The best handset deals in SA

MTN and Cell C have emerged as the mobile networks that offer the best smartphone deals to consumers.

This is according to the latest quarterly “Perfect Package Tracker” released by Tariffic, the company that analyses the network operators’ tariffs and deals and helps businesses and retail consumers reduce their cellular spending.

The new tracker focuses on the best deals for people looking for a contract that comes with a specific phone in mind.

As with previous reports, the latest tracker uses the theoretical users Chris, Susanne, Dineo, Howard and Tshepo, each with their own usage patterns.

In conducting the research, Tariffic used only deals that are publicly available in service providers’ broadsheets. Also, it did not consider 36-month contract deals and looked at only deals from the four major network operators.

According to the tracker, MTN offers “some very compelling handset deals, with its My MTNChoice packages being listed as the ‘Tariffic pick’ twice and as the second best deal once”. (See the tracker PDF for the full breakdown.)

Cell C’s Pinnacle packages also performed well, appearing as the company’s pick on two occasions. At Cell C, the best handset deals are available on its new Pinnacle and Epic packages.

“The Epic packages are, however, not well suited for low-use users in comparison to the Straight Up, SmartMore and ChatMore packages, and it is interesting to note that handset deals aren’t readily available on these older packages,” Tariffic said.

Telkom appears as Tariffic’s pick once and offered the second best deal in two instances.

For Vodacom, the high-end Red Advantage package offered the best deals for most users.

“As expected, the addition of a handset to your contract will vastly increase the cost of a contract. If you’re on a tight budget and you are happy with your current phone, rather look at a Sim-only deal,” Tariffic said.

Also, not all networks offer comparable deals on all phones. “For example, the BlackBerry Priv is not available on Telkom (according to the Telkom website) and the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 was much more expensive for Susanne on MTN.”

Brought to you by Moneyweb