Best iPhone 17 plans and deals in Australia

The iPhone 17 series and iPhone Air are officially in store, and there are still trade-in deals, bonus credits, exclusive rewards and more from Optus, Telstra, Vodafone and Apple floating around.

Here's a roundup of some of the best deals across Apple's latest flagships. We'll dive into more details further in the guide.

Before we dive into the plans and deals from Optus, Vodafone and Telstra in more details, here's a look at the pricing for the iPhone 17 series just to refresh your memory.

How much does the iPhone 17 lineup cost in Australia?

iPhone 17 plans and deals from Optus

Optus is running two separate offers; you can opt for one or the other. But whichever way you go, as long as you sign up through Finder, you'll also get a separate $250 exclusive reward.

There's no catch - the only ask when signing up is to create a Finder account.

1. Trade-in deal

Get a Mastercard gift card when you trade in an eligible device.

For example, you could receive up to $1,500 for a device like an iPhone 15 Pro Max (1TB) in good condition.

This won't knock anything off the price of your handset directly, but you can still use the gift card for other things.

2. Up to $780 in bonus value

• The plan is already discounted by $10 a month, and with the launch of Apple's new flagships, you'll save an extra $10, bringing it down to $59 a month for the first 12 months.
• You'll also get $120 in Optus SubHub credit to use on streaming subscriptions.
• Plus Optus Upgrade and Protect (normally $15 a month). If you stay connected for 36 months, the bonus value with total $540.

Here's an example of the starting costs for Optus's iPhone 17, iPhone Air, and iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max plans when paired with its cheapest SIM-only plan, which costs $55 a month for 50GB:

• iPhone 17: From $93.86 a month over 36 months
• iPhone Air: From $104.96 a month over 36 months
• iPhone 17 Pro: From $110.52 a month over 36 months
• iPhone 17 Pro Max: From $116.08 a month over 36 months

iPhone 17 plans and deals from Vodafone

Vodafone has a couple of interesting offers in play, whether you're buying the iPhone 17, iPhone Air or any of the iPhone 17 Pro models.

1. Bonus trade-in credit

You can get $200 in bonus credit when trading in an eligible phone on a 12-, 24-, or 36-month plan.

For example, if you trade in an iPhone 16 Pro Max (512GB) in good working condition, you could get up to $1,000. With the bonus credit added in, that brings your total trade-in value to $1,200. This will be applied as credit to your monthly repayments.

2. $1,200 credit

If you pair any of the iPhone 17 models with Vodafone's newly launched $79 Extra Large Plan, you'll receive a $1,200 credit.

The catch is that you need to stay connected for 36 months. The credit will be applied as $33.34 each month over 36 months.

If you leave early, your remaining credit will be forfeited.

Combining both the trade-in and Promo plan offers could essentially get you an iPhone 17 for $0 depending on what device you're trading in, but you'd have to stay connected for the full 36 months.

3. Discounted SIM-only plans

Vodafone is also discounting its Small, Medium, and Large SIM-only plans by $8, $13, and $18 a month, respectively, for the first 12 months.

These discounts can be combined with the bonus trade-in credit offer.

As with all phone repayment contracts, you'll need to pair your new phone with a Vodafone SIM-only plan.

If you choose the cheapest option, it starts at $45 a month for the first 12 months, then $53 a month ongoing. This plan includes 50GB per month.

Based on this, your starting costs will look like:

• iPhone 17: From $83.86 a month
• iPhone Air: From $94.97 a month
• iPhone 17 Pro: From $100.52 a month
• iPhone 17 Pro Max: From $106.08 a month

iPhone 17 plans and deals from Telstra

Similar to other telcos, Telstra also has a couple of offers up its sleeves.

It's offering $300 bonus credit when you trade in an eligible phone and sign up to a 12-, 24-, or 36-month plan. You can also get the deal if you buy the phone outright, as long as you're a Telstra customer.

Telstra will also price-match if you find a better trade-in offer.

Separately, it's knocked $240 off its Upfront Premium Mobile Plan for 12 months.

Just to give you an idea of minimum repayment costs, here's a look at the starting price of Apple's new phones when paired with Telstra's cheapest Upfront plan ($70 a month for 50GB).

• iPhone 17: From $108.86 a month over 36 months
• iPhone Air: From $119.97 a month over 36 months
• iPhone 17 Pro: From $125.52 a month over 36 months
• iPhone 17 Pro Max: From $131.08 a month over 36 months

So, what's the best iPhone 17 deal?

This will come down to the network coverage you prefer, the repayment period you're comfortable with, and whether you're trading in a phone.

Each deal has its perks and drawbacks, so ultimately it comes down to personal preference and what works best for your budget.