Mobile

How much would an iPhone 5 LTE cost in the Philippines?

Abe Olandres Editor-in-chief September 9, 2012 · 3 min read

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The Apple iPhone 5 is set to be announced next week (Wednesday, September 12) and the WSJ reports that it will be LTE-capable. While we are excited that we might also be experiencing super-fast 100Mbps mobile internet speeds, we’re also worried how much it will cost.

So we’re basing this speculation on existing plans and data that we currently have with the telcos. For one, only Smart has commercial offering for LTE so we’ll stick with its pricing plan at the moment.

Smart LTE Plan 3500

This plan is Php3,500 per month for 10GB. Free device worth Php8,000. Extra 1GB of bandwidth costs Php450.

Smart iPhone 4S Prepaid Kit

Retail price of a 16GB iPhone 4S is roughly Php33k with Smart. So we can swap the LTE dongle with an iPhone 5 and do the math — iPhone 5 LTE is Php25k at Plan 3500 with 10GB and Php450 per extra GB.

Smart iPhone 4S UnliData Plan 2000

The iPhone 4S is currently free at UnliData Plan 2000. The best case scenario is we can also get the iPhone 5 LTE with Smart at UnliData Plan 2000 with 1.5GB of bandwidth a month.

Our guess is that the plan will be somewhere in between the 1.5GB (Php2k) to the 10GB a month (Php3.5k). Smart will either stick with its Fair Use Policy of 1.5GB/month for all Unli Data Plans or it will create a special data plan for the iPhone 5 LTE.

Smart will insist that majority of consumers will not be able to use up the 1.5GB for Unli Data allocation so that’s the baseline. However, the other argument (and we’ve seen this in the LTE Plan 3500) is that “why offer LTE speeds of up to 100Mbps when I can consume it in less than an hour?

To counter that argument, the telco might offer mobile LTE plans that’s based on the existing UnliData plans and the existing Plan 3500 LTE plan.

Here’s are the probable scenarios:

iPhone 5 Unli LTE Plan 2500: 2.5GB bandwidth per month, 150 free minutes, 200 free SMS, free iPhone 5 @ Php2,500 MSF

iPhone 5 Unli LTE Plan 3000: 5GB bandwidth per month, 200 free minutes, 240 free SMS, free iPhone 5 @ Php3,000 MSF

iPhone 5 Unli LTE Plan 3500: 10GB bandwidth per month, 400 free minutes, 300 free SMS, free iPhone 5 @ Php3,500 MSF

Then again, we will revert back to the best likely scenario — iPhone 5 LTE free at UnliData Plan 2000 with 1.5GB/month for only Php2,000. We don’t think it can get any better than this.

P.S. We don’t have any data on Globe’s LTE pricing so we’ll just have to wait until they launch later this month.

Updated: Globe has now announced their Tattoo Black service which includes LTE subscription plans that goes up to 42Mbps. The monthly service fee is Php2,499 for unlimited bandwidth. We’ll re-compute our original pricing above.

{via WSJ, photo credit}

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Abe Olandres

Editor-in-chief

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and is considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines.

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66 Comments

Sam · 13 years ago

the latest price to date in the Philippines for iPhone 5 according to lazada.com.ph is around Php 46,000

You may check out some of the direct supplier of iPhone 5, cellphones, accessories and other gadgets on their online store. I found one at

fashion.eStore.net46.net

they offer Sulit lowest price for only Php 31,000.

I bought my 16GB Black for only 34,500. Not to mention it was free shipping.

