ALDI is well known for their discount groceries, but what you may not know is that since 2013, they’ve also been in the mobile game. ALDImobile leverages the Telstra network, which gives customers much of the same coverage, but differentiates on a wide variety of plans. These plans have just been updated in September to reflect modern mobile use. More on that soon, but first, here’s my review.
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve had a chance to throw an ALDImobile nano-SIM in a phone and try out the service.
Speed Tests
Naturally one of the biggest questions people will have about their mobile service provider is speed related. While the market for the lower plans is more orientated towards calls and texts, the mid to high end will certainly be data focused. Because ALDI’s mobile service is built on top of the Telstra 3G network, the speeds are solid and coverage is reliable.
One thing to keep in mind is location. ALDImobile is compatible with the 850mhz and 2100mhz frequencies, given Telstra spent millions building out their network, you can expect coverage in a wide variety of locations.
I’m located in regional Victoria, in the city of Wodonga. My testing using the SpeedTest app revealed a maximum of 7.08 Mbps down and 2.45 Mbps up with a ping of just 36. After a series of tests, the average download was around 6 Mbps which is more than enough for reading email, checking and posting to social media and browsing the web. It’s also fast enough for streaming YouTube videos, despite not being 4G, there’s really not much that can’t be done on this SIM.
Mobile app
If you’re ever concerned with how much of your allowance you have left, then just grab the ALDImobile app. The app is available for both iOS and Android, and just requires you to sign in before you can check.
Buying
If you’re keen to switch to ALDI, you can order the SIM online from their website. If you can’t wait and live near an ALDI retail store, you can pick up a 2-in-1 standard/micro SIM card for only $5. One caveat, if your phone requires a nano SIM card, these are not sold in store and you will need to order this online.
Plans
If you’re unsure on what size plan you need, ALDImobile’s Online Plan Tool helps you estimate the best plan for your use. By entering your estimated monthly usage into the calculator, the tool matches how much talk time, SMS messages and MBs you use per month to the most relevant plan.
Small Value Pack
Plans start at just $15 per month and provide up to 50,000 text messages – seriously if you’re sending that many SMS, it’s time to check your addiction. If you spend most of your time on WiFi, this plan will suit you well, with 250MB of included data, it saves you overspending on gigabytes you just won’t use.
Medium Value Pack
Stepping up to the medium plan gets you 700MB in data to use while you’re out and about and up to 300 minutes of calls. It also features the same crazy 50,000 SMS limit of the small plan.
Large Value Pack
The large plan is the middle of the range and at $25 per month, you get a very healthy 1.5GB of data. Only two years ago, I was paying $80 per month for that with Telstra, so for an average user, this will be more than enough for your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram updates.
Extra Large Value Pack
At this level, you’re above average, you’re someone who likes to not only take photos, but prioritises the immediacy of photo sharing at events. With 2.5GB and an extra 500MB of weekend data, you’re set. If you also need to call people, as in a lot of people, there’s a staggering 43,200 minutes of call credit to use. That number is roughly the number of minutes in a month, so you can treat it like unlimited phone calls.
Extra data on this plan is available for $10 for each additional 1GB required.
Extra Extra Large Value Pack
The biggest, thirstiest mobile user can blast through 50,000 SMS, 20,000 MMS and the same 43,200 call minutes. The biggest reason you’ll choose the XXL plan is to get the largest data allowance. The 4.5GB of data is a great deal for $45 and also comes with a bonus 500MB for the weekends.
You can check out the options and the fine print for yourself over at https://aldimobile.com.au/newplans
Overall
If you’re looking for a great price on a mobile plan, you should stop and consider ALDI. It turns out they’re far more than just a supermarket that sells groceries. While not the insane speeds on 4GX networks, ALDImobile also won’t pop your cap in 20 minutes. The set of plans available here really do provide a wide variety of options, making it very likely you’ll find one that suits your needs.
More information at ALDImobile.
Disclaimer: While this review is sponsored, the thoughts and opinions are my own.
