Cheapest SIM plans – December 2022

Are you looking for the best value or cheapest SIM plans? GadgetGuy has done the searching for you. If you don’t understand a SIM-only mobile plan, look at this previous article, A guide to SIM-only Mobile.

Gadget Guy plans to publish each month what we believe to be the best value mobile plans to be had without bundling a handset. This is about saving you money, and unlike other websites, we receive no money for recommending plans.

You will need to add a new SIM each time you change your service provider. The table below’s prices include that new SIM and should also include free shipping to your address.

Irrespective of which services provider you go with, the actual phone calls and data will be carried on one of three carrier networks Optus, Telstra or Vodafone. What will be different is the coverage you receive. Each service provider/carrier does not necessarily have the same coverage. For, E.g. A service provider who uses Telstra as a carrier may not get 100% of Telstra coverage even though they use the Telstra network. Check the service providers’ coverage maps before signing up.

Phone number portability

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

One last tip is if you purchase a 12-month SIM plan with a fixed data rate, don’t panic about running out of data because if you do, just buy a new SIM with the best deal that suits you at that time. These days, plans are about data, and almost all offer unlimited talk and text. Thus pay attention to the cost per GB column.

The Table below is best viewed on a large screen and may require scrolling. Some plans may have changed since publication.

Best Value or Cheapest SIM Plans for your mobile

Company – December 22	Unlimited National calls & text	Data included	Period	International calls	Cost	Cost/mth	Cost/GB	other	expires
Coles (Optus)	Yes	60GB/yr	12mths	Unlimited 15 destinations	$99	$     8.25	$     1.65	Instore or online	13-Dec
Amaysim (Optus)	Yes	60GB/yr	12mths	None	$99	$     8.25	$     1.65	cashrewards	31-Jan
Vodafone	Yes	150GB/yr	12mths	50 inernationalt texts	$125	$   10.42	$     0.83	Woolworths instore	13-Dec
Woolworths (Telstra)	Yes	100GB/yr	12 mths	None	$140	$   11.67	$     1.40	10% off grocery shop/mth
Coles (Optus)	Yes	120GB/yr	12mths	Unlimited 15 destinations	$150	$   12.50	$     1.25	Instore or online
Optus	Yes	120GB/yr	12 mths	None	$150	$   12.50	$     1.25		11-Jan
Lebra (Vodafone)	Yes	180GB/yr	360 days	unlimited 26 countries	$150	$   12.50	$     0.83
Catch (Optus)	Yes	240GB/yr	12mths	None	$150	$   12.50	$     0.63	$50 credit	6-Dec
Coles (Optus)	Yes	200GB/yr	12mths	Unlimited 15 destinations	$169	$   14.08	$     0.85	Instore or online	13-Dec
Kogan (Vodafone)	Yes	200GB/yr	12mths	None	$180	$   15.00	$     0.90	cashrewards
Boost (Telstra)	Yes	140GB/yr	12 mths	$300 included	$200	$   16.67	$     1.43	cashrewards
Kogan (Vodafone)	Yes	500GB/yr	12mths	None	$300	$   25.00	$     0.60	cashrewards
Boost (Telstra)	Yes	260GB/yr	12 mths	$300 included	$300	$   25.00	$     1.07	cashrewards
ALDI (Telstra)	Yes	528GB	12mth 2 users	unlimited 15 destinations	$540	$   45.00	$     1.02	2 sims to share data
Southern Phone (Optus)	Yes	2GB	1 mth	None	$5	$     5.00	$     2.50	cashrewards
Southern Phone (Optus)	Yes	10GB	1 mth	None	$10.00	$     7.50	$     1.00	cashrewards
Felix  (Vodafone)	Yes	unlimited	1mth	None	$35	$   35.00	low	<20Mbps speed, 1st mth free
Amaysim (Optus)	Yes	10GB/7 days	7 days	42 countries	$10	$   44.00	$     1.00	short term 7 day plan
Amaysim (Optus)	Yes	150GB	6 mths	unlimited 42 countries	$150	$   25.00	$     1.00	cashrewards
e.tel (Optus)	Yes	7Gb/mth	6mths then $15	20min 70 countries	$8.99	$     8.99	$     1.28
TPG (Vodafone)	Yes	25GB/mth	6mths then $25	None	$12.50	$   12.50	$     0.50
Internode (Vodafone)	Yes	16GB/mth	6mths then $25	None	$12.50	$   12.50	$     0.78
Circles Life (Optus)	Yes	50GB/mth	12mths then $35	extra $5 unlimited	$30	$30.00	$0.60	cashrewards	25-Dec
Circles Life (Optus)	Yes	100GB/mth		extra $5 unlimited	$45	$45.00	$0.45	cashrewards
Belong  (Telstra)	Data Only	100GB/mth	1mth	None	$35	$   35.00	$     0.35	No calls or SMS

