The new Optus purple badge signifies regional phone compatibility
Optus’ alternative to Telstra’s Blue Tick is a purple badge signifying best possible regional coverage.
If you’re a regional phone user, choosing the best smartphone can be something of a challenge because once you move outside major metropolitan areas (and especially if you move inwards from the coast), mobile coverage becomes significantly more varied. Some of that rests with the general availability of mobile signal, but some of it also depends on the quality of the handset you use, and particularly its construction and antenna.
For some time now Telstra has recommended phones for regional users with its "Blue Tick" scheme, and today Optus has joined in on that action. Not that it can recommend a phone with a "Blue Tick" – that’s Telstra’s marketing term – so instead it’s offering a badge. Going by the rather unwieldy name of the Optus "Top Pick for our Regional Coverage" badge, the new purple logo signifies a phone that Optus has tested in the more remote parts of its network for the best possible coverage.
Which phones does Optus recommend for regional coverage?
Optus says that it’s testing out multiple handsets and expects the range to grow, but in a post on Optus’ blog, the company states that the following handsets are recommended for regional users:
| Optus regional coverage phones |
|---|
| iPhone 6 Plus |
| iPhone 6s Plus |
| Samsung Galaxy S5 |
| LG Stylus DAB+ |
| LG G5 |
| Samsung Galaxy S7 |
| Samsung Galaxy S7 edge |
| Microsoft Lumia 650 |
| Microsoft Lumia 640 |
| Oppo F1 |
| Samsung J1 mini |
| Huawei Y3 11 |
The last four of those handsets are sold by Optus on an outright basis for its prepaid phone services, while the top eight are all contract Optus handsets. Optus won't apply the purple badge to BYO phones, only offering the rating to devices it sells itself.