When In Manila and you just can’t decide whether you want to go plan with Smart or buy from retail stores just so you could own the Samsung Galaxy Y. Then I will give you a much informative break down of what you get from both.
Cost
After spending a lot of time in Greenhills, Cyberzone and other electronic retailers. I have confirmed that the average price for an unlocked Samsung Galaxy Y is at 5,600 Php. On the other hand the Galaxy Y is free on Smart’s plan 349 which is basically 8,376 Php since you put yourself in contract with Smart for 2 years.
While going plan seems to cost more, you must also consider that you will still need to load your unlocked Samsung Galaxy Y. Say for example we go on an average of 300 Php for cellphone load per month… then we are looking at an additional 7,200 Php on top of the original cost of the unlocked Galaxy Y and that is less 7, on the other hand going plan actually makes your Galaxy Y cost 7,200 Php less, costing you only 1,176 Php for the phone.
Services
Basically when you go unlocked you have freedom to do whatever you want do with your load also you could pick a provider of your choice. When you go plan with Smart, you gain unlimited text to all networks affiliated with Smart plus you also get SmartNet which basically lets you enjoy unlimited updates on Facebook/Twitter with unlimited chat on Yahoo Messenger and Facebook, you could check more about SmartNet here.
The problem is when you have lots of contacts that are non-Smart affiliated. All of the call and text to those networks would be added to your monthly billing, however it does provide you with other nifty ways to contact your friends, services like YM could lower the cost of trying to reach friends from other networks.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy Y is a neat and uber budget friendly smartphone. Being a smartphone, I think it would be great if you could take advantage of its potential. Going plan 349 with Smart maximizes what you could do with this exceptional smartphone and still be cost efficient. In the end it is still up to you of course which of them will fit your life style better.
Sources:
Samsung Galaxy Y: Should I Go Plan or Should I Buy an Unlocked One Instead
