Singaporeans will soon see the existing 2G networks in the country shut down on 1 April 2017. The move was announced by a joint statement from all three of the country’s telcos – SingTel, M1, and StarHub.

All 2G voice, messaging, and data services will cease in Singapore from the appointed date, leaving only 3G and 4G networks operating in the country. The telcos believe that this change will affect only miniscule amount of users who are still using 2G-only phones. However, there will be increased awareness campaigns run as the date of the shut down nears to remind the public that dumbphones will no longer function.

This is not exactly a surprising move as SingTel had already announced plans to shut down its 2G network last year. Most Singaporeans now rely on smartphones, and leave the 2G networks under-utilised. While the aim of the exercise is to reduce costs, it also means that Singaporean telcos will soon have extra bandwidth for their remaining networks.

[Source: Channel News Asia]

Digi recently added the Oppo R1x and Xiaomi Mi 4i into its postpaid bundles, offering both devices from as low as RM349 and RM0 respectively. They are also eligible for the zero upfront payment and 0% easy payment plan that is available for 12 or 24 months.

Digi is offering the Oppo R1x and Xiaomi Mi 4i with a 12 or 24 months contract under High Voice/High Data SmartPlan 78, SmartPlan 108 or SmartPlan 148.

An upfront payment is required for all the bundles, but if you do not wish to pay extra when you sign up for the plans, you can opt for 0% EPP available in 12 or 24 months. Get the Oppo R1x from RM95.75 a month or the Xiaomi Mi 4i from RM57.42 a month.

Easy Payment Plan is available with several different banks namely Citibank, Public Bank, Maybank, RHB Bank, HSBC, and CIMB. Check out Digi EPP page for more information about its instalment payment, which is also available with other smartphone bundles such as Samsung Galaxy S6, Asus Zenfone 2 and more.

Check out our previous posts to find out more about the Oppo R1x and Xiaomi Mi 4i, or visit Digi now for more information about its Oppo R1x and Xiaomi Mi 4i bundle.

Good news for Tune Talk subscribers, just top up your number with RM30 and the telco will reward you with 1GB of data for free.

The promotion is available immediately and will run until further notice. Just top up RM30 and get 1GB of data absolutely free. This promotion will replace the older RM30 top up promotion that offered an additional RM10 of free airtime credit. The existing top up RM50 and receive RM20 free airtime promotion is still available.

Do note that you will need to top up RM30 in a single denomination, and the 1GB of free data is only valid for the first 7 days in a “Promo Bucket” – a provision of a quoted amount of data. Tune Talk will utilise data from your data plan or Promo Bucket, depending on which one expires first.

Another thing to note is that the free 1GB of data is not stackable, which means that if you top up another RM30 before the expiry date of your previous RM30 Promo Bucket, the new Promo Bucket will overwrite the old one, giving you a fresh 1GB of free data valid for the next 7 days.

Visit Tune Talk now for more information about its top up promotions.

Celcom’s latest postpaid plan – Celcom First Basic 38, is without a doubt one of the most affordable postpaid plans in the market right now, and it looks like Digi has got something even better up their sleeves. The telco is having a new promotion that offers 3GB of data, 100minutes of free calls, 100 free SMS for only RM36 a month.

Valid from 15 June to 15 July 2015, Digi is not only offering a pretty huge discount for its SmartPlan 50 (RM36/month instead of RM50), it is also offering 1GB more data. The telco is also having a promotion for its SmartPlan 78, offering 4GB of data, 200mins, 200SMS for only RM66/month.

Do note that a 12 months contract applies for this promotion, and the price is only valid for one month. From the 13^th month onwards, the monthly fee will revert back to its original price – RM50 or RM78. Digi did not note whether the data will revert back to its original 2GB/3GB data respectively for each plan.

This offer is only available for walk-in sign ups and is available for new and existing customers. It is also worth noting that unlike Celcom, unused data will be forfeited by the end of the monthly billing cycle.

