Best iPhone 13 Pro Max plans in Australia

It feels like only yesterday that we were introduced to the sharp-edged beauty that was the iPhone 12, and yet here we are with yet another fresh lineup of iPhones. And if you’re one of those people who only wants the biggest and the best, you’re probably eyeing off the iPhone 13 Pro Max right now. Once you’ve picked your favourite colour and preferred storage size, there’s just one decision left to make – choosing the right phone plan. As expected, it’s only available through Telstra, Optus and Vodafone, but it still leaves you with a lot of options. To help make that decision a little easier, here are our top picks for iPhone 13 Pro Max plans.

• Monthly data: 80GB
• Monthly plan price: $55
• Duration: 12, 24 or 36 months
• Network: Optus 4G/5G

Here at Reviews.org Australia, we spend a frankly ridiculous amount of time looking at phone plans and finding the best. To do so, we need to take a few different factors into account: monthly price, data, coverage and perks. Essentially, we’re looking for the ultimate all-rounder, and we think we’ve found it in the $55 Optus Choice Plus Plan.

For $55 per month (plus handset fees) you’ll get a plentiful 80GB of data to stream, shop and browse to your heart’s content, with no excess data charges if you manage to go over - though you will be capped at speeds of 1.5Mbps. In addition, there’s the standard unlimited national talk and text plus unlimited standard international calls to 35 destinations, a free subscription to Optus Sport and OS Fitness and access to Optus’ growing 5G network.

We’re pretty confident that the $55 Optus Choice Plus Plan offers a great balance of features, value and coverage, keep in mind there are plenty more plans where that came from. If it’s not quite what you’re after, here are the most popular iPhone 13 Pro Max plans from each provider.

• Monthly data: 40GB (10GB + 30GB bonus)
• Monthly plan price: $40
• Duration: 12, 24 or 36 months
• Network: Vodafone 4G/5G

Longtime Apple fanbois know iPhones have never (and probably will never) come with a price tag that doesn’t make your eyes water, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few ways to save some cash on that shiny new device.

The cheapest iPhone 13 Pro Max plan currently available is Vodafone’s budget-friendly $40 Lite Plan. At just $40 per month (on top of handset costs), it comes with 40GB of data (made up of 10GB and 30GB bonus data), unlimited talk and text in Australia and three free months of Amazon Music Unlimited (valued at $11.99 per month). It’s available on either a 24 or 36-month repayment plan so you can keep costs low with a longer contract or pay it off sooner with the two-year option.

To put Vodafone’s plan into perspective, here are the cheapest iPhone 13 Pro Max plans available right now.

• Monthly data: Unlimited full-speed data (with 30GB for hotspot connections)
• Monthly plan price: $85
• Duration: 12, 24 or 36 months
• Network: Vodafone 4G/5G

The iPhone 13 Pro Max is a big phone, so it makes sense that you’d want big data to match, right? Well, if big’s what you want, that’s exactly what you’ll get with Vodafone’s $85 Ultra+ plan.

This recently launched plan is the first truly unlimited data plan in Australia, serving up unlimited full-speed (yep, none of that speed-cap nonsense) data to those of us with unhealthy streaming habits. It also comes with extra goodies like 5G network access, unlimited standard calls and SMS in Australia and unlimited international minutes to Zone 1 countries (with 300 mins to Zone 2 countries). That’s… a lot.

Still, Vodafone’s unlimited phone plan does come with a teeny, tiny little catch which you should be aware of if you were considering using your phone to replace your home internet. Basically, you’ll only get 30GB of hotspot (a.k.a. tethering) data to use each month. If that’s a deal-breaker for you, here are some other big-data iPhone 13 Pro Max plans.

Another thing to consider is that, right now, Vodafone’s 5G network is pretty limited. So, if you want to take full advantage of your new iPhone’s 5G speeds, you’ll need a plan that’s got the network to support it. Luckily, we’ve got just the thing...

