The Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ are already confirmed to be offered by Philippine carriers. As always, we want to know which telco offers the best plan, so let’s compare Globe’s ThePLAN versus the new GigaX Plans of Smart.

Galaxy S9 (64GB)

Let’s start off with the “regular” Galaxy S9 which is going to be the best option for consumers looking for the latest premium Samsung phone that’s still fairly usable with one hand (due to its smaller display size) and not too expensive.

Both carriers offer the Galaxy S9 under their respective Plan 1499 and the device cashout fee is also the same at just PhP 24,000 or PhP 1,000 per month if availed through installment. Whichever telco you choose will cost you PhP 2,499/month or PhP 59,976 for the whole duration of the standard two-year contract.

The cost might be the same, but the inclusions of the plans are quite different. Globe offers unlimited calls within their network, unlimited texts to all networks, and 8GB of data. The usual freebies of premium subscriptions to Netflix and Spotify are present as well. With Smart, the new GigaX Plan offers 5GB of data and another 10GB solely for video streaming services like YouTube, iFlix, Fox+, and iWant TV. It also includes unlimited texts plus 50 minutes of voice calls to all networks. Despite the additional data for the video streaming, paid subscription to some of them are not included, but at least the plan offers discounted call rates to Smart/TNT.

Choosing between Globe or Smart is a matter of which plan meets your needs. Globe’s 8GB mobile data is definitely more generous than Smart’s 5GB, but the additional 10GB for video streaming is perfect for those who watch on the go. Smart’s allowance for calling and texting is ideal if you have to contact people on both networks, while Globe just has an unlimited all-network text offer.

Galaxy S9+ (64GB)

The Galaxy S9+ is a more powerful phone with its big bigger memory (6GB vs 4GB), dual rear cameras, and — if size matters — larger display. With that, the Galaxy S9+ is more expensive but not by much when availed through a postpaid plan.

Again, both telcos recommend their respective Plan 1499 for the bigger S9 and offer an installment scheme for the device.

Since we’re still with Plan 1499, we have same inclusion as with the Galaxy S9: Globe offers unlimited calls within their network, unlimited texts to all networks, and 8GB of data, while Smart has 5GB data + 10GB for video, 50 minutes of calls, and unlimited texts to all networks. They also have their respective freebies.

The cost of both handsets is not far from each other with Globe asking for a device cashout of PhP 32,000 or PhP 1,333/month and Smart with PhP 31,200 or PhP 1,300/month. Adding this to the plan fee, the monthly fee is PhP 2,832 for Globe and PhP 2,799 for Smart. Either plan has a standard contract of two years, which drives the total cost of the plans to PhP 67,968 and PhP 67,176, respectively.

If you don’t want to have ties with the carrier, you can always get the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ unlocked for PhP 45,990 and PhP 52,990, respectively, for the 64GB version. The Galaxy S9+ will also be available with 128GB storage for PhP 55,990 and 256GB storage for PhP 60,990. Both will be available in Midnight Black, Coral Blue, and Lilac Purple

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy S9 Hands-On: AR Emoji and super slow-mo