Early bird deals on the iPhone 16.
How to buy the iPhone 16 in Australia
4 min readHow to buy the iPhone 16 in Australia
Buying an iPhone 16 on a plan
- The iPhone 16 is available to buy now. That means it's time to make some decisions: regular or Pro? Colour? Storage size? Pick the iPhone 16 you're after and get in quick.
- Have a look at mobile plans and see which provider is cheapest.
- Once you've got a provider in mind, take a look at which offers the right mix of data and price to meet your needs.
- Lock in your order and wait for your iPhone 16 to arrive. It goes on sale in stores on 20 September, so you should expect yours around that time.
- When it arrives, unbox your device and activate it via a physical or eSIM.
Buying an iPhone 16 outright
- Have a look at the range of iPhone 16 models and see whether you're leaning towards the standard or Pro.
- Next, you'll need to decide on screen size and colour options.
- See which retailer is offering the iPhone 16 at the best price (spoiler alert: the prices are going to be very similar between retailers). Also, pay attention to any incentives on offer.
- Pick the retailer based on price, incentives and speedy shipping.
- Wait for your new iPhone 16 to arrive.
- Pick out a SIM-only mobile plan to use with your iPhone 16.
iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro plans
Get the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro on a plan through Telstra, Optus or Vodafone
Not keen to cough up $1,400 all at once? You can spread your device payments out over 12, 24 or 36 months with plans from Telstra, Optus or Vodafone. Of course, you'll be effectively locked into your plan. The plans are no-contract, of course, but you'll still have to make the device payments if you switch providers.
Still, paying for your new iPhone 16 on a plan is more palatable to most people than buying it outright.
iPhone 16 plans
iPhone 16 128GB (36-month plans)
If you're after the base model iPhone 16, the cheapest option is Vodafone's $49 Small Plan. You'll get 50GB of monthly data, and if you opt for the 36-month plan, your device repayments will be $38.36 per month. That means your total bill will be $87.86 per month.
Check out the table below to see how Vodafone compares with Telstra and Optus. Or, for a more comprehensive breakdown of iPhone 16 plans, check out our full coverage of the best iPhone 16 plans available in Australia.
iPhone 16 Plus plans
iPhone 16 Plus 128GB (36-month plans)
If you're after the larger iPhone 16 Plus, Vodafone is still going to be your cheapest option. Again, the $49 Small Plan beats the cheapest Optus and Telstra plans on price. Your device repayments over 36 months will be $44.40 per month, bringing your bill to $93.40.
Here's how iPhone 16 Plus plans from Vodafone, Telstra and Optus compare:
iPhone 16 Pro plans
iPhone 16 Pro 128GB (36-month plans)
Looking to go Pro? If you're after the iPhone 16 Pro, with its better camera specs and titanium case, Vodafone comes out on top for least expensive plans. Your monthly device repayments on a 36-month plan will be $49.96. With Vodafone's $49 Small Plan, you'll be paying a total of $98.96 per month.
Have a look at the table below to see how this compares. For a more comprehensive look at iPhone 16 Pro plans, check out our page of the best plans for the iPhone 16 Pro.
iPhone 16 Pro Max plans
iPhone 16 Pro Max 256GB (36-month plans)
The iPhone 16 Pro Max is an absolute behemoth at 6.9 inches. It also packs a powerhouse camera system.
If you want the premium iPhone model, you'll be paying a premium price. But if you don't want to pay a lot for the plan that goes with it, Vodafone's $49 Small Plan is the way to go. You'll be looking at $59.68 for monthly device repayments on a 36-month plan, which will bring your monthly bill to $108.68.
To see how that compares, check out the table below.
iPhone 16 Australian pricing
Starts at $1,399
It's a welcome change to see the iPhone 16 range launching at a cheaper price point than the iPhone 15. Across the board, every model is between $50 and $100 less expensive than the iPhone 15 at launch.
Vodafone iPhone 16 plans
As we've said before, Vodafone is your cheapest option for picking up an iPhone 16. While it doesn't have the network size of Telstra or Optus, it beats them both on price. If you live in an area with good Vodafone coverage and you want to keep your monthly bill to a minimum, their iPhone 16 plans are worth a look.
Regardless of which plan you pair the new iPhone with, you'll also get excess-charge free data, Vodafone 5G where you can find it plus $5 per day international roaming when you need it.
Check out the round-up of Vodafone mobile plans:
Optus iPhone 16 plans
If you want better coverage but still want to keep your monthly bill down, Optus might be the sweet spot between cost and coverage.
You can pick up an iPhone 16 on an Optus plan with 12, 24 or 36 month device repayment options.
Each of Optus' iPhone 16 plans include excess-charge free data, a discounted rate on Optus Sport and the ability to save some spare change on your monthly subscriptions using SubHub.
Check out the round-up of Optus iPhone 16 plans below.
Telstra iPhone 16 plans
Telstra is the most expensive of the big three telcos, but it also has the most extensive network. If you're looking to take advantage of the iPhone 16's 5G, Telstra might be your best bet.
Like Optus and Vodafone, Telstra allows you to pay off your device over a 12, 24 or 36-month period. You'll also score get excess-charge free data for the lifetime of their plan, plus freebies like a four month subscription to Spotify Premium, three months of Telstra Device Security and two months of access to Binge.
Check out the round-up of Telstra iPhone 16 plans below.
Where to buy the Apple iPhone 16 in Australia?
In Australia, the Apple iPhone 16 will be able to be found through no shortage of different partners and retailers. The list here includes:
Check out more iPhone 16 coverage
How much does the iPhone 16 cost in Australia?
How much more can Apple possibly charge?
How to buy the iPhone 16 in Australia
The best deals on the iPhone 16.
The best iPhone 16 plans and deals in Australia compared
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