Telstra’s offering a free Galaxy Tab A with Galaxy Note 8 pre-orders
Telstra's pre-orders for the Note 8 have opened, and it's offering the biggest pre-order bonus of any carrier.
When Samsung announced the Galaxy Note 8, most carriers were quick to announce their pre-order plans, with all carriers (and Samsung itself) offering up a free wireless charger with pre-orders. Telstra demurred, noting that it was readying for an overhaul of its mobile plan pricing strategy, which it announced overnight.
Telstra has now made its Galaxy Note 8 plans live for pre-order, and like other carriers if you pre-order the phone, you'll score a bonus wireless charger.
Telstra's hook for the Note 8 is to also bundle in a Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8-inch tablet with any pre-order made before 22 September 2017. While the Tab A isn't Samsung's most recent tablet, it's still a solid Android tablet offering, and hey, a free tablet is a free tablet.
So how does Telstra's Galaxy Note 8 pricing compare? Here's the full list of available Telstra Galaxy Note 8 plans:
| Plan and Device | Monthly Plan Cost | Handset Repayment | Total Monthly Cost | Standard National Calls/Texts | Data | Minimum 24 Month Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Telstra Go Mobile Small Samsung Galaxy Note 8 64GB | $59 | $50 | $109 | Unlimited | 2GB | $2,616 |
| Telstra Go Mobile Medium Samsung Galaxy Note 8 64GB | $79 | $40 | $119 | Unlimited | 5GB | $2,856 |
| Telstra Go Mobile Large Samsung Galaxy Note 8 64GB | $99 | $30 | $129 | Unlimited | 20GB | $3,096 |
| Telstra Go Mobile X-Large Samsung Galaxy Note 8 64GB | $129 | $10 | $139 | Unlimited | 30GB | $3,336 |
| Telstra Go Mobile XX-Large Samsung Galaxy Note 8 64GB | $149 | $0 | $149 | Unlimited | 50GB | $3,576 |
| Telstra Go Mobile Premium Samsung Galaxy Note 8 64GB | $199 | $0 | $199 | Unlimited | 100GB | $4,776 |
Telstra will also make the Galaxy Note 8 available on a leased basis if you want slightly lower monthly plan costs, although as we've noted previously you've got to be very careful leasing a smartphone since you never truly own it under Telstra's leasing arrangements. Here's how Telstra's lease plan prices compare:
| Plan and Device | Monthly Plan Cost | Handset Repayment | Total Monthly Cost | Standard National Calls/Texts | Data | Minimum 24 Month Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Telstra Go Mobile Small Lease Samsung Galaxy Note 8 64GB | $49 | $50 | $99 | Unlimited | 2GB | $2,376 |
| Telstra Go Mobile Medium Lease Samsung Galaxy Note 8 64GB | $69 | $40 | $109 | Unlimited | 5GB | $2,616 |
| Telstra Go Mobile Large Lease Samsung Galaxy Note 8 64GB | $89 | $30 | $119 | Unlimited | 20GB | $2,856 |
| Telstra Go Mobile X-Large Lease Samsung Galaxy Note 8 64GB | $119 | $10 | $129 | Unlimited | 30GB | $3,096 |
| Telstra Go Mobile XX-Large Lease Samsung Galaxy Note 8 64GB | $149 | $0 | $149 | Unlimited | 50GB | $3,576 |
| Telstra Go Mobile Premium Lease Samsung Galaxy Note 8 64GB | $199 | $0 | $199 | Unlimited | 100GB | $4,776 |
Telstra is notable in having plan tiers for the Galaxy Note 8 that don't include handset repayments, although those plans do start at $149. It's also worth noting that there's no discount for leasing at those plan tiers, so if you want the Galaxy Note 8 on Telstra's network with the most data, you may as well sign up for a 24-month full contract anyway.
As with other carriers, and Samsung itself, the Galaxy Note 8 is on pre-order now, with actual availability in Australia from 22 September 2017.
