When it comes to the internet, most mobile users would demand more quota with less monthly commitments. That’s exactly what Celcom is trying to address with its new Celcom FIRST Blue and FIRST Gold postpaid plans. Boasting superior 4G, superior quota and better weekends, the new plans offer more accumulative internet with up to 12GB a month.

Going for RM45 and RM100 per month respectively, the new FIRST Blue and FIRST Gold plans have 3 separate internet buckets – A standard monthly data quota, WiFi bundled internet quota and a weekend only quota. The FIRST Blue Plan at RM45/month comes with 2GB for its base mobile internet, 2GB of WiFi and 2GB for weekend use (500MB per weekend). That’s not all, you’re also allowed to carry forward up to 2GB of unused internet to the following month. For the occasional calls and texting, the FIRST Blue plan comes with 50 minutes of free calls and 50 SMS each month.

For the more demanding user, the FIRST Gold plan offers a generous 12GB of internet which is split by 4GB for all day mobile data, 4GB of WiFi and 4GB of weekend internet. Also included is 100 minutes of calls and 100 SMS each month with up to 4GB of internet being able to carry forward to the following month.

In addition Celcom is giving you more data for heavy users. The more you use (all usages excluding roaming), Celcom rewards up to 2GB of free internet. On top of that they also also providing free unlimited music streaming for 6 months for FIRST Blue and 12 months for FIRST Gold.

The new plans will replace other FIRST postpaid plans offered previously. However those who wish to remain on their existing plans are able to do so.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.

Are you An Xpax subscriber and heading down to Singapore soon? Instead of getting a local SIM, Xpax has a Singapore Internet Pack, a data plan that works in both Singapore and Malaysia. For RM38, the pack lasts 30 days and it comes with Free Basic Internet and 500MB of High-Speed data.

To activate, send “SGNET38″ to 28882 and you can turn on Data Roaming after receiving confirmation. While at Singapore, you can choose to connect to either “Starhub” or “M1″ as your preferred network under phone setting.

Do note that the free throttled Basic Internet has a limit of 500MB, so this gives you a total of 1GB of internet (inclusive of 500MB high speed). According to the T&C, subscribers will be charged at pay per use rates for data roaming once you’ve finished your data allocation. So to avoid any surprise charges, make sure you don’t exceed the 500MB high-speed and 500MB basic internet data quota while travelling. For more info, head over to the Xpax Singapore Internet Pack page.

Another alternative for cheap data roaming is U Mobile, where they are offering free 50MB roaming each day in Singapore. This is provided you have minimum of RM50 balance before you travel. So if basic whatsapp and instant messaging is all you need, you could end up paying nothing for the entire trip. Just in case you get carried away, U Mobile charges a maximum of RM30/day for unlimited data.

For those who need to the internet extensively for HD videos and heavy usage, you probably should consider Singtel’s hi!Tourist SIM Cards. For S$15 (RM45), you get 100GB of internet for 5 days, or $30 (RM90) for 10 days validity.

This post is brought to you by Celcom’s Zipit Chat – Keep your messages safe and secure.

Let’s face it. The internet is full of vulnerabilities and even our smart phones isn’t spared from exploits. Having your data stolen is not funny but you can take action now with Zipit Chat.

Using a globally recognised encryption system, it gives you a peace of mind when communicating with your peers. So how does Zipit Chat work? Read on to find out.

Setting Up Zipit Chat

Zipit Chat is currently available for Android devices and you can download it directly from the Google Play Store. For new users, activation is as easy as entering your mobile number and enter the verification code that’s sent to you. You’ll receive a unique Zipit ChatID that looks like a BlackBerry PIN and you can set your password between 6-16 digits.

Once that’s out of the way, you can start inviting your family and friends from your contact list.

Self-Destruct Messages Mission Impossible Style

There are plenty of instant messaging apps out there but nobody does security better than Zipit Chat. Encrypted with AES 256 technology, your messages are impossible for anyone to intercept which gives you a true end to end encryption.

When transmitting sensitive information such as password, pins or confidential information, you can set a Self-Destruct Timer from 30 seconds up to 10 minutes. For an extra layer of security, Zipit Chat even disables your phone screenshot function, so that nobody could snap a copy of it.

Your emails secured even if your account is compromised

Emails are still relevant these days and for business users, there are messages that are highly P&C. We’ve heard stories of email accounts being hacked and if it does happen to you, Zipit Chat can keep your email threads secured with the same military grade encryption. The content will be scrambled including its attachments and only the intended sender and recipient can view it fully via Zipit Chat.

If you’re unconvinced, Celcom had earlier issued a challenge for anyone to decrypt 3 messages that are encrypted by Zipit Chat and nobody has managed to crack it so far. So even if some snooping agency or hackers have gain access to your inbox, it would take probably years to figure it out by brute force.

