4G LTE Phone Contract Price Comparison
Contract Price Comparison
4G LTE Smartphones with 2-year Contract Comparison
Early this year, we predicted 4G smartphones are probably going to be pick up pace by the year-end. Looking at the interest rate of the current crop of premium devices (as witnessed here and here for example), which also happen to sport LTE network support, it looks like we were right on the dot. Without a doubt, 4G smartphone uptake is going to rise greatly as more of such devices come to the market. If you're not quite certain about the current hype about 4G, LTE and what does it entail, do check out HardwareZone's Tech Guide to 4G/LTE.
At this juncture, we've just about enough 4G smartphones available in the market to round them up and present you a good overview of the current contract prices across the three telcos for your easy reference.
1. Do note that the contract pricing is based on this week's promo which is valid from 20th to 26th October 2012. Prices may change thereafter.
2. Other miscellaneous costs such as early re-contract fees, SIM card charges and registration fees are not included in this table.
Before we dive into the details, let's take a look at recommended retail prices and specs of these premium 4G phones:-
Device |
Apple iPhone 5 (16GB) |
Samsung Galaxy Note II (16GB) |
Samsung Galaxy S III LTE (16GB) |
HTC One XL |
LG Optimus True HD LTE |
Samsung Galaxy Note LTE (16GB) |
OS | Apple iOS 6 | Android 4.1 | Android 4.1 | Android 4.0 | Android 2.3 | Android 4.0.4 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Processor | A6 dual-core 1GHz | Exynos 4212 quad-core 1.6GHz | Exynos 4212 quad-core 1.4GHz | Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon S4 dual-core 1.5GHz | Qualcomm APQ8060 Snapdragon dual-core 1.5GHz Scorpion |
Dual-core 1.4GHz |
RAM | 1GB | 2GB | 2GB | 1GB | 1GB | 1GB |
Storage | 16GB built-in (no memory card slot) 5GB free iCloud storage |
16GB built-in (microSD support up to 64GB) 50GB free Dropbox storage for two years |
16 built-in (microSD support up to 64GB) 50GB free Dropbox storage for two years (inclusive of 2GB when you sign up) |
32GB built-in (no memory card slot) 25GB free Dropbox storage for two years (inclusive of 2GB when you sign up) |
4GB built-in (microSD support up to 32GB) |
16GB built-in (microSD support up to 32GB) |
Display | 4-inch IPS TFT | 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED | 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED | 4.7-inch Super LCD 2 | 4.5-inch True HD IPS | 5.3-inch Super AMOLED |
Resolution | 1136 x 640 pixels / 326ppi | 1280 x 720 pixels / 267ppi | 1280 x 720 pixels / 306ppi | 1280 x 720 pixels / 312ppi | 1280 x 720 pixels / 326ppi | 1280 x 800 pixels / 285ppi |
Camera | 8-megapixel rear FaceTime HD camera front-facing |
8-megapixel rear 1.9-megapixel front-facing |
8-megapixel rear 1.9-megapixel front-facing |
8-megapixel rear 1.3-megapixel front-facing |
8-megapixel rear 1.3-megapixel front facing |
8-megapixel rear 2 -megapixel (front-facing) |
Battery | 1,440mAh (non-removable) | 3,100mAh (removable) | 2,100mAh (removable) | 1800mAh (non-removable) |
1830mAh (removable) |
2,500mAh (removable) |
Dimensions | 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6mm | 151 x 81 x 9.4mm | 136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6mm | 134.86 x 69.9 x 8.9mm | 133.9 x 67.9 x 10.18mm | 146.85 x 82.95 x 9.65mm |
Weight | 112g | 180g | 133g | 130g | 136g | 178g |
Recommended Retail Price | $948 | $998 | $998 | $998 | $898 | N.A |
Actual Store Pricing | Check Here | Check Here | Check Here | Check Here | Check here | N.A |
Telco Basic Plans Comparison
Data Plan | M1 | SingTel | StarHub |
---|---|---|---|
Name | iPhone Value+ / ValueSurf+ | Flexi Lite | SmartSurf iPhone Lite / Smartsurf Lite |
Monthly Subscription | $36 / $39 | $39.90 | $38 |
Local Outgoing Mins | 100 / 120 | 100 | 100 |
Local SMS | 600 | 800 | 800 |
Local Data Bundle | 2GB | 2GB | 2GB |
Phone Contract Prices | |||
iPhone 5 (16GB) | $430 | $478 | $473 |
Samsung Galaxy Note II | $568 | $568 | $568 |
Samsung Galaxy S III (LTE) | $498 | $468 | $498 |
HTC One XL | $468 | $318 | $318 |
LG Optimus True HD LTE | $198 | $98 | N.A |
Samsung Galaxy Note (LTE) | $348 | $348 | $368 |
Telco Mid-Tier Plans Comparison
Data Plan | M1 | SingTel | StarHub |
---|---|---|---|