Arsie Organo Jr · 13 years ago

Any idea magkano na ngayon ang iPhone 5 pag cash?

joshua · 13 years ago

tae

Joan · 14 years ago

Cguro ilalabas nila ang iphone5 dito sa pinas kapag may LTE plans na ang smart at globe.. :) ang mahal nga lang, hehe..:) pero pde naman bumili ng iphone5 sa labas db? Dapat lang unlocked.. Hehe.. Good luck stin, sana makasurvive tayo sa pagimprove ng mga telcos, go philippines!:)

john · 14 years ago

Hi just saw this from a site. These are the prices of Iphone 5 in the US:
The gadget will be available in 16, 32, and 64GB models in the US, which will cost $199, $299, and $399 respectively with a two-year contract from a mobile service provider.
If the article is talking about a 2 year mobile service provider, then what mobile service provider is that? Then if we convert the price of 199 dollars to peso then it’s only 8,000 plus, then how come its expensive here in the Phils?

blitz · 14 years ago

Hi John,

Just my two cents.. Some of the US telcos subsidize the price of the iphone. That’s why the price is that low. As for the Philippine telcos , they are paying import taxes , and other fees as well , before they could bring the product here in the Philippines. Iphone fanatics are still few here as compared to the US. Bottomline , the more people interested in the phone , the better we can drive the price down..

parangano · 14 years ago

yep, what blitz said. it’s expensive here because it’s not from here. it’s imported. and i think that goes for rates in other countries too, like SG. but admittedly, data plans here are pricey because let’s face it, most of telco subscribers are on prepaid, and not everyone subscribes or needs a data plan on their mobile.

Sam · 14 years ago

mura nga if you think about converting the price of the phone to Php. Pero ang bayad sa monthly subscription for smartphone is $40, tapos yung data plan depende 1GB $50, 2GB $60, $GB $70, etc… Phone insurance if you want to get it is $10/month. Kung bibilin mo yung phone w/o contract $649,$749 at $849. Apple stores won’t be selling it yet, back-ordered pa kasi yung may plans.

aki · 14 years ago

New LG’s Optimus G. is more good design!
more powerful smartphone.

aki · 14 years ago

the New Optimus G.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrrfpuOchWM&list=PLShKiWbiCfxbiMFDOHnS2Y_2HzAMwsRpI&index=6&feature=plcp

aki · 14 years ago

the new Optimus G.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30jLyxkQce0&list=PLShKiWbiCfxbiMFDOHnS2Y_2HzAMwsRpI&index=7&feature=plcp

carla · 14 years ago

okay sana kaya lang too small screen just “4”inches for a high end smartphone flagship!
will wait for the Optimus G.

berkanoshow · 14 years ago

Lest we all forget: LTE in this country is limited to a few points, not even cities. LTE and it’s current pricing scheme actually appear ridiculous, especially when one can achieve the same mobile computing experience while attached to lower and cheaper plans (or perhaps connecting to free wifi). Getting an IPhone 5 with an LTE subscription that has a very small coverage feels ultimately stupid (sorry for the word). LTE right now is just not that exciting in this country as 3G was a few years ago. It will definitely not be the reason why people will get the latest from Cupertino.

centos2011 · 14 years ago

http://www.speedtest.net/result/2170143611.png

hoyarukasa · 14 years ago

i am using sun cellular broadband unlimited data plan on my mobile, and as far as i am using this network, it really brings me a good impression. i tried switching to globe 3g but the hell, it really disappointment me. hay naku kahit magLTE kung may limitation naman its gonna be useless… yun lang i am happy using sun 3g mabilis naman and very good…

why · 14 years ago

ang tanong ko, bakit nga ba mababa ang limit ang paggamit ng cellular data dito sa atin? baka ma congest kung madami ng sabay sabay na gumagamit? magkano ba or meron bang binabayaran ang mga telcos natin para ma access ang WWW kaya kailangan nila i-limit? kung sa ganun, e bakit sila gumagastos ng billions of pesos sa bagong technology e 3g service nila e inconsistent pa rin after how many years of “upgrades” in their system……… wonder why……

John · 14 years ago

With the iPhone 5 being LTE capable, it doesn’t directly imply that it is necessary that we should be getting it with an LTE plan. It’s actually said to be sold at a the same retail price like last year’s iPhone 4S. I believe the customers themselves would have the true choice to opt for a 4G LTE iPhone 5 or a 4G HSPA+ (21 Mbps) iPhone 5. And… Who would buy this ? I really think a 4 inch screen is still small. The New iPhone 5 !! Now with 5 rows of boring icons ! Same old same old.