Probably the best way to store your passwords on a phone

Most people would have different logins and passwords for various accounts including online banking. If you find it hard to keep track of all of them, you jot them down safely under Zipit Chat’s Secure Notes. Similar to its email feature, it scrambles your note into a bunch of unreadable text, thus ensuring only you are able to read it.

While it is not recommended to store passwords on your phone, at least you know there’s a safer way to keep from prying eyes.

Lost your phone? No problems

Having your phone stolen is bad enough and the last thing you want is to have your personal data stolen. With Zipit Chat, your messages, notes and emails are always password protected at all times. When left inactive, it will constantly require your pin number to launch the app.

For another layer of secrecy, there’s a rather clever Stealth Mode which removes the Zipit Chat icon completely from your smart phone. To access the app again, just dial #*# followed by your pin number and then hit the call button.

Are you still putting your communication at risk? Just head over the PlayStore to download Zipit Chat. It costs RM10/month to subscribe but you can give it a try for free.

A few days ago, U Mobile claims the title of Malaysia’s Fastest Mobile Network as awarded by Ookla’s Speedtest.net. As a gesture of appreciation to its subscribers, they are giving out 1GB of free data for the month of December.

So how fast is the fastest? Speedtest has finally revealed the numbers along with the rank of our current fixed and mobile operators in the country. Full details after the break.

Starting with mobile networks that are running on 4G LTE, U Mobile is ranked #1 with an average download speed of 22.58Mbps with uploads of 10.34Mbps. Following in 2nd place is Celcom with 19.46Mbps downloads and Maxis holding on to third place at 18.20Mbps. Meanwhile, Digi takes the last place at 17.49Mbps.

For fixed broadband, TM takes up the Top 3 which is a mixture of various identifiers that lead back to Telekom Malaysia. Looking at the speeds, it is safe to assume that all 3 listings are predominantly Unifi subscribers on the highest 20Mbps Unifi plan. This is then followed by Maxis and YTL Communications, that operates Yes 4G WiMAX. Surprisingly Time Broadband didn’t make the list and we feel they could be among the Top 5 if it wasn’t for TM’s duplicated entries.

To recap on the methodology, Speedtest measures the average performance of each telco based on the fastest technology possible which is 4G LTE. So in theory, this wouldn’t take into account of speedtests conducted on 3G and on older non-LTE enabled devices. For fixed broadband ISP, the performance is calculated based on the top 10% of each network’s speedtest results. This according to Speedtest is to accurate represent customers that subscribe to the highest tier/package offered by the ISP.

While 4G telcos are self proclaiming the widest, fastest and best network, Speedtest is probably the best independent indicator for now. Another glaring difference between Malaysia versus other countries is that our mobile telcos are delivering faster speeds than our fixed broadband providers. In most cases, the fixed broadband providers in US, Canada, UK and Australia are clocking around 100Mbps or at least 2-3X faster than their fastest 4G operators. So what do you guys think of the verdict?

[ SOURCE ]

Having recently revamped its postpaid and prepaid offering with more internet, Celcom is now rewarding its loyal customers with freebies worth millions of ringgit. For the month of December until 6th January, they are kicking off its reward program with free movie tickets valued over RM1,000,000 in total. All you’ll need to do is to subscribe to a monthly data plan to be eligible.

The Free Movie tickets covers both GSC and MBO cinemas nationwide except for Perlis, Kelantan and Terengganu. If you prefer to watch movies in the comfort of your home, you may also redeem via Celcom Escape.

For Xpax prepaid users, just subscribe to any Monthly internet packs from RM25/month for 1GB to RM58/month for 4GB. Alternatively you may also activate a daily data roam plan to qualify. Once that’s done, you’ll receive a gift code via SMS which you can use to redeem your free movie tickets.

For Postpaid users, you can qualify if you’re a new sign up for Celcom FIRST postpaid plan or top up more quota with Max Up. If you’re on their older plans, you can subscribe to a Monthly Mobile Internet Plan. Similar to Xpax, you may redeem your movie tickets using the gift code that’s sent to your mobile number.

The Movie Ticket giveaway is only for December until 6th January and Celcom will be giving away a different round of million ringgit rewards for January and February, which could include entertainment, beverages and food. If you’re a Celcom Postpaid, click here and for Xpax users, you can redeem over here.

The highly anticipated “saviour” of manufacturer BlackBerry, the PRIV, has finally been launched in Malaysia. This matrimony of the Android operating system and the security plus convenience of BlackBerry’s own operating system comes in a premium body with a curved display that will surely appeal to existing mainstream smartphone users. The PRIV does have a trick up its sleeve though as it features a physical QWERTY keyboard that slides out from under its display.

