iPhone 6 in Singapore : Prices, Release Date, Contract Plans and specs

iPhone 6 release date in Singapore is 19 September 2014. The new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have been revealed on September 9th. The phones will be available for pre-order on 12th September in USA and will be released in 9 countries on 19th September. The 9 lucky countries are United States, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Germany, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan. StarHub is mentioned as retail partner for Singapore.

iPhone 6 Singapore prices have also been revealed. iPhone 6 price starts from $988 for 16 GB model. There is no 32 GB iPhone 6 model and 64 GB is priced at $1148 and 128 GB iPhone 6 model is priced at $1288 without 2 years operator plans. 16 GB iPhone 6 price in Singapore is $1148, 64 GB will be $1288 and 128 GB will be $1448.

The iPhone 6 is probably the most leaked Apple devices or any smartphone in the history. Detailed specs, release dates and photos (apparently stolen from the Chinese production line) were leaked. And everything announced about the phone are matching the leaks. As expected, iPhone 6 will come in two sizes : iPhone 6 will have 4.7 inch and iPhone 6 Plus will have 5.5 inch screen. The new generation iPhone uses  Retina HD and has A8 Processor.The camera on the smartphone (or Phablet for the plus)  8MP iSight camera with True Tone LED flash. The 5.5-inch screen iPhone 6 Plus is by far the largest phone Apple has created.

Singapore M1 iPhone 6 prices and plans were first to be released ahead of SingTel and StarHub prices. M1 offers iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in following packages:

	i-Lite	i-Lite+	i-Reg	i-Reg+	i-Max	i-Max+
Monthly Subscription	$28	$41	$61	$81	$101	$208
Get your iPhone at attractive pricing with a 2-year iPhone contract.
iPhone 6 16GB	$645	$525	$285	$85	$40	$0
iPhone 6 64GB	$785	$665	$425	$220	$125	$40
iPhone 6 128GB	$925	$805	$565	$360	$265	$180
iPhone 6 Plus 16GB	$785	$665	$425	$225	$125	$60
iPhone 6 Plus 64GB	$925	$805	$565	$360	$265	$180
iPhone 6 Plus 128GB	$1,060	$945	$700	$500	$405	$320
Voice/Video Calls (mins)	100	200	300	400	800	Unlimited
	Unlimited free calls to 3 M1 numbers
SMS/MMS	500	1000	1200	1500	2000	5000
Data	300MB	3GB	4GB	5GB	7GB	13GB
	Excess data charges: $10.70/GB, capped at $188.32/mth
4G VAS	Waived permanently
Download Speed*
3G – Up to 14.4Mbps	Typical download speed range (at fixed location): 2.5 – 8.2Mbps
4G – Up to 150Mbps	Typical download speed range (at fixed location): 16.7 – 66.5Mbps

Later, StarHub also released the iPhone6 price plans for 2 years contracts.

StarHub iPhone 6 price plans

SingTel iPhone 6 Singapore prices for 2 years contract are not released yet. We will update you here once they are out. You can pre register your interest for iPhone 6 with SingTel here and StarHub here.

The new phones will feature WiFi calling and Voice over LTE, which will let you use your data to make phone calls rather than cellular (whenever it is possible). And your operator will not like it.

Apple also released a new smart watch named "Apple Watch" (not iWatch). An iPhone would be necessary for the watch to work according to Apple VP Kevin Lynch.

It is also confirmed that iPhone 6 will have NFC Hardware for a new payment system called Apple Pay. Apple wants to replace the wallet with a smartphone!

	iPhone 6	iPhone 6 Plus
Colors Available	Silver, Gold, Space Grey
Size	13.81 x 6.7 cm Screen Size : 4.7 inches, 11.9 cm Width : 6.9 mm	15.81 x 7.78 cm Screen Size : 5.5 inches, 14 cm Width : 7.1 mm
Weight	129 grams	172 grams
Processor	64 bit, M8 Motion Coprocessor (accelerometer, compass, gyroscope and a new barometer)
Battery Life (Standby Time)	Up to 10 days (250 hours)	Up to 16 days (384 hours)
Screen Resolution	1334 x 750 pixels 1300:1 contrast ratio (typical)	1920x1080 pixels 1400:1 contrast ration (typical)
Camera	8MP iSight camera with Focus Pixels 1.5-micron pixels and f/2.2 apeture Panorama (up to 43 megapixels)
Video Recording	1080p HD at 60 fps 720p slo-mo 240-fps, time lapse video
Connectivity	150Mbps Download speed, 20 LTE Bands, 802.11AC WI-FI
Features Included	Touch ID, Reachability, Camera Burst Mode, FaceTime, Audio Playback, Siri
Operating System	iOS 8

