iPhone 6s 32GB Space Grey (Prepaid) $429 @ Telstra down from $529
Not sure how long it will last.
Note:
Compatibility: Telstra Pre-Paid mobiles will only work with a Telstra SIM card. Unlocking fee applies for use with a non-Telstra SIM card. See more unlocking information here
For a long time they were network locked by default.
Yeah, but didn't that end around the launch of the 5?
They can come locked from a carrier, however, all iPhones will network unlock if you perform a restore through iTunes.
It’s been like this for a few years now.
I don’t think this is correct.
When you activate an iPhone it will check activation servers to check if it’s locked.
iPhone 6 is also only 349 if you want to add it to the post.
The 6S has double the RAM, faster SoC, will have longer support, so well worth the $80 difference.
And NOT locked to Telstra.
Can you elaborate how it is not locked to Telstra? Where is your source of information? The following message is hidden in the "things you need to know" section of the deal page:
Compatibility: Telstra Pre-Paid mobiles will only work with a Telstra SIM card. Unlocking fee applies for use with a non-Telstra SIM card. See more unlocking information here.
Are you saying that this is a generic copy & paste job and in fact this prepaid iPhone 6S is unlocked?
yes. Since iPhone 5, all unlocked.
@bargaino: That seems to be true for phones on post-paid plans but not those on pre-paid plans (of which this is one).
That said, if you read comments for previous Telstra Pre-Paid iPhone deals on here and some comments on Whirlpool, the solution is to spam Telstra Online Chat until you find a rep who will do it for free.
Seems like a bit of a gamble to me.
@Pantagonist: iPhone 6 has only 1GB, vs 2GB in the 6S (which is enough for IOS)
I've not seen a confirmed report of a locked iPhone on any network in a long time.
May have seen some 6 models that were unlocked for free.
Can you find any reports of locked 6s, not just generic instructions?
@bargaino: How long has the 6S been available on Telstra prepaid?
The only snapshots of the Telstra page on the Wayback Machine are in late December 2018.
If it's only been available for a month then it's no surprise that there aren't many comments about it.
@bargaino: In Australia from the iPhone 5 and on with plans is correct.
However they can be locked if they are like this; where Telstra eats some of the cost to make it cheaper to buy outright and makes you use their services and making the money back up or paying the $80 (or so, it varies) fee to unlock it.
It's great if you're using Telstra in this case, but not so much otherwise.
Also; Woolworths may claim that their sim cards will work in Telstra locked phones as it's the same network (which makes some sense) but they do not.
@Matt86: Sorry, checking, they may technically be locked on old stock, but simply performing an OS update over wifi to IOS 12 will remove it.
So no need to even call telstra.
Does anyone actually know of a single case of a 6S ever being charged to unlock from Telstra prepaid?
Very similar in features but the iPhone 6 struggles, 6S is miles in front.
Last Apple phone (along with SE) to have a 3.5mm audio jack, and a decent DAC to boot.
32G memory phone nowadays ??
Yes, you can still buy them… I don't understand your question.
I have a 16gb phone and still 50% free.
32GB storage, not memory.
Why do you need huge phone storage nowadays? All music is streamed and I limit what games and apps to what I actually use.
I thought the same thing, and opted for a 64Gb phone.
I'm currently using less than 20gb, and that's with about 2500 full size photos.
this or LG V30+ from JB?
If you care about updates, iPhone
If you don't care, V30+
Wow really? Considering the age of this thing, I'd say the update potential is about the same.
iPhone 5 got iOS 10
iPhone 5s gets iOS 12
We can reasonably assume that.
iPhone 6 will get iOS 13 as the 5s got 12.
iPhone 6s will get iOS 14 at least.
The older phones do show their age with the later software sometimes, but it's typically the apps that cause slowdowns.
@Matt86: iOS 13 could kill this phone. This is the nature of os updates. I know with my iPad Air 2 it's struggle a bit with iOS 12. OS updates aren't always a good thing.
I wouldn't buy this era Apple hardware now.
@Ronnnie: It depends. My wife had an iPad 2 (not Air!) and the iOS 9 update completely killed it. However, iOS 12 is actually faster than 11 on an iPhone 6s. So YMMV.