This slide out keyboard also functions as a touchpad for scrolling that makes text selection quicker and more accurate. There is also a text prediction feature that lets you flick predicted words upwards without having to move your thumbs away from the keyboard.

BlackBerry’s PRIV is the largest device the ever manufactured by the Waterloo corporation and comes with a 5.4″ quad-HD panel, that is curved every so slightly, similar to Samsung’s Galaxy S6 edge and Galaxy S6 edge+. Spec-wise, the device runs an octa-core Snapdragon 808 processor with 3GB of ram and 32GB of internal storage. Storage is expandable via microSD up to 2TB, assuming you ever find cards with that much storage.

Powering the device is a relatively large 3,140 mAh battery and it also runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop out of the box. The bonus feature is that the PRIV comes with a host of BlackBerry productivity apps including a unified Hub.

In terms of optics, the device features an 18-megapixel rear camera with optical image stabilisation (OIS) and a dual-LED flash. It is also certified by Schneider-Kreuznach. Unfortunately, the PRIV only receives a 2-megapixel selfie-panorama front facing camera for selfies, which we’re sure may disappoint some. However, cameras aren’t all about optics, so we will have to see how good this 2MP shooter is.

Many expect the PRIV to be a game changer as it is supposed to bring the best of both Android and BlackBerry operating systems together in a premium device. Well, it certainly has to be a game changer because BlackBerry CEO has stated that the company is relying heavily on the PRIV to do well for them to stay afloat.

If you want to get your hands on this device, you can preorder the PRIV at a discounted price of RM3,388 for the first 60 customers on 11street.my, or head over to any Celcom Blue Cube outlets to preorder for the same price until the 14th of December. Alternatively you can try your luck with 11street’s shocking bid from as low as RM1.

The device will be available from 15 December onwards and will retail for RM3,559. That’s a hefty price to pay for this device, no matter how premium. Would you shell out that kind of money for this device? If you’re uncertain and want a closer look at this device, check out our first impressions article here.

The BlackBerry PRIV is finally here, and you must be pretty privileged if you could afford to buy one. For the rest of us, you could get it slightly cheaper via Celcom.

The PRIV is offered together Celcom’s new revamped FIRST postpaid plans, where you can save up to RM1,051 with a 24 month contract. The new plans focus on more on data with additional internet allocation for the weekends plus extra usage via Celcom’s WiFi hotspots.

The BlackBerry PRIV is priced as follows with 24 months contract:

Celcom FIRST Blue (RM45/month) – RM2,768
Celcom FIRST Gold (RM100/month) – RM2,508

During registration, you’ll need to fork out either RM250 or RM450 upfront as advance payment for FIRST Blue and FIRST Gold plan respectively. This amount will be rebated back to your account across 10 months. To spend RM2,508 for a device on contract, you could be better off buying other flagship smartphone without the extra commitments. Is the BlackBerry PRIV worth its insane price tag? Read our first impressions to find out.

If you wish to pre-order a unit, you can register at their participating outlets listed over here.

Want to get the Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch? Celcom is offering additional RM400 savings on the latest smartwatch to those who make a switch to the new Celcom First Blue and First Gold postpaid plans.

The Samsung Gear S2 that’s priced at RM1,399 can be yours at RM999, while the Gear S2 Classic version is offered at RM1,199 instead of its retail price of RM1,599. To be entitled, you need to be a new sign up or you can upgrade your existing plan to the latest First plans.

If you’re not a new subscriber, you can still purchase the Gear S2 at your nearest Blue Cube outlets at the full retail price. Note that promotion ends 31st December 2015 and all prices above are listed without GST. For those who haven’t seen it yet, you can check out our unboxing and first impressions of the Gear S2 smartwatch.

For more information, head over to Celcom’s Gear S2 promo page.

Celcom prepaid brand Xpax has just revised its internet plans and they cost more than before. However don’t fret as Xpax has packed more value with higher quota and free unlimited music access with Yonder bundled in.

If you’re a weekly and monthly subscriber, you’ll be slightly more than usual. Previously, they were offering 1GB at RM25/month and it goes up to 4GB for RM58/month. With the new revision, the monthly plan starts from RM30 but you get more data at 1.5GB which comes out to RM20/GB. This is then followed by RM40/month for 2.5GB and RM60/month for 4.5GB. Basically they have rounded off the data plans to the next RM10 but you’re getting more data for your buck.

Also included are bundled calls/sms with 75 minutes and 75 SMS for each monthly options. On top of that you’ll get Unlimited Yonder Music and you get to enjoy free high-speed internet usage between 1AM to 7AM daily. Can’t finish your data? Not to worry as the weekly and monthly plans let you carry forward unused data to the next period upon renewal. Of course, you are only allowed to carry forward the same amount of quota according to your monthly/weekly subscription.

