In a blogger gathering with Smart this afternoon, they showed us the entire HTC line-up including the HTC Chacha which is initially exclusive to them for the first month. They also discussed their new tiered pricing for mobile internet called Always On.
Always On basically gives you a cheaper time-based rate (daily to monthly) but capped strictly for mobile use (that means it’s not suitable for WiFi tethering to your laptop or other devices because of the conservative bandwidth allocation).
The Always On plans are available to all postpaid, prepaid and broadband accounts with varying denominations from Php50USD 0.85INR 72EUR 0.81CNY 6 to Php995USD 17INR 1,437EUR 16CNY 123. See pricing schedule and bandwidth caps below:
* Available to SMART Postpaid, Prepaid and Broadband
** Not available with Mobile Prepaid
To activate the plan, just text “amount” to 2200 (e.g. text “ON 300” to 2200 for 30 days of unlimited internet with 250MB cap).
What happens when you used up all the bandwidth before the end of the validity period? Well, you just go top up and activate another Always On plan.
I think these plans are most suitable for users that are heavy users but not heavy on bandwidth. That means you can have it on your smartphone for Php300USD 5INR 433EUR 5CNY 37/month if you only want to access FB, Twitter and FourSquare and you can also do the same with your tablet or another 3G device. That way, each device has its own unlimited account.
I will try the Always On 300 on one of my Android phones for a month (will be mostly using FB, Twitter, Google+ and FourSquare) and see how much data I’ll consume on the phone. Let’s see if this is a more rational and economical way to be always online. Will report back after a month.
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Neil says:
This is what I’ve been suggesting to Globe Telecom last month.. Carriers abroad usually offer these kinds of data plans and not the time-based plans..
cocopako says:
pwede kaya yan sa smart bro micro sim?
doug says:
it works on the bro microsim
LG Promo Victim says:
I want to use my rarely used nokia smartphone as a dedicated gps navigation device because nokia has free voice navigation service. hope the 300php/30 plan is enough
Rygel says:
how exactly will you measure bandwidth usage on a mobile phone? I mean to be able to check how much you’ve used and have left
emignatius says:
Android has a free app called “stats”, which measures incoming and outgoing calls and texts and bandwidth and wifi network use. It is ad based though but can be ad free if you donate, which I suggest you do if you are subscribing to this since ad uses bandwidth too. You could put a limit on the stats and it will warn you if you are reaching your bandwidth limit that you set up. I’m sure other OS’s have the same or similar app.
Dan MD says:
If you’re using a Nokia Symbian phone. Just head to “Logs” in the Menu and check the data counter to check the following data usages:
a) Total Data used
b) Data sent
c) Data received.
Neat, huh? this is a feature present as far as 10 years ago.:)
cocopako says:
mag log in lang kayo sa smart connnect, taz makita nyo ung pag nag balance inquire kayo!
mike says:
so when is this available?
mike says:
do you people know why this has been implemented late? its because it is an advantage to these predator.telcos if they use time base on slow old phones. Now the phones can download more data at a shorter time so they switch.to this model. Oh now Smart is selling LTE than can download web pages at a fast rate. Boo! Im not buying this crap.
Solidad says:
Then don’t we don’t care.
deuts says:
This is exactly what I’ve been waiting for. Hope Globe will implement the same, if not a more attractive, plan soon. Otherwise, I may have to get that Gevey Sim to use Smart in my iPhone 4.
nexusboy says:
it’s not correct to say “ALWAYS ON” if it’s not “ALWAYS” connected. How can you say you’re HEAVY USER if you do not use up HEAVY BANDWITH? sorry i’m having a hard time understanding simple terms. can someone please enlighten me?
in any case, thank you SMART for the innovative idea, definitely a TREND STARTER! next thing we know, lahat ng TELCO wala nang UNLIMITED MOBILE INTERNET.
do you still believe PLDT won’t stop the SUN UNLIMITED when it takes over the brand?
mike says:
in mobile phones now when you turn off your 3G the time.does not count. with this you can always leave your 3g on. but nobody leaves the phone 3G one as it gobbles the battery. and with this scheme you cannot use the phone for videochat,online games,download of large apps and games, youtube. Phones now are like pc and laptop. It use full internet. So this is like limiting technology. Sakal sa leeg. Putang ina mo smart!
deuts says:
I thought I read ‘Always On’, not “UNLIMITED”.
Abe Olandres says:
@nexusboy – Always On means that if you don’t turn off your 3G, you are not billed unless you actually pull down data. Unlike time-based charging, even if you are not pulling data from your phone, you will be charged by the amount of time your 3G is on.
kebbot says:
Just like Sir AbE said, this just for fb app and twitter,and a little opera mini browsing will do….
