{"id":105353,"date":"2014-07-07T11:56:24","date_gmt":"2014-07-07T09:56:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/?p=105353"},"modified":"2014-07-07T11:59:27","modified_gmt":"2014-07-07T09:59:27","slug":"smartphone-contract-comparison-cell-c-smartchat-vs-the-rest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/cellular\/105353-smartphone-contract-comparison-cell-c-smartchat-vs-the-rest.html","title":{"rendered":"Smartphone contract comparison: Cell C SmartChat vs the rest"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cell C<\/a> recently launched a new set of contracts aimed at smartphone users which it has dubbed \u201cSmartChat\u201d.<\/p>\n

On its website, Cell C describes the packages as offering \u201cincreased data for data hungry smartphones\u201d.<\/p>\n

These contracts are available on a month-to-month, 6, 12, 18, and 24-month basis.<\/p>\n

Offering contracts that include both voice minutes and data, with data making up the bulk of the package, is a fairly unique offering.<\/p>\n

However, it is possible to customise many of the contracts available from other operators to offer similar amounts of voice minutes and data.<\/p>\n

The table below shows how Cell C\u2019s new SmartChat contracts compare to packages from MTN<\/a>, Vodacom<\/a>, and Telkom Mobile<\/a> when\u00a0brought in line with what Cell C is offering, using add-on bundles.<\/p>\n

Not shown in the table are the contract periods available. Cell C SmartChat is the only contract listed below available on a month-to-month basis, but My MTNChoice contracts of 6, 12, and 18 months are also available in addition to the standard 24-month term.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Contract pricing comparison: Cell C SmartChat vs the rest<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
500MB \/ 25 minute smartphone contracts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Package<\/td>\nData (anytime)<\/td>\nData (midnight)<\/td>\nMinutes<\/td>\nPrice<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
My MTNChoice 25 + 500MB<\/td>\n500MB<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n25<\/td>\nR85<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cell C SmartChat 1GB<\/td>\n512MB<\/td>\n512MB<\/td>\n25<\/td>\nR99<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
My MTNChoice 25 + 1GB<\/td>\n1GB<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n25<\/td>\nR125<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1GB \/ 50 minute smartphone contracts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Package<\/td>\nData (anytime)<\/td>\nData (midnight)<\/td>\nMinutes<\/td>\nPrice<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
My MTNChoice 1GB + 50min<\/td>\n1GB<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n50<\/td>\nR149<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
My MTNChoice 50 + 1GB<\/td>\n1GB<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n50<\/td>\nR160<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Telkom Mobile SmartPlan 50 + 1GB on-net<\/td>\n1GB on-net<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n50<\/td>\nR168<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
My MTNChoice 2GB + 50min<\/td>\n2GB<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n50<\/td>\nR189<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
My MTNChoice 50 + 2GB<\/td>\n2GB<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n50<\/td>\nR190<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cell C SmartChat 2GB<\/td>\n1GB<\/td>\n1GB<\/td>\n50<\/td>\nR199<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Telkom Mobile SmartPlan 50 + 1GB<\/td>\n1GB<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n50<\/td>\nR229<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Telkom Mobile SmartPlan 50 + 2x1GB on-net<\/td>\n2GB on-net<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n50<\/td>\nR287<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Telkom Mobile SmartPlan 50 + 2GB<\/td>\n2GB<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n50<\/td>\nR398<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1.5GB \/ 75 minute smartphone contracts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Package<\/td>\nData (anytime)<\/td>\nData (midnight)<\/td>\nMinutes<\/td>\nPrice<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cell C SmartChat 3GB<\/td>\n1.5GB<\/td>\n1.5GB<\/td>\n75<\/td>\nR249<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vodacom Smart S + 1GB<\/td>\n1.2GB<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n75<\/td>\nR348<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3GB \/ 100 minute smartphone contracts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Package<\/td>\nData (anytime)<\/td>\nData (midnight)<\/td>\nMinutes<\/td>\nPrice<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
My MTNChoice 100 +2GB + 1GB<\/td>\n3GB<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n100<\/td>\nR345<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
My MTNChoice 2GB + 1GB + 100min<\/td>\n3GB<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n100<\/td>\nR374<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cell C SmartChat 6GB<\/td>\n3GB<\/td>\n3GB<\/td>\n100<\/td>\nR449<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Telkom Mobile SmartPlan 100 + 3x1GB on-net<\/td>\n3GB<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n100<\/td>\nR456<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
My MTNChoice 2GB + 2x2GB + 100min<\/td>\n6GB<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n100<\/td>\nR494<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
My MTNChoice 100 + 3x2GB<\/td>\n6GB<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n100<\/td>\nR495<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Telkom Mobile SmartPlan 100 + 5GB + 1GB on-net<\/td>\n6GB<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n100<\/td>\nR567<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vodacom Smart M + 3GB<\/td>\n3.3GB<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n120<\/td>\nR598<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4GB \/ 150 minute smartphone contracts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Package<\/td>\nData (anytime)<\/td>\nData (midnight)<\/td>\nMinutes<\/td>\nPrice<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
My MTN Choice 2GB + 2GB + 100min + 50min<\/td>\n4GB<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n150<\/td>\nR444<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
My MTNChoice 100 + 2x2GB + 50min<\/td>\n4GB<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n150<\/td>\nR445<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cell C SmartChat 8GB<\/td>\n4GB<\/td>\n4GB<\/td>\n150<\/td>\nR599<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
My MTN Choice 2GB + 3x2GB + 100min + 50min<\/td>\n8GB<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n150<\/td>\nR684<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
My MTNChoice 100 + 2x2GB + 50min<\/td>\n8GB<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n150<\/td>\nR685<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vodacom Smart M + 5GB<\/td>\n5.3GB<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n120<\/td>\nR698<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vodacom Smart S includes 200 SMS messages, Vodacom Smart M includes 300 SMS messages<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n