To subscribe, just dial *118# on your phone or send the SMS code as written above. For more info, head over to Xpax’s Internet Plan page.

Thanks @KevinNgTK for the tip!

This post is brought to you by Celcom FIRST – Get all the privileges you need for the greatest weekends

Celcom wants to be the first to make your weekends a little better by giving you free data coverage on Saturdays and Sundays with their Celcom FIRST plan. Customers have a choice of two Celcom FIRST plans: the FIRST Blue and FIRST Gold, both of which are designed to give you more data when you need it most.

As you can tell by the colour, both data plans are designed for different users. For the more casual user, the Celcom FIRST Blue offers a monthly quota of 6GB of internet for only RM45 a month. The quota is split between three categories, where users get to have 2GB of monthly Internet, 2GB of free Internet on weekends (500MB every weekend), as well as 2GB of complimentary Celcom WiFi. The Celcom FIRST Blue plan also gives its users a cool 50 minutes of talktime and 50 free SMSs to all networks.

Meanwhile, designed with the heavy user in mind, the Celcom FIRST Gold plan takes it up a notch, offering an accumulative Internet quota of 12GB each month. The quota, much like the FIRST Blue, will be split three ways which amounts to 4GB of monthly Internet, 4GB of free Internet on the weekends (1GB free every weekend) and 4GB of complimentary Celcom WiFi. Celcom FIRST Gold adopters will also receive double the talktime and free SMSs, at 100 minutes of talktime and 100 free text messages, to all networks.

This means that if you sign up for any of Celcom’s FIRST plans, you can record a video of that beautiful sunrise from the top of Broga Hill and upload it to YouTube without worrying about it affecting your daily quota. It truly brings a great new meaning to separating business from pleasure.

So go ahead and enjoy Celcom’s amazing 4G LTE speeds that will let you surf up to 10 times what you would normally get from a regular network connection.

The good news doesn’t end there as Celcom FIRST subscribers will be entitled to free unlimited music streaming on Yonder Music. That means more awesome tunes streaming right to your phone so you get all the enjoyment without the headache of having to use up your precious smartphone storage.

Better yet, if you have had a particularly economical month in terms of quota, Celcom FIRST rewards you by letting you carry over your unutilised monthly Internet to the next month. That means no more rushing to eek out every little bit of that quota near the end of the month!

While most of you must be wondering if there is a catch, or perhaps even a contract to this plan, rest assured as Celcom doesn’t believe in tying you down with contracts for their FIRST data plans. As a testament to how committed Celcom is to providing its customers with a good deal, you can enjoy all of the fantastic privileges that come with the FIRST plan without the fear of being unable to terminate your plan due to a contract.

Additionally, Celcom offers an extended credit limit of up to 5 times the extra credit limit of your monthly commitment value. With Auto Debit payments, you can also enjoy 5% savings over your monthly bill.

Everything cool needs a club and Celcom’s FIRST plans are no exception. Subscribers will get to be part of the FIRST club which offers exclusive rewards and privileges designed only for club members, that range from additional free Internet calls, SMS and many more.

What’s more, Celcom is having millions of movie ticket giveaways worth millions every month, letting you catch that epic year-end blockbuster movie without worrying about buying a ticket!

There are three different ways you can participate and grab a gift code for the movie tickets:
1. For new customers, simply sign up for a new Celcom FIRST plan (either Blue or Gold)
2. For existing customers, purchase a Max Up at only RM20 a month for 1GB of data and free unlimited streaming on Yonder Music
3. Alternatively, you can also purchase either a Samsung Galaxy Note5, Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ or a Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 with Celcom FIRST.

Once that’s done, simply head on over to the contest website and enter the gift code. There, choose your preferred complimentary movie ticket, either MBO, GSC, or ESCAPE, and hit the “Redeem NOW” button.

Keep in mind that this contest is only valid until January 6th 2016, so you’d better hurry if you want to get your movie on! For customers in Kelantan, Perlis and Terengganu. you can still redeem GSC or MBO tickets and watch them in a state where the cinemas are available, or you can opt for an ESCAPE online movie pass instead.

What are you waiting for? Be a part of the Celcom’s multi-award winning family and join the boys in blue today. Simply sign up at your nearest Blue Cube or Celcom Xclusive. For more information, do not hesitate to ask any of the friendly Celcom staff or head on over to their website.

We’ve heard it many times before. What’s the point of having fast internet if you don’t have enough quota? That’s like having a Ferrari with a tiny fuel tank!

The folks at Celcom apparently is aware of the increasing needs of its customers and they have just announced what they claim to be the greatest internet plans yet. How about 40GB of internet at just RM100 a month?