Taken from Digi’s Facebook Page

(Source: Digi Facebook, Mdroid)

With all the data roaming promotions that offer internet usage for a fixed price while travelling overseas, you would think that it’s virtually impossible to get a shocking bill amount at the end of the month right? Well, someone managed to do just that: accumulating a bill of over RM22,000 for using the internet for less than 24 hours while roaming.

A Facebook post by a disgruntled – and obviously shocked – user, recently posted her U Mobile bill showing that she was charged a whopping RM22,278.628 for using only 350MB of data during her short trip in Koh Lipe, Thailand. That works out to about RM63.47 per MB of data used while in the country. The post, which garnered over 2,300 likes before it was deleted a few hours ago, describes that the user was only in Thailand for a day. That being said, crucial details about her experience were not included.

U Mobile offers its users 50MB of data for free when you roam to Thailand with its preferred roaming partner, True. After that, data usage is charged at a maximum of RM30/day. Here’s where it gets a bit confusing: pay-per-use (PPU) charges for a non-preferred partner, AIS, is RM6.33 per MB; at the amount that the user was being charged, it calculates to about RM64 per MB of data. Even if the customer wasn’t roaming with the preferred partner, she should technically have been charged “only” around RM2,215 instead of over RM22,000.

It’s quite sad that even today, bill shocks are still happening. That said, this isn’t entirely the user’s fault. As shown in the bill, she clearly had a credit limit of RM200, and the telco should have barred her line when the charges reached that amount, instead of letting the bill accumulate over 100 times. It also did not contact the user or send any warning messages (that we know of) to let her know that she was being charged at such an exorbitant rate. Instead, what the customer received is what we assume to be an SMS telling her that she has free data to use – hence, indirectly encouraging her to turn on data roaming.

Of course, as a customer, there are ways you can prevent such things from happening. Always check with your telco before you travel on the sort of charges they have for roaming, especially for data usage. Roaming promotions are usually only available with a specific roaming partner, so make sure you manually select that roaming partner when you enable data roaming – otherwise, you will be charged at a ridiculously expensive rate like the user here. Data roaming on most mobile phones are usually turned off by default, so before you turn it on, always check first, and stop your accounts from syncing if you intend to use offers like U Mobile’s 50MB free data roaming.

Maxis is now offering the cheapest variant of the Asus ZenFone 2 (ZE500CL), from as low as RM0 when you sign up for a contract with its postpaid plan.

The telco is offering the device with its MaxisONE plan lite, MaxisONE plan, as well as a MaxisONE plan with 1GB extra data, all tied to a 24 months contract.

The Asus ZenFone 2 is part of Maxis’ Riang Ria Raya promotion that offers selected LTE smartphones for free with no upfront payment and no GST. If you opt for the MaxisONE plan packages, you can get the device for completely free when you sign up for a contract.

The Asus ZenFone 2 offered by Maxis is the most affordable of the lot. Retailing at RM599 inclusive of GST, it features a 5” HD display and is powered by a 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Atom processor with 2GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage.

The Asus ZenFone 2 packs a 8MP rear camera at the back, 2MP front-facing camera, and comes with 2500mAh battery, LTE connectivity, dual-SIM support, and runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box.

Check out our previous post for more information about the various Asus ZenFone 2 offered in Malaysia, or visit Maxis now for more information about its Asus ZenFone 2 bundle.

Tune Talk has just added several Samsung smartphones into its prepaid bundles, offering devices like the Samsung Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy A5 and more, along with up to RM500 of free air time.

Get RM500 free airtime if you purchase the flagship Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, RM200 free airtime for the mid-range Galaxy A3, RM300 free airtime for Galaxy A5 or RM100 free airtime for the entry-level Galaxy J1. Strangely though, Tune Talk is offering these devices at a slightly more expensive price after adding another 6% GST.

