If you are looking to get an iPhone 13 series phone.
You are in the right place.
We will be comparing the cost of getting an iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro Max from our local telcos with a two year plan, and getting it directly from Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) with a SIM-Only plan.
As far as possible, we are comparing the plans with a similar amount of mobile data as the main criteria.
At the time of writing (18 September 2021), you can now pre-order the iPhone 13 directly from Apple or from all the telcos listed here.
The phones will be officially launched in Singapore on 24 September 2021.
With that said, let’s jump right into the comparison!
Do note that the information is accurate as of 18 September 2021. Prices are subject to change without prior notice.
TL;DR: Ultimate iPhone 13 Telco Price vs iPhone 13 SIM-Only Price Comparison
| Details | giga! SIM-Only 40GB Plan + Buy Direct From Apple | Circles.Life Plan | M1 Base Plan | Singtel XO 68 + 5G | StarHub Mobile+ $65 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phone | iPhone 13 mini (128GB) | ||||
| Upfront Cost | $1,149 | $1,149 | $560 | $428 | $449 |
| Monthly Subsciption | $20.00 | $18/month (port-in) $28/month (new line) | $50.95 | $68 | $65 |
| Total Cost (24 Months) | $1,629 | $1,581 | $1,782.80 | $2,060 | $2,009 |
| Contract Length | No Contract | No Contract* | 24 Months | ||
| Data | 40GB | 20GB (Unlimited data for first month) | 20GB | 30GB | 30GB |
| Talktime | 500 mins | 100 mins (Unlimited talk time for first month) | 200 mins | 300 mins | 200 mins |
| SMS | 500 SMS | 25 SMS | 200 SMS | 300 SMS | 200 SMS |
| Caller ID | Free | Free | Free for 3 months for new sign-ups Free for 6 months for port-in | $5.35/month + $10.70 activation fee | $5/month |
| 5G | Not included (available as add-on for $10 a month)** | Not included (available as add-on for $7 a month) | Yes (free for 3 months) | Included | |
| Additional Perks | Free SIM card & registration Rollover data for 2 renewal cycles | Free SIM Card & registration, Unlimited WhatsApp, Voice & SMS Roaming New customers get to enjoy $30 off bill and 3 months of unlimited outbound data with promo code: LUCKY13 | Additional $100 off handset for Bespoke Flexi for existing customers Free Registration, SIM Card & Delivery | Free 6 months Apple TV Free 3 months Apple Music Free 9-months Apple Arcade Free 12-month iCloud subscription (Total worth $150) Plus, get up to $500 OFF your new iPhone and get up to $50 accessories voucher when you sign up for any 3 selected services and and a XO Plus 68 tier plan or higher as a new customer OR upgrade to a XO Plus 88 and above plan as an existing customer: 1) DATA X INFINITY for unlimited data access 2) MobileSwop Unlimited Premium for device protection 3) New Fibre Entertainment Bundle+ Free SIM card and registration | 3 months of Apple TV+ Free SIM card and registration |
*For Circles.Life’s 24-month iPhone 13 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 users porting over to Circles.Life. If you sign up for a new line with them, you will have to pay $28 a month. You will also need to continue paying up the remaining amount you owe on the instalment plans for the cost of the phone.
**giga! is offering its customers a 5G Non-Standalone network (NSA) connectivity pack on a four-month trial from 1 September to 31 December 2021.
Here are your options, click on the links to jump to a section.
- Buying an iPhone 13 directly from Apple and taking up a SIM-Only Plan
- Circles.Life iPhone 13 telco prices
- M1 iPhone 13 telco prices
- Singtel iPhone 13 telco prices
- StarHub iPhone 13 telco prices
Apple iPhone 13 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.
Apple iPhone 13 Price Singapore
Here’s a quick recap of the Apple iPhone 13 lineup’s prices if you buy the phone directly from the online Apple Store:
Also, Apple offers instalment plans with 0% instalments for 12 or 24 months with these banks.
Cheapest SIM-Only Plans Singapore
To find the most value for money SIM-Only plans, I used our handy dandy SIM-Only Mobile plan comparison tool with some filters for this comparison:
I’ve applied these filters to look for a SIM-Only plan where the majority do not have to worry about data, call time or SMSes.
