Telcos battle for consumers' Samsung Galaxy S5 dollars

Telstra, Optus and Vodafone are trying a variety of incentives to lure Australian buyers of the new Samsung Galaxy S5.

Carriers started taking pre-orders for the S5 on Thursday and are advertising a variety of techniques to lure potential buyers, from double data plans to Telstra's 700MHz network, to business plans and bundling Samsung's new smartband and smartwatches.

Optus

Optus has a range of plans on their site, including a $60 My Plan over 24 months with monthly $16 handset repayments, totalling $76 per month. The plan sees monthly inclusions of 600 minutes talk time, unlimited standard SMS and MMS within Australia and a 1.5GB data allowance.

Optus is also offering business plans for the S5. This includes a $76 per month plan (after a $10 handset credit) for 24 months, which includes 1.5GB data and unlimited standard national SMS and MMS.

An Optus spokesperson told CRN they have no current plans to offer the Galaxy S5 outright.

The Galaxy S5 is compatible with Optus' 2300MHz 4G Plus spectrum and 700MHz network, scheduled for switch-on in early 2015. [Update: this sentence has been updated to mention Optus's 700MHz network.]

The carrier will also stock the wearable Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit outright for $240 and Gear 2 outright for $360. The Gear 2 Neo or Gear Fit may be bundled for an additional $10 per-month with a Galaxy S5 on contract, or $15 per-month for the Gear 2. These wearables will be available in store on 11 April.

Telstra 

Telstra offer the Galaxy S5 on its $70 Mobile Accelerate plan over 24 months plus $12 monthly handset repayments, totalling $82 per month. For that, customers get $700 of included standard national calls and MMS and unlimited SMS to Australian numbers and 1.5GB of included data.

Telstra is also offering an $80 Business Performance plan for 24 months with $2 per month handset repayments, including $800 worth of standard national calls and MMS, unlimited SMS to Australian numbers and 1.5GB of data.

The Galaxy S5 will be available outright in select Telstra stores for $912 on 11 April. The phone is one of the first smartphones compatible with Telstra's 700MHz spectrum for better coverage, which is scheduled for switch-on in early 2015.

Telstra will offer the Gear Fit smartband via an "accessories repayment option", which costs $10 per-month over 24 months when bundled with a Galaxy S5 contract. They will also offer the Gear Fit for an outright price of $249 from April 11.

The Gear 2 Neo and Gear 2 are only available for outright purchase from select Telstra stores for $249 and $369, respectively.

Vodafone

Vodafone offers the Galaxy S5 with double data for new Red plans signed before July 1. The double data offer applies for the life of the plan.

The Galaxy S5 on Vodafone is available for $74 per-month on the $60 Red plan with $14 per month handset repayments. Monthly inclusions include $700 of calls and MMS, unlimited standard national and international SMS, unlimited national voice calls to Vodafone numbers and 3GB of data for the duration of a plan (normally 1.5GB).

The carrier will also offer the device for $929 outright when it goes on sale.

A Vodafone spokesperson told CRN the carrier is working with Samsung to determine which Gear devices Vodafone will range.

A Kogan spokesperson told CRN the company plans to sell the S5 but could not confirm an onsale date.