Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Do you want a phone with that subscription?
In most countries, if you buy a new mobile subscription the mobile phone company has an attractive offer for you. If you would just subscribe for a 2 year contract and commit to a monthly minimum spend, they will have a nice phone for you.
Just how nice is this offer? Should you go for it, or just buy the phone yourself?
I got a new subscription recently, and went through this comparison. What was my conclusion?
For a number of reasons I looked at T-mobile as a provider. Their rate plans are as follows. For a 20 Euro monthly 'bundle' you will get minutes at €0.13 with the phone (about 150 minutes), but it will be only €0.07 if you take a SIM only plan and provide the phone yourself. So, depending on your contract, your per minute price for all your minutes differs. Futhermore, you commit to a minimum monthly payment if you get the phone.
With the €20 bundle and a two year commitment, you will get a phone for free that would otherwise set you back around €350. If you call 150 minutes per month, the total cost over the 2 years of the contract is €480 if you get the phone 'for free', and approximately €650 if you buy the phone separately and take a SIM only plan. So go for the deal with the phone then.
However, what happens if you happen to be calling a lot more than you originally thought you were going to? In that case the SIM only plan gives you much cheaper minutes. In fact at 400 minutes a month the total 2 year cost will be around €960 for both plans. If you call even more than 400 minutes a month, which is what I do, this is another reason for buying the phone yourself.
You do need to have the cash to buy the phone, but on the other hand, it is sim-lock free from day one.
Mail me if you want the full spreadsheet with analysis.
Just how nice is this offer? Should you go for it, or just buy the phone yourself?
I got a new subscription recently, and went through this comparison. What was my conclusion?
For a number of reasons I looked at T-mobile as a provider. Their rate plans are as follows. For a 20 Euro monthly 'bundle' you will get minutes at €0.13 with the phone (about 150 minutes), but it will be only €0.07 if you take a SIM only plan and provide the phone yourself. So, depending on your contract, your per minute price for all your minutes differs. Futhermore, you commit to a minimum monthly payment if you get the phone.
With the €20 bundle and a two year commitment, you will get a phone for free that would otherwise set you back around €350. If you call 150 minutes per month, the total cost over the 2 years of the contract is €480 if you get the phone 'for free', and approximately €650 if you buy the phone separately and take a SIM only plan. So go for the deal with the phone then.
However, what happens if you happen to be calling a lot more than you originally thought you were going to? In that case the SIM only plan gives you much cheaper minutes. In fact at 400 minutes a month the total 2 year cost will be around €960 for both plans. If you call even more than 400 minutes a month, which is what I do, this is another reason for buying the phone yourself.
You do need to have the cash to buy the phone, but on the other hand, it is sim-lock free from day one.
Mail me if you want the full spreadsheet with analysis.
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Hi,
The way you draw the details it sure sound more iteresting to but the phone yourself, but i think you missed one thing. With the t-mobile sim-only option you only get cheaper minutes within your bundle, outside the bundle you pay the same price per minute as you would do with a normal flex non-sim only bundle. So mutch for your theory?
The way you draw the details it sure sound more iteresting to but the phone yourself, but i think you missed one thing. With the t-mobile sim-only option you only get cheaper minutes within your bundle, outside the bundle you pay the same price per minute as you would do with a normal flex non-sim only bundle. So mutch for your theory?
# posted by 
: 10:36 AM
: 10:36 AM
As far as I know, the rate for minutes outside the bundle is the same as for the minutes in the bundle.
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