Also, see our guide to the cheapest NBN plans.

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Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 1: all the details

As Chapter 3 drew to an explosive close, destroying the map of the past year, a new location formed, setting the scene for Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 1, the latest update to the popular battle royale game.

More than just a season update, a brand-new chapter means there’s plenty to unpack: a fresh map, plenty of character skins to unlock, in addition to guns and items galore to master. Appearances from famous video game characters like Doom Slayer and The Witcher’s Geralt of Rivia, plus added game systems make this update a big one. Here’s everything you need to know before boarding the Battle Bus.

A new island formation headlines Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 1

Arguably one of the biggest changes with the latest update is a completely different map to play on. Now, you have the likes of Brutal Bastion, Frenzy Fields, and Slappy Shores to explore. They’re a cross-section of vibrant scenery and menacing fortresses that undoubtedly house all manner of tactical potential.

Source: Epic Games

To help you navigate the new map, the Trail Thrasher is Fortnite’s latest vehicular addition, a dirt bike perfect for tricks and taking out folks in equal measure. Another neat traversal update is that you now hurdle over objects when sprinting at them. Combine this with new items Slap Berries and Slap Juice – consumables that regenerate both health and energy – and fast movement has never been easier.

Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 1 includes a star-studded roster

As Fortnite is free-to-play, much of its revenue comes from seasonal Battle Passes. A Battle Pass costs 950 V-Bucks (roughly AU$12), the in-game currency also used for purchasing cosmetic items and emotes to customise your character. In exchange, you unlock more cosmetics for levelling up during a season.

For Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 1, Doom Slayer – from the acclaimed Doom franchise – unlocks as a playable skin approximately halfway through the current Battle Pass. This should come as a relief to many players, considering Darth Vader and Spider-Gwen were level 100 rewards in recent seasons. Geralt unlocks separately to the core Battle Pass, available “later on in the season”. The colourfully dressed Selene, a Fortnite original character, immediately unlocks after buying the current pass.

Also, as seen in the season launch trailer, The Incredible Hulk and Izuku Midoriya from the popular anime My Hero Academia appear to be coming too.

Reality Augments will change your late-game strategy

Despite the ever-shrinking storm to contend with, Fortnite’s late-game occasionally drags a bit. Reality Augments look like developer Epic Games’ solution for dynamic match conclusions, offering passive attributes to encourage different play styles. Throughout a match at intervals, you get to choose from two randomised Reality Augments. It’s a reward of sorts for surviving: the longer you last, the more power-ups you’ll accumulate.

As of the start of the new season, there are 22 Reality Augments in the pool, including the following handful:

• Light Fingers: makes your weapons using Light Ammo reload faster
• Mechanical Archer: gives you a Mechanical Explosive Blow & Mechanical Shockwave Bow
• Aerialist: grants you Glider redeploy for the rest of the match
• Supercharged: your vehicles won’t consume fuel and they’ll have increased Health
• Soaring Sprints: while sprinting, you’ll be able to jump much higher – and jump with lower gravity

Shockwave Hammer looks like the ultimate weapon

Of course, it wouldn’t be a new season without new weapons to wield. Included with Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 1 is the Shockwave Hammer, demonstrated in the gameplay trailer by none other than Geralt himself. It deals massive damage to opponents and knocks them away while acting as a launch pad for you and your squad.