The table shows that if you plan on making use of Cell C\u2019s \u201cnite data\u201d, which is available between midnight and 06:00, then SmartChat can\u00a0compare well against what is already available on the market.<\/p>\n

However, one important exception is the 1GB+1GB price tier, where you can get 2GB of anytime data from MTN on their My MTNChoice packages for less than the monthly cost of Cell C SmartChat 2GB (which includes only 1GB of anytime data).<\/p>\n

Comparing\u00a0the prices and included value of cellphone contracts is only part of the story, though. Another important aspect of a cellular contract is the out-of-bundle (OOB) rates.<\/p>\n

The table below summarises the OOB rates of the contracts we compared:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Smartphone contract OOB rates<\/td>\nData (per MB)<\/td>\nVoice (on-net\/off-net)<\/td>\nSMS (local)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cell C SmartChat<\/td>\nR0.79 *<\/td>\nR1.50<\/td>\nR0.50<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
My MTNChoice 25, 50<\/td>\nR1.00<\/td>\nR1.30 \/ R1.70<\/td>\nR0.50<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
My MTNChoice 100<\/td>\nR1.00<\/td>\nR1.20 \/ R1.60<\/td>\nR0.50<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
My MTNChoice 1GB, 2GB<\/td>\nR0.29<\/td>\nR1.95<\/td>\nR0.75<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vodacom Smart S<\/td>\nR1.00<\/td>\nR1.75<\/td>\nR0.35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vodacom Smart M<\/td>\nR1.00<\/td>\nR1.75<\/td>\nR0.35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Telkom Mobile SmartPlan 50 **<\/td>\nR1.00<\/td>\nR1.50<\/td>\nR0.50<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Telkom Mobile SmartPlan 100 **<\/td>\nR1.00<\/td>\nR1.50<\/td>\nR0.50<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
* Promotional OOB data rate from Cell C valid until 30 September 2014, thereafter R0.99\/MB<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
** Telkom Mobile contracts voice billed per minute, all others billed per second<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n

More cellular news<\/h3>\n

Mo the Meerkat is back<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

New Cell C smartchat bundles for data hungry smartphones<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Vodacom please call me case dismissed, with costs<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

MTN quietly scores controversial spectrum<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Not like this, Cell C<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mobile operators are finally waking up to the fact that smartphone users need more data than voice minutes<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":105135,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sma_x_autopost_status":"idle","_sma_x_autopost_error":"","_sma_x_post_id":"","_sma_facebook_post_id":"","_sma_instagram_post_id":"","_sma_x_attempts":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[355,25685,35,42,689,41],"class_list":["post-105353","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cellular","tag-cell-c","tag-cell-c-smartchat","tag-headline","tag-mtn","tag-telkom-mobile","tag-vodacom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105353"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=105353"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105353\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":105559,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105353\/revisions\/105559"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/105135"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=105353"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=105353"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=105353"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}