Deals

Globe vs Smart: Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+ postpaid plans

Where to get the latest Galaxy?

Published

March 1, 2018

Daniel Morial

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.

	Globe	Smart
Plan	ThePLAN 1499	GigaX Plan 1499
Calls	Unlimited to Globe/TM	50 minutes to all networks
Texts	Unlimited to all networks	Unlimited to all networks
Data	8GB	5GB + 10GB for video streaming
Freebies	Netflix for 6 months Spotify Premium for 3 months	Discounted calls to Smart/TNT (PhP 4/min)
Device Fee	PhP 1,000/month	PhP 1,000/month
Total Monthly Fee	PhP 2,499	PhP 2,499
Contract Period	24 months	24 months
Total Cost	PhP 59,976	PhP 59,976

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.

	Globe	Smart
Plan	ThePLAN 1499	GigaX Plan 1499
Calls	Unlimited to Globe/TM	50 minutes to all networks
Texts	Unlimited to all networks	Unlimited to all networks
Data	8GB	5GB + 10GB for video streaming
Freebies	Netflix for 6 months Spotify Premium for 3 months	Discounted calls to Smart/TNT (PhP 4/min)
Device Fee	PhP 1,333/month	PhP 1,300/month
Total Monthly Fee	PhP 2,832	PhP 2,799
Contract Period	24 months	24 months
Total Cost	PhP 67,968	PhP 67,176

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

Deals

MSI gaming and productivity laptops are 30% off this Halloween weekend

Exclusive freebies are also in tow

Published

October 29, 2020

Kenrick Buduan

On the hunt for the perfect laptop before the holiday season kicks in? MSI is discounting select gaming and productivity laptops by 30% from October 29 to November 2. As a bonus, the brand is giving away exclusive freebies for every purchase of its laptops.

Gaming laptop deals

Discounted gaming laptops from MSI include its beloved GL and GF series. Both laptops cater to gamers who need the best performance without the bulk design commonly associated with gaming laptops. Also discounted are MSI’s Alpha series, its AMD-powered lineup.

GL63 (Intel Core i5-9300H + NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti; 4GB RAM / 512GB SSD) — PhP 62,600 + free MSI gaming mouse worth PhP 2,250 (SRP: PhP 72,995)
GL65 (Intel Core i7-9750H + NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650; 8GB RAM / 512GB SSD) — PhP 60,900 + free MSI lootbox headset worth PhP 6,000 (SRP: PhP 70,995)
GF63 (Intel Core i7-9750H + NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650; 8GB RAM / 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD) — PhP 53,200 + free MSI gaming headset worth PhP 3,500 (SRP: PhP 60,995)
Alpha 15 (AMD Ryzen 7 3750H + Radeon RX 5500M; 8GB RAM / 512GB SSD) — PhP 54,000 + MSI Alpha lootboox and AMD Jacket worth PhP 5,000

Deals on Prestige and Modern laptops

MSI is also slashing the price of its Modern and Prestige laptops for a limited time. These laptop lineups come in a sleek and minimalist design, packing the latest Intel processors with others having discrete graphics too.

Prestige 14 (Intel Core i7-10710U + NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650; 16GB RAM / 1TB SSD) — PhP 101,900 (SRP: PhP 119, 995)
Prestige 15 (Intel Core i7-10710U + NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650; 16GB RAM / 1TB SSD) — PhP 101,900 (SRP: PhP 119, 995)
Modern 14 492PH (Intel Core i7-10510U; 16GB RAM / 1TB SSD) — PhP 69,500 (SRP: PhP 80,995)
Modern 14 677PH (Intel Core i5-10210U; 8GB RAM / 512GB SSD) — PhP 52,300 (SRP: PhP 60,995)
Modern 15 (Intel Core i5-10210U; 8GB RAM / 512GB SSD) — PhP 45,500 (SRP: PhP 52,995)
Modern 14 493PH (Intel Core i5-10210U; 8GB RAM / 512GB SSD) — PhP 43,700 (SRP: PhP 50,995)
Modern 14 695PH (Intel Core i3-10110U; 8GB RAM / 512GB SSD) — PhP 34,250 (SRP: PhP 39,995)

These exclusive discounts and perks can be had on all MSI authorized resellers nationwide. Visit their website to know more about the Halloween weekend sale.