Not to be confused with the Celcom First Blue and Celcom First Gold plans revealed not too long ago, Celcom has revealed a similar sounding postpaid product that’s designed for data-only users. Basically for those needing a data SIM for their tablets and possibly MiFi devices.

The star of the show is the Celcom First Gold Internet plan that offers a whopping 40GB of internet. Before you get too excited, mind you that the actual mobile data is only 6GB and it gets an extra 4GB for weekend use (1GB per weekend).

The balance 30GB? That’s coming from off-peak (1am-7am) mobile data quota of 12GB and Celcom WiFi quota of 6GB plus additional 12GB WiFi quota for off-peak (1am-7am) use. Seriously who uses Celcom WiFi, let alone being able to access one during off-peak hours? Even the WiFi coverage map gives an impression that it’s wide as their mobile network.

If you’re a light data user, the Celcom First Blue Plan offers an accumulative 6GB of internet for RM45/month. Basically, this is the same perks as the normal Celcom First Blue postpaid plan for smartphones. Both First Blue Internet and First Gold Internet options let you carry forward unused data up to 2GB and 6GB respectively to the following month. Note that these new plans are data-only, so you can’t use it for phone calls, but strangely SMS is permitted.

According to Celcom, they will be offering bundled iPad contract plans from as low as RM1,268. The latest iPad Pro 128GB will be offered too but so far there’s no details from Celcom on its bundled pricing.

The iPad Pro is an expensive and ginormous tablet. If you want to get it for less, you can consider getting one on contract with Celcom’s latest First Internet Plans that comes with up to 40GB of “Internet”. The iPad Pro can be yours from RM3,588 while the compact iPad mini 4 is offered from as low as RM1,268.

Both devices are tied with either 12 months or 24-month contract durations with its new First Blue Internet and First Gold Internet Plans. For heavy duty users, the First Gold Internet plan at RM100/month comes with 40GB of internet that consists of 6GB all-day mobile data, 12GB off-peak mobile data, 4GB weekend mobile data, 6GB all-day WiFi and 12GB off-peak WiFi access. Meanwhile, the First Blue Internet option at RM45/month comes with 2GB of mobile data, 2GB of weekend mobile data and 2GB of WiFi access.

Celcom is offering the Cellular versions for the iPad Pro 128GB, iPad mini 4 16GB and iPad mini 4 64GB. The bundled pricing are as follows:

iPad Pro 128GB (RRP: RM4,899)
First Gold Internet (12 months) – RM3,958
First Gold Internet (24 months) – RM3,588

First Blue Internet (12 months) – RM4,068
First Blue Internet (24 months) – RM3,898

iPad mini 4 16GB (RRP: RM2,099)
First Gold Internet (12 months) – RM1,638
First Gold Internet (24 months) – RM1,268

First Blue Internet (12 months) – RM1,748
First Blue Internet (24 months) – RM1,578

iPad mini 4 64GB (RRP: RM2,499)
First Gold Internet (12 months) – RM1,988
First Gold Internet (24 months) – RM1,618

First Blue Internet (12 months) – RM2,098
First Blue Internet (24 months) – RM1,938

During sign up, you would need to pay an upfront payment between RM100-RM600 depending on plan and contract duration, which will be refunded back to your monthly bills as a rebate across 10 months. For more information, visit Celcom’s iPad Pro and iPad mini 4 product pages.

Celcom iPad Pro offer

Celcom iPad mini 4 offer

[ SOURCE ]

As 2015 comes to an end, Malaysian prepaid users will experience a change come 1st January 2016. Effective next year, all prepaid reloads will no longer include the 6% GST, so a RM10 top up will be sold at RM10. Should you hold out on your new reloads until the new year?

As the transition is taking place with new reload cards entering the shelves, a couple of telcos are dishing out special offers that will give you more than your money’s worth. Read on to find out what offers are available.

Digi

For Digi, they are giving an extra 8% bonus on top of your actual airtime. So if you purchased a RM10 topup at RM10.60, you’ll be getting 80 sen bonus extra. The bonus airtime will be will be given to you within 72 hours and this is only applicable until 31st December 2015.

According to the FAQ, this is only applicable to the current reload cards that carry the prefix “10”. The newer reloads that are sold without GST (RM10 RRP=RM10 Airtime) or carries the prefix “11” will not be entitled to the 8% bonus. The free airtime will be valid only for 5 days.

Xpax

For Xpax Prepaid by Celcom, they are doing something similar but they are giving only 6% extra. This is basically matching the same value ringgit to ringgit based the retail price. So a RM10.60 top up will grant you an extra RM0.60 airtime, giving a total value of RM10.60. Strangely, the Xpax offer is only valid until 30th December 2015. Like Digi, the extra airtime will be granted within 72 hours, but take note that this is only applicable for domestic use only (not for roaming).