According to Japanese Mac enthusiast site MacFan's claims, the next-generation iPhone, probably be called iPhone 6 or iPhone 5S, will be unveiled on June 20 and the sales will start some time in July. Apple is already expected to launch iPhone 5S in June or July by Apple fans since original iPhone and the iPhone 3G, 3GS, and 4 were released during the June and July period (iPhone 4S and 5 were released in autumn):

A new rumor from Japan echoes previous speculation that the next iPhone -- presumably the "iPhone 5S" -- may be formally announced at a special event on Thursday, June 20. MacFan, currently celebrating its 20th anniversary as a Mac enthusiast site, claims that the new model will go on sale in July, a few weeks after its introduction. According to the report, a "low-cost" version of the iPhone aimed at the larger larger pre-paid market in developing countries such as China and India may debut in August.
Source : Rumor: Next iPhone to be announced June 20, arrive in July

According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple is believed to be readying production of its next-generation iPhone during the second quarter of 2013 in preparation for release as early as this summer:

Apple Inc. AAPL +0.51% plans to begin production of a refreshed iPhone similar in size and shape to its current one in the second quarter of the year, according to people familiar with the device's production, teeing up a possible summer launch for the next version of its flagship device.
At the same time, Apple continues to work with its manufacturing partners in Asia on a less expensive iPhone that could be launched as soon as the second half of this year, these people said. The four-inch device likely will use a different casing from the higher-end iPhone. Apple has been working on different color shells for the phone but its plans remain unclear.
Source : Apple to Begin iPhone Production This Quarter

In the design and specification side the rumours are very conflicting. Some says the design will not be very different while others expect a radical re-design in current trend towards larger screen machines. It is also rumoured that Apple will release multiple handsets, some of which may be budget models fabricated from plastic and with no physical home button.

According to some reports, Apple has already designed the next two versions of the iPhone while Steve Jobs was alive. San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón was told by an Apple representative that the next two iPhone models "preceded Tim Cook", according to a report in The Examiner.

On the software and hardware side many expect an upgraded iOS 7, A7 processor and a 13-megapixel camera for the iPhone 5S’s iSight setup.

[1] - Apple iPhone 6 Release Date Tipped for 19 September
[2] - Apple iPhone 6 event officially set for Sept. 9

M1, SingTel and StarHub iPhone 5 plans and prices announced

M1, SingTel and StarHub have released their their iPhone 5 prices and plans today, a day before they start to sell iPhone 5 in Singapore. iPhone 5 was recently announced on September 12 and it will be available for consumers in Singapore, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, Japan and Hong Kong by tomorrow, September 21st. Although the new handset is not a great leap forward compared to its predecessor iPhone 4S, it will still be highly demanded and we probably see long overnight queues for iPhone 5. According to news, A record 68,000 customers have registered their interest to purchase the new iPhone 5 over six days, said SingTel today:

"A spokesman from the telco added that there was an overwhelming response to its appointment booking website, and the 10,000 appointment slots to buy iPhone 5 at its event were snapped up within one and a half hours. M1 said the registration of interest for the iPhone 5 surpassed previous iPhone models, while StarHub also reported strong interest from its customers.
M1 and StarHub declined to reveal the number of interested customers."[1]

Apple also reported that pre-orders for the new iPhone 5 around the world has been two million in just 24 hours![2]


Below are SingTel, StarHub and M1 iPhone 5 price plans for 2 years subscription.

SingTel iPhone 5 price plans start from $40 / month subscription of iFlexi Lite and the most expensive one is iFlexi Premium with $205 / month.

