Compared: Samsung Galaxy S7 edge telco plans in Malaysia

The Galaxy S7 edge is the best flagship smartphone you can buy at the moment with a retail price of RM3,099. If you’re planning to get one on contract, it is also available from the big 4 telcos (Celcom, Digi, Maxis and U Mobile) in Malaysia. So which offers the better deal? And should you also consider getting one with the Maxis Zerolution or Celcom NewPhone program?

We’ve crunched the numbers, so read on for our Galaxy S7 edge price plan comparison.

Galaxy S7 edge Contract Plans

Across the board, all telcos are offering 24-month contracts for the Galaxy S7 edge. The only exception is Celcom, with a shorter 12-month option for its higher FIRST Gold plan. With the ongoing postpaid price war, Celcom is the most competitive of the lot. Celcom’s FIRST Blue postpaid comes with 4GB of data at RM45/month, while the FIRST Gold plan packs 10GB for only RM80/month.

For Digi, they are offering the Galaxy S7 edge with their new Postpaid plans that come in either More Internet or More Voice and SMS. The new plan offers RM20 off for those who sign up with their Postpaid 98, 148 and 238 (More Talk and SMS) plans before 30th June 2016. However, this offer isn’t applicable with the Galaxy S7 edge bundle. Fortunately, they are still giving extra 2GB data quota for its More Internet option.

During registration, Digi also requires you to pay 1-month advance subscription on top of the device upfront payment. Alternatively, you can sign up for a 0% EPP via credit card to pay no cash upfront during registration.

Maxis is still the most expensive option for postpaid contract. The entry level MaxisONE Plan 98 offers unlimited calls and SMS but it comes with just 1GB of data. It simply pales in comparison to Digi and Celcom that offers 10X more data for less. On the highest MaxisONE Plan 188, they are giving 1GB extra data for the first 6 months.

U Mobile did stir up the competition with its Hero Postpaid plan. Unfortunately, you can only get the Galaxy S7 edge with their Ultimate Device Plan. The plan isn’t as value-for-money compared to Hero Postpaid but you do get a decent device subsidy as the S7 edge is being offered from as low as RM1,799. The upfront payment can be waived if you pay for the device via credit card and opt in for their auto debit billing service.

Instead of getting the Galaxy S7 on Ultimate Device Plan 135, we think it is more worth it to buy the Galaxy S7 edge outright and sign on with their P70 Hero Plan. This comes out to RM4,779 (before GST) for a 24-month subscription (RM1,680) and the device (RM3,099).

Maxis Zerolution or Celcom NewPhone?

Are you the type that loves to switch phones every year? You might want to consider Maxis’ Zerolution or Celcom’s NewPhone. Both lets you own the device with monthly instalments and the option to swap to a newer phone every 12 months.

Without Device Protection

With Device Protection

For the phone swap to work, you are required to return your existing device in pristine condition. So to avoid any possible penalties, the device protection program not only gives you a better peace of mind, but also ensures a seamless upgrade when the time comes.

For Maxis, Zerolution lets you pick up a device with no upfront payment plus you have the freedom to opt out from the Zerolution upgrade. For example, if you do plan to keep the device, you can choose not to pay RM30/month for the Zerolution upgrade fee. On the downside, Zerolution is only available on its MaxisONE Plans which is quite costly.

On Celcom’s NewPhone program, you have the flexibility to go with any Celcom postpaid plan of your choice including its affordable FIRST Blue postpaid plan. Unlike Maxis, you’re required to pay an upfront payment according to the plan (e.g. FIRST Blue – RM150, FIRST Gold – RM80). A downside to NewPhone is that they lump the monthly instalment and the “upgrade” fee together. So if you plan to keep your phone, there’s no option to opt out from the upgrade and you have to pay the same monthly instalment across 24 months. Another advantage for Celcom NewPhone is that you can switch phones earlier but there’s an Express NewPhone fee that can go as high as RM1,000.

For the comparison above, we compare based on the assumption that you would make an upgrade after 12 months. Note that for the second year, it all depends on whether you will keep the same phone or switch to a newer device. If you do change to another smartphone, the instalment amount would be different.

Which one’s for you?

Before signing up, we recommend picking a plan that would fulfil your needs. You can study your current bill and data usage to get a better idea of how much you really need each month.

Other factors to consider is the network coverage and quality in your area. Not all networks are built the same and the experience may vary depending on location. If you’re happy with your current provider, it might be a better idea to stick with them.

As usual, if you spot any errors in the tables above, please do let us know in the comments below.

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