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reHASHplus

Sober IT truths from the island-state

by Michael Tan, Singapore


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SingTel's iPhone 3G iFlexi plans sux!

Aug 20, 2008 12:35

You can actually ignore my blogpost and read the excellent analysis here. Too lazy to read? Here's my summary:

All right, here are the plans:


Monthly fee
(incl GST)		 Bundled data
(3.6 Mbps)		 Bundled mins (outgoing) Bundled SMS iPhone 3G 8GB iPhone 3G 16GB
iFlexi Value S$56 1GB† 200 mins 500 SMS S$348 S$508
iFlexi Plus S$95 2GB† 500 mins 500 SMS S$49 S$208
iFlexi Premium S$205 3GB† 1,500 mins 500 SMS S$0 S$0

To get the iPhone 3G cheap, you gotta get these plans. You still can get your iPhone 3G to ride on other plans, but the pricing is steep:

8GB--S$568
16GB--S$728

Notice the most sucky thing about these iFlexi plans? Yeah, Stone Age data limits. Data is the most important thing on the iPhone 3G unless one's buying it for poseur reasons. And if one is going to use the iPhone 3G like what I plan for it, I'm gonna get charged a few thousand bucks for overuse--half a cent per 2 kilobytes. Terrorizing charges, those, if you have such a low limit, and five times more than mobile broadband plans.

So the only people who can get an iPhone 3G with SingTel's iFlexi plans and still not get bankrupt are the people who'll get an iPhone 3G just to talk on it and show it off and to SMS, and those who're buying an iPhone 3G not to use it as an iPhone but as any S$50 phone, 'cept that you can't show off that S$50 phone.

Oh crap, I think I'll wait for the HTC G1 Android Phone and switch to StarHub, the only telco with a decent broadband mobile plan. It'll be more fun with all those firmware updates everyday. 



22 comments   |   Share


 

    Talkback
justanalvin says...
i agreed. The plan sux. AND IT SUX BADLY! But for now, there aren't any choice if we were to get a iphone locally, hopefully the iphone scene will changed after Starhub and M1 sell iphone too...

Aug 20, 2008 13:11
 
 
michaeltan says...
c'mon you have a phone now. Don't get the BS deal man.

Aug 20, 2008 15:17
 
 
yeoweelee says...
Sux is sux... but you think anyone company will let this golden opportunity slip past ?... its the best time to nail in those rich burgers ! who happened to be also tech-savvy or just want to show off the iPhone in their hands...

BUT ah, for those who think that way, then I think they need a sticker !

Yeah, a sticker to say "I m using 3G iphone NOT the old one" ! cos the 2 will look quite similar !!!!!!!

Aug 20, 2008 15:33
 
 
michaeltan says...
ahhh... you also think this is poseurfest huh?

Aug 20, 2008 16:08
 
 
ferdiei says...
well, there'll always be a different person on the other side of the fence. hence, people have various needs, desirabilities & comfort zone. you people are just dragging other whiners together with you. peace!

Aug 20, 2008 21:59
 
 
multan says...
Well, Singtel is definitely capitalising on being the first in Singapore to launch the Iphone...

Hence all the foolish marketing pattern comes out without much thinking and consideration that many customers can just wait till end of the year to get the phone from either M1 and Starhub...

Except for those die hard apple fans who couldnt wait to get their hands on one...
And let this expensive half bitten apple rule over their brains!!!

We have waited so long for the Iphone to reach Singapore, what is another 2 months or so.. Maybe M1 and Starhub may make their release earlier than the scheduled date to give Singtel a good run for their money...

michaeltan, I will just wait for HTC Raphael or Android if the release date of Android is confirmed to be during Xmas time...

Hohohohoho... Hope Santa will bring Android along...

Aug 20, 2008 22:50
 
 
michaeltan says...
ferdiei - wow your sentence: `you people are just dragging other whiners together with you.' then `peace!' reminds me of a kid slapping another and then put up his hands in surrender.

multan - HTC Dream (the first Android phone) rumoured Oct 13 preorder in USA, dunno about here. HEY HTC HOW ABOUT A BETA TEST HERE HUH????

Aug 21, 2008 11:22
 
 
michaeltan says...
thought about it, if Singtel didn't slap our faces with iFlexi I think I would have gone for their old plans. Damnit Singtel, why did you have to do a stunt like the iFlexi?

Aug 21, 2008 11:28
 
 
justanalvin says...
The flexi's pricing are actually reasonable except for the miserable 1 ~ 3GB bundled data which made the iFlexi plan really sux, it will be a good plan if the bundled data is changed to " unlimited usage"~~ :(

Aug 21, 2008 14:25
 
 
multan says...
michaeltan - I thought Android is going to be delayed till early next yearas Google and HTC is trying to iron things out?