Alongside the menacing melee weapon are the following new weapons:

• Ex-Caliber Rifle
• Thunder Shotgun
• Maven Auto Shotgun
• Red-Eye Assault Rifle
• Twin Mag SMG
• Tactical Pistol
• Shockwave Hammer

Plus, there are additional methods of obtaining loot. One way involves taking out airborne drones to secure rare weapon drops. Additionally, Capture Points let your squad identify nearby chests and opponents, which adds territorial strategy to proceedings.

Source: Epic Games

Fortnite goes next-gen with Unreal Engine 5

Although playable on just about every current platform in some capacity, Epic Games has some exclusive perks for playing on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and cloud platforms. Through Unreal Engine 5.1 – the development software used to make Fortnite – several visual enhancements make the game look prettier than ever.

These enhancements range from more detailed building and landscape renders, to more accurate lighting with ray tracing, better shadows, and the capacity for high-quality visuals at a high frame rate. There’s also a detailed explanation of how to get the most out of the enhanced visual settings.

How long will Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 1 last?

According to the Battle Pass web page, the current season runs from now until 10 March 2023, so there’s plenty of time to check out the new content.

A massive update across all aspects of the game, Fortnite’s latest season looks to be absolutely packed with things to see and do. No doubt like many of you, I can’t wait to unlock Geralt and wreak havoc.

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The TCL C735 is an affordable 144Hz gaming TV

A highly responsive, low-latency display suited for gaming doesn’t need to cost a fortune, as demonstrated by the TCL C735, an affordable 4K TV loaded with features.

Before HDMI 2.1 came along, many console gamers were locked to a refresh rate of 60Hz, or frames per second (fps). This refers to how often the screen refreshes the image you see. Generally speaking, the higher the refresh rate, the smoother the motion and animation. Now, more TVs have panels capable of reaching 120Hz and above, which decent gaming PCs support, while consoles like the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 go up to 120Hz.

However, TVs capable of higher frame rates tend to be pricier, but the TCL 735 bucks the trend. The 55-inch model retails for less than $1,500 at major electronics stores, which is a decent price for the technology included. We recently toured through its biggest features to highlight why it should be on your radar.

Arguably its most impressive feature is a 144Hz Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) supported by AMD FreeSync Premium. This, combined with Game Master settings, you can enjoy a smooth gaming experience unhindered by input lag, meaning button presses register with almost no delay. It’s great for competitive shooters like Call of Duty and Fortnite where response time means everything, and it makes fast-moving games like Forza Horizon 5 look incredible.

Alongside the gaming features, the TCL C735 also has plenty to offer as a movie and TV show viewing experience. Housing a QLED panel, the display supports Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos for an authentic home cinema experience. Dolby Vision IQ boosts image colour and contrast while adjusting to your room’s brightness. Meanwhile, Dolby Atmos produces 360-degree audio similar to what you experience at a cinema, giving you a more detailed sense of space through sound. Plus, the TCL C735 is HDR10+ certified, capturing details among the shadows and highlights of every scene.

From an everyday use perspective, the TV enables Google Assistant features natively through its OS. You can access your favourite streaming apps using either a remote or your voice. Additionally, AirPlay 2 lets you stream content from your Apple devices to the display, and Bluetooth headphones are also supported.

TCL C735 gaming TV details and availability

Available now in 55, 65, and 75-inch models, the TCL C735 starts at $1,499, although you can regularly find it cheaper during sales. Major retailers stocking the TV include JB Hi-Fi, Bing Lee, Harvey Norman, and Retravision. You can check out the full TCL C735 range online.

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NBN to roll out faster multi-gigabit speed fibre tech under Nokia deal

Readying Australia’s digital backbone for multi-gigabit speeds, NBN Co has selected Nokia’s faster, more flexible and more energy-efficient fibre optic technology to help it address Australia’s future broadband needs.

The deal will see NBN deploy Nokia’s latest MF series Optical Line Terminals (MF-14) and the Altiplano Access Controller. Together they offer a significant increase in flexibility and the ability to support higher-capacity broadband technologies such as XGS PON, 25GS PON, 50G PON and beyond.

The technology is also more energy efficient, helping NBN meet its Towards-Zero Carbon Ambition by decreasing the overall power consumption of the network.

Nokia, a Finland-based company, has worked with NBN Co for more than a decade. Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Finnish MP Ville Skinnari were present for the announcement, alongside Nokia’s chief customer experience officer, Ricky Corker.