The giga! plan will be used for the comparison as although it is not the cheapest, it provides quite good value for money.
But do note that you will also have to do without 5G unless you want to pay $10 more per month.
For context, giga! is a StarHub sub-brand mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that leases StarHub network infrastructure to offer its own mobile services in Singapore
giga! SIM Only Plan
In our books giga!’s SIM-Only 40GB Plan is a pretty good deal.
You even get free Caller ID and get to roll over unused data from your giga! plan for two renewal cycles, capped at 40GB for the 40GB plan at any point in time.
Total Cost
To illustrate the total cost of this approach, we will be buying an iPhone 13 mini (128GB) and subscribing to giga!’s SIM-Only 40GB Plan for 24 months, since most of the telco contracts are about this long.
We are using the iPhone 13 mini (128GB) as it is is the most affordable iPhone 13 lineup phone.
- Monthly giga! 40GB Plan Subscription Cost (24 Months): $480
- iPhone 13 mini (128GB) Upfront Cost: $1,149
- Total Cost of Buying Directly From Apple and SIM-Only Plan: $1,629
Keep this in mind. Now let’s move on to the comparison.
Circles.Life iPhone 13 Price
First up we have the prices for the Circles.Life’s iPhone 13 lineup plans.
Circles.Life iPhone 13 Mini and iPhone 13 Combo Plan Price
| Details | giga! SIM-Only 40GB Plan + Buy Direct From Apple: iPhone 13 mini (128GB) | Circles.Life: iPhone 13 mini (128GB) | Circles.Life: iPhone 13 mini (256GB) | Circles.Life: iPhone 13 mini (512GB) | Circles.Life: iPhone 13 (128GB) | Circles.Life: iPhone 13 (256GB) | Circles.Life: iPhone 13 (512GB) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront Cost | $1,149 | $1,149 | $1,319 | $1,649 | $1,299 | $1,469 | $1,799 |
| Monthly Subscription Fee | $20 | $18/month (port-in) $28/month (new line) |
|||||
| Total Cost (24 Months) | $1,629 | $1,581 | $1,751 | $2,081 | $1,731 | $1,901 | $2,231 |
| Data | 40GB | 20GB (Unlimited data for first month) |
|||||
| Talktime | 500 mins | 100 mins (Unlimited talk time for first month) |
|||||
| SMS | 500 SMS | 25 SMS | |||||
| Caller ID | Free | Free | |||||
| Contract Length | No Contract | No Contract* | |||||
| 5G | Not included (available as add-on for $10 a month) | No (available as add-on for $7 a month) | |||||
| Additional Perks | Free SIM card & registration Rollover data for 2 renewal cycles | Free SIM Card & registration, Unlimited WhatsApp, Voice & SMS Roaming New customers get to enjoy $30 off bill and 3 months of unlimited outbound data with promo code: LUCKY13 |
|||||
Circles.Life iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max Combo Plan Price
| Details | giga! SIM-Only 40GB Plan + Buy Direct From Apple: iPhone 13 Pro (128GB) | Circles.Life: iPhone 13 Pro (128GB) | Circles.Life: iPhone 13 Pro (256GB) | Circles.Life: iPhone 13 Pro (512GB) | Circles.Life: iPhone 13 Pro (1TB) | Circles.Life: iPhone 13 Pro Max (128GB) | Circles.Life: iPhone 13 Pro Max (256GB) | Circles.Life: iPhone 13 Pro Max (512GB) | Circles.Life: iPhone 13 Pro Max (1TB) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront Cost | $1,649 | $1,649 | $1,819 | $2,149 | $2,479 | $1,799 | $1,969 | $2,299 | $2,629 |
| Monthly Subscription Fee | $20 | $18/month (port-in) $28/month (new line) |
|||||||
| Total Cost (24 Months) | $2,109 | $2,081 | $2,251 | $2,581 | $2,911 | $2,231 | $2,401 | $2,731 | $3,061 |
| Data | 40GB | 20GB (Unlimited data for first month) |
|||||||
| Talktime | 500 mins | 100 mins (Unlimited talk time for first month) |
|||||||
| SMS | 500 SMS | 25 SMS |
|||||||
| Caller ID | Free | Free | |||||||
| Contract Length | No Contract | No Contract* | |||||||
| 5G | Not included (available as add-on for $10 a month) | No (available as add-on for $7 a month) | |||||||
| Additional Perks | Free SIM card & registration Rollover data for 2 renewal cycles | Free SIM Card & registration, Unlimited WhatsApp, Voice & SMS Roaming New customers get to enjoy $30 off bill and 3 months of unlimited outbound data with promo code: LUCKY13 |
|||||||
For Circles.Life’s 24-month iPhone 13 plans (with phone), you do not need to sign a contract. This means that you can terminate the contract anytime without incurring any termination fees.