Ramon · 14 years ago

Dati excited akong makagamit ng LTE sa phone, pero ngayon nagdududa na ako =/

sure may LTE na ang smart at cguradong malapit na din ang globe, pero di pa competative ang price :(

at kung titignan naman, kailangan ba talaga yung sobrang bilis na net sa phone? Kahit 1Mbps ok na din sa hd videos sa youtube hehe

Plus sobrang lakas sa battery ng LTE, swerte na kung umabot pa ng 2-3hrs phone mo during full use :-P

Personally,LTE is nice to have, but not yet practical, specially on a phone

quiquo la mode · 14 years ago

mismo!!

Digest · 14 years ago

Exactly. Dapat mas maging practical lang ang tao sa ngaun.

Yung iba kase, dinadala social status kng anong gamit nilang cellphone. Which is, nawawala na talaga basic used lang ng cellphone.

IMHO maka Call & Text lang ako. Fix na. Smartphones? No way. not even if may pera ko. Save ko na lang at “ber” months na.

Marc · 14 years ago

this effin telcos are big rip offs… im currently staying here in singapore (a country with a very high cost of living as they say) but their post paid plans here is way much cheaper. you can get an iphone 4s here around 8k when converted to php with a plan. but its already bundled with a 12gb data plan, 200min calls and 500 sms, in which you would be paying for around 2k monthly when converted from sgd to php (to be exact, 1981.49 based on the present exchange rate).. i think dti and dotc should look in to this so that more pinoys could afford to have smart phones and maximize its use..yun lang kase talaga nakakapagtaka saten sa pinas. ang mahal..

Ramon · 14 years ago

May nabasa ako na meron napropose dati na IP peering para sa lahat ng telcos dito sa pinas

Mahirap din iexplain yun pero makakatulong daw sya na maging mas effective ang paghandle ng data. better connection, lower costs.

Globe, bayantel at san miguel na sumosupporta sa IP peering, pero pinipigilan ng pldt/smart since may risks daw ito. (may disadvantage din sa kanila so nasa inyo na kung pano iinterpret ito :p)

Bryan · 14 years ago

I really hope our telcos improve their offers and services like in singapore or the US. grabe sila maka pera sa atin. Mahal din dito ang cost of living and I say mas mahal dito. hehehe..

Lte · 14 years ago

Unlidata but with a cap? Please explain how this is even possible. Unlimited and limited at the same time.

Ramon · 14 years ago

Weird, saktong kakapost lng ng kaibigan ko notification na nakuha nya sa globe

apparently, may 800MB per day limit yung “unlimited” net nila -_-

Can anyone else verify this? Nasa fair use agreement ba nila yun? Smart network gamit ko sa net since masmabilis sya sa area namin

ewan · 14 years ago

i think pag abot mo ng certain amount (ex. 800mb per day), thinothrottle nila speed mo. meaning babagal speed mo to 2g i think. so technically “unlimited” pa rin data mo pero ubod ng bagal na nga lang.

atbp · 14 years ago

Sa globe po ang Php50 nila na SuperSurf for 24hours ay katumbas lang ng 800Mb of data, meaning pag naabot mo na sya kahit wala pang 24hours ang subscription mo ay cut na agad. Nasubukan namin yan sa SS 999 kung saan araw araw hanggan 800Mb lang ang pwedeng gamitin, pag umabot na dun kinabukasan ka na ulit pwede gumamit or pagtungtong ng 12:00AM (not so sure pero malamang ganun yun) magrereset na ulit ang time then another 800Mb ulit ang pwede mo gamitin for that day.

rjaldo · 14 years ago

unli data cap is only for globe prepaid subs. pero sa postpaid, walang data cap.

Enya · 14 years ago

If I get it plan-free instead, can i enjoy same LTE speed?

nexusboy · 14 years ago

it’s really hard to sign up with SMART and get tied up with their LTE service for at least 2 years. i’d rather wait what Globe has to offer than jump ship and regret for the rest of the lock-in period.