Register for TPG Telecom now!

Good news

After the last posting on advicing NOT to sign up for new plans, TPG has announced on 21 Dec that they will start its registration process for its new subscriber base.  The first 20k subscribers are expected to use its mobile service for 1-year FREE.

Who is TPG Telecom?

TPG Telecom is the 4th mobile operator in Singapore.  Founded in 1986 and started mobile operation in 2008, it is the 2nd largest Australia fixed Telco with 400k subscribers.  Unlike Zero, Zero1 and CircleLife, TPG has its own fixed network infrastructure so it has full control over its network.

U-Turn on 24 months Senior Plan

They also claimed they are commited and look forward to contribute to the community.  In Mar 2018, they mentioned about 24 months plan for seniors above 65 years old but made an U-Turn on that decision.  Further details will be available.

What the plan offers?

20,0000 successful applicants will be expected to get the following plan:

1. 20 minutes of outgoing calls;
2. 20 SMS; and
3. Unlimited mobile data but above usage of 2GB will be throttled to 1Gbps.

Note: To watch a youtube video with powerpoint effect, a 2Gbps speed is needed.  Therefore, after 2GB, online high resolutions video will be expected to lag.

Target Segments

Based on the free plan, the target segments they are aiming are:

1. People with low calling and low sms needs;
2. Users with IoT or GPS devices;
3. Seniors or teenagers; and
4. Adults with a secondary line.

Conclusions

Looking at all plans offered by all competitors, there is no plan to match at such low price point unless you are paying S$9.90 with Zero1.  So, successful applicants stand to gain $120 for the free 1 year access.  Why wait? Register now to avoid disappointment.  Good luck to your application!

Read this before signing up SimOnly Plan

UPDATE: TPG Telecom has started the registration for 20,000 subscribers. Please register your interests HERE.  Read more about the plan HERE.

Why SimOnly Plans?

SimOnly plans were introduced because most handphones can last for more than 2 years and subscribers are smart enough NOT to sign up for outdated basic mobile phones to commit for 24 months now.

Such plans empower subscribers to focus on their needs for calling out minutes, sms and more importantly SUITABLE data plan to suit their personalised lifestyles.

In Dec 2018, all 3 Telcos gave out big bonuses data plan if subscribers renew their SimOnly plans.  Mobile data is the biggest profit for Telcos and why are they suddenly transforming to Santa Clauses in Dec 2018?   Read on to know the catch...

Too Good to be True?

Starhub surprised everyone by topping up free 10GB of data for SimOnly in early Dec for renewal and new sign ups.  M1 responded by offering 12 different plans to capture all market segments.  Singtel, being the slowest elephant, reluctantly responded with 10GB but offer NO free Caller ID.

To put simply, all 3 Telcos suddenly throw in 10GB as Christmas gifts in Dec. Starhub and M1 even throw in FREE Caller ID which normally ripped subscribers for S$5.25 (inclusive of GST).  Too good to be true?  There are 3 compelling reasons why they are Santa Clauses.

Reason 1: Virtual Telco unlimited plan

Zero and Zero1 are currently selling plans with unlimited data use.  The catch is once you exceed your allocated mobile plan size, your speed will be "trimmed" or slow and steady.

Reason 2: 5G is coming

Singapore has all the 5G infrasture ready due to its tiny size and the willingness to invest to become a smart nation.  With 5G promising 100 times faster than 4G, it will completely wipe out the need for wifi and easily download a movie in under 4 seconds.  By ramping up its users for 5G and cost sharing, it is cheaper to use 5G in the near future.

Reason 3: New Telco is coming

TPG Telecom will be launching in mid 2019 and they promise to give elderly (>65 yo) free 3G mobile services for 2 years.  This will remove the senior segment from the cake.

Cast the net with 10GB as bait

To lock and trap subscribers, they must give them a reason to sign another 12 or 24 months to prevent them from jumping to their competitors especially the new TPG Telecom.  Giving 10GB is peanut in the new 5G era and it is the best time to trap elephants and monkeys who are greedy.

Suggestions

If your contract is expiring soon, note that you can ONLY renew in end Dec 2019.  By mid Jun 2019, there will be a major shake up when TPG Telecom is onboard when good buffet are awaiting.

If you choose to sign up now, avoid Singtel and consider M1/Starhub no-contract plans only.  Restricting yourself now is foolish when you have more choices in mid 2019.  Let's look forward for a better 2019.

