Yahoo Finance The Best Data Plans from Singapore Telcos – SIM-only Plans vs Phone Plans (2018)
Singaporeans love mobile data, and telcos have been falling over themselves trying to outbid each other.
We take a quick, dirty look and compare the SIM-only plans and phone plans of each telco in Singapore:
Data users who need at least 5GB a month
If you spend most of the time at home or in the office, or in public places with free Wi-Fi, then you honestly won’t need more than 5GB of data a month. Here are your SIM-only and Phone Plan options:
SIM-only Plans (at least 5GB, 12-Month contract)
Data | Extras | Price per month | |
5GB | 150 min talk time, 500 local SMS/MMS | $20.00 | |
5GB | 100 min talk time, 100 local SMS/MMS | $20.00 | |
6GB + unlimited weekend data | 200 min talk time | $24.00 | |
6GB | 100 min talk time | $28.00 |
In terms of price alone, Singtel is the winner for this category, as it meets the data requirement and also offers more talk time and SMSes than the closest competitor M1.
But do note that Starhub gives you unlimited weekend data for only $4 more each month, and Circles.Life doesn’t lock you into any contract.
Phone Plans (at least 5GB, 24-Month contract)
Data | Extras | Price per month / Total cost | |
Singtel | 6GB | Unlimited talk time, unlimited SMS/MMS | $95.90 + $130 for phone / $2,431.60 |
M1 | 5GB | 100 min talk time, 100 local SMS/MMS | $40.00 + $568 for phone / $1,528.00 |
Starhub | 5GB + unlimited weekend data | 200 min talk time | $88.00 + $0 for phone / $2,112.00 |
Circles.Life | 5GB | 100 min talk time | $34.00 + $1,148 for phone / $1,964.00 |
For comparison purposes, we’re going to choose the Samsung Galaxy S8 at the official price of $1,148 to go with the above plans. We understand that some outlets do sell it at a discounted price of $830, but for purposes of a fair comparison, we shall go with the official price.
The clear winner in this case is M1 with their mySIM(e) 40 plan. Not only do they allow you to buy the phone at a significantly discounted rate, but should you exceed the contracted period, you are still only paying $40 a month.
That said, once again, the same peripheral benefits from the competitors need to be mentioned – the lack of a contract with Circles.Life and the unlimited weekend data offered by Starhub.
Data fans who need at least 10GB a month
Either you’re constantly on the go, or you’re the kind to put every second of your life on Instagram Stories. Either way, you need at least 10GB of data a month. Here are your SIM-only and Phone Plan options:
SIM-only Plans (at least 10GB, 12-Month contract)
Data | Extras | Price per month | |
Singtel | 10GB | 150 min talk time, 500 local SMS/MMS | $36.05 |
M1 | 15GB | 100 min talk time, 100 local SMS/MMS | $40.00 |
Starhub | 10GB + unlimited weekend data | Unlimited talk time | $44.00 |
Circles.Life | 10GB | 100 min talk time | $34.00 |
Not surprisingly, Circles.Life, the company that popularised the SIM-only plan, continues to be the best deal if you don’t exceed 10GB a month. Plus, Circles.Life has no contract, which means this wasn’t even a fair comparison to begin with.
On that note, yes, technically, M1 is value-for-money in terms of data. But think about it this way: if you don’t need 15GB, there’s no point paying $6 more for 5GB more data. And if you really need more, Circles.Life is offering an additional 20GB for $20 – which means you get up to 26GB for only $48 a month!
Phone Plans (at least 10 GB, no contract)
Data | Extras | Price per month / Total Cost | |
Singtel | 12GB | Unlimited talk time, unlimited local SMS/MMS | $239.90 + $0 for phone / $5,757.60 |
M1 | 15GB | 100 min talk time, 100 local SMS/MMS | $70.00 + $228 for phone / $1,908.00 |
Starhub | 15GB + unlimited weekend data | Unlimited talk time, unlimited local SMS/MMS | $238.00 + $0 for phone / $5,712.00 |
Circles.Life | 24GB | 100 min talk time | $48.00 + $1,148 for phone / $2,300.00 |
For comparison purposes, we’re once again going to choose the Samsung Galaxy S8 at the official price of $1,148 to go with the above plans. We understand that some outlets do sell it at a discounted price of $830, but for purposes of a fair comparison, we shall go with the official price.
Once again M1’s mySIM(e) 70 plan comes up tops. By catering to those who only need data, and not talk time or SMS/MMS, they easily beat the competition in terms of price.
That said, Circles.Life’s 20GB data for $20 is a very hard to beat proposition, though it might be more data than you’ll ever need (which is probably what they’re counting on).
Which telco is winning the data game in 2018?
It’s clear that Singtel and Starhub are offering better deals for SIM-only plans if you don’t need more than 5GB of data a month.
M1 and Circles.Life are playing the data game so well, they’ve won on every other category. M1 gives ridiculous discounts on their phones (or at least the Samsung Galaxy S8) while Circles.Life’s lack of a contract ensures that it maintains a strong advantage over the competition.
Related:
Zero1 Vs Zero Mobile Vs Circles Life Data Plans – New Kids on the Block Reviewed
4 Ways Singaporeans Can Save Money With the Help of Their Smartphone
Budget 2018: GST on Digital Services and How It Affects You
Are you a big data fan? Which telco do you prefer? Share your thoughts with us.
The post The Best Data Plans from Singapore Telcos - SIM-only Plans vs Phone Plans (2018) appeared first on the MoneySmart blog.
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