Complete iPhone 12 Telco Price vs Sim-Only Price Comparison

If you are looking to get an iPhone 12 series phone.

You’re in the right place.

Check out our comparison of getting an iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max from the telcos with a combo plan, vs getting it directly from Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) and taking up a SIM-Only plan.

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

The phones have been released in two waves. At the time of writing (6 November), you can buy the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro which started retailing on 23 October.

But for the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max, you will only be able to pre-order the phone from 6 November, 9pm while the phones will only be released on 13 November.

This is because these two phones will only be released on 16 November, with pre-orders starting 6 November.

With that said let’s jump right into the comparison!

Information accurate as of 7 November 2020.

TL;DR: Ultimate iPhone 12 Telco Price vs iPhone 12 SIM-Only Price Comparison

*For CirclesLife’s 24-month iPhone 12 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.

• Buying direct from Apple 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

iPhone 12 Apple Price + SIM Only Plan

To compare, SIM-only plans and Telco plans, we will be using the Apple store price paired with the cheapest SIM-Only plans and comparing them to the Telco plans.

iPhone 12 Price

Here’s a quick recap of the iPhone 12’s prices if you buy the phone directly from the online Apple Store.

Also, do note that the Apple store offers instalment plans with 0% instalments for 12 or 24 months with these banks.

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 my colleague 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 Mobile Plan ($17.90/month)

Amongst the two, Grid Mobile will be used for the comparison as it is the second most affordable mobile plan with at least 20GB 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.

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

Grid Mobile

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 ($17.90) is really 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?!).

Total Cost

To illustrate the total costs of this approach, we will be buying an iPhone 12 mini 64GB and subscribing to Grid Mobile’s 20GB SIM Only Mobile Plan for 24 months, since most of the Telco contracts are about this long.

We are using the iPhone 12 mini as I would think that this is the phone most people would buy, considering that it the most affordable iPhone 12 lineup phone.

Monthly Gird Mobile Subscription Costs (24 Months): $430 (rounded up)

iPhone 12 mini 64GB Upfront Costs: $1,149

Total Costs of Buying Direct From Apple and SIM-Only Plan: $1,579

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

Circles.Life iPhone 12 Price

First up we have the prices for the Circles.Life’s iPhone 12 lineup combo plans.

Circles.Life iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro Combo Plan

Circles.Life iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max Combo Plan

For Circles.Life’s 24-month iPhone 12 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.

This is what drives up the overall cost of the phone.

As such, for Circles.Life iPhone 12 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 iPhone 12 direct from Apple approach, to the Circles.Life iPhone 12 Combo plan; you’ll find that the Grid Mobile approach is still more affordable.

For example, you will be paying $1,579 in total if you bought the iPhone 12 mini from Apple and used Grid Mobile for 24 months. With Circles.Life, you will be paying $1,741 in total. That’s a $162 difference over 24 months if you’re counting.

This may become a better deal once Circles.Life 5G network is launched. But, at the moment you will be paying a bit of a premium for a similar service.

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).

However, 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), with 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.

iPhone 12 M1 Price

Next, we have the prices for M1’s iPhone 12 lineup plans.

For example, let’s look at the iPhone 12 mini 64GB.

For Grid approach, you will have to pay $1,149 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 $1,579.

However, if you opt for the M1 base plan + $10 for comparable data, you will have to pay $570 for upfront for the phone and $50 a month for the plan.

In total, you will only be paying $1,770, a good $192 more than the Grid mobile + buy direct from Apple approach!

M1 Perks

But on balance, M1 is offering $200 off for new sign-ups or when you switch to M1 (and an additional $100 if using Citi credit card for payment or $120 with Citi M1 card)

This is part of the other above mentioned perks for customers who sign up during the pre-order phase.

With the promo, you will be paying $1,570 in total, or $9 less than the Grid mobile + buy direct from Apple approach! If you have a Citi credit card, you’ll pay even less!

iPhone 12 Singtel Price

Next up we have Singtel who have also released information about their iPhone 12 lineup Telco plans.

But before you look at their price plans, here are few things to take note of.

The Combo and XO plans below come bundled with 5G NOW: an add-on that comes with an additional 10GB of local data (included in the plans) and access to Singtel’s 5G trial network.

However, you will need to pay an additional $10 for the monthly subscription fee for the plans.