Its A Go for me its 24/7 for 30 days thats cool…. i will be able to go online using nimbuzz…..ill just be turning off my 3g,iam gonna use gprs and edge only to save my battery…
i really hope Sun will have desame, i like their EDGE signal,its fast and reliable not like smart and globe.
fr0stbyte says:
Yun!!! I’ve been waiting for this kind of offer from the PH. Ganito kasi ang gamit ko sa Australia. I buy $60 worth of load every month and may kasama na siyang free 3GB worth of data that you can consume for 30 days. Ganun din sa mga DATA only SIM cards pero you have a choice of 100MB to 15GB (for a price, and it ain’t cheap).
nexusboy says:
thanks for the reply, I appreciate it. but are we forgetting something? SMART is not telling us what the speed is.
i’d stick with GLOBE SUPERSURF 220 pesos for 5 days UNLIMITED mobile internet. a TRUE “ALWAYS ON” connection.
harley says:
i am always on and i never did try to go to 2G in my blackberry, it is always in 3G mode even if i am not using it and thank God that my battery is still in its perfect state! I just hope that globe has this kind of internet coz I am sure loving this!
nameless says:
250MB for 300php? Are you serious? Come on! These are only for losers.
whosdloser says:
Don’t you know how much a mobile 250-mb 30-day capped plan costs in other countries? This would be very useful for people who uses push e-mails like me and occasional gps use, which requires you to connect to download maps. I’m going to try the 300-peso plan for 1 month too just to see how much bandwidth I really need. If you live with your parents and do not have work, I’m pretty sure this would be a waste of your money. Do you still live with your parents?
nameless says:
Oh well. what phone are you using anyway? Im using my phone to connect to my desktop, to my work server etc. Can you do that? I guess not. 250mb would not be enough. Oh by the way, I’m working on my own, and i know how to spend my money wisely. Can’t you do some calculations on your daily data bandwidth? Such a loser. I have mine. This 250mb for 30 days works for me 3years ago.
Iyan Sommerset says:
How often and how much kb does Android pull/send when it syncs with Google servers?
Oh, and Google Maps/latitude?
Depending on base usage, the 300/mo might be suitable for gtalk/mail/etc. usage…maybe a bit of GPS mapping too.
icesteAm says:
Ok bagay na bagay to sa nokia c3. i dont think i can use this on android phone .emails pa lang ubos na 300 mb how about upload 50 mb?
Arvee says:
What I really think of this: it’s a capped unlisurf plan but Smart did not market this as such kasi maraming natu-turn off sa word na capped/capping (including me!)
I’d say this would be beneficial to those who subscribe to time-based plans kasi most of them eh magchecheck lang ng social networking and e-mail accounts pero they have no choice but to pay P10 for 30 minutes. Pretty good move for Smart here. *coughs*Globe*coughs*
Dan MD says:
Mr. Olandres,
would you know if the cap (e.g. 250 MB) applies only to download or including uploads? Thanks.
I’m curious if they will also count the amount of uploaded data as this will decrease the available “data” credit. :)
Interested to try the Always on internet. This is when Opera Mobile/Mini comes handy. :)
ARL says:
siguro that applies to you Downloads or the incoming amount of data you receiving! so its not advisable to dl large files if you’re into smaller plans…
William C says:
Too limiting. 25mb is just one Angry Birds update on your Android phone. The telcos around the world are greedy, 2Gb is not much for one month, and if you use smartphones with these over the air updates for firmware and Apps. Wala pa iyung youtube…
So, the older unli plans are gone?
deuts says:
Updating your Angry Birds game, it can always wait till you connect to Wifi at home or at the office. This is usually for social networking apps and chats so you can always be online.
William C says:
Yes, you could wait for wifi for those upgrades to software, but it negates one of the advantage and convenience to smartphones.
Personally, I find the 2GB for 995 too limiting, if it’s something like 5GB for that price or 15GB for 1500, I would be okay with that, since bandwidth is not free, but 2GB is just like 65MB a day, that’s just a few youtube videos or one video podcast or 5 audio podcast (one only, not all three).
Even on plain websites, If you don’t visit mobile versions, you could easily gobble up that 65 MB in an hour. Some sites with flashy stuffs or big picture attachment can easily be 1MB per page!
And it seems Smart no longer have their old plans, so 2GB per 995 is the high-end now, so I think it’s too pricey.
And with no Sun to provide incentive to lower their price, Globe will just follow, and consumers will suffer. Liberty’s plan is as expensive as Smart’s? So all of Ramon Ang’s saying that they will take up where Sun will leave behind is all talk, until they have something to show…
Techboy says:
These are perfect for chatters. Even if you chat (text only) for 30 days non-stop, you won’t go over the 250MB limit. Trust me, I did the math.
Desired says:
That 2GB for 995 deal is expensive. Didn’t Globe just price their unlisurf at 999? And that’s unlimited (albeit capped). So what’s the advantage kapag Always on plan? Makakatipid ka ng 4 pesos? :)
Ajjie says:
I subscribed to the Php200 (180MB cap) and I’m very happy about it. I’m using an iPhone which makes the experience all the more satisfying.
