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We Analysed 1,300 Data From 6 S’pore Telcos. Here’s What We Found About The Best Mobile Plans Of 2020.

Personal Finance

Written by:

Yen Yee

6 telcos. And too many mobile plan options to count. 

We went through all of them, and their fine prints (i.e. terms and conditions) to bring you this condensed article on the Best Singapore Mobile Plans in 2018.

In summary:

  • Cheapest Telco Plan: Starhub Lite, 12 months SIM-ONLY Plan ($228.15/year)
  • Best Data Plan: Zero1's unlimited data plan, comes with 200mins talktime, 200 SMS too ($401.60/year)* terms and conditions apply
  • Cheapest iPhone Telco Plan: Starhub Lite, 12 months SIM-ONLY Plan + new 64GB iPhone from Carousell (only $1,856)
  • Best Data iPhone Telco Plan: Zero1's unlimited data plan + new 64GB iPhone from Carousell (only $2,160)

Curious about the details? 

Great, because in the following sections we have:

Detailed breakdown of Singapore Telco Plans

With 6 Telcos to choose from today, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with so many options and combination of mobile plans.

Hence, many people take the easy way out, and just extend their current plans for a newer phone. I even have a friend who had been renewing her plan and forfeiting the 'free' phone for the past 3 years! ????

So...is your current plan really cost-effective?

Or are you paying a premium to your telco while your peers are enjoying additional savings that you didn’t know about?

We’ve done the research for you.

The following sections aim to help you find the best telco plan for your current usage, presented in an easy-to-compare manner.

Let’s try to save you some moolah, so that you can save more for that extra holiday now. Or maybe start building your warchest and invest for greater wealth.

Let's start off with the group of phone owners who just want a functional phone, at the best price…

Best no-frills SIM Only Telco Plan

"I just want a mobile line that lets people contact me, and me to contact them.”

Screw unlimited data because you spend the bulk of your day in the office where there’s free wifi, and the rest of your day at home where there’s broadband AND wifi. #nolife

If you are here for a quick answer, here:

Cheapest no-frills SIM-Only plan in Singapore

StarHub Lite 12 Months Plan

$15 / month

Comes with 2GB, 100 mins talktime and 100 SMS

"But I also want…"

Say no more, here’s the full comparison table of SIM-only plans, take your pick:

Download the entire Google Sheet as an excel file here: Best Singapore Telco Plan comparison

Too lazy to scan through the Google Sheet?

We pinpoint some of the best SIM-only plans in the next 2 sections.

 "SIM Only Telco Plans" refer to the telco plans that does not come with a phone purchase. Instead, it provides you with a SIM card and the ability to connect to the telco's network to make calls, or to surf the net on the go.

There are 2 common types of SIM-only plans that you can get in Singapore – with a 12 months plan or without any contract.

The former requires you to be an active (and paying) user of the plan for at least 12 months. The latter does not tie you down for any fixed duration.

The Best No-Contract SIM Only Telco Plans

If you are allergic to commitment and don’t want to tie yourself down to a telco, this option is for you.

Using a no-contract SIM only telco plan means you have the freedom to switch over to any telco, whenever you wish to.  

In this section, we chose telco plans that include key services like data, talktime (outgoing calls) and SMS in this section. If you are looking for the best data plan for your money, skip to the 'Best Data Plans for Phones' section!

Depending on your needs, here are some of the best no-contract SIM only plans in Singapore now:

  • Cheapest: StarHub’s LITE plan at just $15/month (Only comes with 1GB data)
  • Unlimited Everything: ZeroX plan at just $65/month

If you’re looking for something in between the two above, here are some others you can consider.

Telco Plan

How Much Data You Need?

How Much Talktime You Need?

How much SMS You Need?

Monthly Fee

Starhub LITE Plan

1 GB

100 mins

100

$15

Singtel basic plan with add ons

4 GB

200 mins

1200

$36.05

Zero 40+

6 GB

Unlimited

Unlimited

$45

M1’s mySIM(3) 50

15 GB

100 mins

100

$50

ZeroX

Unlimited

Unlimited

Unlimited

$65

Tap and scroll to the right to see the full table!