Devices like the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge retails at RM2,599 and RM3,099 respectively, which is inclusive of 6% GST. Tune Talk’s price adds another 6% on top of these prices. The bundle comes with a device as well as a free Tune Talk starter pack

This promotion is valid immediately and will run until 30 June 2015 and is open to all Tune Talk subscribers. While no contract applies for all these bundles, do note that in order to enjoy the offer to its fullest, you will need to make sure you keep your line active. The free airtime will be credit into your account at RM50 each month, so for the Samsung Galaxy S6 bundle, you will need to stay active for at least 10 months.

Check out Tune Talk for more information about its Samsung bundles.

The Huawei P8 is now finally available in Malaysia for a retail price of RM1,799, but you can get it from as low as RM438 when you sign up for a contract with Celcom’s postpaid plan.

Celcom is offering the Huawei P8 with its Celcom First Basic 38/85, as well as Celcom First Elite postpaid plans tied to a 12 months (First Basic 38 only) or a 24 months contract.

The Huawei P8 has just been launched in Malaysia earlier today, along with the Huawei P8 Lite, a smaller and more affordable version of the device. It features a 5.2” Full HD display and is powered by the company’s own HiSilicon Kirin 930 2GHz octa-core processor with 3GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage (up to 128GB via microSD card).

Other specs include 13MP rear camera, 8MP front camera, LTE connectivity, dual nano-SIM, dual 4G, 2680mAh battery and runs on Android 5.0 out of the box.

Check out our hands on post for more information about the device, or visit Celcom for more information about its plans.

It shouldn’t happen, and yet news of consumers racking up eye-wateringly high bills due to data roaming charges keep cropping up. With the world becoming ever smaller and ever so connected, it is becoming increasingly important and unavoidable to stay connected – even when you’re in other countries for work (or for holiday, for that matter). Want to make sure how to not experience a five-figure sum in your next telco bill? Better yet, want to know how you can even minimise the costs of data roaming? Read on!

1. Arm Yourself With Knowledge!

This is a given. When you enable data roaming when on international waters, you *need* to know which local telco is the preferred partner for the telco you subscribed to in Malaysia. This applies for all telcos in Malaysia. Whether you’re with Maxis, digi or Celcom, it is imperative you know about this before you even leave the country. Each telco’s website has a dedicated page to show you this information, so it really isn’t something you can easily overlook.

We also have an extensive table of the preferred network of each telco in Malaysia, as well as how much are the daily charges – two of the most important pieces of information you need in one stop.

All Malaysian telcos offer a maximum daily data roaming charge – anywhere between RM30 to RM56 a day – as long as you roam with its preferred roaming partner. Also, some telcos will have limited time promotions, such as Maxis’ Data Roam Saver that offers 50MB of data for just RM10 (the default charge is RM38 for up to 500MB for most countries). Hence, it pays to browse through your telco’s website before heading off; contacting a member of the customer service centre would be useful as well.

Speaking of Maxis, the telco now also offers complimentary alerts when you hit thresholds for pay-per-use data roaming – these thresholds are set to RM300, RM500 and RM800 by default, but you can also opt for lower amounts. These alerts will come via SMS each time you hit one threshold. In addition, you can also opt to enable Data Locking Threshold, which basically cuts off data roaming when you hit a high amount of data roaming charges. More information on the two services can be found here.

2. Disable Automatic Data Roaming, & Manually Select Roaming Partner.

This is how the Settings page would look like on Windows Phone.

This is another important step – always make sure “Data Roaming” is unchecked before you head out of the country. When your phone has both mobile data and data roaming options enabled, it will automatically connect and register to the best network signal and enable mobile data. It’s a good habit to always check that data roaming is disabled by default, and to manually select your network’s roaming partner.

With the exception of the Maxis ONEplan and a limited-time promotion on all digi postpaid plans, virtually all telco plans do not automatically register you into the preferred roaming partner in the country that you’re visiting. Smartphones these days automatically connect and register to the best network that it can find when roaming, so it isn’t necessarily connected to your telco’s preferred partner. U Mobile has an excellent page to help you manually select your roaming partner, on virtually all smartphone platforms from iOS, Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry.

