Beware bundled mobile data, tablet deal prices
Mobile operators are aggressively promoting their mobile data products, and to encourage consumers to sign 24-month contracts they often bundle tablets with their data packages. It is often assumed that these bundles will save you money, but this is not always the case.
To establish how much value these bundled deals truly offer consumers, MyBroadband looked at the total cost of the separate components of some of the deals from Vodacom, MTN, Cell C and Telkom Mobile.
The surprising result was that many of the bundled packages from the operators offer no value whatsoever, and will cost consumers more than buying the components separately.
Cell C Galaxy Tab 3 7-inch and 1GB data
Cell C is offering consumers the Galaxy Tab 3 tablet PC (7-inch), 1GB of any-time data, and 2GB of “Midnight Data” for R259 per month.
This is a really bad deal. The tablet can be purchased online for R3,549, and with a data bundle thrown in the total cost is R1,011 less than the bundled offer from Cell C.
| Samsung Galaxy Tab 7” + 1GB of data | Tablet cost | Data cost | Total |
| Without bundle | R3,549 | R1,656 | R5,205 |
| Cell C bundle | R259 per month | R6,216 | |
| Loss | R1,011 loss | ||
Vodacom Lenovo IdeaTab S6000 and 500MB of data
Vodacom is offering the Lenovo IdeaTab S6000 and a 500MB data bundle for R199 per month on a 24-month contract.
This is not a good deal. Purchasing the separate components from Lenovo and Vodacom means that you will save R441 over the 24-month period.
| Lenovo IdeaTab S6000 + 500MB of data | Tablet cost | Data cost | Total |
| Without bundle | R3,399 | R936 | R4,335 |
| Vodacom bundle | R199 per month | R4,776 | |
| Loss | R441 loss | ||
MTN Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 and 500MB of data
MTN is offering the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 and a 500MB data bundle for R169 per month on a 24-month contract.
This bundled deal from MTN offers a R429 saving over purchasing the separate components.
| Samsung Galaxy Tab 7” + 500MB of data | Tablet cost | Data cost | Total |
| Without bundle | R3,549 | R936 | R4,485 |
| MTN bundle | R169 per month | R4,056 | |
| Saving | R429 saving | ||
Telkom Mobile Lenovo IdeaTab and 500MB data
Telkom Mobile is offering consumers a Lenovo IdeaTab A3000, 500MB any-time data, and 1.5GB “Night Surfer” data for R99 per month on a 24-month contract.
This deal makes a lot of sense. The tablet alone costs more from Lenovo than the total cost over 24-months paid to Telkom Mobile for the tablet and the monthly data.
| Lenovo IdeaTab A3000 + 500MB of data | Tablet cost | Data cost | Total |
| Without bundle | R2,429 | R3,000 | R5,429 |
| Telkom Mobile bundle | R99 per month | R2,376 | |
| Saving | R3,053 saving | ||
Tablet deals image
Tablet deals
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