But, you will also need to continue paying up the remaining amount you owe on the instalment plans for the cost of the phone.
Also, do note that the $18 monthly fee you are paying for the plan is a promotional offer for users porting over to Circles.Life.
If you sign up for a new line with Circles.Life, you will have to pay $28 a month.
As such, for Circles.Life iPhone 13 telco plans, you are basically paying for the price of the SIM-Only subscription and the cost of the phone.
When you compare the giga! + buying the iPhone 13 mini directly from Apple approach to the Circles.Life iPhone 13 plan; you’ll find that the Circles.Life approach is still slightly more affordable.
For example, you will be paying $1,629 in total if you bought the iPhone 13 mini directly from Apple and used giga! for 24 months.
With Circles.Life, you will be paying $1,581 in total which means you will be paying $48 less over 24 months compared to the giga! approach.
But, you will be getting half the data and a lot less talk time and SMSes.
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 also pay for it via the Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) plan offered on Atome, with the total cost of the phone split evenly into three monthly instalments with 0% interest.
You can also choose to take up their 24-months interest-free instalments option with any DBS/POSB credit card or pay for the whole phone upfront.
iPhone 13 M1 Price
Next, we have the prices for M1’s iPhone 13 lineup mobile plans.
Do note that for the telco plans, we will be doing a complete comparison for the base plans for a more fair comparison as the telcos offer wildly varying price plans.
M1 iPhone 13 Mini and iPhone 13 Plans
| Details | giga! SIM-Only 40GB Plan + Buy Direct From Apple | M1 $50.95 Base plan | $15 Add-on | $28 Add-on | $40 Add-on | $60 Add-on | $105 Add-on | $185 Add-on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Subscription Fee | $20 | $50.95 | $65.95 | $78.95 | $90.95 | $110.95 | $155.95 | $235.95 |
| iPhone 13 mini (128GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months) | $1,149 $1,629 | $560 $1,782.80 | $420 | $300 | $230 | $190 | $0 | $0 |
| iPhone 13 mini (256GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months) | $1,319 $1,799 | $720 $1,942.80 | $580 | $460 | $390 | $350 | $0 | $0 |
| iPhone 13 mini (512GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months) | $1,649 $2,129 | $1,020 $2,242.80 | $880 | $760 | $690 | $630 | $110 | $0 |
| iPhone 13 (128GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months) | $1,299 $1,779 | $700 $1,922.80 | $560 | $440 | $370 | $60 | $0 | $0 |
| iPhone 13 (256GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months) | $1,469 $1,949 | $850 $2,072.80 | $710 | $590 | $520 | $210 | $0 | $0 |
| iPhone 13 (512GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months) | $1,799 $2,279 | $1,150 $2,372.80 | $1,010 | $890 | $820 | $510 | $250 | $150 |
| Contract Length | No Contract | 24 months | 24 months | 24 months | 24 months | 24 months | 24 months | 24 months |
| Data | 40GB | 20GB | 35GB | 45GB | 65GB | 80GB | 125GB | Unlimited |
| Talktime | 500 mins | 200 mins | 300 mins | 300 mins | 500 mins | 800 mins | 1200 mins | Unlimited mins |
| SMS | 500 SMS | 200 SMS | 300 SMS | 300 SMS | 500 SMS | 800 SMS | 1200 SMS | 2000 SMS |
| Caller ID | Free | Free for 3 months for new sign-ups Free for 6 months for port-in |
||||||
| 5G | Not included (available as add-on for $10 a month) | Yes (free for 3 months) | Yes (free for 6 months) |
|||||
