Banks vs mobile operators - Best smartphone and tablet deals

[jes]

Banks vs mobile operators - Best smartphone and tablet deals

Standard Bank recently unveiled its mobile device deals, offering its clients Apple and Samsung devices. Here is how their prices stack up against their competitors.

 

[Baxteen]

So standard bank is on average a few rand cheaper than FNB but neither give you a sim card? or am I wong there?

because it would then mean the opperator deals are better as they at least leave you with the ability to make a call?
no wait,
take best phone from say, standard bank
get mtn pay as you go sim.
get afrihost apn with data from them, say a gig of data for R58

Standard Bank Samsung Galaxy Note 3 R8,600 R358

R358 + R58 = R416 plus a sim and however much you pay for airtime in a month.
that is better than all the opperators offer.
so banks are a better place to get a cell phone than mobile opperators, who would have guessed...

 

[Tinuva]

So standard bank is on average a few rand cheaper than FNB but neither give you a sim card? or am I wong there?

FNB bundles a Cell C sim with the device, but it only give you free data based on your reward level on your cheque account. For minutes you need to buy that prepaid on the Cell C sim.

Personally I have looked at the details, and for a Tablet, FNB deals are better, for phones, it is better to go with a mobile operator, as the costs of the free minutes usually win the deal for me, because it give you more at the end of the day, if you compare a FNB smart phone deal + prepaid sim vs smart phone from operator which include free minutes.

 

[Chevron]

So standard bank is on average a few rand cheaper than FNB but neither give you a sim card? or am I wong there?

because it would then mean the opperator deals are better as they at least leave you with the ability to make a call?
no wait,
take best phone from say, standard bank
get mtn pay as you go sim.
get afrihost apn with data from them, say a gig of data for R58



R358 + R58 = R416 plus a sim and however much you pay for airtime in a month.
that is better than all the opperators offer.
so banks are a better place to get a cell phone than mobile opperators, who would have guessed...

Well the banks sell the phones at cost as a value to get customers. Cell operators sell phones as their core business and need to make a profit.

 

[RichardG]

If I recall correctly you have to be on a specific account with the banks and their is a maintenance fee to pay on the card. If I recall correctly it was something like R99 - R200 per month depending on what account you on. The better the package the more discount.

 

[cozinsky]

FNB used to lead the way but they are falling behind. I opted to take my iPhone 5s through Vodacom but I took out an iPad Air 128GB through them. Still love FNB though.