Since the launch of the iPhone Xs Max months ago, the market has been flooded with grey market units with prices ranging from as low as P60,000 to as high as P100,000. However, all of these units come from abroad, meaning they do not come with any support other than Apple’s one year limited warranty.
Now that telco operators Globe and Smart have officially started offering the iPhone Xs and Xs Max in the Philippines, we expect to see a normalization in pricing.
So, how much will an iPhone Xs / Xs Max cost you in the Philippines?
To answer this question, we refer to ThePLAN table from Globe Telecom:
| ThePLAN Monthly Cashout for iPhone Xs/ Xs Max (24 months) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone Xs | iPhone Xs Max | |||||
| ThePLAN | 64GB | 256GB | 512GB | 64GB | 256GB | 512GB |
| 599 | 2,475 | 2,875 | 3,400 | 2,725 | 3,125 | 3,675 |
| 799 | 2,400 | 2,800 | 3,350 | 2,675 | 3,075 | 3,600 |
| 999 | 2,200 | 2,600 | 3,125 | 2,475 | 2,875 | 3,400 |
| 1299 | 2,150 | 2,550 | 3,075 | 2,425 | 2,825 | 3,350 |
| 1499 | 2,100 | 2,500 | 3,025 | 2,375 | 2,775 | 3,300 |
| 1799 | 1,700 | 2,150 | 2,675 | 2,000 | 2,425 | 2,950 |
| 1999 | 1,700 | 2,150 | 2,675 | 2,000 | 2,425 | 2,950 |
| 2499 | 1,400 | 1,800 | 2,325 | 1,675 | 2,075 | 2,600 |
| 2999 | 1,400 | 1,800 | 2,325 | 1,675 | 2,075 | 2,600 |
Looking at the table, we are paying for two things: first, we pay a monthly subscription plan for voice, call, and mobile data ranging from P599 to P2,999. On top of that, we pay a monthly fee for the actual unit, which varies depending on the plan that you get. The lower the monthly plan, the higher the monthly amortization that you have to cash out and pay for the unit.
Does that make sense?
All subscriptions are locked for 24 months, so we simply multiply the monthly service fee and the monthly cash out by 24 months and add them together. The chart now looks like this:
| TOTAL ownership COST OF THE IPHONE XS / XS MAX | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone Xs | iPhone Xs Max | |||||
| ThePLAN | 64GB | 256GB | 512GB | 64GB | 256GB | 512GB |
| 599 | 73776 | 83376 | 95976 | 79776 | 89376 | 102576 |
| 799 | 76776 | 86376 | 99576 | 83376 | 92976 | 105576 |
| 999 | 76776 | 86376 | 98976 | 83376 | 92976 | 105576 |
| 1299 | 82776 | 92376 | 104976 | 89376 | 98976 | 111576 |
| 1499 | 86376 | 95976 | 108576 | 92976 | 102576 | 115176 |
| 1799 | 83976 | 94776 | 107376 | 91176 | 101376 | 113976 |
| 1999 | 88776 | 99576 | 112176 | 95976 | 106176 | 118776 |
| 2499 | 93576 | 103176 | 115776 | 100176 | 109776 | 122376 |
| 2999 | 105576 | 115176 | 127776 | 112176 | 121776 | 134376 |
Now we can see that if you want an iPhone Xs, expect to spend at least P73,776 for the 64 GB variant. For the iPhone Xs Max, that would be P79,776 for the 64 GB variant.
On the other hand, the most that you’ll be spending is P127,776 for the 512GB iPhone Xs or P134,376 for the 512GB iPhone Xs Max.
Note that as you go higher, you also get a higher data allocation and more for credit voice and SMS. All plans come with unlimited texts to all networks and mobile data. The higher plans come with bigger data caps and unlimited calls to Globe / TM. It also comes with free 6-month subscription to Amazon Prime and DisneyLife.
The question is: would you spend P73,000+ on a phone if you won’t have enough load credit to enjoy it anyway?
In the Philippines, the iPhone Xs and Xs Max will be available in three colors: New Gold, Silver, and Space Gray.