| Additional Perks | Free SIM card & registration Rollover data for 2 renewal cycles | Additional $100 off handset for Bespoke Flexi for existing customers Free Registration, SIM Card & Delivery |
||||||
M1 iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max Plans
| Details | giga! SIM-Only 40GB Plan + Buy Direct From Apple | M1 $50.95 Base plan | $15 Add-on | $28 Add-on | $40 Add-on | $60 Add-on | $105 Add-on | $185 Add-on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Subscription Fee | $20 | $50.95 | $65.95 | $78.95 | $90.95 | $110.95 | $155.95 | $235.95 |
| iPhone 13 Pro (128GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months) | $1,649 $2,129 | $1,020 $2,242.80 | $880 | $760 | $690 | $510 | $110 | $0 |
| iPhone 13 Pro (256GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months) | $1,819 $2,299 | $1,170 $2,392.80 | $1,030 | $910 | $840 | $660 | $270 | $170 |
| iPhone 13 Pro (512GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months) | $2,149 $2,629 | $1,470 $2,692.80 | $1,330 | $1,210 | $1,140 | $970 | $570 | $470 |
| iPhone 13 Pro (1TB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months) | $2,479 $2,959 | $1,770 $2,992.80 | $1,630 | $1,510 | $1,440 | $1,260 | $860 | $760 |
| iPhone 13 Pro Max (128GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months) | $1,799 $2,279 | $1,150 $2,372.80 | $1,010 | $890 | $820 | $650 | $250 | $150 |
| iPhone 13 Pro Max (256GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months) | $1,969 $2,449 | $1,310 $2,532.80 | $1,170 | $1,050 | $980 | $800 | $400 | $310 |
| iPhone 13 Pro Max (512GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months) | $2,299 $2,779 | $1,610 $2,832.80 | $1,470 | $1,350 | $1,280 | $1,100 | $700 | $600 |
| iPhone 13 Pro Max (1TB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months) | $2,629 $3,109 | $1,910 $3,132.80 | $1,770 | $1,650 | $1,580 | $1,400 | $1,000 | $900 |
| Contract Length | No Contract | 24 months | ||||||
| Data | 40GB | 20GB | 35GB | 45GB | 65GB | 80GB | 125GB | Unlimited |
| Talktime | 500 mins | 200 mins | 300 mins | 300 mins | 500 mins | 800 mins | 1200 mins | Unlimited mins |
| SMS | 500 SMS | 200 SMS | 300 SMS | 300 SMS | 500 SMS | 800 SMS | 1200 SMS | 2000 SMS |
| Caller ID | Free | Free for 3 months for new sign-ups Free for 6 months for port-in |
||||||
| 5G | Not included (available as add-on for $10 a month) | Yes (free for 3 months) | Yes (free for 6 months) |
|||||
| Additional Perks | Free SIM card & registration Rollover data for 2 renewal cycles | Additional $100 off handset for Bespoke Flexi for existing customers Free Registration, SIM Card & Delivery |
||||||
When you compare the giga! + buying the iPhone 13 mini directly from Apple 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 iPhone 13 mini 128 GB.
For the giga! approach, you will have to pay $1,629 over 24 months.
However, if you opt for the M1 base plan you will have to pay ~$1,923 over 24 months
In total, you will be paying $294 more than the giga! mobile + buy directly from Apple approach for less than half the data, minutes and SMS.
But on balance, you will be getting free 5G for three months if you go with M1.
iPhone 13 Singtel Price
Next up we have Singtel who have also released information about their iPhone 13 lineup telco plans.
We will be looking at Singtel’s XO plans and excluding the more traditional Combo mobile plans with a big emphasis on Talktime as there is a bit of a mismatch for what most Singapore users want in 2021.
iPhone 13 StarHub Price
Now let’s look at StarHub’s contract offerings for the iPhone 13 lineup.