Tune Talk

TuneTalk probably has the most generous offer of all. With a RM100 top up, they are giving RM20 extra airtime plus 3GB of mobile data. To redeem this, you would need to perform a single RM100 reload using the official TuneTalk app that’s available for both Android and iOS. The 3GB data will last for 30 days and any excess usage will be charged at 5 sen/MB if there are no other internet plans active. The promo is valid until 31st of December 2015, so you better hurry.

Beginning 1st January 2016, all prepaid reloads in Malaysia will be sold without the extra 6% charge. This is in line with the directive to exempt prepaid reloads from GST. It doesn’t mean that prepaid is free from GST, as it will be charged upon usage, instead of being paid upfront.

Fortunately, the government will be offering GST rebates as announced during Budget 2016. To address concerns, MCMC has published the full details ahead of its implementation on new year’s day

Top Up Value

Beginning 1st January, a RM10 prepaid reload will be sold at RM10, while a RM30 prepaid reload is sold at RM30 just like the old days. So you’re getting a full ringgit to ringgit value without the extra 6% charge. The official FAQ also states that old top up tickets must be sold at the original price without the extra 6% charge. At the moment, several prepaid brands are offering extra bonus and rewards if you top up by 31st December.

However with the new mechanism, the GST charge will kick in when you reload. So after activation of a RM10 top up, you’ll get RM9.43 airtime with RM0.57 (6%) being deducted for GST. To the regular consumer, it appears to have no difference since eventually you’re getting 6% less versus paying 6% more. This will be running from 1st January until 31st December 2016 and there’s no mention if it will be extended to the following year.

GST Rebate

The good news, of course, there’s a full GST rebate on prepaid usage. This will be applicable only to Malaysian citizens based on the NRIC or police/army identification number during registration. According to MCMC, the 6% GST will be refunded within 24 hours. So if you’ve topped up RM10, you should be getting the earlier deducted RM0.57 back to your prepaid account. In a nutshell, Malaysians should be able to enjoy the full reload amount but provided that you’re registered. You are advised to check with your telco provider to ensure they have your correct details.

The GST rebate is only for prepaid users, so Malaysian postpaid users will still continue to incur the 6% charge in their monthly bills.

What services are subjected to GST?

All domestic use including phone calls, SMS, mobile services and data are GST chargeable. International roaming including data usage overseas are zero rated and non-Malaysian prepaid users are also eligible for a refund.

For more information, you can read up the full FAQ here.

[ SOURCE 2 ]

UPDATE: The Free Petrol offer is also available for Celcom FIRST Postpaid customers.

After giving out millions of movie tickets, Xpax has revealed its next giveaway which would put a smile on your face. From 9th until 31st January, they are giving RM30 of petrol if you subscribe to a monthly internet plan. You’re also entitled if you subscribe to a day of data roaming at RM38/day.

On Xpax, there are 3 monthly internet plans available. The cheapest option is 1.5GB for RM30, followed by 2.5GB for RM40. The highest plan available is 4.5GB for RM60/month. All 3 plans comes with 75 minutes + 75 SMS bundled in along with unlimited Yonder Music.

Upon subscribing to an internet plan, you’ll receive a gift code immediately via SMS. Do note that redemption starts only from 16 January 2016. The RM30 reward comes in a Petronas gift card which you can use to purchase petrol or items at the Mesra Kiosk.

UPDATE: Celcom is having this offer for its FIRST Postpaid Plan subscribers. This is applicable for new FIRST postpaid subscribers, subscribers on a Monthly Mobile Internet Plan or when topping up more quota with Max Up.

For redemption, you can show your SMS code at a participating Blue Cube outlet listed below:

Celcom Centre Jalan Ampang
Celcom Centre Bandar Baru Klang
Celcom Centre Petaling Jaya
Blue Cube JUSCO Bukit Tinggi
Celcom Centre Selayang
Celcom Centre Taman Tun Dr Ismail
Celcom Centre Taman Segar
Celcom Centre Kajang
Blue Cube Laman Seri
Blue Cube Mid Valley Megamall
Blue Cube Bangsar Shopping Centre
Blue Cube Pavilion
Blue Cube Menara Celcom
Blue Cube Paradigm
Blue Cube Publika
Blue Cube Setia Walk
Blue Cube Sunway Pyramid (ICONIC)
Blue Cube Shaftsbury
Blue Cube The Gardens
Cube (Dot Cube) @Subang Parade
Blue Cube Alamanda
Blue Cube NU Sentral

If you’ve accidentally deleted the gift code SMS, you can retrieve it back by sending “MY CODE” to 28882. In case you missed it, all prepaid reloads are now sold without the 6% extra GST on the sticker price. For Malaysians, if you top up RM30, you’ll get the full RM30 of credit inclusive of the GST rebate as promised during Budget 2016.