Reference sites:

1. Starhub
2. M1
3. Singtel

The 3 new mobile plans from MyRepublic

New MyRepublic mobile plans

On 21 Jun 2018, MyRepublic has launched 3 new mobile plans.  They come with the following benefits:

1. 1000 outgoing mins;
2. 1000 outgoing sms;
3. Boundless data (slower speed after limit is reached);
4. Free caller ID;
5. Free local delivery;
6. Free SIM activation;
7. Free incoming calls; and
8. Free incoming sms.

There are 3 plans: Smart (7GB), Mega (12GB) and Xtra (25GB) priced at $35, $55 and $85 respectively.

Smart with Smart 35?

Smart 35 is comparable to most plans offered by other telcos.  At S$35 price point, it is attractive provided you are a phone or sms addict.  For 1000 outgoing calls and 1000 outgoing sms, you pay peanuts to get 10 times of call out time for a small fee of less than $7 compared to Circles Life $28 plan.

Mega 55 is not that big

Mega is the mid-range offering and it has 5GB more for $20.  This is not attractive as Circles life offers only $20 for 20GB.  Therefore, Mega is no big deal.

Xtra 85 has no Extra

Xtra 85 mirrors the older Ultimate plan which was launched earlier for broadband customers.  But for the same features, Ultimate ($80 for 80GB) is an obvious choice compared to Xtra 85 ($85 for 25GB).  It remains a mystery why MyRepublic is launching an inferior plan Xtra 85 creating a cannibalise situation for the same target segment.  So sign up for Ultimate if you can.

Uno is the BEST

Uno is still the best plan offered by MyRepublic with 1GB data but priced only at $8/month.  It enjoys all the features of the 3 new plans but costs only a fraction to enjoy the same benefits.  Sign up for Uno if you are a phone addict.

Get your free 20GB Unifi prepaid simcard

The headache for Malaysia prepaid simcard

Whenever you wish to use your sim card when you are in Malaysia, the first problem you encounter is TOP UP. Yes, before you use it, you must top up the sim card...if it is still valid within 50 days since your last use. If you never top up for more than 50 days, the simcard is dead and all its credit, data, call and sms credits are confiscated.

So if it is still within 50 days since its last top up, you will probably first top up with RM10 in 7-11 store in Malaysia and then consider buying some data for use.  You have to utilise your credits and purchase RM10 for 10 days of validity.  That's right. Your RM10 can use for another 10 days and you cannot make outgoing calls on the 11th day but you can receive calls or sms in the next 50 days.

The cycle and the frustration repeats itself every 50 days.  This nightmare will not longer haunt you if you get the new TM unifi prepaid simcard.  Read on for more details.

Introducing Telecom Malaysia (TM) Mobile@Unifi

TM is the national carrier for all landlines and it monopolises East of West Malaysia.  It owes Webe post paid mobile so its network is undoubtedly the best, comparable to Celcom.  The joining of TM into the telecom red-sea market will possibly stirs waves of changes in the already competitive market.

TM is well established with many outlets all over Malaysia.  The plan they introduces make subscribers more convenient and create values over the current big 3 (Celcom, Maxis and Digi). So, what is the big deal?  It has no EXPIRY DATE!

Advantages of Mobile@Unifi

With no expiry date, you don't have to worry about the 50-day expiry condition. You don't have to worry about hunting for the 7-11 store for the mandatory top up before you start using the card. The call, sms and data credits remain unchanged and if they are not enough, you just need to top up.

Is this important? Yes, it solves the key concerns of current subscribers who are being inconvenience by the current big 3.  Once you bought the card, it should be rightfully yours for you to use the simcard as and when you need it.  Another possible benefit is you can download wifi@unifi app and use the country network of 8000+ wifi hotspots which are offered free till further notice.

The simcard has roaming so you can use in other countries outside of Malaysia.  And there is bonuses to join as early birds

Bonus for Early birds

TM offers a limited 1 million simcard for early birds and you must join before 31 Mar 2018 (or while stocks last).  For early birds, you enjoy 10 mins call, 10 sms, 50MB of 3G data and 20GB of 4G LTE data.  Note that they have no expiry dates as long as the card is active.  For any individual, you can get up to 5 cards so effectively you can get 5x20GB or 100GB of data for free.  The best part is you can subscribe for a GOLDEN number or number with your name for easy remembering.

Is there any catch?

