Quick post just before we shut down for the night. Walking around DickSmith at lunch today I couldn’t help but notice that Boost Mobile had sharpened their pencils and put forward a really competitive starter pack. Boost Connect is now offering a USB stick for $49 with 2GB of data that lasts for 20 days. Recharge packs then start at $10 for 360MB increasing to 7.2GB for $100 lasting for 60 days.

My prediction was that at some stage prepaid usb’s would be handed out the same way they hand out prepaid mobile sim cards. These now cost $2 in most stores.

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This is the prediction from Sony Ericsson Chief Executive Bert Nordberg that within 5 years half of all mobile phone users in China will be using smartphones.

With the popularity of Android based mobile phones ever increasing as more mobile phone manufactures such as Sony Ericsson, HTC and Motorola (to name a few) adopt this platform on their phones.

According to market researcher IDC, it estimates a 50% increase in smartphone sales in China from 2009. That’s a massive 26 million smartphones to be sold in China this year.

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To assist customers who can’t decide what they need or require a little more information, PrepaidPlans offers a free chat support service that gets some reasonable use, particularly of late.  What I thought I would do today is give you an insight into what a typical dilemma faced by a customer is. I have taken all name references out, but it should make an interesting read for a marketing representative from one of the major carriers.

This client’s name is Peter (not his real name)

Hi, I currently use vodafones $49 cap. It lasts us about 20-25 days on average (so just about right), but we notice that we are running out quicker now than a few years ago and so are now looking for something with a little better value (it used to last us 25-30 days). We do about 50% texting and 50% talking. Most calls are in the 1-3min range with maybe 10 calls a month up to 10mins. And none of our friends are on vodafone (not that we can see on our call summary – so the V2V credits don’t count for much). I also don’t MMS, use video or internet from my phone. I would like your advice on what you would suggest would be a better way to get the same value from the $49 we spend a month. I think Crazy Johns is a little better from your site with lower call cost (39 v 44.5c), flagfall (35 v 39c) and sms cost (25 v 28C) and also a higher cap of $390 vs $350 with Vodafone. Am i reading it right? Maybe in other words, what is the best value $49-ish cap out there for my general situation? Also is there a way of reducing our call costs below approx $50 a month from our current usage. I thought Virgin’s Bean Counter might be the way to go, but then I realised that the 10c/min is for actual credit. I’d appreciate some direction as I have looked through most of your site and have found it useful though not conclusive to my personal details as mentioned above. Looking forward to your advice.

Peter

Lets get the first issue out of the way by comparing what you get with Vodafone to Virgin’s Bean Counter. This is how I normally compare plans, its pretty straight forward.

The FlexiCap $49 gives you $350 credit to anyone and $350 to Vodafone. Call rates are 89c per minute + 39c connection fee
Based on this, from your $350 credit to anyone you get about 114, 3 minute calls ($3.09 per call)

Virgin’s Bean Counter will cost you 10c per min + 25c connection fee. To make the same amount of calls, you would need to spend $63 per month (55c * 114). You also don’t get the extra $350 calls to Vodafone, however your credit lasts for 45 days instead of Vodafone’s 30.

Based on your usage of 10 calls for 10mins ($9.29 each) and the rest at 2 mins ($2.17), your Vodafone account should give you 118, 2 minute calls. Doing the same volume with the Bean Counter would cost you $12.50 for the ten 10 minute calls and $53 for the 118, 2 minute calls (total of about $65 dollars per month).

So, Bean Counter doesn’t offer you anymore in value.

Lets compare Crazy John’s
$49 Crazy Cap – gives you $390 in credit with call rates of 78c per min and 35c connection fee. Total number of 3 minutes calls is 144 calls. Now based on your usage, you would get access to 10 calls for 10mins ($8.15 each) and 161, 2 min calls. Crazy John’s gives you just over 20 more calls than what you are getting with Vodafone and its also on the Vodafone network, plus your credit lasts for 45 days, not 30.

Some other plans to consider are:

Vodafone sim only $55 Cap – $550 Credit + 1GB data + Call Rates are 90c per min + 35c flagfall
So when you compare your usage with this plan you get 10 calls for 10mins ($9.35 each) + 212, 2 minute calls
This is a month to month plan, no contract.
Free calls to Vodafone and 3 Mobile

Virgin Caps – $45 – Gives you $320 in credit + 50MB + 1GB bonus + Call Rates are 90c per min + 40c flagfall
Free calls to Virgin 24/7
So when you compare your usage with this plan you get 10 calls for 10mins ($9.40 each) + 102, 2 minute calls

