Infinity Data Wars: Which of The Unlimited Data Plans is The Best For You?

I’m sure that by now you would have heard about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. For the unfamiliar, it is a theory about the needs that motivate human behavior. Although the above addition to this diagram is a joke, there is some truth behind this. According to the annual Circles.Life Mobile Data Usage Survey 2017,, Singaporean consumers claimed that they can only last one day without data and that at least half of the consumers exceed their mobile data limits for the month. Thankfully, this is not going to be a problem for much longer. With the entrance of three Mobile Virtual Network Operators in the market; the established dominance of Singtel, Starhub and M1 have been challenged. With this shakeup, the Telcos in Singapore have been forced into action. This has indirectly resulted in the introduction of a number of unlimited data plans in Singapore.

However, as with most things in life, there are certain caveats. If you have been considering unlimited data plans or add-ons, you have come to the right place. Read on for a thorough evaluation of these plans and add-ons to find out which one is the best for your needs!

Summary of Data Plans

Now that you are more familiar with these plans, we will now evaluate the mobile data plans the plans individually.

1. Circles.Life – Unlimited Control Data Plan

Circles Life was the first of the Mobile Virtual Network Operators that set up shop in Singapore. Leasing wireless network infrastructure from M1, Circles Life began selling their plans to Singaporeans in May of 2016.  Thus there is no need for a network coverage related Circles life review as we will be focusing more on the value they offer. (You can refer to this feature for more in-depth review of Telco coverage in Singapore) What Circles.Life is offering is an Unlimited Data on Demand service for just $3 a day. This is on top of the cost of the postpaid plan which starts from $28 a month. Do note that the activation time is limited to the day that the service is activated until 11.59 pm on that day. Thus, it would not make sense to activate this late at night.

Who is this for?

This add-on is best for those who do not need unlimited data every day and want more control over their plan. Although, it does not make sense to grab this plan if you need unlimited data every day as it will end up costing you $90 a month in addition to the base plan’s cost of $28 a month. For existing Circles.Life subscribers, this is a no-brainer as you do not pay more to activate this add-on. If you are not on Circles.Life, their plans are actually very affordable to try out as their SIM only plans do not require a contract or subscription. In addition, they offer perks like free caller ID, which costs extra on the other Telcos.

2. Singtel Mobile Data X Infinity Add-On – For Those in The (inner) Singtel Circle

Similarly, Singtel offers up an unlimited data add-on. However, Singtel’s offering comes with a lot more requirements. For starters, this add-on is not available on the Singtel sim only plan. To qualify, you will need to subscribe to combo 3 and above on a 24-month contract. This means that in order to get unlimited data, you will have to fork out $108.80 per month with the plan costing $68.90 and the add-on at $39.90. But, this is not a truly unlimited plan as your data use is limited to 50GB a month. Anything after that will be throttled to a painfully slow 1Mbps speed. Plus, this does not include value adds like caller ID.

Who is this for?

On first glance, this add-on is not very attractive considering the many restrictions and the high price on this. However, this is a good value for those in the Singtel Circle. If your whole family subscribes to a Singtel plan, you will receive perks that make this add-on worthwhile. This includes a yearly handset upgrade for one person, up to 30% off your mobile subscription and free local data on Sundays. Plus, the plan affords you unlimited talk time and text if those things are important to you. Otherwise, there are other options that offer better value.

3. Starhub Mobile Plan – One For The Weekend Warriors

Starhub does not offer an unlimited plan per se. However, they are still included on this list as they offer unlimited weekend data on all of their plans. The includes the StarHub sim only plan which starts at $24 per month and the Starhub mobile plan with phone subsidy which starts at $48 a month. The only limitations to this plan is that data use is capped at 10GB a day on Saturday and Sunday.

Who is this for?

This is a great plan for the working adults who have WiFi in their office and don’t have to rely much on data during the weekdays. In addition, this is one of the more affordable options as it is a free perk that comes with being subscribed to a Starhub plan. This will give you a peace of mind as you can freely use data on the weekends without paying more.

4. M1 Plan – Another For The Frequent Flyer

At face value, the M1 mySim plans are the only truly unlimited plan. This unlimited M1 data plan is available for M1 sim only plan at $98 per month and the M1 mobile plan with phone subsidy at $118 a month. Unlike ZeroMobile, you can use your phone to tether and as a mobile hotspot. However, this plan is rather expensive and unlike Singtel, there is no ‘M1 circle of life’ that will make this plan more attractive. Plus, data will be throttled if the user is deemed by M1 to have exceeded “Reasonable personal use.”

Who is this for?

As the title says, this is the unlimited plan for the frequent flyer. With M1 Data Passport, you will be able to use data on your phone overseas like you were in Singapore. This service is available across 62 destinations across Asia, Europe and the United States of America at $10 per country a month. This means that you can take your unlimited data overseas without the hassle of getting a prepaid sim card.

5. Zero1 – 3GB and Beyond

Alternatively, you can consider Zero1, a telco that leases network infrastructure from Singtel. Zero1 offers up an unlimited plan for an affordable $29.99 a month. There is a catch; data will be throttled after 3GB although the throttling is limited to streaming HD video. Despite this, popular apps such as Facebook, Instagram Spotify, YouTube, Emails, and WhatsApp will not be affected. Plus, you’ll get perks like 200 free minutes, 200 SMS, and free caller ID.

Who is this for?

This unlimited plan is for the light users who do not use their phones heavily. If your use does not involve HD video streaming, you will not have to worry about excess data charges if you subscribe to this plan.

6. Zero Mobile – ZeroX Marks The Spot

The last entry on this list is Zero Mobile a Singtel leasing MNVO that is looking to shake things up with their ZeroX plan. At $75 a month, they offer unlimited data, texts, phone calls and free caller ID with no lock-in contract. This is a rather good deal. However, this plan is limited by what Zero Mobile deems as “reasonable personal usage” and an inability to use your phone to tether and as a mobile hotspot.

Who is this for?

Similar to its Zero named competitor Zero1, this plan is great for light users. This deal might turn from good to great if Zero Mobile clearly specifies what “reasonable personal usage.” Hopefully it would not be too restrictive.

Now that you’ve gone through this list, I hope that we have helped you in deciding which Telco to give your business to. If you are looking to get a phone with your new plan, head over to stores like Lazada and GearBest via ShopBack for deals and additional cashback!

*Featured Image by rawpixel.com on Unsplash