Name | iPhone Lite+ / LiteSurf+ | Flexi Value | SmartSurf iPhone Value / SmartSurf Value |
Monthly Subscription | $56 / $59 | $59.90 | $58 |
Local Outgoing Mins | 300 | 200 | 300 |
Local SMS | 800 | 900 | 900 |
Local Data Bundle | 3GB | 3GB | 4GB |
Phone Contract Prices | |||
iPhone 5 Price | $190 | $198 | $233 |
Samsung Galaxy Note II | $398 | $288 | $298 |
Samsung Galaxy S III (LTE) | $268 | $198 | $238 |
HTC One XL | $268 | $98 | $98 |
LG Optimus True HD LTE | $48 | $0 | N.A |
Samsung Galaxy Note (LTE) | $148 | $148 | $148 |
Telco High-Tier Plans Comparison
Data Plan | M1 | SingTel | StarHub |
---|---|---|---|
Name | iPhone Extreme+ / ExtremeSurf+ | Flexi Plus | SmartSurf iPhone Premium / SmartSurf Premium |
Monthly Subscription | $98 | $99.90 | $98 |
Local Outgoing Mins | 700 | 500 | 700 |
Local SMS | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 |
Local Data Bundle | 5GB | 4GB | 6GB |
Phone Contract Prices | |||
iPhone 5 (16GB) | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Samsung Galaxy Note II (16GB) | $298 | $98 | $98 |
Samsung Galaxy S III LTE (16GB) | $198 | $0 | $38 |
HTC One XL (32GB) | $168 | $0 | $0 |
LG Optimus True HD LTE | $0 | $0 | N.A |
Samsung Galaxy Note LTE (16GB) | $0 | $0 | $38 |
Telco Premium Plans Comparison
Data Plan | M1 | SingTel | StarHub |
---|---|---|---|
Name | iPhone Max+ / MaxSurf+ | Flexi Premium | SmartSurf iPhone Elite |
Monthly Subscription | $198 | $205 | $205 |
Local Outgoing Mins | Unlimited | 2,000 | 2,000 |
Local SMS | 2,000 | 2,500 | 2,500 |
Local Data Bundle | 12GB | 12GB | 12GB |
Phone Contract Prices | |||
iPhone 5 (16GB) | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Samsung Galaxy Note II (16GB) | $298 | $0 | $98 |
Samsung Galaxy S III LTE (16GB) | $198 | $0 | $38 |
HTC One XL (32GB) | $168 | $0 | $0 |
LG Optimus True HD LTE | $0 | $0 | N.A |
Samsung Galaxy Note LTE (16GB) | $0 | $0 | $38 |
Price Comparison Analysis
If you are considering the Apple iPhone 5, M1 offers the best deals across the board. The detailed analysis can be found here.
For those who want the Samsung Galaxy S III LTE, StarHub consistently delivers the lowest total costs over a two-year period on its basic, mid and high-tier plans. However, SingTel takes the lead in the premium plan category with a slightly lower total costs incurred over two years. If you tend to consume more than 2,000 minutes of local talk time, M1's MaxSurf+ may be a better choice with its unlimited local talk time.
Basic | Mid-Tier | High-Tier | Premium | |
---|---|---|---|---|
M1 | $1,434 | $1,684 | $2,550 | $4,950 |
SingTel | $1,425.60 | $1,635.60 | $2,397.60 | $4,920 |
StarHub | $1,410 | $1,630 | $2,390 | $4,958 |
Consumers who want to give the Galaxy Note (LTE) a try, StarHub gives you a better deal at the basic and mid-tier plans while M1 takes the top spot in the high-tier and premium plans.
Basic | Mid-Tier | High-Tier | Premium | |
---|---|---|---|---|
M1 | $1,284 | $1,564 | $2,352 | $4,752 |
SingTel | $1,305.60 | $1,585.60 | $2,397.60 | $4,920 |
StarHub | $1,280 | $1,540 | $2,390 | $4,958 |
Consumers who prefer the HTC One XL, they should choose StarHub if they plan to sign up for basic, mid and high-tier plans. The cost saving factor no longer exists in the premium plan category where the total cost of ownership over two years is uniform across the three telcos.
Basic | Mid-Tier | High-Tier | Premium | |
---|---|---|---|---|
M1 | $1,404 | $1,684 | $2,520 | $4,920 |
SingTel | $1,275.60 | $1,535.60 | $2,397.60 | $4,920 |
StarHub | $1,230 | $1,490 | $2,352 | $4,920 |
Consumers who want to buy the LG Optimus True HD LTE, SingTel offers better deals for its basic and mid-tier plans, whereas high-tier and premium plans, the total cost of ownership will be lower for M1 (factoring in the unlimited local talk time of M1's MaxSurf+). However once you stretch into the high-tier and premium plans, the total cost associated to own the LG Optimus True HD LTE doesn't really make it a good choice as opposed to considering one of the other phones in this comparison.
Basic | Mid-Tier | High-Tier | Premium | |
---|---|---|---|---|
M1 | $1,134 | $1,464 | $2,352 | $4,920 |
SingTel | $1,055.60 | $1,437.60 | $2,397.60 | $4,920 |
StarHub | N.A | N.A | N.A | N.A |
For more information on the different phones, hit the links below to the respective reviews and articles: