How to choose the right mobile plan in the UAE

Whether you’re new to the UAE or looking to switch network providers, finding the right carrier with the perfect plan can be tricky. Our guide will give you an overview of the mobile operators in the UAE and tips for picking the best plan for your needs.

 Mobile Operators in the UAE

Although the UAE’s mobile phone services landscape is not as competitive as some of the other countries, there are enough options here to make you think twice. 

Mobile services here are primarily provided by the big two: Etisalat and Du. The former is the oldest and leading mobile service provider in the region with over half of the total mobile phone service market. Du launched just over a decade ago and has seen meteoric growth thanks to their flexible plans and by-the-second billing system. 

Last year, du’s parent company launched a virtual network - more commonly known as mobile virtual network operator or MVNO - under the Virgin Mobile brand, giving mobile users a much needed third option. Although du technically owns Virgin Mobile, it is operated as a separate brand that uses du’s network infrastructure to deliver its service. 

Targeted towards the young and digital-savvy crowd, Virgin Mobile offers all of its services solely through the Virgin Mobile UAE app, wherein you can register for a SIM, choose your number, and have your SIM delivered to you anywhere in the UAE. The only catch here is that you need an active debit or credit card to subscribe to the service. 

Not to be outdone, Etisalat, too, launched its own youth-centric virtual network last year, under the brand name Swyp with one major caveat - you have to be between 15 and 29 years old to register for the service.

Swyp is a purely prepaid service that also uses a similar app-centric approach, allowing you to register for a SIM, manage your usage and recharge your account all from your smartphone. 

 Coverage

Both Etisalat and Du have vast coverage in the region, but you might find yourself dropping bars in certain areas. There are service coverage maps on both telcos’ websites but these don’t always show local dead zones. You’ll want to ask around or test coverage with a prepaid SIM around your home and work to make sure your phone works where you need it the most. 

Since Virgin Mobile and Swyp piggyback off of the big two, their coverage is only as good as the network they run on. So, if Du is spotty in your area then Virgin Mobile will equally be unreliable.

When it comes to picking a plan you have a few different options on offer, including SIM-only, prepaid, post-paid and data-only plans on either a weekly, monthly or a contract basis. You can also opt for a control line plan which is a capped inclusion that keeps you from incurring pesky overages.

Before locking in on a plan, you’ll want to consider your budget as well as data and calling needs. If you’ve just arrived in the UAE, a prepaid plan is the best option as it’ll allow you to test the waters. It also makes the most sense, as getting a contract plan usually requires proof of employment. However, you’ll still need proof of residence in the form of your Emirates ID, or a passport with residence visa to get your hands on a SIM. 

More voice minutes or data packets?

For those prone to watching a few videos from YouTube and streaming music while away from Wi-Fi, you’ll be better off with a plan that offers at least 2GB of data. But if Wi-Fi is abundant and you find yourself rarely using 4G, then a minimalist plan with 500MB data or 1GB social data should bode you well. 

Netflix-marathoners and heavy music streamers might want to take a look at the more generous (albeit expensive) plans that have data allowance of 5GB or more. A good way to gauge your data needs is to check data usage in the settings menu of your phone.

Getting a grasp of how many minutes you might need for calls will involve some trial and error. Since there’s no way to make calls over data in the region, you’ll want to invest in some minutes. Thankfully, going the prepaid route grants you the flexibility to mix and match till you find the perfect mix. 

Off the shelf vs bespoke plans

Etisalat and Du are especially good choices if you want to create a bespoke prepaid plan that’s easy on the wallet. With plenty of add-ons on offer you can choose to dole out more cash for data and opt for one of the cheap voice calls bundles (and vice versa) or go for a combo package. This route gives you more data for your buck but minutes can work out to be slightly expensive.

Virgin Mobile is another great option for creating custom plans but only upto 15GB data and 500 mins. If you need more allowance than that, you’ll need to look towards the big two. 

Virgin Mobile’s big selling point is that you can choose minutes and data based on your needs, with the option of changing that plan month to month and the ability to freeze a plan. 

Once you start playing around with the different bundles on Virgin Mobile, you’ll find that not only do certain combinations give you more bang for your buck than the big two’s prepaid plans but they almost match the value of their postpaid plans which is pretty awesome. 

Swyp is a decent choice - if you happen to be of the right age - for those who rely heavily on social data. Their monthly subscription charges only cover social data, however, leaving you at the mercy of add-ons should you need minutes or full data. 

The perks

Apart from Virgin Mobile, all carriers offer perks in the form of discount vouchers for a myriad of activities such as shopping, restaurants, cinema tickets, travel, and more. 

If you’re looking get your hands on the latest flagship from Samsung and Apple but don’t fancy paying anything upfront, Etisalat and Du offer a good variety of handsets but only for postpaid customers. On top of the monthly installments for the handset, you’ll also be bound to a postpaid plan for up to 2 years. 

These contracts only make sense if you’re sure that you’ll make the most out of your chosen postpaid plan. In most cases, buying a phone outright or from a retail store on an installment plan coupled with monthly prepaid and control plans is the best route, especially if you don’t want to be tied down and want to be able to get out of a plan at any time. 

 Etisalat 

Postpaid plans offer the best value for your buck but come with lengthy 24 month contracts. The cheapest plan will set you back AED 150 for 6GB data and 300 flexible minutes. There’s also a monthly postpaid plan for AED 50 (100MB data and 50 minutes) that comes without the binds of a contract and allows you to choose add-ons as you please.

For no-commitment prepaid plans, combo packages go as low as AED 40 per month for 100MB data, 1GB social data with 50 minutes or as high as AED 150 which gives you 2GB data with 150 minutes. If you’d rather a data-only plan then you also have the option to go for the AED 150 data pack that’ll set you up with 3GB full data and 2GB data for social media use. 

Capped inclusions are the best route for moderate users that want to freely use their data without worrying about overages. Etisalat’s control plans are priced at AED 80 and get you 2GB data with an option of either 100 minutes for local use or 50 flexible minutes. 

du

Postpaid plan offerings form Du are almost identical to Etisalat’s with the cheapest plan costing AED 150 for 6GB data and 300 flexible minutes. The only difference is that Du charges an additional activation fee of AED 125 that can be waived if you opt for auto-pay.

The most popular prepaid plan from Du costs AED 50 per month and gets you 750MB full data with 30 minutes for voice calls. If that seems a little sparse for your taste you can opt for the AED 150 plan that gives you a whopping 3GB of data and 150 minutes. 

Du also offers a couple of control plans for those who wish to keep their spending in check. You can either pay AED 80 for 2GB data and 50 flexible minutes or AED 135 for 2.5GB data and 200 minutes. 

 Virgin Mobile 

The base plan at Virgin Mobile starts at AED 79. That gets you 50 minutes and either 2GB full data or 5GB social data, that’s up to you. Each plan runs for a month and you have the option to change your plan as you please. If you compare and choose wisely you’ll find that certain plans get you more value than the other carriers. For instance, AED 150 can get you 3GB and 300 minutes which is 150 more minutes than the prepaid plans from the big two. You can stop a plan completely if you wish, which will incur a meager AED 10 cost per month, redeemable as credit. 

 Swyp 

If you fall into the right age bracket, you can nab yourself a Swyp subscription for AED 50 per month. This only includes 5GB social data so if you need to make calls or surf the web you’re better off buying add-ons for calls and full data. Add-ons start at AED 25 for 50 minutes and AED 25 for 500MB data. If you find yourself using a considerable amount of Instagram and Snapchat you can opt for the AED 25 add-on which’ll give you 2GB to use on those apps exclusively.

Contributer : Techradar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/2NhX8fW