StarHub introduces new contract-free, SIM-only plans with large data bundles

Note: This article was first published on Dec 5, 2018.

StarHub has just announced three new SIM-only plans: $25 SIM Only, $50 SIM Only, and $80 SIM Only. While the telco has had SIM-only plans before this, these new plans stand out with their large data bundle and no-contract option.

And here’s the kicker: because you can also sign up to the same three plans with a contract, StarHub is taking the opportunity to streamline its entire postpaid portfolio and replace its current SIM Only and Weekend Unlimited plans with these new plans. In other words, the existing XS, S, M, L, and XL plans are going away.

As you can tell by now, the three new plans are named based on their monthly fee. In a nutshell:

S$25 SIM Only - 13GB (3 + 10) monthly data and 100 minutes local talktime

(3 + 10) monthly data and local talktime S$50 SIM Only - 40GB (30 + 10) monthly data and 300 minutes local talktime

(30 + 10) monthly data and local talktime S$80 SIM Only - 70GB (60 + 10) monthly data and 500 minutes local talktime

Note that these data bundle numbers are after adding the bonus 10GB (each month, for one year) that StarHub is giving to the first 10,000 customers who sign up, which means the actual monthly data allocation for each plan is 3GB, 30GB, and 60GB respectively. StarHub says the plans will revert to these allocations automatically after the bonus period, instead of surprising users with an add-on charge.

In addition to scrapping all one-time administrative, activation, and SIM card fees, the three new plans also come with other perks. For example, Caller Number Display (Caller ID) and International Roaming, two add-on services that usually cost S$15.35/month, are now free.

For those who need more data, you can top up selectively to get data-free usage for the following scenarios:-

S$3 for 1GB of one-time data add-on - perfect when you're running low and you need a wee bit more data to tide you over till the next month's data allotment kicks in.

of one-time data add-on - perfect when you're running low and you need a wee bit more data to tide you over till the next month's data allotment kicks in. S$6 each month to get unlimited weekend data - surf, stream and share to your heart's content every weekend.

to get - surf, stream and share to your heart's content every weekend. S$6 per month for Unlimited Chat - unlimited data usage on the following apps: Line, WeChat and Whatsapp.

- unlimited data usage on the following apps: Line, WeChat and Whatsapp. S$10 per month for Unlimited Social - unlimited data usage on social media apps: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.

- unlimited data usage on social media apps: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter. S$10 per month for Unlimited Video - unlimited data usage on these video streaming apps: CatchPlay, HBO GO, Netflix and Toggle.

- unlimited data usage on these video streaming apps: CatchPlay, HBO GO, Netflix and Toggle. S$10 each month to get an additional 10GB.

to get an You can also pay extra to get more voice minutes (S$10 for 800 minutes) and send SMS messages (S$3 for 500 SMS).

Now, if StarHub is changing its entire consumer postpaid mobile plan lineup to just these three plans, how do customers get discounted phones then?

According to the telco, just add S$25 per month to the cost of the plan when you want to get a discounted phone - this will effectively turn the no-contract SIM-only plan into a regular with-contract plan. (E.g., with contract, the 30GB plan now costs S$75/month.) With-contract sign-ups will get the same 10GB data bonus for the full 24-month term.

Here’s a table summarizing the new plans in greater detail:

You can visit www.starhub.com/mobile from 9AM tomorrow (Dec 6) to sign up for the new plans and arrange for free home delivery; you can also sign up at any StarHub Shop. Plan modification (e.g., configuring the add-ons) can be done through the My StarHub app, which is getting an update soon. According to StarHub, the Android app will be updated first, followed by the iOS app within the next two weeks.