3. Buy a Local SIM Card.

If you’re going to be in a foreign country for more than just a few days, a local SIM card could be very useful. In many countries, you can purchase one from the airport itself, or sometimes in convenience stores around the city, so you should have no trouble procuring one – just make sure you’re armed with some information to ensure you get a SIM plan that’s right for you. Do note also that in many countries, you’ll need to produce your passport for SIM card registration purposes.

Prepaid SIM cards with data also sometimes come with free calls and SMS to local numbers, which is useful if you need to contact your tour guide or friends in that country. Plus, in countries like Taiwan and the UK, some prepaid SIM cards offer unlimited data, making it a lot better than roaming. It’s also usually cheaper!

4. Invest in a MiFi.

If you travel frequently, it may be wise to invest in a mobile WiFi (MiFi) device. There are quite a few in the market, such as the Aztech MWR647 4G MiFi or the Kingston MobileLite Wireless G2, which really are a traveller’s companion. They are usually several products rolled into one, offering features such as media card reader, built-in WiFi, power bank, and in the case of the Aztech, a LAN port, allowing you to convert a hotel room’s wired Internet cable into wireless Internet which can then be used for more than one device.

More importantly, a MiFi device lets you maintain your Malaysian SIM card to be active – you’ll never know when you could get an emergency call.

5. Rent a MiFi.

If you’re not a frequent traveller, you can always rent a MiFi device. In countries such as Japan or South Korea, MiFi rental is available in many places, and are often really easy to rent. Sites such as JapanWireless lets you book a MiFi in advance, and they’ll even ship it to your hotel on the day of your arrival. When you depart, just pack them back in the prepaid courier pack that’s included, and drop it off at the post box at the airport!

Besides that, a local company called Wiyo offers a similar service in over 30 countries. With rates that are similar to most local telcos’ daily roaming charges, this is a cost-effective option for those travelling in a group. Wiyo lets you stay connected the moment you step out of the plane all the way until you’re back on home soil. Best of all, because the company is based in Malaysia, the delivery service is seamless, fast and you need to only return the MiFi the day after you land in Malaysia. We’ve been using Wiyo for many of our international assignments, and we must say the service has been impressively efficient and convenient.

Read more about our experience using Wiyo.

————–

A lot of people encourage living off free WiFi hotspots, but these come with all kinds of security risks if you’re not careful – and that’s before you even consider going on an unsecured network to access banking or other data-sensitive sites; you shouldn’t even be doing this on hotel Internet! Others will also recommend disabling data roaming altogether, claiming that telcos often abuse the service that result in exorbitant charges when the bill comes in. While this may be plausible when you’re going away on a holiday, this isn’t really possible when you’re travelling on business.

Oftentimes, the main factor behind shocking bill charges are due to negligence on the consumer’s part, and not the dirty tactics of the telco.

Don’t be another “bill shock” case that goes viral – and we sure hope our guide helps to avoid that!

(Featured image source: The Sunday Times)

For those of you who wish to get a new phone, but do not wish to sign up for a contract, our local telcos offers contract-free prepaid bundles, which comes with discounts, as well as free internet.

Maxis #Hotlink

Hotlink is currently offering three devices for its prepaid bundle – Lenovo A319, Lenovo Tab 2 A7-30, and Samsung Galaxy Ace Style. Along with selling the devices at a discounted price, the bundle also comes with a free #Hotlink SIM pack, and 3GB of free internet (500MB x 6 months).

Do note that in order to receive the free 500MB of internet each month for the first six months, you will need to keep the line active, and perform at least one call during the month. You must use the device at all time to receive the free data, which is only valid for 14 days from the day of provisioning. After that, you can continue to browse the internet for free, but at a throttled speed of 64kbps, or you can purchase additional mobile internet for high speed connection.