If you opt-out from the 5G add-on, you will save $240 over the length of the contract. But, do note that you will be losing out on the $50 discount from 5G Now or the $100 discount from a new sign-up or upgrade from a lower-tier plan to XO 78 or XO 108.

Singtel iPhone 12 Plans

Details	Grid Mobile SIM Only Plan + Buy Direct From Apple	XO 48 + 5G	XO 78 + 5G	XO 108 + 5G	Combo 2 + 5G	Combo 3 + 5G	Combo 6 + 5G	Combo 12 + 5G
Monthly Subscription Fee	$17.90	$58.00	$88.00	$118.00	$52.90	$82.90	$109.90	$249.90
iPhone 12 (64GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months)	$1,299 $1,729	$698 $2,090	$328 $2,440	$68 $2,900	$788 $2,057.60	$548 $2,537.60	$338 $2,975.60	$0 $5,976
iPhone 12 (128GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months)	$1369 $1,799	$758 $2150	$398 $2,510	$68 $2,960	$848 $2,117.60	$608 $2,597.60	$398 $3,035.60	$0 $5,976
iPhone 12 (256GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months)	$1,539 $1,969	$918 $2,318	$548 $2,660	$68 $3,110	$1,008 $2,277.60	$768 $2,757.60	$398 $3,195.60	$0 $5,976
Contract Length	No Contract	24 Months
Data	20GB	20GB	50GB	80GB	12GB	14GB	17GB	22GB
Talktime	120 mins	100 mins	300 mins	500 mins	200 mins	10,000 mins
SMS	50	100 SMS	300 SMS	500 SMS	1,000 SMS	10,000 SMS
Caller ID	Free	$5.35/month + $10.70 activation fee
5G	-	5G NOW
Additional Perks	-	12 free months of Apple iCloud (50GB) 9 free months of Apple Arcade 12 FREE months Apple TV+ Free Weekend Local Data			12 free months of Apple iCloud (50GB) 9 free months of Apple Arcade 12 FREE months Apple TV+

Singtel iPhone 12 Pro Plans

Details	Grid Mobile SIM Only Plan + Buy Direct From Apple	XO 48 + 5G	XO 78 + 5G	XO 108 + 5G	Combo 2 + 5G	Combo 3 + 5G	Combo 6 + 5G	Combo 12 + 5G
Monthly Subscription Fee	$17.90	$58.00	$88	$118.00	$52.90	$82.90	$109.90	$249.90
iPhone 12 Pro (128GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months)	$1,649 $2,079	$1,018 $2,410	$648 $2,760	$378 $3,210	$1,108 $2,377.60	$868 $2,857.60	$658 $3,295.6	$0 $5,976
iPhone 12 Pro (256GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months)	$1,819 $2,249	$1,168 $2,560	$798 $2,910	$538 $3,370	$1,258 $2527.60	$1,018 $3,007.60	$808 $3,445.60	$0 $5,976
iPhone 12 Pro (512GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months)	$2,149 $2,579	$1,468 $2,860	$1,108 $3,220	$838 $3,670	$1,558 $2,827.60	$1,318 $3,308.20	$1,108 $3,745.60	$268 $6.254
Contract Length	No Contract	24 Months
Data	20GB	20GB	50GB	80GB	12GB	14GB	17GB	22GB
Talktime	120 mins	100 mins	300 mins	500 mins	200 mins	10,000 mins
SMS	50	100 SMS	300 SMS	500 SMS	1,000 SMS	10,000 SMS
Caller ID	Free	$5.35/month + $10.70 activation fee
5G	-	5G NOW
Additional Perks	-	12 free months of Apple iCloud (50GB) 9 free months of Apple Arcade 12 FREE months Apple TV+ Free Weekend Local Data			12 free months of Apple iCloud (50GB) 9 free months of Apple Arcade 12 FREE months Apple TV+