Yes. First and foremost, you must collect the simcard personally at one of the designated TM outlet in Malaysia. Secondly, there is limitation on the phone for 4G LTE.  Your phone must be supporting 850MHz or LTE Band B5 else you will only be able to use 3G data.  Next, you can only top up online or via local credit cards with VISA/Mastercard. The critial constraint is you must keep your line(s) active which must meet either of the following requirements within 90-day:

• Make 1 outgoing phone call;
• Send 1 outgoing sms;
• Browse for 1MB of data;
• Reload any amount between RM10, 30, 50 or 100; or
• Buy any of the data or voice or sms passes.

These requirements are simple to meet if you frequent Malaysia once every 3 months.  If you are using data for navigation, you can easily hit 1MB of data within a day.  In the beginning, it is likely you get more 3G network over 4G LTE so we must be patient.  OK, interested to sign up for one?

What are the processes?

The process is simple.

1. Download Mobile@Unifi from Google PlayStore or Apple store;
2. Register to get 1 to 5 new SIMs (Hint: Use any hotel address and telephone);
3. Suggest to use passport to register for non-Malaysians;
4. Ensure the email address (required for verification) is correct;
5. Select the nearest TM outlet for collection (nearest to Singapore is Komtar JBCC (next to City Square @2nd floor lot 136 operating from 10am to 10pm);
6. Take note of the earliest date of collection;
7. Bring your passport to collect the sim on or after the date of collection;
8. Jolly well do the above asap or way before 31 Mar 2018;
9. Activate and enjoy your new simcard(s) with your golden number(s);
10. Throw away your current simcard after you have exhausted its value (hopefully, if 4G LTE network is working wonderfully)!

If you have any query, post your comment below for discussion.

iPhone 4S Craze?

I have not been posted for a while due to other commitments.

The first post will be iPhone 4S. Since Steve has just passed away and he is missed by many, it will be a good time to see if Apple has products to continue his legacy.

There are minor updates to iPhone 4 but 4S has breaking sales due to the demise of Steve. What are the interesting features which many found it useful? Some of the features are:

1. Siri - a voice app that aims to be your personal secretary;
2. Speed - dual cores which nearly double the benchmark and chipset is upgraded to A5;
3. Camera - 5 element lens and 30% improved sharpness on a 8MB resolution with video stabilization; and
4. iOS5 - new OS with special mention of iCloud which promises 5G storage space in the cyberspace.

The question to ask is whether iPhone 4S breaks new ground or people just buy it for the sake of remembering Steve. Industry is disappointed it is not iPhone 5 but the sentiment defy expectation and sales better iPhone 4.

How is competition? Samsung Galaxy S2 is the closest competition with the chart HERE. A complete comparison is spelt out HERE in iTechVision. Numbers aside, the question is do you want to upgrade if you already has iPhone 4?

For those without data plan, it is a punishment to buy a iPhone 4S if you do not understand the true meanings of mobility and smartphone. Those who have already owned a iPhone 4 with a budget, it is not advisable to upgrade as the features are not fantastic. You can save for an iPhone 5. Apple is cashing in on Steve's death and maximise their profits.

If you never own a smartphone before, you may consider iPhone 4S. But before you jump into the wagon, spare a thought for other smartphone vendors like Samsung Galaxy S2 or Nokia N9. Both are cheaper than iPhone 4S and your experiences will not be dampened as long as you have a data plan (the key to your smartphone experiences).

You have lots to learn if you have your first smartphone. The key is the applications which you can install to suit your lifestyle with a data plan. In the world of social media, instant communication is the key to be hype. Getting a fad iPhone 4S with no data plan will be the biggest mistake you will make. Given limited budget, get a smartphone with data plan is better off than an expensive iPhone 4S with no data plan.

Frankly, technology gadgets are fads when the warranty is only 12 months for a 24-month standard mobile contact. The costs of the "free" phone has already been included in the monthly payment. When the warranty expires in 12 months, you are still paying for another 12 months for the discounted phone but enjoy no warranty for another 12 months. Isn't it interesting?

In Amercia, Apple's iPhones are tied up exclusively with AT&T with a cheapest US$15/month data plan for only 200MB of data. As a new customer, you are expected to pay another US$399 for a 64GB iPhone 4S. Bear in mind that the data speed is inconsistently low at a maximum of 2.5MBps at best with repeated upgrade on its networks.

