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Apple iPhone 5S and 5C Telco Price Plans Comparison

By Sidney Wong - 19 Sep 2013

Apple iPhone 5S Price Plans Comparison

Apple iPhone 5S and 5C Prices in Singapore

On 20 September, Apple's iPhone 5S and 5C will be made available in Singapore. To find out what's new in the two iPhones, do check out our article on "All You Need to Know about the Apple iPhone 5S and 5C". For starters, we'll be comparing the prices and telco price plans for the iPhone 5S, while the following page covers the iPhone 5C.

iPhone 5S 16GB 32GB 64GB
Recommended Retail Price $988 $1,148 $1,288

 

*Update on 21 September

You can check the stock availability at the three telcos at the following links below:

 

iPhone 5S Prices with 2-year Contract

 

Basic Plans Comparison 

Data Plan M1 SingTel StarHub
Name Value+ Lite SmartSurf Lite
iPhone Prices 16GB - $515
32GB - $665
64GB - $820
16GB - $538
32GB - $668
64GB - $818
16GB - $532
32GB - $677
64GB - $816
Monthly Subscription $39 $39.90 $38
Local Outgoing Mins 120 100 100
Local SMS 600 800 800
Local Data Bundle 2GB 2GB 2GB
Total Cost Over Two Years

16GB - $1451
32GB - $1601
64GB - $1756

16GB -  $1495.60
32GB - $1625.60
64GB - $1775.60

16GB - $1444
32GB - $1589
64GB - $1728

 

Mid-tier Plans Comparison 

Data Plan M1 SingTel StarHub
Name Lite+ Value SmartSurf Value
iPhone Prices 16GB - $265
32GB - $365
64GB - $525
16GB - $278
32GB - $368
64GB - $528
16GB - $281
32GB - $392
 64GB - $546
Monthly Subscription $59 $59.90 $58
Local Outgoing Mins 300 200 300
Local SMS 800 900 900
Local Data Bundle 3GB 3GB 4GB
Total Cost Over Two Years

16GB - $1681
32GB - $1781
64GB - $1941

16GB - $1715.60
32GB - $1805.60
64GB - $1965.60

16GB - $1673
32GB - $1784
64GB - $1938

 

High-tier Plans Comparison 

Data Plan M1 SingTel StarHub
Name Extreme+ Plus SmartSurf Premium
iPhone Prices

16GB - $45
32GB - $125
64GB - $260

16GB - $48
32GB - $128
64GB - $278
16GB - $59
32GB - $142
64GB - $276
Monthly Subscription $98 $99.90 $98
Local Outgoing Mins 700 500 700
Local SMS 1,000 1,000 1000
Local Data Bundle 5GB 4GB 6GB
Total Cost Over Two Years

16GB - $2397
32GB - $2477
64GB - $2612

16GB - $2445.60
32GB - $2525.60
64GB - $2675.60

16GB - $2411
32GB - $2494
64GB - $2628

 

Premium Plans Comparison 

Data Plan  M1 SingTel StarHub
Name Max+ Prestige SmartSurf Elite
iPhone Prices

16GB - $0
32GB - $45
64GB - $105

16GB - $0
32GB - $0
64GB - $0
16GB - $0
32GB - $0
64GB - $78
Monthly Subscription $198 $239.90 $205
Local Outgoing Mins Unlimited Unlimited 2000
Local SMS 2000 Unlimited 2500
Local Data Bundle 12GB 12GB 12GB
Total Cost Over Two Years

16GB - $4752
32GB - $4797
64GB - $4857

16GB - $5757.60
32GB - $5757.60
64GB - $5757.60

16GB - $4920
32GB - $4920
64GB - $4998

 

Quick Analysis

For consumers who are using or eyeing the basic-tier or mid-tier plans and want to get the iPhone 5S (16, 32 and 64GB), StarHub offers the best deals over a two-year period. M1 might seem like a better buy for the 32GB iPhone 5S on the mid-tier plan, but there's more value to be had on StarHub like an extra 1GB of data bundle every month for just $3 more for the whole two years!

For consumers who are using or eyeing the high and premium-tier plans, and want to get the iPhone 5S (16, 32 and 64GB), M1 offers the best deals across the board as it offers the most affordable premium plan at $198/month. Of course, with the kind of investment made over the two-year period, it's clearly better to purchase the 64GB iPhone 5S to get the most out of your money's worth.

On a side note, looking back at older iPhone prices and now, the overall cost of ownership has hardly differed, but the amount of data bundle you now have is far less than in the past when everyone enjoyed at least 12GB of data (the good old days). On the upside, everyone has ready access to LTE network for most areas in Singapore.

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