Singtel iPhone 12 Mini Plans

Details	Grid Mobile SIM Only Plan + Buy Direct From Apple	XO 48 + 5G	XO 78 + 5G	XO 108 + 5G	Combo 2 + 5G	Combo 3 + 5G	Combo 6 + 5G	Combo 12 + 5G
Monthly Subscription Fee	$17.90	$58.00	$88.00	$118.00	$52.90	$82.90	$109.90	$249.90
iPhone 12 Mini (64GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months)	$1,149 $1,579	$558 $1,950	$198 $2,310	$0 $2,832	$648 $1917.60	$408 $2,397.60	$198 $2,835.60	$0 $5,997.60
iPhone 12 Mini (128GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months)	$1,219 $1,649	$628 $2,020	$258 $2,370	$0 $2,832	$718 $2,017.60	$478 $2476.60	$268 $2,905.60	$0 $5,997.60
iPhone 12 Mini (256GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months)	$1,389 $1,819	$778 $2,170	$408 $2,520	$148 $2,980	$868 $2137.60	$628 $2,617.60	$418 $3,055.60	$0 $5,997.60
Contract Length	No Contract	24 Months
Data	20GB	20GB	50GB	80GB	12GB	14GB	17GB	22GB
Talktime	120 mins	100 mins	300 mins	500 mins	200 mins	10,000 mins
SMS	50	100 SMS	300 SMS	500 SMS	1,000 SMS	10,000 SMS
Caller ID	Free	$5.35/month + $10.70 activation fee
5G	-	5G NOW
Additional Perks	-	12 free months of Apple iCloud (50GB) 9 free months of Apple Arcade 12 FREE months Apple TV+ Free Weekend Local Data			12 free months of Apple iCloud (50GB) 9 free months of Apple Arcade 12 FREE months Apple TV+

Singtel iPhone 12 Pro Max Plans

Details	Grid Mobile SIM Only Plan + Buy Direct From Apple	XO 48 + 5G	XO 78 + 5G	XO 108 + 5G	Combo 2 + 5G	Combo 3 + 5G	Combo 6 + 5G	Combo 12 + 5G
Monthly Subscription Fee	$17.90	$58.00	$88.00	$118.00	$52.90	$82.90	$109.90	$249.90
iPhone 12 Pro Max (128GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months)	$1,649 $2,079	$1,148 $2,540	$788 $2,900	$518 $3,350	$1,238 $2,507.60	$1,008 $2,997.60	$788 $3,425.60	$8 $6,005.60
iPhone 12 Pro Max (256GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months)	$1,819 $2.249	$1,308 $2,700	$938 $3,050	$668 $3,500	$1,398 $2,667.60	$1,158 $3,147.60	$948 $3,585.60	$108 $6,105.60
iPhone 12 Pro Max (512GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months)	$2,149 $2,579	$1,608 $3,000	$1,238 $3,350	$968 $3,800	$1,698 $2967.60	$1,458 $3,447.60	$1,248 $3,885.60	$408 $6,405.60
Contract Length	No Contract	24 Months
Data	20GB	20GB	50GB	80GB	12GB	14GB	17GB	22GB
Talktime	120 mins	100 mins	300 mins	500 mins	200 mins	10,000 mins
SMS	50	100 SMS	300 SMS	500 SMS	1,000 SMS	10,000 SMS
Caller ID	Free	$5.35/month + $10.70 activation fee
5G	-	5G NOW
Additional Perks	-	12 free months of Apple iCloud (50GB) 9 free months of Apple Arcade 12 FREE months Apple TV+ Free Weekend Local Data			12 free months of Apple iCloud (50GB) 9 free months of Apple Arcade 12 FREE months Apple TV+

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

When you compare the Grid Mobile + buying the iPhone 12 direct from Apple 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 iPhone 12 mini 64GB model.

For Grid, you will have to pay $1,149 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 $1,579.

However, if you opt for the basic Singtel XO 48 plan, you will have to pay $558 for upfront for the phone and $58 a month for the plan.

In total, you will only be paying $1,950 a good $371 more than the Grid mobile + buy direct from Apple approach!

iPhone 12 StarHub Price

Now let’s look at StarHub’s contract offerings for the iPhone 12 lineup.

A few things to take note of for the Mobile+ consumer plans:

You will receive an additional $200 phone discount if you are switching from other telcos to StarHub.

You also 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 trial 5G network at no extra cost.