In Singapore, Singtel's customers are expected to pay S$39.9/month for a 24-month plan for an upfront cost of S$798 for a 64GB iPhone. A new Samsung Galaxy S2 I9100 and Nokia N9 16GB cost S$148 and S$98 respectively. You do your maths.

For a die-hard Apple fan, you may consider the old iPhone 3 or iPhone 4 as they have depreciated to a "free" phone. The argument that Apple fans has is Apple provide long-term support for its handset while other vendors ignore their older phones when they have new models. Very true as we see iPhone 4 can be upgrade to iOS5 while many Android phones are still in Froyo 2.2 or below instead of the latest Gingerbread 2.3. In fact, non-Gingerbread phones are often sold at discount or free to consumers with a budget to clear stocks. Manufacturers offer no upgrade on its firmware and obsolete them before the 24-month mobile contract is over. It is a sad fact in the industry. Apple wins hand down in support since they have only a handful of mobile phone sets. Read more by The Understatement.

No matter what you choose, stocks for Samsung Galaxy S2 and iPhone 4S 64GB is low now. With plenty of stocks, Nokia N9 is the underdog as Meego OS may be obsoleted soon as the partnership with Microsoft thickens. The only merit of N9 is the free OVI GPS map where the download of maps is free.

Afterall, it is a Laissez-faire ecomony and the choice is yours.

Should I convert from Post-paid to Pre-paid mobile plan?

Planning for your ideal mobile plan

Many retirees "inherited" the obsolete mobile phones from their children when they upgrade the phones. Since a mobile plan (with a SIM card) is needed to make the old phone come alive, they leave the decision of their mobile plans to their children. Most of their children chose post-paid plan with limited incoming voice calls with no data plan. However, most old folks are wary of making outgoing voice calls because they are not used to the phone and it is chargeable. For some old plans, they are paying more than S$60+ for 300 min outgoing minutes per month. Due to fierce competition over the years, new plans are more competitive at S$25+ for 100 min outgoing. However, many are ignorance of this option when their contract is due. The same applies for students in schools, polytechnics and universities, except their phones are normally smart phones with data plan.
The demand of pre-paid mobile plan is attractive to short-term tourists and our foreign "talents" (aka workers) who rarely use their phone and cannot get credit. The beauty of pre-paid plan lies in the absence of 2-year contract with the telco. This target segment is not demanding of voice mail, text or data plan since their phones are either low-end or obsolete models. So they are compromised to pay a higher price to use pre-paid services.
Stop, read paragraph 2 again. If you believe every word I wrote, then perhaps you need a paradigm shift. Ten years ago, paragraph 2 is politically correct but it is no longer true now. If 50% of Europe is using pre-paid plans, you are a true believer on the myths of using pre-paid plan. Let me tell you why.

Post-paid vs Pre-paid

If a picture paints a thousand words, I hope this table shed lights on the differences.

	Post-Paid	Pre-Paid
Payment mode	After use	Before use
Monthly Bills	Yes	No
Subscription	Yes	No
Contract binding	2 years	None
Free phone bundle	Yes	None
Registration Charge	S$10.70	None
Free incoming voice calls	Yes	Depending on the plans
Free SMS	Yes	Depending on the plans
Free Caller ID	No	Yes
Free Voice Mail	No	Yes
Fee incoming calls	Yes	Depends

 
Yes. That's all for the differences. How about data plan, IDD calls, international roaming? Don't worry. Pre-paid plans cover them and sometimes offer more.
If you are using post-paid, there is no such thing as free outgoing voice call. It has been factored into your month free minutes. That's why you are paying more for 300 or 700 minutes. It is charged at SS$0.16/min if you exceed your allocated free minutes. Many customer service representatives will tell you to choose the highest minutes plan from your maximum usage. So you are choosing 100min/mth plan (S$16 value) if you are using 80min/mth and 300min/mth plan (S$54 value) when you are in fact using 101 min/mth.
Basically, prepaid plan is not restricted by the number of outgoing voice call minutes and number of SMSs. The catch is pay-as-you-use and in fact, more flexible than standard post-paid services. Therefore, get ready for the surprise if you are the frog still hiding in the well.