Celcom Xpax

As for Xpax, the telco is offering quite a number of smartphones for its Xpax Magic SIM bundle – Alcatel Pop D3, Pop C9, ZTE BladeV815, ZTE Blade L3 and ZTE Blade S6 lite.

Add RM99 to the phone price, and you will get an Xpax Magic SIM pack, as well as 500MB of free internet for 12 months. The 500MB of data is valid for 30 days from the date of registration, followed by a 30 day cycle to refresh, and as always, you must keep the line active in order to receive your free internet. You will still get to enjoy the regular Xpax Magic SIM benefits like reload bonus and more.

Digi Prepaid

Digi is also offering selected smartphones and tablet with its prepaid bundle – ZTE Blade Q1, Alcatel PiXi 3 (4.5), and Lenovo Tab 2 A7-30. The telco is also offering these devices at a discounted price, along with free 500MB of internet for 6 months.

You will need to keep the line active to get the free 500MB of internet for the first 6 months. Do note that you will need to subscribe to the free 6 months of internet, simply dial *120*<key in the 16 digits pin>*1# on your mobile phone. Sadly though, this is part of Digi’s on-going roadshow, which will end on 15 July 2015. Not all devices will be available, so do check out Digi’s participating stores for more information.

If you would like to sign up for other prepaid telcos, Tune Talk is now offering selected Samsung smartphones like the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, and while they offer these devices at retail price, their bundle comes with free airtime credits up to RM500, which is not that bad.

Do note that prepaid phone bundles are subject to changes, so do check out the respective websites for more information – Hotlink, Xpax, and Digi.

Maxis is now offering a 10,400mAh powerbank for free when you purchase a device with a plan on its online store. This offer is valid for every devices offered on its Online Store, except for the Samsung Galaxy S6.

This Power Up Promotion is valid starting today, and will run until 21 July 2015. All you need to do is visit Maxis’ Online Store, select the smartphone of your choice, pick a plan, and you will get a free 10,400mAh powerbank – no promo code required.

It is valid for all devices offered in the telco’s website, including those at are RM0/free, as well as the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Strangely though, Maxis is not extending this promotion for the Samsung Galaxy S6 – Galaxy S6 edge on the other hand, is part of the Power Up Promo.

While it is not mentioned anywhere in Maxis’ website, the free powerbank should be a Xiaomi-branded one though, of course, the telco reserves the rights to change it.

Check out Maxis’ website for more information about the promotion, or visit their online store to see what they have got to offer.

Hari Raya is around the corner and Celcom wants to celebrate by offering selected devices at a lower price. Sign up for a contract with the telco and walk home with a brand new smartphone from as low as RM138 – the devices available for this promotion includes Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 edge, Note 4, Note Edge and BlackBerry Classic.

For those of you who love Celcom’s very affordable First Basic 38 plan, you can sign up for the plan and buy the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge from the telco. If you need the more expensive plans, you can also opt for the postpaid plans with Optimiser – Celcom First Basic 85, or Celcom First Elite plans, for all the listed devices:

• Samsung GALAXY S6 (Up to RM400 OFF device price)
• Samsung GALAXY Note Edge (Up to RM300 OFF device price)
• BlackBerry® Classic (Up to RM200 OFF device price)
• Samsung GALAXY S6 edge (Up to RM150 OFF device price)
• Samsung GALAXY Note 4 (Up to RM150 OFF device price)

This promotion is valid until 31 August 2015 and is available at all Blue Cube outlets and selected Celcom Xclusive outlets. Check out Celcom now for more information about each individual device – Samsung Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy Note Edge and BlackBerry Classic.

If you need more data on your MaxisONE postpaid plan, buy an extra 1GB of data and Maxis will give you an additional 1GB of data free for 6 months.

Valid until further notice, the promotion offers1GB of data free for 6 months for postpaid customers who subscribe to MaxisONE plan with monthly recurring 1GB add-on, or 1GB/2GB/3GB/4GB/5GB add-on Share during the promotion period. This is available with or without a device purchase.