“Using Nokia’s advanced fibre technology coupled with our network optimization and automation capabilities, Nokia and NBN can meet customer demand for a faster, smarter, greener broadband network today and well into the future,” Corker said.

Deployment of the technology will begin in 2023, with NBN the first operator to deploy it in the Southern Hemisphere. It will allow NBN to move beyond today’s wholesale residential gigabit speeds to offer multi-gigabit residential speeds across the Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) network. 

Nokia’s MF-14 technology

The partnership complements a 10-year agreement recently secured for the supply of Nokia’s next-gen Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) for the NBN fixed-wireless upgrade program, which will help extend reach and capability as well as support the introduction of two new high-speed tiers. 

In November, the NBN network reached a record peak rate of 22.35 terabits per second downstream traffic, which is expected to increase up to 100 terabits per second in the next ten years.

The Australian Government recently committed to an additional $2.4 billion to roll out more fibre to communities across Australia. This new investment will enable an additional 1.5 million homes and businesses currently served by Fibre to the Node (FTTN) to upgrade to FTTP.

Coupled with the additional homes and businesses connected by fibre, NBN is evolving the FTTP technology platform to enable higher-speed services. Recent lab evaluations from the company successfully tested 25 gigabits per second FTTP technology, capable of 10 times the existing infrastructure’s download capacity.

More than 8.5 million households and businesses are connected to services over the NBN network, equating to approximately 20 million people relying on the network every day, says NBN chief executive officer Stephen Rue.

“By leading the deployment of this next-generation technology, we can help meet our nation’s data demands now and into the future,” Rue said.

“Together with our network investment that is pushing fibre deeper into communities and extending fixed-wireless and satellite coverage and capabilities, we are helping unlock social and economic benefits for households, businesses and communities across Australia.”

The announcement comes days after the Productivity Commission released a report finding that NBN Co’s accumulated losses would be $25 billion by 2040. A major factor is believed to be the Coalition government’s decision to use a combination of copper and cable TV infrastructure instead of a full fibre rollout.

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Sustainable Nokia X30 5G phone made from recycled aluminium and plastic

Sustainability continues to be a major focus for tech companies, with HMD Global launching the Nokia X30 5G, a smartphone the company claims is its most eco-friendly yet.

Made from a 100% recycled aluminium frame and 65% recycled plastic back, the Nokia X30 5G has a 6.43-inch AMOLED 1,080 x 2,400 resolution display. It maxes out at a 90Hz refresh rate and 700 nits peak brightness, which is fairly bright for a mid-range phone.

Under the hood, the Nokia X30 5G runs on the Snapdragon 695 5G processor, the same chipset found in the Motorola Edge 30 Neo. Although the phone ships with the previous Android 12 OS, it supports three years of updates – both OS and security – including the current feature-packed Android 13. Depending on which model you choose, other internals include either 128GB storage plus 6GB RAM, or 256GB storage and 8GB RAM.

Although the Nokia X30 5G does away with a charging adapter to reduce the packaging size and subsequent carbon footprint, it does have a reasonably sized 4200mAh battery, and a USB-C cable is included. The phone doesn’t appear to support wireless charging and has 33W fast charging, which is slower than the 68W of its Motorola classmate.

For taking photos, the Nokia X30 5G has a main 50 MP PureView OIS camera that uses AI technology to assist with night photos and portraits. Alongside this, the phone has a 123-degree 13 MP ultrawide camera which pairs with the main lens using Capture Fusion technology to snap detailed landscapes, while selfie-takers get a 16 MP front camera. Also, if you drop the phone in water while taking photos, the device’s IP67 waterproof rating means you should be fine.

Nokia X30 5G pricing and availability

Out now, the latest phone from HMD Global starts at $799 for the 128GB Cloudy Blue model from Telstra, while the 256GB version costs $899 and has the additional colour of Ice White. This makes it noticeably more expensive than the $599 Edge 30 Neo, although some differences remain.

For example, the Motorola handset only comes with a one-year manufacturer warranty and two years of OS updates, while the Nokia X30 5G includes three years across the board: warranty, security, and OS updates. Additionally, only Nokia’s construction includes largely recycled materials.

