iPhone 4 package from Maxis is just way too popular

iPhone 4 package from Maxis is just way too popular. My boss and my brother both also wanted to get an iPhone 4. The package from Maxis is quite good. Just pay RM1390 and sign up for iValue 1 plan for 24 months and you can an iPhone 4. The deal is pretty good. The iValue 1 plan requires a commitment of RM100 per month which include data charges as well as calls.

My boss made a study between the iPhone 4 plan in Singapore vs Malaysia determined that the Malaysian deal was much better. Besides, we already have an existing account with Maxis, so just need to change his line to the iValue 1 plan. The RM100 calls and data usage commitment amount can be easily achieve and very likely to be exceeded based on the current billing. Just that once his line is converted, we will lose out on the call sharing plan. Which means for the rest of us staff whose usage is below the committed amount it does not auto balance to his heavier usage. Looks like I just have to downgrade our current usage commitment further, perhaps to the RM30 usage plan. Yes, our usage is really low! 'Coz boss don't allow us to call suppliers using IDD, keep every conversation short or use email only. Ugh! How to work-lah?

Meanwhile, the iPhone 4 is such a hot item all the Maxis centres now do not have stock of iPhone 4 at all! Today I tried the TTDI Maxis centre and there was a large crowd of people queue to sign up for the iPhone 4 package despite having no stock of iPhone 4! For company line though, even if there is no iPhone 4 available we could just sign up first and placed on waiting list. Unfortunately to even sign up like this I have to be stuck in the queue! I decided to give up for the time being as I have other fish to fry.

I think iPhone 4 is just a crazy fad right now. Personally having given my wife's iPhone 4 a spin, I didn't really like the feature as much as Android. In order to download any app whether free or otherwise, you will need to provide a credit card number to the iPhone store even if it is free or trial / shareware program. Now doesn't that sucks?

Anyway, I review the iPhone 4 later. As of now, I'll just go for a San Francisco Coffee Latte with the free voucher my wife passed me. Then head back to office to catch up with work. Better spend my time to do something productive than to waste time on the queue to get a Maxis iPhone 4 that is not available.

[update 27/12/2012]

Selecting a better Maxis Plan

How time flies! The iPhone 4 contract was about to be due. Along the way I learned that the iPhone value plan was no good. If you have several supplementary family plus lines or using Value Plus plan for company line, the unused portion from the committed balance are not shared. ie if you have low phone usage user, the unused portion of the committed Value Plus could not be shared and vice versa.

Anyway the 2 years contract period would be over soon and I have done a study on the charges and values. The best now was to swap over the useless iPhone plan back to the Value Plus 50 or 80, and switch to 1GB data (now without having to worry about over quota as they would cap it under FUP (fair use policy) so no data charges if over quota).

Whenever you have supplementary lines and you have users that are low usage and high usage, using the Maxis Value Plus or Family Plus package plans are the best way to ensure optimum usage of mobile phone billing.