Once you sign up for a 1GB data monthly add-on or a Share plan of 1GB and above for your MaxisONE line, you will receive the free 1GB of data for 6 months within 14 days – there’ll be a confirmation SMS. The 1GB free data will be reflected on your monthly bill cycle, but do note that it cannot be shared and is only valid for the principal line holder.

MaxisONE plan costs RM128/month, and comes with 2GB of data, and unlimited calls and SMS. With a 1GB data add-on, it means that for the next 6 months, you will get 4GB of data for RM158 a month. To subscribe to MaxisONE Share, you will need to subscribe to a 1GB monthly add-on, and pay an extra RM48/month to receive another SIM card, whereby you can share your 4G data, and unlimited calls and SMS with that line.

Check out Maxis now for more information about its MaxisONE plan.

Postpaid plans in Malaysia have just gotten more affordable than ever. U Mobile recently revised its postpaid plans, offering 3GB of data for only RM28 a month – it even comes with free calls and SMS. For those who need more, its P50 and P70 postpaid plans now come with even more data.

From now until 31 August 2015, you can sign up for the postpaid plans – U28, P50 and P70, with additional data, and you can keep the quota even after the promotion ends. Other benefits include low call rates from 5sen per block, the ability to carry forward talktime, and free calls everyday.

This promotion is available for all new subscribers while existing subscribers will automatically be upgraded. Do note that U28 does not allow you to carry forward unused minutes.

This is without a doubt one of the most interesting times for postpaid telcos in Malaysia. Ever since Celcom introduced its First Basic 38 plan that offers 3GB of data, other telcos have been trying to match and even beat Celcom’s offer. Digi is now having a promotion that offers 3GB of data from as low as RM36, Maxis is offering free extra data to its subscribers, and now, it’s U Mobile’s turn.

Check out U Mobile now for more information about its latest postpaid plans.

It’s definitely a very busy day for U Mobile. On top of making its postpaid voice/data plans a lot more affordable and attractive, U Mobile also revised its postpaid broadband plans, offering extra 2GB of all-day data – it even comes with a free 21Mbps MiFi modem.

Just like its postpaid plan promotion, the new postpaid broadband promotion is valid until 31 August 2015, and once you’ve signed up, the extra data will remain as long as you are subscribed to the plan. The 2GB of extra data each month is valid for MB40, MB68, MB88 and MB128 plans, which comes with 4GB + 2GB, 7GB + 5GB, 9GB + 14GB and 12GB + 20GB of data respectively.

Also available for MiFi modem bundle, or SIM only

The 4GB, 7GB, 9GB and 14GB data are available for use for the entire day, while the extra data (2GB, 5GB, 14GB and 20GB) are available for off-peak period only (2am to 9am).

This promotion is in conjunction with U Mobile’s existing free data for video and music streaming promotion. This means that on top of getting more all-day data, you can watch your favourite videos on YouTube and TonTon, or listen to your favourite music (Era FM, Hitz FM, My FM and KKBox), without consuming up your data. More information available in this link.

Visit U Mobile for more information about its postpaid broadband plan promotion.

Now that U Mobile has finally made its move in the telco price war, how does it compare to the other affordable postpaid plans offered by other telcos – Celcom First Basic 38 that offers 3GB of data for RM38/month, and Digi’s SmartPlan 50 promotion that offers 3GB of data for RM36/month?

U Mobile’s promotion period to sign up for the plan will end on 31 August 2015, Celcom’s promotion period (usual data 2GB) will go on until further notice, Digi’s RM36 promotion will end on 15 July 2015, and Maxis’ free 2GB data will expire on 31 July 2015.

From the table, U Mobile’s plan is without a doubt the cheapest among the four, but its pay-per-use charges are pretty expensive at 18sen/min for onnet calls and 20sen/min for offnet calls. Its data booster option is also very limited, offering only one option – 1.5GB that is valid for only 3 days.

