What are the benefits of a Postpaid plan over a Prepaid plan? | Ask Us Anything #42

Welcome back to another episode of Ask Us Anything, where we gather your questions from the internet and answer them.

In today’s episode, we find out if you need an Apple pencil if you’re not drawing on an iPad, the benefits of postpaid over prepaid, and whether a 3Mbps download speed is fast enough for a mobile plan.

Apple Pencil vs Logitech Crayon: Which is better for writing?

Well, if you’re just going to jot down notes and maybe annotate documents, the Logitech Crayon can provide a similar writing experience compared to the Apple Pencil 2^nd Generation for a lower price.

Moreover, with the Logitech Crayon, there is no pairing process. Just turn on the stylus and write away. At the time of filming, the Logitech Crayon with USB C charging is listed for RM369 while the Apple Pencil 2^nd Generation is going for RM599.

However, this Logitech Crayon is currently out of stock. Therefore, the alternative would be the older Logitech Crayon that charges via a Lightning port which is priced lower at RM329. Both models provide similar functionality from what I can tell, besides the different charging methods.

You should note that the Apple Pencil 2^nd Generation works with iPad mini (6th generation), iPad Air (4th generation and later), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later), and iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later). It doesn’t work with any of the base iPad models yet.

The base iPad, 6th generation and later, still relies on the Apple Pencil 1st Generation which goes for RM479. That is still more than both Logitech Crayon models. If you’re using a base iPad, I would recommend you get the Logitech Crayon as you don’t get any meaningful features by going with the Apple Pencil 1st Generation for your needs.

But if you’re using an iPad that supports the Apple Pencil 2nd Generation, then you should take into consideration that you can charge Apple’s stylus wirelessly on the iPad and it attaches magnetically to the frame. So, if those conveniences are worth the extra asking price of the Apple Pencil 2nd Generation, then go right ahead and get it instead.

Why is Postpaid still around?

Today, you can get a lot of features on a prepaid plan that was previously only reserved for a postpaid plan. But here are three features that are still exclusive to postpaid plans.

Firstly, you can only bundle a smartphone with a postpaid plan, of course on a contract. That way, you can get the phone without paying the full price upfront. For device contracts, you either pay the subsidised device price upfront or pay it via monthly instalments together with your monthly bills.

Secondly, you get to subscribe to a family plan or add a supplementary line, which usually costs less compared to subscribing to another principal line.

Finally, bundled services only include postpaid plans. For example, Maxis Family Plan for 4 gives you 4 mobile lines with unlimited data, calls and SMS along with 30mbps home fibre broadband for RM299 a month.

Now, the benefits of a postpaid plan over a prepaid plan will depend on the telco. So be sure to check with your preferred telco and compare the prices and offerings to see which plan provides the most value for you.

Is 3Mbps sufficient?

Well, Alex says 3Mbps is sufficient for most mobile users for web surfing, social, and video streaming.

For context, YouTube recommends 2.5Mbps to stream 720p HD videos. If you want to stream in Full HD 1080p, it requires a minimum of 5Mbps.

Netflix recommends 3Mbps for its basic plan which streams in 720p HD while 5mbps is required to stream 1080p Full HD on its standard plan.

You can easily find the recommended internet speed of whatever service you’re planning to use with a simple Google search, so be sure to do your research before landing on a mobile plan. Hotlink for example lists the internet speed of its Unlimited Plan which makes it easier for you to choose without digging too much for that information.

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