flight 10, resulting in loads of useful data, and is a testament to the engineering skills of the SpaceX team.

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Apple locks in iPhone 17 reveal date: When to watch in Australia

It’s not long until the iPhone 17 now: Apple has officially set the date for its “awe dropping” September event.

Scheduled to take place on Wednesday, 10 September at 3:00 AM AEST, Apple’s event matches up with the timing of last year’s iPhone 16 reveal. Apple is expected to debut its slimmer “iPhone 17 Air” at the event, alongside the rest of its core mobile range.

As previously reported by Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, this year’s iPhone 17 event will pave the way for several years of “major” redesigns. This year’s iPhones are tipped to follow conventional rectangular designs, with a foldable expected in 2026.

Based on last year’s September announcements, phones won’t be Apple’s sole focus. New Apple Watches, AirPods updates, and various accessories will likely feature.

One thing that probably won’t get much airtime is AI. After some highly publicised struggles with Apple Intelligence, Apple’s souped-up Siri assistant reportedly won’t arrive until 2026. Instead of rushing to keep up with Google’s Gemini and Samsung’s Galaxy AI ecosystem, Apple is taking the scenic route to offering built-in advanced AI features.

Although not live on the Australian Apple website at the time of writing, the US site features a banner emblazoned with a glowing Apple logo with a thermal vision-like effect. The logo reacts to the movement of your cursor, moving the thermal visual effects around. It’ll keep you occupied for a few minutes as a sort of fidget toy to distract you throughout the day.

When to watch the iPhone 17 event in Australia

For the early birds and strong coffee aficionados, here’s when you can watch Apple’s September event per Australian time zone:

• AEST: 10 September 3:00 AM
• ACST: 10 September 2:30 AM
• AWST: 10 September 1:00 AM

We’ll keep an eye out for any updates and potential teases between now and the iPhone 17’s official reveal.

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Petite Philips NeoPix projectors put big screens within reach

Not every projector needs to be an all-in-one 4K device with all the bells and whistles. Or a $25k behemoth, for that matter. Some folks just want an affordable big-screen alternative to a TV. And that’s precisely what it looks like the new Philips NeoPix 150 and NeoPix 450 Smart projectors are.

As you might guess from the name, the Philips NeoPix 150 is the cheaper model of the two. At $449, it’s capable of producing an 80-inch 1080p image in a petite form factor. It relies on an included USB-C to HDMI cable to connect external devices, and the 250 ANSI-lumen brightness means you need a fairly dark room to get the best results.

Spend $999 and you get the NeoPix 450 Smart projector, which makes a bigger 100-inch 1080p image and beams it brighter, at 500 ANSI lumens. Its ‘Smart’ title refers to the projector’s built-in Google TV OS, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth connectivity. In addition to its more versatile connectivity, this model also includes auto-focus and auto-keystone settings, meaning less messing around with setup.

Both projectors are out now in major Australian tech retailers.

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New Aussie telco debuts with super cheap $50 NBN 500 plan

There’s a new internet provider on the block, and it’s launching with an extremely compelling deal. To kick off its NBN 500 plan, Arctel is selling the high-speed tier for just $50 per month.

That’s the cheapest deal on an NBN 500 plan we’ve seen by far, in an aggressive customer acquisition strategy from the newcomer. The $50 monthly price lasts for the first six months, before it jumps up to the standard price of $89.99.

Like Tangerine before it, Arctel is selling its NBN 500 plan before the official NBN speed upgrade in September by provisioning it on NBN 1000 infrastructure. In other words, until 15 September, customers get even faster speeds before automatically migrating to the 500Mbps plan.

Compared to other telcos so far, the standard pricing is on the slightly higher end of the scale. But for six months, that price is going to be hard to beat. According to Arctel’s Instagram post, the introductory deal lasts until 14 September 2025, just in time for the NBN upgrade.

It might seem Arctel has come out of nowhere right before a pivotal moment in the NBN’s history. However, it’s a new venture from Triforce, a decades-old Australian company that specialises in enterprise internet and networking solutions.

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20/08/2025Chris Button Internet/NBN

Cheapest NBN 500 plans compared: Save before the big upgrade

Like many Australian internet providers, Arctel sells plans on a monthly basis without lock-in contracts. However, if you decide to go elsewhere, you need to provide a month’s notice, per the brand’s frequently asked questions page.

The new telco also offers the choice of two D-Link modem routers, albeit neither comes with the NBN 500 deal. One is a Wi-Fi 5 model that normally costs $179, but Arctel includes it for free if customers stick around for 12 months.

Arctel also sells a ‘premium’ Wi-Fi 6 modem router for $250 — an older model listed by D-Link as a discontinued model. Its gigabit Ethernet ports are enough for most speeds, but power users hungry for multigigabit speeds will need to shop around.

In a heavily saturated market, Arctel has its work cut out for it. But a big up-front discount might give the challenger telco a chance.