Virgin Sim only Easy Cap $49 – $540 Credit + 500MB + Call Rates are 99c per min + 40c flagfall
Free calls to Virgin 24/7
So when you compare your usage with this plan you get 10 calls for 10mins ($10.30 each) + 183, 2 minute calls

TPG Mobile $49 – $1000 Credit + $1000 Credit to TPG mobiles + 500MB + Call Rates are 80c per min + 35c flagfall
So when you compare your usage with this plan you get 10 calls for 10mins ($8.35 each) + 470, 2 minute calls
They use the Optus network and no contract applies – month to month plan

Think Mobile $50 Cap – $500 credit to landlines & mobiles + Call Rates are 80c per min + 40c flagfall
So when you compare your usage with this plan you get 10 calls for 10mins ($8.40 each) + 208, 2 minute calls
Choose btw the Telstra or Vodafone networks

I can’t make the decision for you but hopefully these plans give you something to compare to. Based on your usage, a month to month plan will give you more value. Remember these are no contract plans, you can leave whenever you want.

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Crazy John’s seem to have made a major move in the low cost prepaid mobile market with the recent introduction of their Flat Chat prepaid mobile plan.

Crazy John’s is owned by the Vodafone/3 Group and it seems that this will be their key product range targeted at the low cost end of the market. The Flat Chat plan is cheap.

Call rate is 10c per minute and the flagfall is 30c. You also have access to 1c texts (up to 100 per day). So if you make a 2 minute call, you are up for just 50c. This is cheap and at the moment is sitting just behind Virgin’s Bean Counter. which has identical rates, although call rates are charged at 30 sec intervals instead of Crazy John’s 60c and Virgin’s flagfall is just 25c.

Its a great deal and the bonus of the 1c texts is really appealing for the school students who must sms each other about everything.

A $25 recharge will last for 25 days (Virgin’s lasts for 45 days), $35 for 35 days, $45 for 45 days and lasts $55 for 55 days.

Competition is good and healthy for everyone. Keep up the good work Crazy John’s, hope to see more from you soon.

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Kiss Mobile look to be getting ready to launch an exciting new website and a range of new plans that will provide smart phone users with more options than ever before. My advice was to ensure they included a 500MB option in their range as I know that is what I spend on my phone each month.

KISS Mobile has been around for some time. They were one of the original sim only plans when I started the prepaidplans website and have continued to be innovative with their range of mobile data plans.

So with the launch of their new website, they are also providing all new customers with some freebies.  New Orders get free SIM card shipping & any amounts between $30 and $100 get a 20% bonus. Visit Kiss Mobile now!

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Mazuma Mobile will pay you cash for your mobile and send you a prepaid envelope to submit it.

While you’re not likely to make a fortune from that ageing small-screen phone — the starting price for some older models is just $1.60 — it makes more sense to cash in your phone (after deleting all your personal data) than leave it languishing in your drawer, and selling it to Mazuma is less hassle than flogging it on eBay or the like.

Go to http://www.mazumamobile.com.au/index.php

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If you want to check out what Vodafone has been upto you can view their very own YoutTube channel.

http://www.youtube.com/vodafoneaustralia#p/p

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We’re excited about the new Telstra Pre-Paid Cap+ offer for a few reasons…

1. We’ve designed a Pre-Paid cap that’s not only easy to understand, but also offers great value;
2. We’ve kept things simple – no worrying about the network your friends are on;
3. It’s flexible, and allows you to keep control of your spending each month;
4. We’ve kept rollover credits, so recharge within 30 days and any unused recharge credit rolls over for another 30 days; and
5. You can enjoy Telstra’s new Tribe® service, which offers FREE Facebook, Twitter and MySpace access within Australia.

Here’s what you get

• Your bonus credit can be used to SMS and make standard national calls to Australian and International numbers on any network, at any time of any day;
• Bonus data so you can check your email, Facebook or browse the internet on your compatible mobile while in Australia;
• And the recharge credit can be used on whatever you want, such as the latest ringtones, callertones, games and Mobile FOXTEL from Telstra.

If you want to take up one of our new Telstra Pre-Paid Cap+ offers or just want to know more about them before you decide, check-out Telstra Pre-Paid offers.

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Earlier this year, I predicted that usb sticks would get to zero before the end of the year, well we aren’t quite there yet but getting closer with Vodafone’s new offer of $49 for the USB and 1GB of data that last for 30 days. This is by far the cheapest of the prepaid mobile broadband packs in the market today. Of the providers that is most likely to follow suit is probably Virgin who have to date resisted dropping their prices but rather have added more value into their offer with 5GB for $89.

However if price is all that matter for you then get in quick to get your $49 usb stick and get online anywhere any time you want to.

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