The Ultimate iPhone 5 Postpaid Shopping Guide

There’s ben a lot of debate regarding the iPhone 5 offerings between Smart and Globe. While we made our initial analysis earlier, we dug a little deeper to give you a bigger and more comprehensive picture of what you’re getting from both telcos.

What we’ll try to help you decide with is which of the numerous postpaid plans will give you the better deal based on your needs and consumption pattern.

We dissected each of the postpaid offerings and analyzed them from the monthly service fee (MSF) so you don’t get too confused with the plan names and cash-outs.

We’ve already established that Smart has a wide edge over Globe when it comes to the prepaid kit prices of the iPhone 5.

Here’s the table on all the variants of the iPhone 5 with their respective MSF. The numbers represent the base plan price per month and the handset amortization price divided into 24 months (both telcos offer 24-month zero-interest rates on the cash out price).

We then summarized them into one total MSF so you will see how much you are expected to pay on a monthly basis for the next 24 months (that is assuming you don’t go over your plan’s quota).

Note that in the summary table below, we sorted the MSF based on the price for the 64GB model. This will show you that, sometimes, one postpaid plan can be more expensive than a higher plan. A good example is Smart’s Plan 999 being more expensive than All-In Plan 1200 for the 64GB iPhone 5 (while it’s the reverse for the 16GB and 32GB).

Here are the more significant observations we got from this table:

Cost of Upgrade.

The median price difference between models is just Php200. So upgrading from 16GB to 32GB will cost you Php200 per month. The same Php200 will be added if you upgrade from 32GB to 64GB. Doesn’t seem that expensive, right?

Total Cost of Ownership.

The lowest total cost of ownership (TCO) for an iPhone 5 is with Smart’s All-In Plan 500 at Php1,492/month for the 16GB (Php35,808); for the 32GB, it’s Globe’s Plan 299 at Php1,688/month (Php40,512) and for the 64GB it’s still Globe’s Plan 299 at Php1,888/month (Php45,312).

Prepaid vs. Postpaid.

We noticed that Globe’s postpaid plan (Plan 299) is less expensive than getting a prepaid kit for the 32GB & 64GB models. The TCO for a 32GB iPhone 5 under Plan 299 is Php40,512 while the prepaid price is Php40,800. The 64GB model at Plan 299 is also less expensive than the prepaid price — Php45,312 vs. Php46,300.

So, if you’re planning to get the prepaid kit, we suggest apply for the Plan 299 instead, pay it at zero-interest for 24 months and get some freebies at a slightly lower TCO price.

What Comes Free Under the Plan.

In both the postpaid plans of Globe and Smart, the 16GB iPhone comes free with Plan 2499 while Smart offered the 32GB for the same Plan 2499.

However, if we base it on an MSF of Php2,499, you can actually get the 64GB iPhone 5 from Globe Plan 1799 for only Php2,428/month. Of course, you have to weigh in between an Php800 consumable amount vs. the 300 free minutes and 300 free SMS.

The Inferior but More Expensive Plans

Smart’s Unli Data Plan 3000 is inferior to Smart’s Plan 2499 for the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models. You’ll be paying more (Php322 to Php501) per month for exactly same freebies and services (300 minutes, 300 SMS, unlimited internet).

We suggest staying away from the Unli Data 3000 plan (note that the free minutes & SMS are for all networks). We think you’re better off with a Galaxy S3 or Galaxy Note 2 free on Unli Data Plan 2000.

Consumable vs. Free Minutes.

Smart offers generous free minutes and free SMS for a number of their plans where the total value is often times higher than the MSF itself. This helps you maximize your use of their network.

On the other hand, Globe offers consumable amounts as a percentage of the MSF. They also offer some freebies depending on the plan (more attractive as the plan goes up).

If you already know your average monthly consumption with call minutes and SMS, Smart’s plan will give you more mileage.

If you are unsure about your usage pattern, Globe’s consumable gives you that flexibility to reallocate credits to other services (I often use it offset my IDD calls and roaming charges since I tend to travel a lot).

Our Recommended Plans.

Our recommendations will hinge on the idea that you should get unlimited internet at the very least.

Smart All-In Plan 1800. You get unlimited internet, unlimited calls to Smart/Red/TNT, 3,500 free text to Globe/TM. That’s already a huge value you are getting there, assuming most of your friends are on the same or on sister networks. Total MSF is Php2,363 with free 16GB iPhone 5.

Globe Unli Surf Plan 1799. You get unlimited internet, Php800 consumable amount, unlimited call & text to 1 Globe/TM number (your significant other), 10 free minutes & 200 SMS to all other Globe/TM numbers, 5 minutes call and 25 SMS to Smart/Sun/TNT. Total MSF is Php1,999 with free 16GB iPhone 5 (or go Php2,428/month for the 64GB).

Plus, you also get the additional Gadget Care, G-Cash Amex Card and 50% discount on accessories if you subscribe.

To pick the right postpaid plan for you, start with a budget (say, Php2,500/month). Then, pick your desired iPhone 5 capacity (16GB, 32Gb or 64GB). Then, go over our MSF Table above and look for the plan that fits your budget and storage needs. Choosing from that shortlist should be easier.

We hope this gives you a clearer picture on the postpaid offerings of Smart and Globe. Do hit the comments which postpaid plans you intend to get.