Pre-paid SIM (incl. data) for SIN

[tuapekastar]

Doubtless been asked before, but these things are very fluid.

Travelling to SIN next week, staying for about a week, have an overnight in HKG on the way back.

Wondering what the best option for a SIN SIM would be (HKG optional, think I can last 24 hours without, unless there is a SIM that covers both).

I have a (doubtless primitive these days) iPhone 3GS. I will have comp wi-fi in my hotel room (and a laptop) so the SIM is probably not essential, but a handy-to-have (a reunion, so a largish group of people) if one can be obtained at a reasonable cost.

Thanks for any suggestions folk may have.

 

[v8Statesman]

I used M1 last time. Easily got at airport. Fast 4G (LTE) prepaid. Hotspot compatible.

 

[Jeffrey O'Neill]

Can buy a telstra preaid sim $30

Sign up for the $30 prepaid encore package

Add a 100MB global roaming pack that lasts 30 days using the $30 credit you get with the plan

I'm doing this as it works out quite well for me on their $40 prepaid plan and building up the credit to use on roaming data. Works in 44 countries - had no issues in BKK Manila Sing Malaysia last month. Was very handy to have functioning internet on phone when landing.

It's very handy if you're going to Japan or taiwan where it's a real PITA to get a local sim card.

 

[Mwenenzi]

Have a look here Communication & Internet A sub forum for this very frequently asked question

 

[markis10]

FWIW I got a Singtel SIM,







on top of the SIM cost. Plenty of choices at the airport on arrival.

 

[shifty]

In my experience Singtel is best. Avoid Starhub - shocking data... I have had no M1 experiences. They are pretty much the 3 provider options.

Prepaid as low as $8. You can choose sims that have either 3 or 4G in most sim sizes. Make sure you have your passport handy as they need this to rego the sim. Everything seems to be shut if arriving late/early at the airport. 7-11 stores seem to have all the card types for sale.

http://info.singtel.com/personal/phones-plans/mobile/prepaid/prepaid-mobile-cards#hi!-sim-cards

 

[Robert K]

Go straight to Singtel. It's their Telstra equivalent. I went with another carrier (can't remember name. M1 sounds familiar tho) on ausbt's recommendation. Couldn't get a decent connection ON ORCHARD ROAD!

hence I never read Ausbt anymore, or stray from Singtel. Tiny bit more expensive. My sanity is worth a lot more.

 

[tuapekastar]

Thanks all, much appreciated. Will mull over the suggestions.

Thanks Mwenenzi, did not even know that sub-forum existed.

 

[ts911993]

I use Singtel and it works well for data and phone. Turn left once you leave the baggage area and you can buy a sim right there. Takes about 3 or 4 minutes to buy, then up and going in about 5 minutes after a few messages sent from Singtel on the iPhone. I've used the same sim when i've returned within 30 days and it fires straight up. Without checking mine cost S$28.

 

[Danger]

Are these Singtel sims really only good for a single visit or can they be reloaded? Or is it best just to get a new sim everytime you visit Singapore?

 

[ts911993]

Are these Singtel sims really only good for a single visit or can they be reloaded? Or is it best just to get a new sim everytime you visit Singapore?

I'm not sure to tell the truth. I have a 3 sim from the UK that does't expire as long as there is some credit on it. When I get a minute later today I'll plug the SingTel one in and see if it still works. It's more than 30 days since i bought it, but less than 30 days since I was last there.

 

[markis10]

The Singtel prepaid SIMs expire 6 months after last top up.

 

[Awesom Andy]

Sims in SIN have various expiry dates, depending on recharge amounts and the actual package signed up to. If you have a 4G LTE phone, make sure you are buying the 4G LTE sim card as there are still plenty of 3G cards around. Given the population density, 3G data is virtually useless in a lot of areas.

Singtel is regarded as the best network in SIN, and they have a 4G LTE prepaid card for $38 that includes 1GB of data for 7 days so you don't need to pay any extra. It has a 180-day expiry date. Although if you would like to stick with 3G, there are a bunch of cards available, with the cheapest one at $8. As mentioned, you can sign up to the the $7 for 1GB of data that lasts 7 days. Data is ridiculously slow during the busy times in crowded areas such as Orchard Road, but it's an excellent price for what it is. The $8 sim has a 90-day expiry.

For topping up, a $10 topup will give you 90 days of use from topup date, and $20 & $50 are 180 days. There are other promotional topups, which has much shorter expiry dates.

Starhub is another large telco in SIN, although they have fewer towers and capacity than Singtel.

M1 is another player in the market, and from my experiences, work reasonably well too. Note that the expiry dates are generally a little bit shorter than Singtel, but most of us wouldn't be worried about that.

All telcos have similar data packages (e.g. all have the same $7 for 1GB valid for 7 days), so in the end, it's much of a muchness in terms of costs. I suppose I can be a little bit pedantic about getting the best network with Singtel, but the variation in service quality is not very large - if one network is congested at a certain location at a certain time, chances are the other networks are experiencing the same.

 

[trentusjuventus]

On a side note, if you really can't go without in HK, I can recommend SmarTone for their SIMs there. I was there only a few weeks ago and got a SIM for HK$80 (I'm pretty sure all of that $80 was returned in credit), and then data is HK$8 per hour, but once you exceed 3 hours in a day, it's unlimited, so HK$24 per day. Don't need a passport or anything to get one, just head into one of the stores (there's one in Wanchai plus others in Central/Causeway I believe). Also, credit expiry is 180 days so might be good if you are passing through semi-regularly.

 

[Awesom Andy]

For HKG, as mentioned, Smartone is pretty good. There should also be a $48 sim card available so that should be all you need for a day. However, if you're too lazy to look for a store for some reason, you can head upstairs to the departure level and look for the CSL shop which sells their own prepaid sim cards as well (although I can no longer find it on their website). 24 hours of data is $28 HKD. Three is also available, with a shop at the departure level landside. Again, $48 for a sim card, and $28 for 24 hours of data. Also, depending on your needs, a China Mobile (aka People) sim card from a 7/11 (there is one at arrivals land side) gets you 2G/Edge access for only $9 per day - although I think you still need to pay $48 for the sim card so there might not be a point in getting this for such a short trip.