Ultimate Samsung Galaxy S21 series telco price vs SIM-only price comparison

In a move that surprised no one, Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy S21 series of phones will ship without a charger after it made fun of Apple for doing so.

But hilarious backpedalling aside, the company has just announced the latest iterations of the Galaxy S lineup: the Samsung Galaxy S21 series of phones with 5G

Most significantly, this year’s Galaxy S21 phones are actually cheaper than last year’s Galaxy S20 phones at launch.

For example, the Samsung Galaxy S20 (128GB) launched at a recommended retail price (RRP) of $1,298 while the Galaxy S21 with double the storage is launching at an RRP $1,248.

If you are looking to buy a Galaxy S21 series phone, you are in the right place.

Check out our comparison of getting a Samsung Galaxy S21 series phone from the telcos (Circles.Life, Singtel, Starhub and M1) with a contract; versus getting it directly from Samsung and taking up a cheap SIM-Only plan (Grid Mobile).

As far as possible, we are comparing the plans with a similar amount of mobile data as the main criteria.

We will also be comparing the pre-order goodies you get as well!

TL;DR: Ultimate Samsung Galaxy S21 telco price vs Samsung Galaxy S21 SIM-only price comparison

 

*For CirclesLife’s 24-month Samsung Galaxy S21 combo plans (with phone), there is no contract as you can terminate the contract anytime without incurring any termination fees. But, do note that the $18 monthly fee you are paying for the plan is a promotional offer for new users that will revert back to $28 monthly after a year.

You will also need to continue paying up the remaining amount you owe on the instalment plans for the cost of the phone.

Here are your options, click on the links to jump to a section.

• Samsung Galaxy S21 series overview
• Buying direct from Samsung and taking up a SIM-Only Plan
• Circles.Life iPhone 12 Telco Prices
• M1 iPhone 12 Telco Prices
• Singtel iPhone 12 Telco Prices
• StarHub iPhone 12 Telco Prices

Samsung Galaxy S21 series overview

But before we begin, here is a quick overview of the phones:

Samsung Galaxy S21 design

Also, an important thing to note is that all three phones have Corning Gorilla Glass Victus screens.

But, both the Samsung Galaxy S21 and S21+ have a plastic back while the S21 Ultra has a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus back.

Samsung Galaxy S21 specifications

Samsung Galaxy S21 price

In terms of pricing, the phones retail from S$1,248 for the most affordable S21 phone, to S$1,798 for the most expensive S21 Ultra.

Samsung Galaxy S21 launch date Singapore

At the time of writing, the phones are now available for pre-order if you are buying a set without a contract or via the telcos from Jan 15, 2021, 10am.

Once you have pre-ordered your Galaxy S21 series phone, you can expect to receive the phones by Jan 29, 2021.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Series (No-Contract) Pre-Order Promotion

If you choose to pre-order the Galaxy S21 series phones directly from Samsung without a contract via the:

• Samsung Online Store
• Samsung Official Stores on Lazada and Shopee.
• Samsung Experience Stores
• Selected information technology or consumer electronic goods stores.

You are entitled to the following pre-order gifts after payment has been made and the phone is collected:

• Galaxy S21 or S21+ pre-order gift: Free pair of Galaxy Buds Live (black) + Smart Tag (black) BLE (total worth $336) and Samsung Care+ for 12 months (worth $100)
• Galaxy S21 Ultra pre-order gift: Free pair of Galaxy Buds Pro (silver) + Smart Tag (black) BLE (total worth $356) and Samsung Care+ for 12 months (worth $100)

Do note that the offers end 28 Jan 2021. While stocks last. T&Cs apply.

For all Galaxy S21 series phones, you will get free four months of YouTube Premium as well.

Samsung Galaxy S21 series telco pre-order promotion

If you choose to pre-order the Galaxy S21 series phones with a contract from the telcos:

• Singtel
• Starhub
• M1

You are entitled to the following pre-order gifts after payment has been made and the phone is collected:

• Galaxy S21 pre-order gift: Galaxy SmartTag (Black) and Galaxy Buds Live (Black) with a total RRP of $336
• Galaxy S21+ and Galaxy S21 Ultra pre-order gift: Galaxy Tab A7 (64GB, Wi-Fi) with RRP of $448

Also do note that the Galaxy S21 Series 5G phones are available for pre-order direct from Samsung or the telcos till 28 Jan 2021.

