AldiMobile has gone live offering customers a budget prepaid solution on part of Telstra’s 3G network.A subsidiary of German supermarket Aldi, AldiMobile offers a simple solution to smartphone needs. There’s just two plans, a $35 unlimited plan and a recharge-once-a-year offering, and they offer just two smartphones.
The Plans
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Light users will gravitate towards AldiMobile’s $15/$30 recharges as they expire after 365 days, have a low 12 cent call rate and don’t charge a connection fee. However most customers will appreciate the Unlimited $35 plan. It has a 30 day validity period, offers unlimited national calls and text, comes with 5GB of internet data and, for a limited time, comes with $10 credit for international and premium services. There’s also a $15 data recharge which offers an extra 2GB with a 30 day validity period.
The Phones
AldiMobile offered limited stock of just two mobiles. The first is the Onix, a dual-sim feature phone which has a 1.77 inch screen. The latter is a dual-sim smartphone by Bauhn which has a 4.5 inch touch screen and runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The Onix (right) is available at $19.99 and the Bauhn (left) costs $199.
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The Network
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AldiMobile has confirmed it uses “part of Telstra’s 3G mobile network.” Company representatives are confirming the Internet speeds, but we anticipate a theoretical download speed of 1.5Mbps. The Internet speeds might be ordinary, but because it is Telstra’s network, 97% of Australia’s population will have Telstra’s 3G coverage and 98.5% will be covered by Telstra’s 2G network.
The Verdict
The value is there if you’re using it for national services and Telstra’s network inspires confidence. There’s no reason why an AldiMobile sim won’t work in your current smartphone, but before you take the plunge, double check Kogan’s eerily similar offerings here.
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