@bio: iOS 12 is an improvement, but that is only because Apple were criticised for slowing down devices and made a concerted effort to improve performance on older devices. Moving forward we don’t know if Apple will continue to focus optimising older devices to run newer versions better. It’s safe assumption that newer versions will slow down the device. The good thing going for the 6s is the storage type, it’s using fast NVMe, and it has 2gb of ram. The good thing going for these iPhones also is the lower resolution display, this will help sustain performance as they don’t need as many resources of the Android phones with their QHD screens. The reason why my iPad is always reloading webpages is because of the extra ram needed to display all those extra pixels.
@Ronnnie: I would agree to an extent, except that the main issue for most of these phones is RAM. The iPhone 7 also has 2GB as well so I would suspect that it'll hold out as long as that.
I feel that the updates cycles killing it is less of a thing now then what it used to be. (I have an iPad 3 much like bio's situation.
I do agree! For $429 there are better deals. I can't say that I'd buy any iPhone apart from the X or XR/XS now.
I have a 7 and a ZTE Axon 7 and I use the Axon 7 99% of the time.
@Matt86: My understanding was that the iPhone 5 only lost support as it was 32 bit - there's no reason the 6S would be unsupported any time soon, considering the standard iPhone 7 & 8 also only had 2GB RAM, and the performance isn't that far behind.
I disagree. I own the V20 and it has Oreo after Pie came out. My dad's iPhone is on the latest software on his 6s+. LG is pretty sh*t with updates
Also, Pixel or Android One for updates.
I believe it's relatively safe to say the V30 is the better phone in every physical way. Software I would go off assuming V30 will stay on Oreo (though really should get pie) and iPhone 6s going to 13 or 14 but really it's just a preference of android vs iOS. Unless you are a real serious fan of iOS systems think the V30+ is a much better deal.
Trying to compete against Aldi's 6s (64gb) refurb tomorrow
Price?
$469 for 64gb variants
Doesn’t seem like Aldi’s are Apple Refurbished - I wouldn’t touch them.
If they were Apple Refurbished I would take the $100 saving.
You still have 60 days to return it
More the fact it’s used.
Aldi has some random stuff… Lol
I don't think Telstra is in the retail game to be worried about a competitor's retail phone offering. They sell phones for people to subscribe to their network to get a revenue stream which is more valuable than a 1 off sale. If Office Works dropped their price on iPhone 6s (if they sold them) then I would agree that it was to compete with Aldi.
This is probably just a coincidence.
Will a Boost sim card work in these?
Definitely. It's Telstra network.
Maybe not.
Maybe definitely not it seems ;-)
I vote definitely based on two previous purchases of a 6 and an SE prepaid.
I vote no.
My mum recently got a generic pre paid phone as a backup locked to Telstra and it didn't work with woolworths (Telstra).
Yeah, I guess I can only comment on Boost.
Woolworths is a standard MVNO. Boost has a retail agreement with Telstra and use the same customer back ends.
Does anyone know if the Aldi unit comes with any accessories? Thanks.
Everytime a Telstra phone is posted is never clear at the end if it’s locked or not.
They are definitely locked.
All Prepaid phones are locked
All Contracted phones are unlocked.
Funny, there was an "associated" person who posted in a similar deal about a year and a half ago saying the iPhone 6 was either unlocked or unlockable free of charge.
Goes to the previous comment I made. Just keep asking on Telstra Chat until you find someone who'll do it for free. Seemed to work for others in that deal.
The handset I purchased on prepaid during Christmas definitely wasn't locked - I have an Optus SIM in it right now…
Pre paid recharge credit can be used to unlock these. You can get $30 for $8 here. Activate on Long Life Plus.
you might not need to buy extra credit
the telstra website says "Includes a Pre-Paid SIM Kit with $30 credit for calls and texts"
Do people still buy such an old iphone?
Yes because it's cheaper than a newer one
16GB iPhone 6 user here. Tempted to upgrade!
Fair enough!
Nothing wrong with having an old phone. But if you're gonna upgrade, don't go from a 6 to a 6S. You obviously aren't the sort of person that upgrades every year, so make your upgrade worthwhile so that it will last you for many years.
I would dare to say that the iPhone 6S is a much worthy upgrade to the 6, heck it could be the most feature packed S line of iPhones.
7000 Series Aluminium to prevent the whole "Bend Gate" fiasco
Faster A9 CPU
2nd gen touchID which is way faster
3D Touch
2GB instead of 1GB of ram
Front camera 5MP vs 1.2MP
Rear camera 12MP shoots video up to 4K vs 8MP up to 1080P
Did i mention it kinda sounds like iPhone "success" when you pronounce the 6S
And well now you get double the storage of your 16GB increased to 32GB which is a bonus!