[ SOURCE ]

Three telecommunication companies – Celcom, TM and P1 have come together to announce a series of network sharing agreements. This would enable the 3 telcos to expand their reach and to provide a better internet experience for their customers.

The first agreement inked between Celcom and TM is to extend its partnership in TM’s Next-Gen Backhaul service. This would help Celcom to accelerate its 4G LTE coverage by providing a robust and high bandwidth capacity to their sites through TM’s fibre network.

Celcom taps into TM’s HSBB Network
The next agreement is to extend’s Celcom’s access to TM’s HSBB Network. This would allow Celcom to offer High-Speed Fibre Broadband services for both home and business users, similar to Maxis and P1’s Fibre offering. About 3 years ago, Celcom did offer Fibre Broadband on TM’s HSBB infrastructure and there’s a possibility of them relaunching this soon.

P1’s new 4G LTE service gets a coverage boost from Celcom
As you probably know, TM will be introducing its new mobile 4G LTE service this year via P1. In order to provide a a wide nationwide coverage from the start, Celcom has been signed as P1’s Domestic Roaming partner. This is similar to U Mobile’s Domestic Roaming arrangements with Celcom and Maxis, to cover places where U Mobile’s own 3G/4G sites are not available.

So if you’re out P1’s LTE coverage, you can always rely on Celcom’s extensive coverage in Malaysia for a seamless experience. It has been mentioned that both P1 and Celcom have been conducting user trials and network tests to ensure full readiness for its launch in the first half of 2016.

As the telco war rages on, Celcom has revised their FIRST Gold plan in a bid to make their plans more competitive. This new FIRST Gold plan offers users 10GB of mobile Internet + 5GB of WiFi and unlimited free calls and SMS for only RM80 a month.

This new FIRST Gold plan is a bump up from the existing plan, offering users 10GB of mobile Internet that is split between 5GB of mobile data and 5GB of weekend data (1.25GB for every weekend) + 5GB of WiFi, compared to the existing plan’s 8GB mobile Internet (4GB mobile data + 4GB weekend data) and 4GB of WiFi.

Not only that but the entire plan itself has received a price cut of RM20 working out to a theoretical RM5.33/GB of Internet. An emphasis on the theoretical part though because your Internet quota is split between three different types and even in the most ideal of situations it seems unlikely that you will be able to make full use of it all.

Nevertheless, this plan also comes with unlimited calls and SMS to all networks which gives it the slight edge over Digi’s recent promotional SmartPlan 75 and the U Mobile Hero P70 which only offers unlimited calls, but as those two plans are cheaper at RM75 and RM70 respectively, it definitely evens things out.

Plus, if you’re counting raw 24/7 data alone, both of the plans offer 7GB mobile data, which is 2GB up from Celcom’s 5GB. But, depending on your weekend data usage, you may use more than 2GB over four weekends which would once again place the plans quite evenly with each other. You will get to bring over any unused quota (up to 5GB) to the next month though, which is a nice touch.

What’s more, if you exceed RM225 on your monthly usage, Celcom will give you 1GB of bonus data and 2GB of bonus data if you exceed RM500 per month. This means you’re eligible for up to 3GB of bonus data per month if you spend more than RM500 on your monthly usage.

Celcom also provides free music streaming from Yonder for 12 months to their FIRST Gold subscribers. Besides that, you can also be in the running for Celcom’s giveaway promotion where they have given out free movie tickets and petrol thus far.

Do keep in mind that this plan is only a promotional plan, so it will be available from 2 February to 31 March 2016 only. If you’re interested, head on over to your nearest Blue Cube or Celcom Service Centre. For more information, you can head to their website instead.

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Buying a phone outright is expensive and getting one through a contract could be troublesome with its lock-in periods. To make phone ownership easier, Celcom has introduced its NewPhone program. On the surface, this is similar to the Maxis Zerolution program as it lets you change phones every year for free.

The Celcom NewPhone program is open to current and new Celcom customers and you can own your phone with monthly installments over 24 months. On top of that, you get to change phones for free every 12 months. Unlike Maxis, Celcom gives you the option to change phones earlier. If intend to do this before 12 months, an advance change fee will apply that ranges between RM300 to RM1,000 depending on phone model.

Similar to Maxis, you are required to return your existing device in good condition. For greater peace of mind, they are also offering Device Protection which gives you coverage for damages, theft, and even water damage.

For new Celcom customers (or those who have only been Celcom customers for less than a year), if you do opt for the NewPhone plan, you will be required to pay 3 months of your NewPhone’s installment upfront, which will be rebated back to you over the coming months. However, for existing customers who have been with Celcom for over a year, you will not be required to make this upfront payment.