Pre-paid plans in the market

Being the largest mobile player in Singapore, SingTel has 4 different pre-paid offerings:

• Hi!card (standard prepaid at 8 cents/min during Happy Hour) with top-up options of (15% bonus, S$28, S$30 and S$55)

• Kababayan Card (calling Philippines at 7 cents/min )
• simPATI kangen Card (calling Indonesia at 16-26 cents/min)
• Sawadee Card (calling Thailand at 6 cents/min)

Since we are targeting at Singaporeans who are interested to convert from Post-paid to Pre-paid, cards and top-up options which are targeting for foreigners who wish to make IDD calls will be omitted in our discussion. Hence, we only consider the Hi!card and its top-up options.
Starhub has 2 basic plans – Green (Happy S$128 and Happy Star S$17) and MaxMobile for voice and data plan respectively. Top-up options are Happy (voice) and Happy Stars (data) prepaid. On and off, they introduce some perks to make their pre-paid cards more attractive. Since we are focusing only on voice plan, we shall take MaxMobile out of the equation.
M1 also has 2 pre-paid plans – M Super S$130 and SuperPac. The former targets standard users while SuperPac targets foreigners who live in a different time zone. We shall consider both plans with its top-up options.

Benchmark using a Post-paid plan

For low usage users, we need a benchmark for comparison so we take a standard 100min/mth plan with no data plan at a comparable value of S$25.68 (100 outgoing minutes and 500 SMSs). Over a period of 24 mths, a post-paid plan will cost a subscriber a total of S$616.32. Note that Post-paid plan can receive unlimited incoming call.

	100min/mth	300min/mth
Free outgoing voice minutes	100	300
Free SMS	500	500
Cost for 1 month (S$)	25.68	48.15
Costs over 24 mths (S$)	616.32	1155.60

 

Case studies

For the Pre-paid plan, let make the following presumption for both groups of consumers:

	Old folk	Night shift worker	Businessman
Duration of incoming calls a month (min)	50	75	150
Duration of outgoing calls a month (min)	50	75	100
Average call duration (min)	1	2	3
Calls made during peak period	80%	10%	60%
Calls made during non-peak period	20%	90%	40%
SMS per month	0	500	600

 
A run through the formula reveals the following:

Best plan	Old folks	Monthly bills (S$)		Night shift worker	Monthly bills (S$)		Businessman	Monthly bills (S$)
1	Singtel Hi!Card (S$55)	9.71		Singtel Hi!Card (S$28)	15.96		Singtel Hi!Card (S$28)	32.63
2	Starhub Green	12.75		Starhub Happy Star card (S$17)	18.46		M Card Super S$130	38.75
3	Singtel Hi!Card (15% bonus)	13.25		Hi!Card (S$55)	19.71		Starhub Happy (S$128)	41.58
Post-paid Plan	Standard 100 min/mth	25.68		Standard 300min/mth	48.15		Standard 300min/mth	48.15

 
The results may be surprising for many because 100min/mth plan can be cheaper than S$10/mth. Yes, it happens. By seizing advantages of the off-period period, you are able to make cheap calls thereby reducing the costs of mobile ownership. Either case, we see most pre-paid plans are cheaper than standard post-paid plans if you ignore the free incoming calls. Bear in mind that pre-paid plans are pay-as-you-use so if you have low usage for that month, you can effectively save more. It is a wonderful way of limiting your phone bill.
An excellent example is a night shift worker. Since there is no 200min/mth plan and outgoing voice at 150min/mth, one need to take up the 300min/mth plan as "adviced" by experts. If he/she takes up a pre-paid plan, savings is sizable and even better than a 100min/mth plan. The saving is nearly half of what he is paying for 300min/mth plan. Can you see the beauty?
Even for a businessman with 300min outgoing voice calls, the bill is much cheaper than a standard 300min/mth plan. Yes, it is possible and you can do your own maths.

The balance of the equation

If pre-paid plans are superior in value, why most of us still signing up post-paid plans? The answers are simple. In the beginning, many have no phone and signing a 2-year contract can get a free or discounted phone. Also, we are haunted by the old Pre-paid plans which are unattractive in value as compared to post-paid plans. It may costs twice as much to call out as compared to post-paid plans.
Now, new pre-paid plans are customized for the new market segments to suit the trend. In Europe and USA, pre-paid plans are bundled with phones and some are having free incoming calls (like M1 SuperPac). These pre-paid plans are very attractive as it offers customers good benefits without a contract to tie them down. If they are near to the end of their contract and the phone is working fine, a new pre-paid plan with free incoming call may offer more values to them.
An interesting find is the M1 SuperPac and Starhub Happy Star. They offer data plan and 24-hours free incoming calls so they are in-between pre-paid and post-paid plans. If you really compare the details, they are catered for travellers and adults who are working 9-6pm who cannot answer mobile during this period (ie. Hotel service staffs).
Last but not least, it is important to consider the validity of the card since its last top up. It will make a difference on what is the frequency of top-up. It is crucial if you seldom use the phone. So, how about getting a pre-paid card now?