It’s also a good idea to recycle your old phone via a service like MobileMuster. More recently, local telco Boost Mobile launched a phone trade-in app you can use to receive money in exchange for unused handsets. Recycling your phone means components and materials are used again instead of ending up in landfill.

In terms of the Nokia X30 5G’s price, value is always a subjective measure, and it’s common to pay more for sustainable choices. Similar to the Philips Eco Collection – a toaster and kettle set made from recycled cooking oil – early adoption of eco-friendly tech may cost extra now, but the sustainable techniques used will hopefully soon be the norm and therefore become cheaper over time.

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XT100 is an affordable soundbar from a leading Australian audio brand

Soundbars are one of the best and simplest ways you can instantly improve your TV’s audio. One of the latest entries in this popular category is the XT100 from Melbourne-based company BlueAnt, which has a rich history of delivering high-quality audio devices.

A 2.0 channel device, the soundbar supports Dolby Atmos to deliver a 3D cinema-like experience. You usually need a full surround sound setup to truly take advantage of Dolby Atmos technology, although soundbars can bounce sound off surfaces to make it feel like you’re experiencing it from various angles.

Built to enhance your media-viewing experience, the XT100 exists in the mid-range category to generate clear sound quality across different types of media. Whether it be movies, TV shows or sport, the soundbar has different equalisation settings to suit. Additionally, the XT100 houses various connection options including HDMI eARC, AUX, and Bluetooth 5.1, in addition to optical and USB playback.

Interestingly, there’s no standalone sub-woofer unit included with the XT100 – BlueAnt CEO Taisen Maddern is confident that the soundbar’s overall performance doesn’t even warrant it. He believes the device can fill a room with sound on its own, which is good news for those with limited space.

“Everything a subwoofer provides comes part and parcel with the XT100; simply put, it’s a beast, and it’s the affordable premium soundbar Australians have been crying out for,” he said. “We knew there was a need for a new player on the soundbar stage.”

“Australians don’t just want a soundbar that’s slightly better than a TV speaker and has no punch.”

Considering BlueAnt’s strong track record, it’s not unreasonable to take Maddern’s words at face value. The company’s range of Bluetooth speakers – including the X3, X4, and X5 – all impressed in review testing.

BlueAnt XT100 soundbar pricing and availability

At an RRP of $349, the XT100 comes in slightly cheaper than the Sonos Ray soundbar released earlier this year. You can order it from BlueAnt directly, via Telstra online, or through audio specialist retailers.

There are more BlueAnt devices coming, too, with various upgrades across the X series set to launch during the 2022 summer. This includes a new speaker in the coming months, one that will “blow people away” according to Maddern.

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Apple’s unexpected iOS 16.1.2 update might fix a major iPhone 14 feature

Apple’s latest iPhone update is an unexpected one: iOS 16.1.2, which appears to mainly target iPhone 14 models with some very specific fixes.

Ahead of the iOS 16.2 update expected to come before the end of the year, iOS 16.1.2 includes security updates while addressing two other issues. One is improvements to wireless carrier compatibility. Crash Detection optimisation on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models is the second.

One of the major iPhone 14 and Apple Watch 8 features, Crash Detection automatically identifies when you’ve been in a car accident, and then contacts emergency services with your GPS coordinates. The problem? It reportedly kicks in unexpectedly, like when riding a rollercoaster. Or when skiing at high speeds.

The next major iPhone update, iOS 16.2, is currently in beta testing and includes a way to notify Apple of a false SOS alarm. It seems the current software update is a stopgap to help reduce these instances from happening in the first place.

Should you update to iOS 16.1.2?

Like iOS 16.1.1, the latest update also contains security enhancements, so it’s always recommended to install the latest software to keep your device safe. Even though the headline fixes mainly address iPhone 14 devices, anyone with a handset dating back to an iPhone 8 can and should update. We recommend the same practice whenever a critical security update goes live for Android, too.

It won’t be long until iOS 16.2 arrives, which will bring more everyday features to iPhone, much like the substantial iOS 16.1 update did, adding family photo sharing in addition to Apple Fitness+ access without needing an Apple Watch.

Fingers crossed that the Crash Detection tweaks help make the feature more accurate, as it’s a fantastic idea with the potential to save lives.

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