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How I chose a home battery and saved money on electricity

As Australia’s solar battery rebate kicks in, choosing a home battery requires more than shopping around on price alone.

Australia’s new solar battery rebate has sparked a rush on home batteries, which is causing installation delays, but I managed to get in quickly to have a 24 kWh Sigenergy battery installed in mid-July. As the weather has improved, this week I finally experienced my first satisfying day of buying no power from the grid.

Of course, every household is different and choosing a home battery seems daunting when Australians have dozens of approved brands from which to choose, from international carmakers like Tesla and BYD to power specialists like Anker. You’ve also got homegrown options like Soltaro and RedEarth.

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What I learned buying a Sigenergy home battery to cut power bills

Even though I love a good spreadsheet, I’ll admit that I didn’t compare every brand on the market when it came to choosing the best solar battery for my own home.

I narrowed my choices with some research to see what’s popular with Australian homeowners and installers over at SolarQuotes. I also looked at the recommended installers in my area and the brands they offered, as most good installers tend to specialise in a few brands in order to develop expertise.

This left me with a shortlist of Tesla, BYD, Sigenergy and Sungrow – which, between them, seem to have the lion’s share of Australian home battery sales.

Learning from past mistakes when choosing a home battery

When you’re investing this kind of money, you don’t want to go with the Dodgy Brothers to install some no-name brand that they’re not familiar with and no one has ever heard of. Especially when you need good pre- and post-sales support to ensure everything goes smoothly.

I almost got burned when installing solar panels back in 2019, thanks to going with an el cheapo mob who gave no thought to panel placement and the impact of shade.

Image: Soren H on Unsplash.

Shade is the mortal enemy of solar panels, because if a shadow falls across even one panel during the day, then it lowers the performance of all the panels in that group – although smart installers can use optimisers or micro-inverters to reduce the impact.

I live in a valley, with a small, narrow roof that doesn’t let me place many solar panels facing north. This meant an optimal panel layout was critical to ensure I could squeeze the most from my system.

Despite planning ahead, the installers who turned up on the day were just going to slap the panels anywhere, and it was lucky I was on hand to ensure they actually followed the plan.

Don’t shop on price alone

Thanks to my intervention during installation, my solar panels have performed well and paid for themselves in only three years. A solar home battery demands a much larger wad of cash, with a considerably longer return on investment, so I wasn’t going to risk shopping around on price alone.

In the end, I settled on a local battery installer who offered a choice of Tesla, BYD and Sigenergy. I was impressed that they visited my home before providing a quote, in order to avoid surprises, and that their written quote went into a lot of detail.

Some other quotes I received simply stated the brand, battery capacity and price, with absolutely no fine detail on what was involved or included. These quotes were also going through middlemen, which was a red flag considering my solar panel installation had also been outsourced.

Image: Adam Turner.

My preferred battery installer’s quote was not the cheapest, but it was the most detailed and also made it clear that they don’t outsource anything, so I knew I’d always be dealing with the same people.

Case in point, their Sigenergy quote included running an Ethernet connection to the gateway because they’d found Sigenergy’s Wi-Fi connection to be unreliable – something I’ve heard since from other Sigenergy owners.

I’d bet good money that the dirt-cheap installers would have either stuck with Wi-Fi and left me to fend for myself, or turned up on the day and demanded more money to run an Ethernet cable.

Narrow down the choices

When it came to choosing between Tesla, BYD and Sigenergy home batteries, the latter won out because of its good reputation in terms of functionality and flexibility, plus its modular design, which allows installers to add extra battery capacity without significantly increasing costs.

I initially considered a 16 kWh Sigenergy battery – combining two 8 kWh modules – which was already more affordable than a 13.5 kWh Tesla Powerwall 3. In the end, I went with three 8 kWh Sigenergy modules, having crunched the numbers to be confident that I’d make the most of the extra capacity.

It’s true that BYD also offers a modular design, but its pricing was still similar to Tesla’s, so Sigenergy won out.

To be fair, I did stop to consider whether a Tesla battery was a smarter choice, considering I already have a Tesla Model Y parked in the driveway, alongside a Tesla Gen 3 Wall Connector.

Driving a Tesla doesn’t mean you have to go all-in on the brand when choosing a home battery. Image: Adam Turner.

After some research, I couldn’t see any advantage in sticking with all-Tesla gear, apart from the ability to manage everything from within a single app. Which wasn’t really an advantage for me anyway, considering I rely on Charge HQ to schedule EV charging because it’s much more flexible than the Tesla app.

Another advantage of going with Tesla might have been the wider availability of online how-to guides for getting the most from your home battery. With Sigenergy building a loyal following around the world, I was surprised to discover the lack of decent setup guides that dive into the advanced features.

After three weeks, I’m very happy with my 24 kWh Sigenergy home battery, but every household is different, so do your homework before you sign on the dotted line.

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