ARL says:
at last meron na ring Data Plans sa Pinas na suited lng tlga depende sa gamit! like here in KSA, mobile telcos data plans are based on your online lifestyle, di ka mapipilitan to purchase a higher plan para lang sa fb, twitter… like me im using 100MB plan for the whole month, fb and twitter, some news app for the whole month for my ipad, di ko pa nauubos yan hehehe… at least pagbakasyon sa pinas, di na masyado mabigat magsubscribe hehehe!
mike says:
bakit na andaming ofw dito na angyayabang? kesyo ganun sa australia kesyo ganun sa saudi. pakialam naman namin. dito sa pinas walang metro ang internet di tulad dyan sa pinagtapunan nyo!
ARL says:
cool man… chill.. just saying na mas ok ang data plans according to your needs, yuo dont have to pay php1200 (sa pagkakaalam ko)for the whole month para lang sa mobile subscription mo at tapos fb, twitter lang ang gamit mo… sayang naman kung di natin ma-maximize… and in case you dont know, may fair-usage policy na ang globe at smart for their unlimited plans (daily cap)even PLDT… para ma-control ang mga abusado… be cool man… #justsaying
deuts says:
“pinagtapunan” is a harsh word my friend. I wonder how do you call that attitude?
fr0stbyte says:
Sharing of info lang naman regarding existing technology at kung pano tayo nakakahabol na. Malayo po sa pagyayabang yun. One thing na maipagyayabang namin is ang speed internet dito. :P
fr0stbyte says:
Back on topic.. This seems like a reasonable alternative for those who do not consume a lot of bandwidth. Pero, kung mag-susubscribe ka for more than a week eh mas mas maganda kung mag Unlisurf na lang para walang bandwidth limit. Dapat i-adjust nila yung prices or yung bandwidth. I say 10 to 15 GB para sa highest tier.
devoid says:
these are just “some” of your options
obiously they’re “only” meant for social fanatics, so you can receive updates realtime.
You can always choose other plans if these won’t be enough for you. duh
And for some these are actually great!
Jonaflormicfren says:
I can’t understand about the volume if how is it.
amg says:
this is a good option for those who want to sync email, check FB/twitter as well as weather/maps/traffic
I hope smart provides a way to check how much you’ve consumed or warns you that the service has expired. I don’t want to still be “always online” after the service has expires, as the bill would stack up :S
Jepoiski says:
sir… you can use 3G watchdog if you are using an android phone to keep track of your usage. ;)
kyle says:
Kung gagamit kau ng 995 na always on mag unli plan na lang kayo.
pao says:
this is perfect for my gravity app (twitter/facebook). hope globe and sun come up with better deals
Paulo says:
Nice! This is just exactly what I need. Cool Smart! :)
jonski says:
idk if this is the right forum to ask or inquired about this?
anyway, i have now 2 co-employee who got billed by Smart for 3k on internet usage, and thats is just for two days or 1.5 days…the reason they shift to new smart phone…one is samsung galaxy s and the other is Xperia Arc…it seems the smartphone is “automatically” connecting to the internet…also they noticed on billing the data usage is 10pesos pero sunodsunod…and my co-employee doesnt know it…
Sonofa says:
i’ve been asking globe for this kind of plan… meron pa naman sila dati sayang.. i might wait for a month or two baka gumaya si globe baka magswitch ako ng line…
razorous says:
@Yuga
Still a little bit confused on the volume part. So what happens when you reach 20MB on the “Always On 20”? Does it stop your connection and ask you to register Another “Always On” service? Or does it automatically go the 30 minutes per 10 pesos?
My second question is, how fast is the connection?
Abe Olandres says:
@razorous – once the Always On plan expires, it will start billing you at Php10 per 30 minutes. Speed is up to 2Mbps.
razorous says:
Thanks yuga! It really sounds like a trap. Lalo na if you don’t know how much MB you use everyday. It would have been better if it would prompt you that 20mb has been used up, and then ask you if you’d like to continue to P10/30min or jsut go for another Always On plan…
JaysonMoy says:
I think, better pa rin ang
SMART Unlisurf 50
Globe Supersurf 50 (800mb limit)
SUN SBW50 Unli
Versus AlwaysOn 30 = 50MB.
Ilang Youtube Clips lang yun?
Most of the time, naka-SUN i25 ako 3 hrs. – the only network with WCDMA signal in our home in SJDM Bulacan…SMART&GLOBE = DEADSPOT!
razorous says:
Sorry for dumb question, but unlisurf i’m guessing has no cap right? Does this mean 1 whole day of unlimited surfing with 3g speed? Or do they only work with gprs speed only?
Disgusted says:
Some people here are dumb to say that the unli plans are gone. It doesn’t mean that with this new
JC says:
Disappointed with these pricey volume packages. But since prepaid ito, it means we can register to unlisurf50 despite the restriction. Wahaha LoLz
anti_ponjin says:
You can check your balance here:
https://my.smart.com.ph/Login.aspx