P.S. Some might argue that the Circles.Life plan is a good deal (+ free 2GB for new customers) at $28/month. However, their plan does not include SMSes, it is chargeable at 5c per SMS.

If you have specific needs, check out the our comparison sheet above. It contains all the telco plans available at the point of writing.

The Best 12 Months SIM Only Telco Plan

In a bid to entice you to stick with their service, the major telcos are offering 12 months SIM only plans. 

Many of these are offered at the same price as their no-contract plans, with a little more added benefits.

For example, StarHub’s LITE no-contract plan costs $15 per month. However, if you are willing to commit 12 months with them, you’ll enjoy an additional 1GB of data per month at no extra costs.

If you don’t foresee yourself combing the market for the best SIM plans every month or even every 6 months, 12-months SIM only plans might be an option that you’ve been overlooking.

Disclaimer: The information below does not include no contract SIM-only plans such as Circle.Life, Zero1 or Zero’s plans.

Here are some of the best 12 months SIM only plans in Singapore now:

  • Cheapest: StarHub’s LITE plan at just $15/month (Only comes with 2GB data)
  • Unlimited Data: M1’s mySIM(3) 98 at $98/month. Comes with Unlimited Data, Talktime and SMS.

If you’re looking for something in between, here’s a more comprehensive table:

Telco Plan

How Much Data You Need?

How Much Talktime You Need?

How much SMS You Need?

Monthly Fee

Starhub LITE Plan

2 GB

100 mins

100

$15

Singtel basic plan

6 GB

150 mins

500

$20

M1’s mySIM(3) 40

15 GB

100 mins

100

$40

M1’s mySIM(3) 98

Unlimited

Unlimited

Unlimited

$98

Tap and scroll to the right to see the full table!

For every other 12 month SIM only plan, refer to the comparison sheet above.

Best Data Plans for Phones

Mobile data usage in Singapore has surged over the past 7 years

Honestly, who has time to talk or text on the phone anymore these days?

We all need mobile data everywhere we go, because there Instagram, Korean dramas, snapchat or maybe…‘Rules of Survival’.

So, here's the:

Best Unlimited Data Plan in Singapore:

ZeroX

$65 / month

Comes with Unlimited Data, Talktime and SMS

If you want something cheaper, there’s Zero1. It costs only $29.90/month for unlimited data, 200 mins talktime and 200 SMS.

BUT! Always read the fine print: 

Do note that you only get top speed mobile data for the first 3GB, thereafter, its whatever’s available:

Circles.Life published the Annual Mobile Data Usage Survey 2017* last year as part of their marketing launch. They discovered that Singaporean use an average of 3.5GB to 4GB per month, and most would like to have at least 6GB of data for peace of mind.

*900 Singaporeans between age 16 to 54 were surveyed. The survey was most likely done as part of their launch, you might want to check your own data usage and purchase a suitable plan for your own needs.

If you are an ‘average’ user who streams the occasional video, or plays games, you might want to consider the following data plan instead.

​Best Data Plan for the  'Average' User in Singapore:

Starhub XS 12 Months SIM only

$24 / month

Comes with 6GB Data and 200 mins Talktime. SMS chargeable at 5.35cents per SMS.

The Best iPhone Mobile Plan

Seedly provided a hack to get cheaper mobile phone bills, while still being able to get a new phone! Their solution: get a SIM-only plan and buy the phone off Carousell.

Our findings are similar. Here are some mobile plans you might want to consider, if you are an aspiring iPhone owner:

So, you want the latest iPhone X and don’t mind changing your telco provider for a cheaper rate. 

Cheapest iPhone Telco 'Plan'

Starhub LITE 12 Months SIM only

$15 / month

Comes with 6GB Data and 200 mins Talktime. SMS chargeable at 5.35cents per SMS.

Carousell

64GB iPhone X

$1,400

or 

256GB iPhone X

$1,500

But of course, you wouldn’t want to have an iPhone but not have sufficient data to fully utilise the phone. So...

