Currently, there are only two telcos in Malaysia that offer supplementary lines that share data: Maxis and U Mobile via MaxisONE Share and U Mobile Hero Plus respectively.
Both supplementary lines are also unique in the fact that they both allow supplementary lines to enjoy free unlimited calls to all networks, a perk the MaxisONE and Hero postpaid plans offer. But which supplementary line offers better value for both the principal and supplementary lines?
What Is U Mobile Hero Plus?
U Mobile’s latest supplementary postpaid plan, the Hero Plus allows a principal line from the P70 Hero postpaid plan to add up to three “member” lines for RM50 a month for each line. Each member line adds 3GB of data that can be shared among all lines (principal and other member lines), and all lines will enjoy free unlimited calls to all networks. The Hero Plus plan is also contract-free.
What About MaxisONE Share?
In the postpaid market, Maxis’ ONE Share plan is the only other plan that lets its users share mobile Internet among its supplementary lines. A principal line has to be subscribed to at least a MaxisONE 128, which allows them to add supplementary lines (MaxisONE Share) at RM48/month each. The supplementary lines share the same unlimited calls, SMS, as well as the primary line’s mobile data.
Interestingly, those on the MaxisONE 128 plan can only add MaxisONE Share supplementary lines until 31 January 2016. Beyond this date, users can only subscribe to MaxisONE Share with the MaxisONE 158 and MaxisONE 188 plans.
U Mobile Hero+ vs. Maxis ONE Share
Call / SMS Rate
Calls and SMSes on the MaxisONE postpaid plan are free and unlimited to all networks, and supplementary lines will also be able enjoy unlimited calls and texts to any other telco in Malaysia. As for U Mobile, Hero Plus supplementary lines also enjoy the principal line’s unlimited calls to all networks, but SMSes are on a pay-per-use basis at 3 sen to U Mobile numbers and 8 sen to non-U Mobile numbers.
With plenty of instant messaging services available for free – and widely used in Malaysia – the fact that there are SMS charges shouldn’t be a concern for virtually all smartphone users.
Internet Quota
U Mobile’s Hero+ plan has 7GB of mobile Internet data from the Hero P70 postpaid plan on top of the 3GB of mobile data credited to the Hero+ plan’s second line. That’s a total of 10GB to be shared among the two lines. Each P70 principal line can add up to three additional member lines, adding a total of 16GB of data to be shared among four devices.
For the Maxis ONE Share plan, no additional quota is offered to supplementary line. As a result, the shared Internet quota is based on which MaxisONE plan the primary line is subscribed to. For example, if you were subscribed to MaxisONE 128 and have one supplementary line under your name, you will be sharing 3GB of mobile data among two people – that’s just 1.5GB per person.
Pricing
As with virtually all U Mobile offerings, the underdog tends to offer its services for considerably less than the competition. The same can be said here.
For MaxisONE Share, one has to subscribe to either the MaxisONE 128, 158 or 188 plan, which has a monthly fee of RM128, RM158 and RM188 respectively. Then, there’s the RM48 monthly fee for each additional supplementary line. To put things into perspective, if you were to subscribe to the MaxisONE 158 plan with an additional supplementary line, that’s a total monthly fee of RM206 with unlimited calls, unlimited SMS, and 5GB of mobile data to be shared among two individuals. That equates to a monthly fee of RM103 per person.
On the other hand, U Mobile’s Hero P70 postpaid plan has a monthly fee of RM70, while the second Hero+ line costs RM50 a month. If you add them together, it’s RM120 a month with unlimited calls and 10GB of mobile Internet to be shared. Hence, each user only pays RM60 a month – about 42% less than what you’ll pay on Maxis, but with twice the amount of data.
Verdict
Based on the comparisons above, the U Mobile Hero Plus plan appears to be the better plan as it offers a lower monthly fee with a higher amount of sharable Internet quota. Not only that, the Hero Plus plan also has no contract requirements.
In comparison, what Maxis offers with its supplementary lines is unlimited SMS – though that may no longer be as relevant as it used to be. The considerably higher price subscribers are paying is mostly attributed to the larger network that Maxis has, which has one of the widest and most stable networks in the country.
Hence, if you live in areas where U Mobile’s network is great and are looking for a supplementary postpaid plan, the Hero Plus plan from U Mobile offers exceptional value for money for both the principal and additional member lines. Head on to the official product page for more information, and to sign up.
Disclosure: This article was sponsored by U Mobile.
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