Keep this in mind. Now let’s move on to the comparison.

Cheapest SIM Only plans Singapore

To find the cheapest SIM Only plans we will be referring to the comprehensive comparison of the cheapest SIM Only plans that we put together.

For the cheapest SIM-Only plans, your top two options for the cheapest SIM Only plan are:

• TPG 50GB SIM Only Plan ($10/month)
• Grid Mobile 20GB SIM Only Plan ($17.90/month)

Amongst the three, Grid Mobile will be used for the comparison as it is the second most affordable mobile plan and has quite a bit of data.

We are not looking at TPG as their network coverage is not as comprehensive as M1, Singtel and StarHub or Circles.Life or Grid Mobile which uses M1 and Singtel’s network respectively.

Grid Mobile SIM Only Plan + Samsung Galaxy S21 (256GB) With No-Contract Plan and cost

For the uninitiated, Grid Mobile is one of the newer MVNOs and is a joint venture between Singtel and ST Telemedia.

 

Apart from TPG’s offering, Grid Mobile’s 20GB SIM Only Mobile Plan which costs just $17.90 a month is a good deal in our books.

You even get free Caller ID (erm… hello? Singtel? Why’re you still charging for it on your own SIM Only plan?!).

However, do note that you will have to do without 5G

To illustrate the total cost of this approach, we will be buying a Samsung Galaxy S21 (256GB), and subscribing to Grid Mobile’s 20GB SIM Only Mobile Plan for 24 months.

We are using the Galaxy S21 as I would think that this is the phone most people would buy, considering that it the most affordable phone in the S21 lineup.

Cost

• Monthly Gird Mobile Subscription Costs (24 Months): $430 (rounded up)
• Samsung Galaxy S21 (256GBUpfront Costs: $1,248
• Total Cost: $1,678

Circles Life Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+ And S21 Ultra combo plan

First up we have the prices for the Circles.Life’s Samsung Galaxy S21 series combo plans.

 For CirclesLife’s 24-month Samsung Galaxy S21 combo plans (with phone) that costs $70 per month; there is no contract as you can terminate the contract anytime without incurring any penalty.

But, do note that the $18 monthly fee you are paying for the plan is a promotional offer for new users that will revert back to $28 monthly after a year.

You will also need to continue paying up the remaining amount you owe on the instalment plans for the cost of the phone.

As such, for the Circles.Life Samsung Galaxy S21 series telco plans, you are basically paying for the price of the SIM-Only subscription and the cost of the phone.

When you compare the Grid Mobile + buying the Samsung Galaxy S21 approach, to the Circles.Life S21 Combo plan; you’ll find that the Grid Mobile approach is still slightly more affordable.

For example, you will be paying $1,678 in total if you bought the S21 directly and used Grid Mobile for 24 months.

Circles.Life Galaxy S21 price

With Circles.Life, you will be paying $1,680 in total. That’s a negligible $2 difference over 24 months if you’re counting.

Also, there is no 5G for the Circles.Life plan.

Circles.Life Payment

As for payment, you can pay for your Circles.Life plan’s mobile plan fee directly with your credit card or debit card (Visa, Mastercard or Amex).

But for the phone itself, you can only pay for it via the Installment Payment Plan offered on DBS/POSB Credit Cards (Visa or Mastercard only).

Thus, the total cost of the phone split evenly into 24 monthly instalments with 0% interest and no upfront costs.

Granted, you can also choose to pay for the full cost of the phone upfront with your credit card or debit card (Visa, Mastercard or Amex) too.

Circles.Life pre-order gifts

If you pre-order the phone from Circles.Life, you will get free three months of free Unlimited Data with a flexible data plan and other benefits such as a $200 phone upgrade voucher every two years!

But unfortunately, you will be missing out on the pre-order gifts like the Galaxy Buds Live, Galaxy Buds Pro, the Galaxy SmartTag or the Galaxy Tab A7.

Next, we have the prices for M1’s Samsung Galaxy S21 series plans.

M1 Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+ And S21 ultra plans

When you compare the Grid Mobile + buying the phone with no contract approach to the M1 plans; you’ll find that you will have to pay more, with the difference in price expanding when you move up to the more expensive phone plans.

For example, let’s look at the Samsung Galaxy S21.

For Grid approach, you will have to pay $1,248 upfront for the and just $17.90 a month for however long you like as there is no contract.

But for the purposes of this comparison, we would assume you will use Grid mobile for 24 months.