But not if you want to future-proof your purchase (who wouldn’t?).
I can’t see how upgrading to a 6S in 2019 is smart for anyone, regardless of their budget. Why? Because it’s a 2015 phone. It may only have 1, maybe 2 years left of support from Apple. If someone is wanting an iPhone at this price point ($429), it’s likely that their budget is lower and that they won’t want to be replacing the phone in 1-2 years.
@Juan93: I'm bias towards the 6S myself because i waited in line for nearly 30 something hours(never again) for the 6 but then next year the upgrades was enough to upgrade to the 6s and never plan on getting another new iPhone mainly due to removal of the headphone jack.
The upgrade price gap for every new iPhone has widened and for future proofing costs much more.
Buy iPhone 6 16GB at launch price $869 in 2014
One year later sell for $450 estimate
Buy iPhone 6s 16GB at launch $1079
Total upgrade cost $1498
iPhone 6 16GB launch price $869 in 2014
Sell iPhone 6 16GB in Jan 2019 market price for $175 estimate
Buy iPhone XS 64GB $1629
Total upgrade cost $2323
It really depends on which entry price point the phone was purchased and resold or not resold.
I have one purchased in December and it works fine with an Optus SIM card. The phone is definitely unlocked!
I bought three prepaid Teltra iPhones from JB in 2017 and all it took for each of them was a single phone call to unlock
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Brand-New-in-Sealed-Box-Apple-iP…
Whats about this one guys? With current 10%off, isnt it just $405 (and 64gb)?
Interested, anyone has experience with the seller?
Only 16GB.
Seller is in Hong Kong (probably gets phones from China).
97.3% positive feedback.
Negative and neutral comments about fake packaging and items being resealed / refurbished.
Sellers like those are a dime a dozen on eBay.
Personally, I wouldn't go there.
If locked you can use the Telstra online unlock. I bought an Telstra SE Prepaid, used the online unlocked and tested with a Vaya sim. Worked fine.
https://unlock.telstra.com.au/main;jsessionid=BC81F2B90E6AFC…
Then, why this….?
"Compatibility: Telstra Pre-Paid mobiles will only work with a Telstra SIM card. Unlocking fee applies for use with a non-Telstra SIM card. See more unlocking information here." (https://www.telstra.com.au/mobile-phones/prepaid-mobiles/iph…)
and
Can I unlock my Pre-Paid Mobile?
Yes - you can unlock your Telstra Pre-Paid mobile, iPhone or mobile broadband devices, so it works on another network - but if you’ve had it activated on the Telstra network for less than two years, we charge:
$80 for devices never activated or only active for six months or less
$25 for devices activated for six months to 2 years.
(https://www.telstra.com.au/support/category/mobiles-tablets/…)
Yes, I know what it’s says… in practice it operates differently. I have two Apple prepaid phones SE and 6SPlus) both unlocked as above, no charge, no hassle. If you check out SE threads here and whirlpool, you'll see many others had same experience.
A lot of what you see in Telstra websites is 'old' policy. eg. LLPlus 39c flagfall is still shown on web page (applied to old LL) but is not charged in new LLPlus).
How is this a deal when Officeworks was doing these for $1 a few years ago?! Haha :-)
Price errors notwithstanding, this does seem like a more justifiable price for a phone than what Apple wants to charge nowadays.
In the last 4 years, I've spent $1200 on phones. The fact that the 6S has about 2 years left of life is remarkable. Android phones are way overpriced.
$429….for a 2015 phone…. ONLY 32gbs…not even the Plus…
WHO WOULD PURCHASE THIS? I’m a very happy owner of a 7 Plus..and after getting the cheap battery replacement last month, I reckon my phone will see me through to Sept. 2020. 4 years of service for a phone is pretty damn good.
But this? Bargain? Actually a rip off.
Probably people that can't afford a newer iPhone? Plenty of people have paid apps that they can't or don't want to pay for again if they swap to a budget android.
I wish I could afford one of these, but recovering from 10 years of health issues means I am stuck with my iPhone 4 for a while longer.
