How much will it cost to own an iPhone X in the Philippines?

The two cellular carriers in the country have announced their respective pre-orders for iPhone X last November 24th. Globe has their ThePLAN and ThePLATINUM plans for iPhone X, while Smart has their iPhone Plans and All-In Plans.

I’ve gathered the numbers from ThePLAN and iPhone Plan from Globe’s and Smart’s websites, respectively. Then I plotted the data in tables to make comparing the carriers’ offerings easier. The first table is for the 64GB version of iPhone X. The column headings indicate the monthly plan offered by Globe or Smart. The row headings show the handset cashouts under each carrier and then the total cost of ownership or TCO during the 24-month contract period.

The next table shows the cashout and TCO for the 256GB iPhone X.

I did not include Smart’s All-In Plan nor did I include Globe’s ThePLATINUM plan since Smart has yet to release details for iPhone X subscription under their Smart Infinity brand.

Smart offers cheaper cashouts than Globe. The price difference is as low as ₱800 (Plan 599, 256GB) to as much as ₱7200 (Plan 1499, 64GB).

But monthly fees and device cashouts are not the only things to consider. What are the bundles and add-ons that come with each subscription?

The next table shows each carriers’ call, SMS and data bundles as well as their added services.

When comparing data allocation options, Globe offers more GB than Smart at higher tier plans (1999 and 2499). Globe also has the advantage of unlimited calls within their network starting at ThePLAN 799 up to ThePLAN 2499. ThePLAN 2499 also offers a consumable amount of ₱502 per month. Smart, on the other hand, offers metered calls ranging from 30 minutes to up to 90 minutes for calling to all networks. Smart does unlimited SMS to all networks starting from iPhone plan 599 up to iPhone Plan 2999. Under Globe’s ThePLAN 599, a subscriber is limited to 150 minutes of calls within the Globe/TM network, and 150 SMS to all networks.

For added services, Globe offers free 1 GB per month for Spotify use for 24 months under ThePLAN 599 and 799. From ThePLAN 999 to 2999 a subscriber can have Spotify Premium for three months, and Netflix and Disney for six months. Smart does not have the same video-on-demand offering that Globe has but it does have Spinnr in lieu of Spotify, and other Value-Added Service or VAS, such as unlimited access to Facebook, unlimited chat using Facebook Messenger, Line, Viber, or WhatsApp, 600 MB access to YouTube, 200 MB access to either Twitter or Instagram, or unlimited use of Waze. An iPhone Plan subscriber has one free VAS or app per month, and is only allowed to change a free VAS subscription once every billing cycle.

vIn deciding which carrier to choose to get your iPhone X from, from a cost perspective, SMART’s cashout is cheaper by ₱800 to ₱7200, depending on the plan. If most of your contacts are in the Globe/TM network, then it woild be better to get ThePLAN from Globe as it offers unlimited SMS and/or unlimited calls to the same network. If you have always wanted to try out Spotify, or Netflix or Disney video-on-demand services, ThePLAN also is the better option.

For those whose contact list is a balance between the two competitors or skews towards the Smart network then Smart’s iPhone Plan might be the better option, with the metered calls and unlimited SMS to all networks. If you also find yourself using one specific app everyday such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Viber or Waze then the free VAS monthly is another advantage for you. Though once you start considering the higher tiered plans, the VAS becomes inconsequential and Globe’s ThePLAN 1999 and 2499 look to be real good deals.

Ultimately, it’s the combination of cost, your contact list’s network leaning, and mobile data usage that will determine which carrier you will choose for your iPhone X.