In total, you will only be paying just $1,678.

Samsung Galaxy S21 M1 Price

However, if you opt for the M1 base plan + $1 add-on for comparable data, you will have to pay $630 for upfront for the phone and $50 a month for the plan.

In total, you will only be paying $1,830, a good $152 more than the Grid mobile approach!

Granted, you get up to 6 months of free 5G if pre-order the phone from M1.

M1 Samsung Galaxy S21 pre-order perks

But on balance, M1 is offering three months of free weekend data for new sign-ups (or six months if switching to M1) and 12 free months of VIU Premium.

You also get the Galaxy A7 (64GB, Wi-Fi) tablet for the Samsung Galaxy S21 and S21 Ultra if you buy the phone from M1 with a 2-year contract.

 Singtel Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+ And S21 ultra plans

Next up we have Singtel who have also released information about their Samsung Galaxy S21 series telco plans.

Do note that phone prices are inclusive of the discounts mentioned above.

When you compare the Grid Mobile + buying the phone with no contract approach to the Singtel plans; you’ll find that you will have to pay more, with the difference in price expanding when you move up to the more expensive phone plans.

For example, let’s look at the Samsung Galaxy S21.

For Grid approach, you will have to pay $1,248 upfront for the and just $17.90 a month for however long you like as there is no contract.

But for the purposes of this comparison, we would assume you will use Grid mobile for 24 months.

In total, you will only be paying just $1,678.

Singtel Samsung Galaxy S21 price

However, if you opt for the Singtel XO 48 plan, you will have to pay $628 for upfront for the phone and $48 a month for the plan.

In total, you will only be paying $1,780 in total, a good $102 more than the Grid mobile approach!

You even get 10GB less data than the Grid mobile plan.

Granted you get quite a bit of pre-order perks. But, I find that you can get better value with the other plans on this list.

 StarHub Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+ And S21 ultra plans

Now let’s look at StarHub’s contract offerings for the Samsung Galaxy S21 series.

You will receive an additional $300 phone discount if you are switching from other telcos to StarHub.

But, do note that this discount is only applicable to Mobile+ $95 2-year plan and above. Also, you get free Caller Number Display too!

Plus, you have the option to pay for the phone via instalments over the 24-month contract with $0 upfront cost.

Not to mention that if you sign up for StarHub’s Mobile+ plan, you are enrolled into StarHub’s 5G network at no extra cost.

Here are the price plans:

When you compare the Grid Mobile + buying the phone with no contract approach to the Starhub plans; you’ll find that you will have to pay more, with the difference in price expanding when you move up to the more expensive phone plans.

For example, let’s look at the Samsung Galaxy S21.

For Grid approach, you will have to pay $1,248 upfront for the and just $17.90 a month for however long you like as there is no contract.

But for the purposes of this comparison, we would assume you will use Grid mobile for 24 months.

In total, you will only be paying just $1,678.

StarHub Samsung Galaxy S21 Prices

However, if you opt for the basic Mobile+ ($65) plan, you will have to pay $499 upfront for the phone and $65 a month for the plan.

In total, you will only be paying $2,059, about a good $381 more than the Grid mobile approach.

However, you will be getting free 5G and 10GB more data for about $16 a month.

Starhub also offers 24-month device instalment plans, for customers who prefer to pay $0 upfront and spread out the cost of the phone.

The best part, you don’t need a credit card for their instalment plans.

Also, do note that the pre-order gifts are only available to customers who pre-ordered the new Samsung Galaxy S21 Series from Jan 15, 2021 to Jan 26, 2021

Closing thoughts

Aside from Circles Life and M1, you will be paying anywhere from $102 to $381 more when you sign up for a two-year contract with the telcos for the most affordable Galaxy S21.

Sure you get 5G connectivity and some perks for StarHub and a few months for M1, but you will be locked into a two-year contract with them.

I would very prefer the SIM-Only and no contract approach as I would not want to get locked into a contract and pay more.

But that’s just me.

However, if you have access to a Corporate Individual (CIS) scheme, it should be worth it to get a telco set as you can recontract after 21 months.

The overall discount is about 25 per cent, but you might want to do the math and compare prices.

Otherwise, the SIM only route is usually better.

Pro-tip: Some people will sell their brand new telco bought Samsung phones for a bit lower than retail prices on platforms like Carousell. You might be able to snag a deal so do check it out!

This article was first published in Seedly.