• Monthly data: 180GB
• Monthly plan price: $65 (for the first 12 months)
• Duration: 12, 24 or 36 months
• Network: Telstra 4G/5G

Telstra has well and truly asserted itself as the 5G giant of Australian telcos, hitting 75% coverage of Australia’s population in June. That’s far ahead of the competition, making it your best bet if you want to put your iPhone 13 Pro Max’s 5G speed capabilities to the test.

As you can probably imagine, that superior 5G coverage comes at a cost - at least $65 per month, to be exact. That’s Telstra’s cheapest 5G-enabled Telstra iPhone 13 Pro Max plan. But if you preorder your device, you can nab the even bigger $115 Extra Large Upfront Plan for the same price for the first 12 months of your plan. The XL plan comes with a massive 180GB of monthly data plus data-sharing on up to 10 eligible plans and unlimited talk and text down under. Plus, since it's contract-free, you can always drop down to a cheaper plan once the discount comes to an end.

For those who are happy to wait a little longer for Optus or Vodafone’s 5G networks to catch up (in exchange for better value) check out their most popular iPhone 13 Pro Max plans with 5G access below.

• Monthly data: 180GB
• Monthly plan price: $65 (for first 12 months)
• Duration: 12, 24 or 36 months
• Network: Telstra 4G/5G

The cream of Telstra’s iPhone 13 Pro Max plan crop this year is, without a doubt, the $115 Extra Large Upfront Plan. Not only was it our top 5G pick above, but it also offers a gigantic 180GB of data per month, unlimited talk and text in Australia and extras like data sharing across up to 10 eligible services and access to the Telstra Plus loyalty program. The best bit? If you preorder your device, the XL plan will only set you back $65 per month for the first 12 months, after which you're free to switch to a cheaper plan.

Although Telstra’s $55 Small Upfront Plan sounds like the better value on paper, there’s one glaring omission - 5G access. Considering that’s one of Telstra’s major calling cards, it means our top pick for the iPhone 13 Pro Max on Telstra had to go to a more expensive plan.

See how the $115 Upfront Plan stacks up against Telstra’s other iPhone 13 Pro Max plans below (keeping in mind that the $55 Small Plan doesn’t include 5G access).

• Monthly data: 150GB (60GB + 90GB bonus)
• Monthly plan price: $55
• Duration: 12, 24 or 36 months
• Network: Vodafone 4G/5G

Though its 5G network is trailing a little behind, Vodafone is perfectly suitable for most Australians living in metropolitan areas who are happy to potentially sacrifice 5G coverage in exchange for a lower monthly bill and tons of value for their iPhone 13 Pro Max. For the best overall value Vodafone plan, we recommend the $55 Super Plan.

Right now, this plan comes with a gigantic 150GB data (60GB standard + 90GB bonus), which is almost double what the other providers are serving up at this price. Plus, if you somehow manage to run out of data, you can still browse at speeds up to 10Mbps, which is perfectly fast enough for basic internet tasks.

If you’re keen to save even more money, you could always purchase your iPhone 13 Pro Max outright and grab a SIM from a Vodafone MVNO, which generally come in far cheaper (albeit with no 5G access). Still, if you prefer to stick with a plan, check out the most popular Vodafone iPhone 13 Pro Max plans below.

• Monthly data: 80GB
• Monthly plan price: $55
• Duration: 12, 24 or 36 months
• Network: Optus 4G/5G

Ahh, Optus. The middle child of Australia’s telco family. For the best coverage, you go with Telstra. For the best value, you go with Vodafone. But for the best all-rounder, we reckon Optus is the winner.

The $55 Optus Choice Plus Plan is a great choice for those who want a bit of everything in their iPhone 13 Pro Max plan - a cheaper monthly bill, decent coverage, lots of data and some added perks thrown in. It includes a sizeable 80GB monthly data allowance (with endless data capped at 1.5Mbps if you go over), plus a bonus Optus Sport and OS Fitness subscription, valued at $14.99.

Still, if that’s not quite the right plan for you, take a look at some of the most popular Optus iPhone 13 Pro Max plans available below.