Best unlimited data plan for new iPhone X users

ZeroX (No contract. SIM-only plan)

$65 / month

Comes with unlimited Data, Talktime and SMS

Carousell

64GB iPhone X

$1,400

or 

256GB iPhone X

$1,500

Need more options? Here's our comparison table:

Or download the whole Google Sheet as an excel file here: Best iPhone Plans comparison

Oh wait, we're not done just yet. For the anxious parents who are worried about their kids having free reign on their phones, the next section is for you:

Prepaid Telco Plans in Singapore

Prepaid cards are not limited to tourists and foreigners!

If you are a parent who is facing a losing battle between the mobile phone and your child, this is a godsend.

With prepaid cards, you can limit your child’s usage. In theory, this is how it works...once the card runs out of credit, your child would have no choice but to stop using the phone.

However, there are downsides. Prepaid cards are relatively more expensive, and they tend to come with an expiry date.

So, what are your options?

We compiled everything into this table. Select your option, depending on how you'd like to restrict your child's access....

Or download the whole Google Sheet as an excel file here: Singapore Prepaid Phone Card comparison

Just want the cheapest option? Here you go:

Cheapest Prepaid Card in Singapore

M1 M Card

$5 (20 days validity). Limited to 500MB data

Calls chargeable at 8 cents per min and SMS at 5 cents per message.

[Bonus] Additional one-time fees you need to take note of

When comparing the telcos, do note that you’ll need to pay 2 major one-time fees when you start a new plan with a new telco.

When planning to switch over to a new telco, you might want to take these fees into consideration. If there are cost savings even with the fees costed in, it is a pretty strong reason to be changing your telco provider.

Here are the charges for each telco:

Telco

Registration Fee / SIM Activation Fee

Mobile Service Charge

Total (Potential) Set Up Fee

SingTel

$37.45

$10.70

$48.15

StarHub

$37.45

$10.70

$48.15

M1

$37.45

$10.70

$48.15

Circles.Life

$38.00

NIL

$38.00

Zero

$20.00

$18.00

$38.00

Zero1

$32.10

$10.70

$42.80

Tap and scroll to the right to see the full table!

Conclusion

To get the best prices off your telco plans, you should first be clear about your current usage. 

Before you jump right in and start switching your plan, I think you should spent sometime doing the following:

1) Track your current usage
It's a great feeling to have unlimited data, talktime, everything. But to be honest, most of us won't use all that. 

Also, do note that Starhub's SIM-Only plans come with free unlimited weekend data usage (except LITE plan). If you notice that your data usage only spikes over the weekend, their plans could be a viable option.

2) Always read the fine print
Every plan sounds good when sold by a salesperson. Be sure to read the terms and conditions. For example, Zero1's unlimited data usage only gives you top speeds for the first 3GB, thereafter you'll be given 'managed speeds'.

3) Include the cost of switching
Most telcos will charge one time fees to new customers. Be sure to include these charges into your consideration.

4) Keep your eyes peeled for promos!
Being a competitive industry, the telcos are out for blood. If the 3 points above make sense for you to switch your telco and start a new plan, look out for promos.

For example, at the point of writing, SingTel is doing a "Free 2GB/month" promo on their 12 months SIM-Only plan. And, StarHub is providing free unlimited data on weekends for selected SIM-only plans. 

So keep a look out 🙂

Did I miss anything in this article? Let me know in the comments below.

6 thoughts on “We Analysed 1,300 Data From 6 S’pore Telcos. Here’s What We Found About The Best Mobile Plans Of 2020.”

  1. Enjoyed your article! There may be a segment of consumers who are in large MNCs and enjoying corporate plans. For example, the highest I have seen is a 45% off a regular 24-month contract which also throws in frills like free caller ID (in my opinion a significant factor not considered in many review articles). This brings the cost down close to sim-only plans, PLUS a hugely subsidized phone. I recall at iphone launch crazes, people renew their contract to get the phones and sell off the iphones at a premium, enough to offset their 24month plans fully with some leftover to boot.

    Reply
    • Hey! You are right 😀
      However CIS plan prices are not publicly released. I’ve requested for plans, but haven’t managed to get any response.

      If you have friends who are willing to share 2018 CIS plans, it’d make a great comparison

      Reply

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