Want to buy the latest Galaxy Note 5 or S6 edge+ but not sure which telco plan is the right one for you? We’ve compared the current postpaid contract offers in Malaysia, to assist you with your purchase decision. Outright, the Galaxy Note5 is priced at RM2,699 and the S6 edge+ is at RM3,099, inclusive of 6% GST.
Buying one without a contract is probably the most convenient way to go but you could save some money with telco subsidies. At the moment, our 4 main telcos – Celcom, Digi, Maxis and U Mobile have started their contract bundle plans for the Galaxy Note 5, while the S6 edge+ is offered by everyone except U Mobile for now. Across the board, they are pretty much tied with 24 months duration with exception for Digi where it has a shorter 12 months option.
As always, we recommend picking a plan based on your usage. So it is best to find out roughly how much data, calls and SMS you’ll need to avoid paying more than what you need. To calculate the cost of ownership of each plan, we add up the bundle price of the device together with the minimum subscription amount that you need to pay throughout the contract period. Below is the comparison chart which you can click for a larger view.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Telco Plans
Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ Telco Plans
Celcom
On Celcom, there’s just 2 choices. A FIRST Basic Plan at RM85/month that optimises between 5GB of data, 100 minutes of calls and 100 SMS or 2GB of data, 700 minutes of calls and 700 SMS. The next option of FIRST Elite comes with 2 SIM cards – one with up to 5GB of data, unlimited free calls/SMS and the 2nd SIM which gives you 3GB of data, 200 minutes of calls and 200 SMS. The amount of data and calls have been revised slightly with more data and calls than before.
Digi
Digi offers the widest choice from as little as RM78/month up to RM238/month on its SmartPlan. To cater for different type of customers, each SmartPlan has an option of having more Voice or more Data. As part of their current promo, all plans from SmartPlan 78 and above will get additional 1GB of data for 6 months (not included in the comparison table above). For Digi, they still charge advance payment but it can be waived if you pay by credit card with its 0% interest EPP offer. All plans come with 24 months contract with exception for SmartPlan 78 that also comes with 12 months duration.
Maxis
In terms of plans, Maxis is offering the Galaxy Note5 and the S6 edge+ through its Zerolution programme which allows you to pay for your phone on a monthly installment without penalties and upfront payments. This however is only offered for its new MaxisONE Plans that come with unlimited calls and SMS starting at RM98/month. The bundled price is the same across all plans and the only difference is the amount of data you need on each month. While unlimited phone calls and SMS is perfect for those making lots of calls, it is quite expensive for those who require more data. It offers the least amount of data per buck compared to its rivals. For the highest MaxisONE Plan 188, they are offering 1GB additional data but it is only for the first 6 months.
For this comparison, we calculated based on the assumption that you will be keeping this device after 24 months. Therefore we are only considering the minimum monthly installment of RM93/month for the Note 5 and RM111/month for the S6 edge+, without the optional RM30/month early upgrade option and RM15/month device protection. If you look at the device price alone, the Galaxy Note 5 / S6 edge+ isn’t getting as much subsidy as the other telcos, but the benefit is that you have the freedom to stop at any time without penalty charges. Just pay the remainder balance of the installments and you’re done.
If you do plan to switch phones, the Zerolution RM30/month early upgrade option lets you do so after 12 months. So if the Galaxy Note 6 is out next year, you can just surrender the Note 5, and pay for the Note 6 installments for the next 12 months. Do note that you would need to return your old device in good condition, so it is recommended that you take up the RM15/month device protection offer.
U Mobile
For now U Mobile is only offering the Galaxy Note 5 on contract and it is bundled with its Ultimate Device Plan that ranges between RM65/month to RM135/month. This is a more data centric plan with a couple of free calls thrown in.
Despite not having unlimited phone calls, the rates are the lowest across the range at only RM0.10/minute. If only U Mobile offered its new Hero plan as on option, they would definitely unbeatable in value. Similar to Digi, there’s also an advance payment but it can be waived if you pay by credit card with auto debit enabled for future bills.
Conclusion
Considering the long contract period you’re signing up for, you should look beyond the cheaper device price tag. Cost comparison is just half the picture and there are also other areas to look at such as the network quality and customer service. Most telco contracts do charge early termination fees so it is best to stick to a telco that would satisfy your needs for the next 2 years without worry. If you spot any errors, feel free to highlight them in the comments below.
To learn more about the Galaxy Note5 and S6 edge+, you can check out our recent posts:
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