One of the best SMS to cheer up your Monday morning

Digi’s plan is also very affordable as it comes with more free calls and SMS bundled in the package. It’s calls and SMS rates are pretty reasonable too however, the promotion is only valid for 12 months from the day you sign up for it. From the 13^th month onwards, the price will be reverted back to RM50/month.

Celcom’s price is just slightly (RM2) more expensive than what Digi has got to offer, however, what makes its plans attractive is that it allow users to carry forward unused data each month (*limited to 2x data allocation). Its data add-on is also one of the most affordable in the market, offering 1GB of data for only RM15, or 5GB of data for only RM50 – that works out to only RM10/1GB.

Maxis is the most expensive of them all. Even with its latest offer that gives 2GB of data for free for its SurfMore50 subscribers, it is still significantly more expensive than the rest. Of course, the plans offered by the other 3 telcos are a promotion, so let’s hope that Maxis has got something good up its sleeves.

Here’s a pretty awesome comparison table taken from U Mobile’s website that compares all the other plans available.

Which telco do you think offers the most attractive postpaid plans?

And the telco war continues. Digi has just unveiled a new prepaid pack called Smart Prepaid, that goes head to head with Maxis’ #Hotlink, and the new Xpax Magic SIM by Celcom with free basic internet.

A new Digi Smart Prepaid pack costs RM10 and comes preloaded with RM7 credit inside. Upon activating the Smart Prepaid SIM card, you will get RM3 extra in your account in the next 3 months (from second month onwards) based on your activation date. For example if you activate Digi Smart Prepaid on 3 July 2014, you will get RM3 for three consecutive months on 3 August, 3 September and 3 October 2015. That means a RM10 Smart Prepaid starter pack comes with RM16 worth of credit. Do note that the RM3 x 3 months is valid for only 15 days.

What makes this new Smart Prepaid special is that just like what Hotlink and Xpax are offering, it comes with “Alwayz On” “Lite Internet”. You can stay connected at Facebook Lite, Twitter, Google Search or any mobile browsing at 64kbps for free. Do note that there is a 1GB cap for its free lite internet, but don’t worry, social messaging will not be part of the cap.

Even if you reach your 1GB cap, you can still use social messaging like WhatsApp, WeChat, Line, KaKao Talk and much more at 64kbps. Free social is only available for sending and receiving messages, videos and pictures. VoIP and other services are not included.

Finally, the new Digi Smart Prepaid also comes with free unlimited calls and SMS for three of your favourite contacts – Smart Buddyz. Just dial *128*1*8# and key in a Digi number on your Smart Prepaid, and you can call and SMS them for free. A cap of 3,000minutes and 3,000SMS applies, after that, you will be charged at a 8sen/min and 5sen/SMS for usage to these numbers. Calls and SMS to non-Buddyz numbers are charged at 30sen/min and 8sen/SMS.

Digi also introduced three new internet subscription plans from as low as RM1 a day. The internet plan comes with high-speed data, and free unlimited usage on WhatsApp, WeChat and Facebook, as well as extra data for YouTube streaming (1am-7am).

The new Digi Smart Prepaid is available for purchase immediately on Digi’s online store. Existing Digi prepaid users (except for Digi Prepaid Best v4) can convert to Smart Prepaid by dialling *128*1*4# on your phone – a one-time fee of RM5 will be charged from your main balance.

Check out Digi for more information about its brand new Smart Prepaid. Do look through the Frequently Asked Questions below to check out other terms that may apply.

Celcom has finally put an expiry date to its First Basic 38 promotion that offers 3GB of data and 3GB of Celcom Wi-Fi, as well as 50mins free calls and 50 free SMS a month for only RM38 a month. For those of you who wish to sign up for it, your last day to do so is 16 July 2015.