StarHub iPhone 13 mini Plans and iPhone 13 Plans
Here are StarHub’s price plans for the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro:
| Details | giga! SIM-Only 40GB Plan + Buy Direct From Apple | Mobile+ $65 Plan | Mobile+ $95 Plan | Mobile+ $125 Plan | Mobile+ $155 plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Subscription Fee | $20 | $65.00 | $95.00 | $125.00 | $155.00 |
| iPhone 13 mini (128GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months) | $1,149 $1,629 | $449 $2,009 | $199 | $0 | $0 |
| iPhone 13 mini (256GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months) | $1,319 $1,799 | $599 $2,159 | $349 | $79 | $0 |
| iPhone 13 mini (512GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months) | $1,649 $2,129 | $899 $2,459 | $649 | $379 | $119 |
| iPhone 13 (128GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months) | $1,299 $1,779 | $579 $2,139 | $329 | $69 | $0 |
| iPhone 13 (256GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months) | $1,469 $1,949 | $739 $2,299 | $489 | $219 | $0 |
| iPhone 13 (512GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months) | $1,799 $2,279 | $1,039 | $789 | $519 | $249 |
| Contract Length | No Contract | 24 months | |||
| Data | 40GB | 30GB | 60GB | 90GB | 120GB |
| Talktime | 500 mins | 200 mins | 600 mins | 800 mins | 1,000 mins |
| SMS | 500 SMS | 200 SMS | 600 SMS | 800 SMS | 1,000 SMS |
| Caller ID | Free | $5/month | |||
| 5G | Not included (available as add-on for $10 a month) | Free | |||
| Additional Perks | Free SIM card & registration Rollover data for 2 renewal cycles | 3 months of Apple TV+ Free SIM card and registration | 12 months of Disney+ on StarHub 3 months of Apple TV+ Free SIM card and registration |
||
StarHub iPhone 13 Pro Plans and iPhone Pro Max Plans
| Details | giga! SIM-Only 40GB Plan + Buy Direct From Apple | Mobile+ $65 Plan | Mobile+ $95 Plan | Mobile+ $125 Plan | Mobile+ $155 plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Subscription Fee | $20 | $65.00 | $95.00 | $125.00 | $155.00 |
| iPhone 13 Pro (128GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months) | $1,649 $2,129 | $899 $2,459 | $649 | $379 | $119 |
| iPhone 13 Pro (256GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months) | $1,819 $2,299 | $1,059 $2,619 | $799 | $539 | $269 |
| iPhone 13 Pro (512GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months) | $2,149 $2,629 | $1,359 $2,919 | $1,109 | $839 | $569 |
| iPhone 13 Pro (1TB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months) | $2,479 $2,959 | $1,659 $3,219 | $1,399 | $1,139 | $869 |
| iPhone 13 Pro Max (128GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months) | $1,799 $2,279 | $1,039 $2,599 | $789 | $519 | $249 |
| iPhone 13 Pro Max (256GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months) | $1,969 $2,449 | $1,189 $2,749 | $939 | $679 | $409 |
| iPhone 13 Pro Max (512GB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months) | $2,299 $2,779 | $1,489 $3,049 | $1,239 | $969 | $709 |
| iPhone 13 Pro Max (1TB): Upfront Cost Total Cost (24 months) | $2,629 $3,109 | $1,789 $3,349 | $1,539 | $1,279 | $1,009 |
| Contract Length | No Contract | 24 months | |||
| Data | 40GB | 30GB | 60GB | 90GB | 120GB |
| Talktime | 500 mins | 200 mins | 600 mins | 800 mins | 1,000 mins |
| SMS | 500 SMS | 200 SMS | 600 SMS | 800 SMS | 1,000 SMS |
| Caller ID | Free | $5/month | |||
| 5G | Not included (available as add-on for $10 a month) | Free | |||
| Additional Perks | Free SIM card & registration Rollover data for 2 renewal cycles | 3 months of Apple TV+ Free SIM card and registration | 12 months of Disney+ on StarHub 3 months of Apple TV+ Free SIM card and registration |
||
When you compare the giga! + buying the iPhone 13 mini directly from Apple approach to StarHub iPhone 13 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 13 mini 128 GB.
For the giga! approach, you will have to pay $1,629 over 24 months.
However, if you opt for StarHub’s Mobile+ $65 iPhone 13 mini plan, you are paying $2,009 over 24 months.
In total, you will be paying $380 more than the giga! + buy directly from Apple approach for less data, call time and SMSes.
But on balance, you will be getting free 5G if you go with StarHub.
You are also getting free Apple TV for three months and 12 months of free Disney+ plans.
Closing Thoughts
In conclusion, you will be paying more when you sign up for a two-year contract with the telcos for the base iPhone 13 mini (128GB).
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 much 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 re-contract 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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