Best iPhone plans for 8GB and 16GB

Features of 3 iPhone models

Yesterday, I have written the best plans for iPhone 3GS 32GB (3^rd generation iPhone). This phone is the latest Apple phone with a faster processor, slightly superior battery life equipped with a 3.2MP camera compared to the 2^nd generation iPhone 3G. The 16GB version has half the flash memory as compared to the 32GB version so it is cheaper in value. If you have few applications, songs and data to be stored on the iPhone, a 16GB is sufficed for your daily use. 32GB version is an overkill as flash memory is always dropped as the production reaches economic of scales powered by the increasing demand of flash memory in storage arena.

In contrast, iPhone 3G with a modest 8GB is the 2^nd generation iPhone with 2MP camera but with 3G support, it works well with any of the minimum 12GB data plans. So is iPhone 3G 8GB having a slower download speed as compared to the latest 3GS iPhone 16GB or 32GB? The answer is no. The download speed for both iPhone 3G and 3GS are at a maximum speed of 7.2Mbps (HSDPA). Since all 3 telcos are matching with 7.2Mbps for all iPhone plans, the only speed bottlenecks lie in the network coverage and the environment where you are in. You may refer to the earlier blog on how to measure the data speed with your mobile phone. On the side note, you may wish to consider the upload speed which is not mentioned in the websites of all the 3 telcos. For example, Starhub offers a upload speed of 1.9Mbps for all its iPhone plans.

The premium plans will not be discussed because these 2 models belong to the lower end and premium plans do not change much. If you wish to get 3G 8GB or 3GS 16GB, you may wish to refer to the earlier blog. The differences are minor as the monthly subscriptions form the majority of the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).

iPhone 3G 8GB

With no worry on its speed, the next concern is choosing the right plan. This model is ideal for value proposition since it has the lowest top-up value. The following table is derived.

Mins/month	M-Value	M-Lite	ST-Lite	ST-Value	SH-100	SH-300
50	$ 1,262.00	$ 1,442.00	$ 1,274.00	$ 1,391.76	$ 1,300.00	$ 1,510.00
100	$ 1,262.00	$ 1,442.00	$ 1,274.00	$ 1,391.76	$ 1,300.00	$ 1,510.00
134	$ 1,392.97	$ 1,442.00	$ 1,404.97	$ 1,391.76	$ 1,430.97	$ 1,510.00
150	$ 1,454.60	$ 1,442.00	$ 1,466.60	$ 1,391.76	$ 1,492.60	$ 1,510.00
200	$ 1,647.20	$ 1,442.00	$ 1,659.20	$ 1,391.76	$ 1,685.20	$ 1,510.00
212	$ 1,693.42	$ 1,442.00	$ 1,705.42	$ 1,437.98	$ 1,731.42	$ 1,510.00
250	$ 1,839.80	$ 1,442.00	$ 1,851.80	$ 1,584.36	$ 1,877.80	$ 1,510.00
300	$ 2,032.40	$ 1,442.00	$ 2,044.40	$ 1,776.96	$ 2,070.40	$ 1,510.00

From the graph, we observe that M1's plans beat Starhub's plans flat. If you are having an average call out of 134 to 212 minutes/month, it is wise to choose Singtel M-Value Plan. Else M1 M-Value and M-Lite plans provide the lowest TCO for the rest.

iPhone 3GS 16GB

The plans for this mid end phone are presented below.

Mins/month	M-Value	M-Lite	ST-Lite	ST-Value	SH-100	SH-300
50	$ 1,382.00	$ 1,592.00	$ 1,454.00	$ 1,591.76	$ 1,450.00	$ 1,660.00
100	$ 1,382.00	$ 1,592.00	$ 1,454.00	$ 1,591.76	$ 1,450.00	$ 1,660.00
150	$ 1,574.60	$ 1,592.00	$ 1,646.60	$ 1,591.76	$ 1,642.60	$ 1,660.00
200	$ 1,767.20	$ 1,592.00	$ 1,839.20	$ 1,591.76	$ 1,835.20	$ 1,660.00
250	$ 1,959.80	$ 1,592.00	$ 2,031.80	$ 1,784.36	$ 2,027.80	$ 1,660.00
300	$ 2,152.40	$ 1,592.00	$ 2,224.40	$ 1,976.96	$ 2,220.40	$ 1,660.00

The graph depicts that both M1 plans are the clear winners in the value market except for 200mins/month, Singtel Value wins a marginal S$0.24. Now, you can tell any blind man to get M1 plan if he wants a iPhone 3G 16GB. However, Starhub SH-300 is a close competitor with M1 M-Lite with a small S$68 margin.