Deals

Smart launches GIGA PRO with up to 114GB of data allocation

The telco’s biggest prepaid data offering to date yet

Published

October 28, 2020

Kenrick Buduan

Nowadays, there is a demand for big data allocation as more people use mobile data for work, study, and everything else. Smart recognizes this demand as it launches its biggest prepaid data offering, GIGA PRO.

GIGA PRO comes with up to 114GB of total data for prepaid subscribers. To be exact, the prepaid promo comes with 24GB of open-access data plus a daily allocation of 3GB for GIGA subscriptions. The whole prepaid promo comes at PhP 999. It is valid for 30 days of use.

There are other offering as well for consumers:

GIGA PRO 199 — 27GB of total data (daily 3GB of GIGA subscription + 6GB open-access data, valid for 7 days)
GIGA PRO 599 — 57GB of open data (daily 3GB of GIGA Subscription + 12GB open-access data, valid for 15 days)

Subscriptions to choose from

There are five GIGA subscriptions that subscribers can choose from. Through these subscriptions, subscribers can access their favorite apps and sites. These include:

Work Pro — Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams, Google Workforce, WebEx Meetings, GrabPay, Lazada, and more
Study Pro — Google Classroom, Google Meet, Microsoft 365, and more
Video Pro — YouTube, NBA TV, NBA League Pass, iWant, and Cignal Play
Games Pro — Mobile Legends, Clash of Clans, Clash Royale, Arena of Valor, and Facebook Gaming
Stories Pro — Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter

Smart’s GIGA PRO works regardless of the network. When connected to Smart’s 5G network, however, subscribers who have the latest 5G-enabled devices can even take advantage of faster speeds, real-time streaming, and lag-less gaming experience.

Registering to GIGA PRO is simple. Smart offers two ways to subscribe: one, through the GigaLife app available for Android and iOS; and two, by dialing *123#, choosing GIGA PRO and selecting the preferred promo.

Subscribers can know more about Smart GIGA PRO through their website.

Deals

Smart postpaid plans for Samsung Galaxy S20 FE

Starts at PhP 900 with one-time fee of PhP 18,600 for Plan S

Published

October 28, 2020

Kenrick Buduan

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is available in the Philippines right now, but those waiting for the device to come on carrier plans are out of luck until now. Smart is now offering the budget flagship device on its Signature Plans, starting at PhP 999 per month.

Like other devices on Signature Plans, the device is available on four plan tiers — S, M, L, and XL. Across all plan tiers, there are two payment options for the device. These payment options differ by the amount of one-time cashout and the monthly fee.

Signature Plan S

	Payment Option 1	Payment Option 2
Amount of Data	5GB
Texts	Unlimited to all networks
Calls	Unlimited to Smart and Sun, 100 mins to other networks
One-time cashout	PhP 18,600	N/A
Monthly fee	PhP 999	N/A

Signature Plan M

	Payment Option 1	Payment Option 2
Amount of Data	10GB
Texts	Unlimited to all networks
Calls	Unlimited to Smart and Sun, 100 mins to other networks
One-time cashout	PhP 15,000	PhP 5,820
Monthly fee	PhP 1,499	PhP 1,899

Signature Plan L

	Payment Option 1	Payment Option 2
Amount of Data	15GB
Texts	Unlimited to all networks
Calls	Unlimited to Smart and Sun, 150 mins to other networks
One-time cashout	PhP 15,000	PhP 4,510
Monthly fee	PhP 1,999	PhP 2,299

Signature Plan XL

	Payment Option 1	Payment Option 2
Amount of Data	30GB
Texts	Unlimited to all networks
Calls	Unlimited to Smart and Sun, 300 mins to other networks
One-time cashout	PhP 4,100	PhP 1,810
Monthly fee	PhP 2,999	PhP 3,099

Plan renewals and new applications can be done via Smart’s online store. Select Smart physical stores are also open to serve customers and subscribers alike. Smart postpaid subscribers will get special discount rates on the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE upon renewal of their plan.