StarHub iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro Plans

Here are StarHub’s price plans for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro:

Details	Grid Mobile SIM Only Plan + Buy Direct From Samsung	Mobile+ ($65)	Mobile+ ($95)	Mobile+ ($155)
Monthly Subscription Fee	$17.90	$65.00	$95.00	$155.00
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G (256GB) Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months)	$1,248 $1,678	$499 $2,059	$199 $2,479	$0 $3,720
Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G (256GB) Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months)	$1,498 $1,928	$719 $2,279	$449 $2,729	$0 $3,720
Samsung Galaxy S21+ Ultra 5G (256GB) Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months)	$1,798 $2,228	$969 $2,529	$699 $2,979	$149 $3,869
Samsung Galaxy S21+ Ultra 5G (512GB) Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months)	$1,998 $2,428	$1,149 $2,709	$889 $3,169	$349 $4,069
Contract Length	No contract	24 Months
Data	20GB	30GB	60GB	120GB
Talktime	120 mins	200 mins	600 mins	1,000 mins
SMS	50	200 SMS	600 SMS	1,000 SMS
Caller ID	Free	Free
5G	-	Free access to StarHub's 5G network
Additional Perks	-	Free 12 months of StarHub TV+ & Hotstar Free 1 month Antstream Enjoy an extra $300 OFF when you switch to StarHub or sign up for a new line. (Applicable to Mobile+ $95 2-year plan and above)
Pre-Order Gifts	Galaxy S21 & S21+: Galaxy Buds Live (black) Galaxy Smart Tag (black) 12 months of Samsung Care+ Galaxy S21 Ultra: Galaxy Buds Pro (silver) Galaxy Smart Tag (black) BLE 12 months of Samsung Care+	Galaxy S21: Galaxy Buds Live (black) Galaxy Smart Tag (black) 12 months of Samsung Care+ Galaxy S21+ & Ultra: Galaxy Tab A7(Gray, 64GB, Wi-Fi)

StarHub iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max Plans

Details	Grid Mobile SIM Only Plan + Buy Direct From Apple	Mobile+ ($65)	Mobile+ ($95)	Mobile+ ($155)
Monthly Subscription Fee	$17.90	$65.00	$95.00	$155.00
iPhone 12 mini (64GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months)	$1,149 $1,579	$449 $2,009	$199 $2,479	$0 $3,720
iPhone 12 mini (128GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months)	$1,219 $1,649	$509 $2,069	$259 $2,539	$0 $3,720
iPhone 12 (256GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months)	$1,389 $1,819	$669 $2,229	$419 $2,699	$0 $3,720
iPhone 12 Pro Max (128GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months)	$1,799 $2,229	$1,039 $2,599	$789 $3,069	$249 $3,969
iPhone 12 Pro Max(256GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months)	$1,969 $2,399	$1,189 $2,749	$939 $3,219	$409 $4,129
iPhone 12 Pro Max (512GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months)	$2,299 $2,729	$1,489 $3,049	$1,239 $3,519	$709 $4,429
Contract Length	No contract	24 Months
Data	20GB	30GB	60GB	120GB
Talktime	120 mins	200 mins	600 mins	1,000 mins
SMS	50	200 SMS	600 SMS	1,000 SMS
Caller ID	Free	Free
5G	-	StarHub's 5G trial network
Additional Perks	-	$200 off for those switching to Starhub 3 free months of Apple iCloud (50GB) 12 free months of Apple TV+ and StarHub TV+ Free SIM card & registration

When you compare the Grid Mobile + buying the iPhone 12 direct from Apple 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 iPhone 12 mini 64GB model.

For Grid, you will have to pay $1,149 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 $1,579.

However, if you opt for the basic Mobile+ ($65) plan, you will have to pay $449 for upfront for the phone and $65 a month for the plan.

In total, you will only be paying $2,009, about a good $430 more than the Grid mobile + buy direct from Apple approach!

Even with the port in/new customer discount, you will be paying $1,809 about a good $230 more than the Grid mobile + buy direct from Apple approach!

Starhub also offers 24-month device instalment plans, starting at just over $8 a month for customers who prefer to pay $0 upfront and spread out the cost of the phone.

Closing Thoughts

Aside from Circles Life and M1, you will be paying anywhere from $162 to $430 more when you sign up for a two-year contract with the telcos for the base iPhone 12 mini 64GB.

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

I would very prefer the SIM-Only and buy direct from Apple 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 iPhones for a bit lower than retail prices on platforms like Carousell. You might be able to snag a deal so do check it out!

Speaking of Sim-Only, check out our FREE SIM-Only Mobile Plans comparison tool if you are looking for the best SIM-Only plan for your phone!

Stay safe everyone!

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