As I said above in another post, of course I can understand people wanting an iPhone at a lower price point (and it sucks that Apple doesnt produce a truly budget line). But it’s very likely that anyone purchasing a 2015 iPhone in 2019 is not actually doing themselves any favours in the long run, financially. They may only get 12-18 months more support from Apple on this particular phone - then very likely will need to get a new phone. Also, many apps have been updated in the years that followed its release, meaning a lot of apps either a) no longer work with the 6S, or b) are getting phased out as the internal architectures change.
If my budget was around $400-$500, I would most definitely purchase an Android instead. You can now actually get pretty great Androids in the $300 range. And that’s coming from someone who is all-in in the Apple ecosystem.
a lot of apps either a) no longer work with the 6S, or b) are getting phased out as the internal architectures change
Can you provide any examples of this? It is my understanding that apps work based on the iOS version the phone supports not the version of apple Ax chip the phone is running.
@OzzyBrak: Can confirm what Juan93 says.
iHunt 2.4.5 is compatible with iOS 8.0 or later, but only compatible with iPhone 5s or newer.
Wife had a 4s, the app store would not allow download despite running iOS 9.3.5.
@mapax: iPhone 5S was the switch from 32 to 64 bit, so it makes sense that 64 bit apps don't support below iPhone 5S. I don't see any chipset switching to 128 bit any time soon.
@OzzyBrak: I don’t see too many apps not working, provided you are on the latest iOS version. Games like fortnite even run on the 6s. Of course over the next few years this will possibly become a problem with some more intensive games and apps.
You android guys wont believe it…
But this phone is very fast. Faster and better performing than most NEW android devices.
iOS 12 is a very nice and polished OS. Stutters are quite rare.
Android has a hardware acceleration issue that will be present no matter what. Google have slipped up on that front. Even their chromebooks with intel processors suffer from horrid frame rates.
However, this may only get one more iOS update, or maybe apple will surprise us with none.
But I am of the opinion that the screen size is too small. If this was a 6s plus it would be an absolute STEAL.
I had a 6S almost 2 years ago now and it was becoming unbearable. I can't imagine what they are like now…
I've had an LG v30 for a while and it's brilliant, would easily take it over this offering.
Needed a battery replacement
Needed to not lock users out of the choice of severe throttling at the time.
As a result, I wont go back to iOS.
@ozturtle: Well you’ve had the phone for 2 years mate. Batteries degrade after time…needed a new one
@Griffindinho: That has nothing to do with crippling the phone intentionally at the time.
Apple copped enough flack to force them to give people the choice, well after I moved on.
I'm still using my 6plus bought in 2015, kept it at IOS10 .. seems not worth upgrade for me to 6s
My wife and I both have 6s plus phones. They are dying now. I am replacing mine with a Nova 3i, my wife will get this prepaid 6s. Thanks OP. Much better than buying a 6. The 6S meets all her phone requirements (and she wants a smaller phone).
I've had my 6s since launch and just recently upgraded to 12 from 9.3.3 (because I feel like it). Had that free battery replacement from Apple about a year ago, no glitches no issues. Maybe have yours checked at the store and see if there's anything that can be done, it's worth trying and this phone is nowhere near the end.
I do honestly like the 6s plus. My main issues are a shaky camera (apparently need a small magnet permanently attached to the front of phone to fix), the touch screen doesn't respond all the time and sometimes other people cannot hear me. I live in 1800 km from the closest Apple store so dropping in for a checkup isn't practical for me. The 7 and 8 are only incremental improvements in my opinion. So it is 6S/X/XS/XR or Android for our household. Work have given me a iPhone 7 but I prefer to keep work use and private use separate.
You can get a refurbished iPhone SE for less than $250, which is better in every way than the 6, unless you prefer the larger size of the 6. The SE has the next gen processor and was only discontinued a few months ago. An SE is pretty close to a 6S but with a smaller case.
Where can I get a refurbished iPhone SE for less than $250 that comes with warranty?
Good phone and have had the 6S since launch and it is working fine with iOS 12. I had 2 free battery replacements from Apple. 2 years ago as part of the mass replacement and last month due to unexpected shutdown. Just type the serial on apple website to see if applicable, apple replaced it even it was 90% good.
Been wanting one for my mother , she's on Woolworths Sim (Telstra network) will this work being locked to Telstra??
By calling 125 8880 and paying $80 for a pre-paid unlock?
So I received mine and put in a StarHub sim card (Singapore provider) and it was able to get signal so I assume then that is unlocked already. Didn't try calls or data though as roaming on Optus.
I didn't know that an iPhone can be network locked.