How you can get an iPhone for $600 – but what’s the catch?

The process of owning an iPhone these days feels like you’ll need to take out a small loan.

While its intuitive design makes it an easy choice among consumers, they’re not always the most affordable option. But one telco is turning the tables, allowing you to upgrade your device for less, while also offering a more sustainable solution for purchasing a new device.

In recent weeks Telstra MVNO Belong announced its partnership with Kingfisher Mobile Australia to bring customers to Second Life Shop, which offers both refurbished iPhones and Samsung Galaxy smartphones for a fraction of the price.

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Here’s what you can expect from your refurbished device:

• 12-month warranty
• A SIM card loaded with $80 of credit. This is available for use on any of Belong’s three postpaid mobile plans
• 100 per cent functionality
• A minimum of 80 per cent battery health

When you do the maths, you can potentially receive as many as the first three months’ worth of phone bills covered with the purchase of a given device. But it’s important to note these devices are not available on a traditional Belong repayment plan. Even if you’re not after a new phone, it’s a great bonus if you’re after a new SIM.

Sounds like a great deal? Check out the widget below for a quick round-up of Belong’s current postpaid plans:

Another perk to partnering with Belong is that it has doubled the data on these two plans:

• $35 monthly plan with 40GB of data + 40GB bonus data for 12 months = 960GB total data per year
• $45 monthly plan with 100GB of data + 100GB bonus data for 12 months = 2400GB total data per year

These plans offer 480GB and 1200GB bonus mobile data, respectively, when you total the monthly bonus across the year. Take advantage of double the data on their $35 and $45 monthly plans over 12 months when you stay on your chosen plan.

So which models are up for grabs? At the time of writing, Belong’s refurbished device reseller stocks the following brands and models:

• Apple iPhone X from $399
• Apple iPhone XR from $419
• Apple iPhone XS from $429
• Apple iPhone 11 from $599
• Apple iPhone 11 Pro from $739
• Apple iPhone 11 from $829
• Samsung Galaxy S20 5G from $669
• Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G from $769
• Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G from $659
• Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra from $949
• Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G from $609

The range of devices on offer via the Belong Second Life Store is, however, more limited than what you’ll find at both carrier-agnostic retailers like Amazon and major carriers like Optus.

At the time of writing, numobile and Boost Mobile are the only other MVNOs on Telstra’s network offering refurbished devices.

The Refurb Shop, aka Boost’s competing refurbished phone store, offers some devices at a slightly cheaper price but they only include a $30 prepaid SIM rather than $80 of credit.

Compare Boost Mobile, numobile and Belong’s mobile plans to make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck:

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