PETALING JAYA, Sept 22 — The Covid-19 pandemic has been a blow to many, forcing people out of jobs and many businesses to shut.
In such trying times, making big purchases like buying a new smartphone may not seem like a top priority.
However, it can be hard at times not to feel a little envious of those around you who can afford to buy such cool gadgets.
But, if you can’t pay the high prices for the phone, what other option is there?
Well, you could opt for a mobile phone bundle plan instead, as these plans often offer a smarter alternative to paying large amounts of cash at one go—spreading out the payment over a longer period of time.
Plus, with bundle plans, you’ll also be getting an internet package with your smartphone as well.
More flexibility
One of the key benefits of opting for a bundle plan is that unlike just buying the phone, bundle plans offer greater flexibility with payment—offering minimal fees on a monthly instalment basis.
This means that you will only have to pay a small amount every month over the contract period, up to 24 months, making it easier for you to purchase that brand new phone.
Bundle plans also come with no added interest on your payments, for example, with Digi’s improved PhoneFreedom 365 programme, your monthly instalments are interest-free and you don’t need to make any huge upfront payments—provided that you qualify for it based on certain terms and conditions like tenure, payment and usage.
Most of these plans also give you the option to upgrade to a new device during your contract period, meaning that you can switch your current phone under the deal with a newer model that may have caught your eye.
More protection
Another reason why you should consider going for a bundle plan is the worry-free experience you get when you sign up.
Most telco companies offer free phone protection deals with their bundle plans, sort of like an insurance plan for your phone—which is something you usually wouldn’t get if you pay upfront.
If you buy a phone straight up, you’d get a phone warranty which primarily covers manufacturing defects and hardware malfunctions, but not damage from accidents and misuse.
With these protection deals, however, you’d never have to worry about any mishaps as telco companies offer free repairs for accidental and liquid damages, with some even providing a device replacement scheme.
More savings
Now, you must be wondering if you’d actually save more money if you opt for a bundle plan as opposed to buying a phone straight up.
Well, while most people prefer bundle plans to avoid paying high fees, in the long run, some bundle deals may not actually save you that much money because of the fixed rates you pay.
Under Digi’s improved PhoneFreedom 365 ownership programme, on the other hand, you actually do save as the company’s bundle plans offer discounts on both smartphone and postpaid deals.
Take for example if you purchase the newest smartphone model, the OnePlus Nord (retailing at RM2,399) under the PhoneFreedom 365 programme.
With PhoneFreedom365, the OnePlus Nord is offered at only RM68 monthly after discounts, meaning that over the 24-month period you only pay a total of RM1,632 for the phone—saving you RM767 in the process.
Additionally, if you pair it with Digi’s Postpaid 120 plan, you’d also be getting an RM15 discount on your monthly instalment fees—bringing your postpaid bill to a rebated fee of RM105 -- which means that you’d only have to pay a total of RM173 in your monthly bill for the phone and data quota up to 120GB per month.
This will end up saving you an additional RM360 during the contract period—which brings your total savings over the 24 months up to RM1,127 for the OnePlus Nord and the Postpaid 120 plan.
If you take a larger data package, you will save even more as the Digi Postpaid 160 plan comes with an RM20 monthly discount (saving you RM480 in 24 months) and Digi Postpaid 190 comes with an RM25 monthly discount (saving you RM600 in 24 months).
And there’s more than just discounts on both the phone and postpaid plan, as the improved PhoneFreedom 365 programme also offers more flexibility and more internet with twice as much data quota, free phone protection and the option to upgrade your device after 18 months.
If the OnePlus Nord package is too pricey for you, you can also pick up phones like the iPhone 6S for just RM8 per month under the programme—saving you RM1,057 over the 24-month contract period.
PhoneFreedom 365 plans also provide you with data quota of up to 200GB a month, with supplementary line users also able to enjoy the same quota amount as principal line users for RM38.
Plans under the programme also with free Digi Shield protection which offer free repairs for any accidental or liquid damage as well during the contract period.
To find out more on Digi’s upgraded PhoneFreedom 365 programme, click here.
