Edited 20 Sept 2018: According to a Lowyat.net report, Digi Up has been discontinued effectively immediately. Huh.
Digi Up is a new service for Digi subscribers, targeted at those who upgrade their phones frequently. It offers subscribers the “newest and greatest” phones at an affordable monthly rate. In a nutshell here’s what you need to know:
Who’s eligible:
– Those who receive the call or SMS from Digi beginning 2 Feb, if this page is right.
– Usage above RM80 monthly for the last three months
– My suspicion: Those who switched phones frequently in the last few years (I had 3 phones over the last 3 years, which was probably why I was targeted)
At a glance, you’ll get quite a few good benefits:
– New phone yearly if you like, or once every two years (flagship level, it seems)
– Phone theft protection (you can claim once per phone)
– Accidental damage (water, screen protection, etc)
– A concierge-like service for all your phone needs
– Buy back guarantee for the phone they ~rent~ give you
So it looks like a pretty damn good deal right? You can upgrade your phone yearly if you like and it will always be flagship-level, you get great phone protection and dedicated customer service. I dropped by a Digi store to get more info, and then the hidden stuff came to light.
Here’s the bit that’s a little obscured on their site they don’t tell you:
- You MUST subscribe to the Digi Postpaid 110 plan.
- You will be paying the device price together with the plan.
So if you choose the Note 8, you’ll be paying RM262 aka RM152 (device price) + RM110 (subscription). - This is a phone rental service.
Yes, you read that right, it’s a RENTAL service. You cannot keep the phone even after your contract is over. You need to either return it to Digi for a new phone or extend your contract (max 6 months) OR pay a Payoff fee that’s not listed on that page.
Is Digi Up worth it?
Well, it depends. Digi Up seems to be the next incarnation of Digi’s previous instalment plan, the Easy Up. The biggest change seems to be the mobile protection offered – Easy Up required a separate subscription to Mobisure while Digi Up offers it as part of their service. There’s some wording that also seems to indicate that users could keep their phones on the Easy Up service – on Digi Up, you have to return it or pay them an extra fee to keep it forever.
If you expect to change your phones every 12 months or so then this may be an option for you. If you are already on the RM110 plan OR are considering an upgrade to that plan and was in the market for a new phone, yes, this plan might be worth it. Otherwise, if you’re like me and you expect your phone to be with you for a few years… probably not.