Guess I will settle for Raphael for now when it's launched in Sept or Oct...

Aug 21, 2008 14:53
 
 
legendsrock says...
hold it............whether u like it or not, i'm gettin the DAMN iphone from, AND ONLY FROM Singtel, not StarHub, not M1 cos its bloody DAMN expensive! PERIOD!!!

Aug 21, 2008 15:39
 
 
michaeltan says...
justanalvin - if it's unlimited I BITE IMMEDIATELY AND KISS SINGTEL'S BUTT!

multan - lotsa rumours, dunno what's the truth. My M600 can hold out for a little longer.

legendsrock - you might wanna buy the Optus one, unlocked. Search - Cnet has an article on where to buy.

Aug 21, 2008 16:07
 
 
justanalvin says...
ya.. if its unlimited, i'll bite it hard too, but its never gonna to happen, at least for now and for singtel.. :(

Aug 21, 2008 19:01
      Report offensive
 
 
legendsrock says...
micheltan - sux or not i'm still gettin' one, with an 8GB at S$568 - its still decent-------unlimited usage?????maybe 3 mths down, who knows............i'm gettin one anyway.

Aug 22, 2008 08:14
 
 
yeoweelee says...
Oh btw, i heard one major issue with iPhone is that you CANNOT FORWARD SMS ! is this true ? if yes, then they better have the COPY and PASTE function, else it will be a PAIN...

Aug 23, 2008 08:51
 
 
justanalvin says...
yeoweelee, its true. You can't forward sms, you can't copy & paste as well.

Aug 23, 2008 12:56
      Report offensive
 
 
yeoweelee says...
ah... if like that, that is quite a handicap isn't it ? how can such a simple and BASIC feature isn't there. COPY and PASTE not there is still ok, but cannot forward SMS... ... hard to accept leh...

and haha, i think the telco is offering limited data quota becos they know the battery won't last, so no one will ever surf too much ! and come to think about it... if they know this limitation, the telco should just openly give unlimited !!!

Aug 23, 2008 14:11
 
 
legendsrock says...
.........unlimited???????...........if its unlimited i also BITE IMMDTLY N KISS SINGTEL'S BUTT TOO! .........come think of it, iphone's 3G limitation is obvious..................hmmmmm.........well, u can safely say its good n also "NOT SO GOOD"....................

Aug 24, 2008 09:50
 
 
justanalvin says...
Sometime i been thinking since iphone had so much shortcomings than pro like: Can't copy / paste, no front camera for video call, no MMS, can only set 30sec of mp3 as ringtone, cracked back case, LCD light leakage, poor 3G reception(some countries). But hey, why do apple still able to sell millions of them in such a shortime?

Well, IMO, those bucks that apple threw into design and marketing works really well.

Aug 24, 2008 12:52
 
 
mach10 says...
Government should react on this! This is one way of monopolizing the market. Why not let other companies sell this phone. In this way there will be competition.. Then comes lowering of prices! And then consumer will be benefited. That's it!

Sep 24, 2008 21:43
 
 
legendsrock says...
Catch the latest "T-Mobile" by "Google". At US$179, it's arguably the best so far!

Sep 25, 2008 07:20
 
 
ninjaboy says...
In most cases it's the image, peer pressure, trends,etc that's at work here. Singtel knows that many people in SG are very particular about or affected by those things..hence they know whatever plans they throw out, it'll just work. Most won't even care about the plans, but as long as they have that iPhone in hand, they'll be in cloud 9. iPhone and iPod touch, are some of the examples of "objects of desire" of our time.

On the other hand, those who really need a phone for work, or to be able to perform whatever.. would've already known what to get and which plan to go for.

Mar 09, 2009 00:38
 
 
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About Michael Tan

Michael Tan is lucky enough not to have to choose between his job and his passion. He is the responsible for all aspects of developing new businesses and sourcing new productlines for a regional IT distribution company. He also oversees the company's legal affairs as General Counsel. In real life, he is a technology enthusiast, from both the fun and business viewpoint. The only choices he has to make are whether to play with his astro telescopes, his PC games, his Wii console, hit the track, tweak his car, or refine his biofilters, post his blogs, research for a new digicam, scour every forum to feed his habit further, play with his son… You can reach Michael at michaeltanyk@gmail.com ALL BLOGPOSTS ONLY REFLECT MICHAEL'S OPINIONS AND NOBODY ELSES'.

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