You can now get an Apple Watch on a plan through Optus

Optus is now selling Apple Watches on 24-month mobile plans, with prices starting at $35 per month for a 40mm 4G Apple Watch Series 4. 

Your $35 also gets you 3GB of data (added to your shared data pool) and free Number Share. Number Share is Optus' eSIM service for keeping your iPhone and Apple Watch in sync over 4G. It's normally billed at $5 per month.

Only aluminium Apple Watches are available through Optus, but you can pick from the Series 4 or last year's Series 3. Pricing is as follows:

• 38mm Apple Watch Series 3 + 3GB: $30 per month
• 42mm Apple Watch Series 3 + 3GB: $35 per month
• 40mm Apple Watch Series 4 + 3GB: $35 per month
• 44mm Apple Watch Series 4 + 3GB: $40 per month

If you need a little extra data for your pool, all of the above can be upgraded to a 10GB plan for an extra $5 per month.

Considering a 4G Apple Watch Series 4 starts at $749 outright, $35 per month is a pretty reasonable fee. You'll technically end up spending a total of $91 more than the price of an Apple Watch over the 24-month period, but given that two years of Number Share is worth $120, you're actually saving money. And you get a bonus 3GB to use each month.

The $40 per month plan for a 44mm Apple Watch Series 4 isn't quite as good value, but after factoring in the cost of Number Share, you're only spending $41 more over the course of 24 months when compared to an outright purchase.

You need to be an Optus postpaid mobile customer to use Number Share. 

Optus' Apple Watch plans are currently only available in stores, but will become available online from December 10.

Telstra also sells Apple Watches on a 24-month term, but these don't include a plan component. Instead, you're just paying off the device over 24 months with a slight amount of interest. For example, a 40mm 4G Apple Watch Series 4 is billed at $32 per month through Telstra, which ends up being a $19 premium over outright.

Read our review of the Apple Watch Series 4 here.

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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