Announced back in April 2015, the Celcom First Basic 38 was the plan that changed the telco industry. It was without a doubt the most affordable postpaid plans in Malaysia, with a generous amount of data, free calls and SMS, and reasonable pay-per-use charges. Strangely though, when the plan was first launched, Celcom said that the promotion period is 6 months; it’s been only two and a half months and 16 July 2015 is still less than three months (the plan was launched on 23 April 2015).

Celcom First Basic 38 Plan

Since then, other major telcos have been changing their plans in what we like to call a “telco war”. Just weeks after Celcom unveiled the First Basic 38, Digi started a promotion that offers 3GB of data, 100 mins free calls and 100 free SMS for only RM36 a month. Earlier this week, U Mobile made things even more affordable by offering 3GB of data, 50 mins free calls and up to 300 free SMS for only RM28 a month. Even Maxis, who seems like the most expensive of the lot, has decided to give free data to its subscribers though, only for a limited time.

If you would like to sign up for Celcom’s plan, you have just a little over 2 weeks to do so. If you haven’t made your mind up yet on which plans to pick, check out our price comparison and see the different benefits each telco is offering.

Now that Digi has introduced a new Smart Prepaid that offers free basic internet at 64kbps, how does it compare to the others who have a similar prepaid option – #Hotlink and Xpax Magic SIM? Check out our comparison tables right after the break.

Click on tables for larger version

As mentioned before in our #Hotlink vs Magic SIM comparison, there are more to each plan outside of these numbers. Hotlink, for example, is offering free Spotify Premium for those who subscribe to a mobile internet plan of 1GB and above. This promotion is part of Maxis’ #MusicNow promotion that is also available with its postpaid MaxisONE plan, and is valid only until 31 July 2015.

Other Hotlink promotions include Hotlink Reload Plus, “Monster Internet with Monster Bytes” from RM5 for 1GB of data (valid for 1 day only, till 15 June 2015), tie-ups with game companies, goodies for K-pop fans, and more.

As for Xpax, the telco is offering phone bundles with the new Magic SIM, allowing you to get selected smartphones for only RM99 with no contract at all. If you need a higher end phone, Xpax is also offering the ZTE Blade L3, Alcatel POP C9 and ZTE Blade S6 Lite with its prepaid bundles. This promotion was previously available with Xpax Internet of X plans but since Magic SIM has replaced all older Xpax plans, you will get a Magic SIM pack instead of IOX pack.

Digi wants to keep its subscribers active by offering extra RM3 credit every month for 3 months after activation. Its pay per use for calls is the most expensive among the three, but offers free unlimited calls and SMS (3000mins and 3000SMS FUP) for 3 of your favourite Digi contacts. Other benefits include extra 50% credit under Birthday Bonus, and free Digi Live Web passes.

Of course, you can’t do much with 64kbps internet, but the best thing about it is that you will never get charged for pay per use data usage anymore. Data usage is usually the number one killer for your credit and with PPU data eliminated, your credit will no longer be deducted without your knowledge. Plus, basic internet is sufficient for basic messaging on your favourite messaging apps, such as WhatsApp, WeChat, LINE, or Facebook Messenger.

Check out Hotlink, Xpax and Digi for more information about their individual plans.

Digi recently started offering its iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus with its latest SmartPlan that comes with either High Data or High Voice. Get the iPhone 6 from as low as RM318, or the iPhone 6 Plus from as low as RM678.

Digi is offering both iPhones with its SmartPlan ranging from RM50 all the way to RM238. A 24 months contract applies for all the plans, except for SmartPlan 50, which comes with a 12 months contract.

All the while, Digi has always been offering iPhones with its iDigi plans. Now that it has revised its SmartPlan to cater to different users – those who need more calls & SMS and those who need more data, it makes sense that it brings these plans to the iPhone too. Sadly though, Digi is not bringing the promotion that offers SmartPlan 50 with 3GB data for only RM36 a month to its iPhone bundle.

Check out Digi for more information about its new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus plans.