Checking out Maxis iPhone deal, I can’t help but felt turn off.  Instead of Maxis bundling the phone price into the rates and long term commitment, they pass the iphone cost to the consumer and they charge you a bom for your usage.  Lets look into the details.  All prices are in reference to 16Gb model.

Maxis iValue Plans

Commitment of RM100 a month for a year, and pay RM2290 for the phone. Or Pay RM375 a month for a year and pay RM1470.  Then, if you decide not to take the iValue plan, you can just take the 6 months commitment with a minimum of Value Plus 80 and take the phone home for RM2960.  If you break this 6 months commitment, you are only penalized RM100.  This means, the phone only cost RM3060.  And for RM100, you need to be tied to a minimum of Value Plus 80 for 6 months. 

Working along the same line, lets look back to the iValue Plans.  With a 12 month contract and monthly commitment of RM100, you pay RM2290 for the phone.  Which means maxis subsidize RM770 for this plan.  For this mere RM770 Maxis investment, they get to charge you RM0.30 per minute (to all network) and if you exceed 333 minutes, they will charge you RM0.15 per minute.  An existing Value Plus 50 only charge you RM0.10 on same network and RM0.18 to other network.  They get to make 60% more from your call charges.  Isn’t this a great deal for Maxis, and a horrible deal for the consumer. 

Now lets look at our neighbors Singapore and Thailand.  In Singapore, one can take the phone home for SGD 508 from Singtel with a monthly commitment of SBD56/Month.  With an exchange rate of 2.4 (conservative), that works out to be RM1219 to take the phone home and monthly commitment of RM134.  And if you take the premium, which is the most expensive package of SGD205/month, the phone is free.  This works out to be RM492 and the phone is free.  In Malaysia, you take the most expensive package of RM375/month and you still need to pay RM1470 for the phone for a one year contract and RM250 for a two years contract.

*Pst!, I heard can get unlock iphone in singapore for SGD1000, that’s RM2400.  Jailbreak ofcourse.  

In Thailand, you can take the phone home for 28,500 Baht without commitment, that’s about RM2925 (with today’s exchange rate from Google).   You can take the phone home for 27,075 Baht with 599 Baht monthly commitment for a year or 1,599Baht (RM164) for 24months and you can get the phone home for free. 

In Malaysia, one can take home a free iPhone, but with RM 375 commitment for two years and only the 8Gb model.  In Thailand a 2 year contract with commitment of RM164, you can get a 16Gb home and in Singapore with RM492 2 year contract. 

Thailand has the best deal in terms of iPhone cost, but the call charges may differ. 

This is why I am not jumping to get iPhone from Maxis just yet.  I am currently on Value Plus 50, and for me to get the phone, I need to change to iValue RM100 to take the phone home for RM2290.  RM50 more a month, and in a years time, that is RM600, so the phone to me is RM2890 (without the premium call charges with iValue plans, note the call charges is RM0.30/minute for first 333minutes to all network vs Value Plus 50 RM0.10/minute to Maxis and RM0.18/minute to other networks).  Or, I upgrade to Value Plus 80 for 6 months and get the phone for RM2960.  Which means I pay RM30 more every month for 6 months and that total up to RM3140 (RM2960 + RM180). 

Apple is rumor to announce new models in June/July this year.  A 32Gb maybe? And maybe this time, iPhone with MMS, one of the most basic phone feature this expensive brick does not have. 

*Prices are true during time of posting.

On this day..

• I am Harboring a Fugitive - 2009
• What is the issue with DAP and PAS? - 2008