Also, if you intend to stop at any time, you have the option to keep the device while paying the balance RRP of your installment or to return the phone completely with a one-off penalty charge. When we checked, returning the Galaxy Note5 will attract a penalty charge of RM900.

At the moment, Celcom NewPhone only offers Samsung devices which include the Galaxy J7, Galaxy A8, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy Note5 and Galaxy S6 edge+. The Galaxy Note5 can be yours at RM125/month or RM145/month if you take up its device protection coverage. As comparison, Maxis Zerolution offers the same model at RM123/month (with Zerolution Upgrade) or RM146 that includes Device Protection.

The key difference between this and Maxis’ Zerolution is that you can choose any plan you want to pair with your NewPhone. This means if you’re happy with your current postpaid plan, you can just add-on NewPhone even there’s an on-going device bundle contract. So if the MaxisONE plan isn’t your cup of tea, you can go for Celcom’s more affordable First Gold plan that offers 10GB of mobile data, unlimited calls and SMS for RM80/month.

For more information, head over to Celcom’s NewPhone.

With the festive season around the corner, Xpax Prepaid has introduced an even larger monthly internet plan for all your social and web surfing needs. For a more auspicious Chinese New Year, Xpax FattNet gives you a whopping 8GB of data for RM88/month.

On top of that, you’ll also get 88 minutes of calls and 88 SMS for free within Celcom’s network. As per current MagicSIM promo, you’ll get to enjoy free Yonder Music service and free high-speed internet usage between 1AM to 7AM with Burung Hantu. If the current RM60 4.5GB internet plan is not enough, FattNet’s 8GB should be sufficient for hardcore internet users during the holiday season.

Do note that FattNet is only available for a limited time from 5th February until 31st March 2016. To activate just SMS “Net88″ to 28882.

Malaysians are really getting spoilt for choice as the major telcos have gotten into a postpaid price war by delivering more data for less. After U Mobile introduced its Hero Postpaid plan that offered 7GB of data and unlimited calls to all networks for RM70/month, the competition is seriously heating up.

Digi has thrown the gauntlet by introducing its SmartPlan 75 that comes with similar offering at RM75/month for a limited time only. Just earlier this week, Celcom has responded by revamping its FIRST Gold Postpaid plan with 10GB of data for only RM80/month.

So which is the best “Pau ka liau” (do everything) plan in town? Read on to find out.

Celcom
On the surface, Celcom offers the best value with 10GB for RM80/month. That’s equivalent to just RM8 per GB, and you also get unlimited free calls and SMS for greater peace of mind. However the only gripe is probably the way they split the data. 5GB is given for all day use and the other 5GB is only for the weekends (split at 1.25GB per weekend).

If you need more data, you can top up RM20 per GB and it is valid according to your billing cycle. Another plus for Celcom is that you can carry forward unused data up to 5GB but this is only from the all-day data bucket. On top of that, they are giving out 5GB of WiFi for free, but that’s only usable if you can find a Celcom WiFi hotspot in the first place.

Digi/U Mobile
For Digi and U Mobile, both are very similar with 7GB of data and unlimited free calls. Unlike Celcom and Maxis, you would need to pay for SMS. For Digi, you can enjoy unlimited SMS but that’s only applicable to 3 numbers on their network.

If you use more than 7GB, you can top up data but both only offers a single short term option. 1GB on Digi costs RM8 and it is only valid for 2 days while U Mobile offers a booster pack of 1.5GB at RM10 that’s valid for 3 days.

Maxis
Meanwhile for Maxis, they are the most expensive of the lot offering just 1GB at RM98/month. While they promise a worry-free proposition with unlimited calls and SMS, it is way costly if you compare this with Celcom’s FIRST Gold plan side by side. Even if you plan to add more data, it will cost you a hefty RM30 per GB. What’s more mind boggling is that Maxis is offering 4GB of data for only RM48/month for its Hotlink prepaid users.

Of course, pricing is just one factor to consider. There are other things to take into account such as 4G LTE coverage, quality of calls, customer service, and other value added services that you may use in the future. For Celcom, they are offering unlimited music service via Yonder, while Digi offers unlimited music streaming for 120 days and free iflix for a year.

On U Mobile, you get to enjoy free YouTube and Tonton streaming between 2AM and 10AM, plus free music streaming for radio and KKBox all day. If you travel a lot, U Mobile is also offering free 50MB data roaming daily for selected countries. As for Maxis, they do offer free Spotify with free streaming quota for its MaxisOne Plan but that’s only applicable if you opt for its higher MaxisONE 128 plan and above.

Which plan would you choose? Let us know in the comments below.