Virgin Mobile iPhone 5 Plans
Virgin Mobile have launched their iPhone 5 plans starting from $52 per month on a 24 month agreement. Virgin Mobile is a great alternative to Optus. This is because it utilises the same 4G mobile phone network. iPhone 5 buyers should definitely consider Virgin Mobile plans and compare them before they buy.
Quicklinks:
On This Page:
Virgin Mobile Official iPhone 5 Plans announced
Virgin Mobile have just released their iPhone 5 plans online. It appears that the cheapest Virgin Mobile Plan is $47 per month - Minimum Total Cost is 1,128 Australian dollars.
Virgin Mobile Launches iPhone 5 16GB Plans
Determined to remain competitive in the Australian mobile market, Virgin Mobile has released some really great plans for those people who want to upgrade to Apple’s latest mobile phone.
iPhone 5 16 GB Plans:
iPhone 5 32 GB Plans:
iPhone 5 64 GB Plans:
While Virgin Mobile doesn’t have a 4G network of its own, customers are able to access the Optus 4G network. At this time the Optus 4G network is only available across Sydney, Newcastle, Melbourne and Perth.
Those customers with an iPhone 5 16GB model who aren’t within a 4G coverage area will find their mobile automatically switches over to access the dual-band 3G network.
Getting the Best Deal with Virgin iPhone 5 16GB Plans
The key to choosing the best possible deal on your Virgin iPhone 5 plan is to understand your own personal usage levels.
Think about how regularly you use your phone to make phone calls and send texts. Then work out how often you use your mobile to access the Internet. This includes checking emails, surfing the net, downloading games or apps and checking Facebook.
Keep in mind that most Virgin Mobile plans will allow you an unlimited number of voice calls, video calls and texts to other Virgin Mobile phones within Australia. These costs won’t be included in your cap limit amounts, so you can call or text friends or family if they’re using the Virgin Mobile network at no cost.
When you have a clearer idea of how much usage you really need, you’ll find it much easier to choose a Virgin Mobile plan that suits you. This will also help you avoid paying excess usage costs if you happen to go over your monthly call cap limit amount.
It’s also a good idea to be sure that your monthly data allowance will give you enough to cover your current usage levels. While the Big Plan $29 plan sounds like great value, 250MB really isn’t a lot of data. If you tend to get onto Facebook regularly and you use your mobile to download your emails, you may want to choose a plan with a larger data allocation.
International text costs are $0.45 cents per regular text message, as long as your message doesn’t exceed 160 characters.
Why Buy a Virgin Mobile iPhone 5 Plan
Network Coverage
As Virgin Mobile is a relative new-comer to the mobile phone provider space in Australia, many people assume they’ll have less coverage than some of the big guys. Yet, Virgin Mobile is solely owned by Singtel Optus, which means you still get to enjoy the same level of coverage as you would if you chose a plan with Optus. Optus being the second largest operator in Australia.
Amount of Calls
Virgin Mobile iPhone 5 plans begin at a very cheap monthly payment amount. They also advertise a reasonably generous amount of calls you can make in any month for that plan price. Just ensure that the call costs per minute are in line with what you’re charged with other plans.
This is because call minutes stay the same, but the amount you’re charged per minute can mean you reach your call cap limit much faster if you’re paying higher rates. Virgin Mobile are quite competitive here, but it’s always worth comparing what else is available.
Texts and Voice Mail
Does the plan you’re considering with Virgin Mobile include enough allowance for sending texts? You might also want to check if you’re charged for accessing your voicemail. In fact, while you’re checking you should also look whether you’re charged any time someone else leaves a voicemail message on your phone.
Data Allowance
Always check exactly how much data you’ll need throughout each month. There’s absolutely no point in choosing a cheap plan if you always go over your data allowance every month. This can mean receiving hefty phone bills that are way higher than the amount you thought you’d be paying on your plan.
You can avoid this by choosing a plan that suits your current level of usage. Don’t forget to include downloading emails and checking Facebook in your data allowance. Work out what you are currently being charged for or if you pre pay then be sure that the amount is enough, bear in mind you are using the new iPhone 5 so you’ll be tempted to use it to the max.
Once you’ve researched exactly what you’ll be getting in your plan, you’re in a much better position to compare the options available more accurately. From there, you’ll be able to see if the Virgin Mobile iPhone 5 plan is right for you or not.
Your new handset needs a solid service and that is just what you'll find when you sign up with Virgin Mobile iPhone 5 plan. Over one million Australians have already chosen a Virgin Mobile plan and more continue to sign up every day. With benefits like these, it's easy to see why.
Family benefits
When you sign up with a Virgin Mobile plan, you get 10% credit back on your mobile bill every time you fly Virgin Australia.
Members' lounge
In our exclusive members' only lounge, you can find one-of-a-kind offers, special deals and unique information you will not find anywhere else.
Bonuses and satisfaction
Virgin Mobile wants you to invite your friends. You will receive a $35 credit each when you and a friend join Virgin Mobile. Virgin Mobile leads the pack in customer satisfaction. With all of these exclusive deals and offers and the chance to become an exclusive member of one of the world's largest mobile networks, you should always choose a Virgin Mobile plan to pair with your new iPhone 5.
When you sign up with a Virgin Mobile plan, you will be on the Optus network. You will enjoy unlimited mobile calls and text to Virgin within Australia and, of course, you will receive free voicemail so that you always know who called.
In some cases, you will be able to rollover your unused minutes to the following month, which will save you even more money down the road.
Considerations for buying from Virgin Mobile
While on the surface it may seem that Virgin mobile has great plans, they may not have the best coverage. Many media sources have pointed out Virgin Mobile's weakness when it comes to the 4G network. Low bars, dropped calls and other disturbances have been reported by some users.
As long as Virgin continues to add new towers and technology, which it is doing, the 4G coverage will continue to get better. Data usage with the iPhone 5 and other smartphones on the 4G network are average at best, but some say they are getting better as new towers are included.
Virgin Mobile appears to be aware of the fact that the 4G coverage is limited, but it is unclear if a solution has been found. Until then, more people continue to sign up with Virgin Mobile plans, especially for the iPhone 5, so the coverage must not be that bad if customers are still willing to pay for it.
We will keep an eye on the Virgin Mobile 4G coverage problem as more iPhone 5 owners submit their reviews. It will be interesting to see if Virgin can compete or even lead the pack in coverage in the future.
Buying an iPhone 5 from Virgin Mobile
There three simple ways to get your hands on the new iPhone 5 from Virgin Mobile.
- You can purchase your iPhone 5 online. Click the 'Get this phone' button and select the plan that best works for you. Then proceed to the checkout area.
- You can always call Virgin Mobile sales directly to order your phone.
- You can purchase the new iPhone 5 at any Virgin Mobile store.
Shipping and tracking
After you place your order, you will receive an email confirmation. We will then send you a secondary email notifying you that your iPhone 5 has been shipped. This email will include a tracking number that you can use to keep track of your iPhone 5 in transit.
Once you receive your iPhone 5, you should call Virgin Mobile to activate it. You will need a Nano-SIM card from Virgin Mobile, which will be included with your iPhone 5 shipment. If you already have a phone and account with Virgin Mobile and you are interested in upgrading to the iPhone 5, you should go to your account via the Virgin Mobile website to see if you are eligible for an upgrade.
If you are a prepaid Virgin Mobile member, you can go to any Virgin Mobile store or call so that we can do a credit check to see if you can move to a monthly plan. Your iPhone 5 will be set up with your Virgin Mobile plan the moment it is activated. We encourage you to call or visit the sales portion of our website for more information.