Conclusions

For easy reference, the TCO table for all phones and plans is shown below.

Mins/month	Lowest TCO	3G 8GB	Lowest TCO	3GS 16GB	Lowest TCO	3GS 32GB
50	$ 1,262.00	M-Value	$ 1,382.00	M-Value	$ 1,522.00	M-Value
100	$ 1,262.00	M-Value	$ 1,382.00	M-Value	$ 1,522.00	M-Value
150	$ 1,391.76	ST-Value	$ 1,574.60	M-Value	$ 1,714.60	M-Value
200	$ 1,391.76	ST-Value	$ 1,591.76	ST-Value	$ 1,741.76	ST-Value
250	$ 1,442.00	M-Lite	$ 1,592.00	M-Lite	$ 1,742.00	M-Lite
300	$ 1,442.00	M-Lite	$ 1,592.00	M-Lite	$ 1,742.00	M-Lite
450	$ 2,019.80	M-Lite	$ 2,169.80	M-Lite	$ 2,319.80	M-Lite
500	$ 2,212.40	M-Lite	$ 2,280.00	ST-Plus	$ 2,378.00	ST-Plus
700	$ 2,352.00	M-Extreme	$ 2,352.00	M-Extreme	$ 2,450.00	M-Extreme
1000	$ 3,507.60	M-Extreme	$ 3,507.60	M-Extreme	$ 3,605.60	M-Extreme
1500	$ 4,752.00	M-Unlimited	$ 4,752.00	M-Unlimited	$ 4,752.00	M-Unlimited

For the lowest TCO, your wallet will suffer a damage of S$1,262. This is the lowest price for owning a iPhone. You must refrain from abusing the data bandwidth and exceed the limit of monthly data usage for value plans.

By far, M1 plans win in nearly every category. Singtel has a few winners but Starhub has none. This clearly explains why M1 shops are crowded with human queues while Starhub shops are crowded with flies. As a smart consumer, be prepared to choose the best plan from the chart below before you join in the queue. Remember to consider M1's Take-3 plan, Free Calls to 3 M1 numbers, Unlimited SMS and MMS plus Free Campus/Army Camp calls (students and NSFs) and 35% discount on Multi-Line Saver to enjoy greater discounts.

TRUE WINNER

With the above, do you think you are the winner in this war? Unfortunately, the answer is NO. M1 laughs all the way to the bank if everyone signs up their M-value plan. Why?

From M1 perspective, they wish to regain market share as they do not complete package like Singtel's MIO and Starhub's Hubber as they do not own the infrastructure.

From consumer end, you are the "biggest" loser by choosing M-Value because it has the lowest value amongst the plans. If we only consider voice calls and SMSs, below are the perceived values of the plans based on simple calculations.

	M-Value	M-Lite	M-Extreme	Explanation & Formula
Monthly Fee (w/GST)	$ 36.00	$ 56.00	$ 98.00	A
Free voice call (mins)	100.00	300.00	700.00	B=$0.1605/min
Free SMS/MMS	500.00	500.00	500.00	C=$0.05/SMS
Bundled value	$ 985.20	$ 1,755.60	$ 3,296.40	D=(free call x B)+(free SMS x C)
2 years contract	$ 864.00	$ 1,344.00	$ 2,352.00	E=24 mths x A
Cost of phone	$ 398.00	$ 98.00	$ -	F
Perceived Values (PV)	$ (276.80)	$ 313.60	$ 944.40	PV=D-E-F

So signing up the M-Extreme plan gives you a gain of S$944 as compared to M-Value plan of –$276.80. You may argue the costs of operation for calls and SMSs are much lower on the operator side. Yes, you are right and this precisely iterates the fact that you must stick to your plan and should not exceed the allocated time or data usage. So I hope these tables will assist you in selecting a good iPhone as well as a good plan to complement it.