Singtel iPhone 5 Plans
iPhone Plans	iFlexi Lite		iFlexi Value		iFlexi Plus		iFlexi Premium
iPhone 5 16GB	$478		$198		$0		$0
iPhone 5 32GB	$598		$308		$48		$0
iPhone 5 64GB	$758		$468		$198		$58
Monthly Subscription	$40		$60		$100		$205

Starhub iPhone5 price plans have slightly cheaper monthly subscription payments but the handsets are more expensive to buy with Starhub compared to M1 and SingTel.

StarHub iPhone 5 Plans
iPhone Plans	$38/month		$58/month		$98/month		$205/month
iPhone 5 16GB	$473		$233		$0		$0
iPhone 5 32GB	$613		$343		$83		$0
iPhone 5 64GB	$768		$498		$228		$78
Monthly Subscription	$38		$58		$98		$205

M1 iPhone 5 price plans look the cheapest (although there is no significant difference among 3 telcos).

M1 iPhone 5 Plans
iPhone Plans	iPhone Value+		iPhone Lite+		iPhone Extreme+		iPhone Max+
iPhone 5 16GB	$430		$190		$0		$0
iPhone 5 32GB	$580		$290		$20		$0
iPhone 5 64GB	$710		$450		$150		$55
Monthly Subscription	$39		$59		$98		$198

All 3 telcos offer iPhone 5 16 GB and 32 GB for free for the most expensive subscription plan. Data bundle for the lowest and highest plans for all three telcos are identical at 2GB and 12GB, respectively.[3] According to CNET, although M1 and SingTel plans are quite similar, the upfront iPhone 5 prices are lower for almost all models with M1.[3]

iPhone 5 queue in Singapore - Photo : http://asia.cnet.com

Before you queue for iPhone 5 do not forget to watch the latest attack ad by Samsung which pokes fun at Apple customers who wait in line outside stores for the iPhone 5.

 The ad instead promotes the Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone, including its NFC ability to beam large files from one S III to another with a touch. Some barbs are also pointed at the highly criticized Lightning port which requires a $29 adapter to connect with older devices. The ad notes the S III has already deployed LTE and a larger display, ahead of the iPhone 5.[4]

[1] - 68,000 customers register with SingTel to buy iPhone 5
[2] - iPhone 5: Record Demand As Gadget Goes On Sale
[3] - Singapore operators release iPhone 5 prices
[4] - Latest Samsung attack ad mocks crowds waiting for iPhone 5

iPhone 5 Singapore release date is September 21

As expected Apple has announced iPhone 5, the 6th generation of iPhone, in a media event held at Yerba Buena Centre for the Arts today. And Singapore will be one of the first countries to get iPhone 5 on September 21.[1] As we have just written, these facts about iPhone 5, its announcement date, its naming and its Singapore release date were already leaked.[2] Apple's Senior Vice-President of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller revealed Apple was working with SingTel and M1 on making the iPhone 5 compatible with the telcos' respective LTE networks.[3]

Singapore's three telcos, Singtel, Starhub and M1 were fast to announce their iPhone 5 selling dates in Singapore. Singtel announced today that it will start sales of iPhone 5 from Sept. 21. Singtel iPhone 5 prices and subscription plans are not released yet.[4] StarHub also announced that it will offer iPhone 5to customers in Singapore beginning Friday, September 21.[5] You can have more information on Starhub iPhone 5 offers from this web page. iPhone 5 pre-orders begin on Friday Sept 14 2012. And M1 also today announced it will offer iPhone 5 to customers in Singapore beginning Friday, September 21.[6]

The iPhone 5 comes in either white and silver or black and slate. Singapore retail price of iPhone 5 will be S$948 (including GST) for the 16GB model, S$1,088 for the 32GB model and S$1,238 for the 64GB model.

Two good news and an expected bad news for iPhone 5: It comes with Apple's new A6 dual-core processor. This will make iPhone 5 run twice as fast as the iPhone 4S. Battery life is also improved - the iPhone 5's will be able to support eight hours of 4G Web browsing.[3] But the size of the phone's dock connecter has been reduced by 80 per cent so old docking devices will be obsolete without an adapter.

iPhone 5 Singapore release date will be Sep 21. iPhone 5 will be released in
Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, Japan,
Hong Kong and Singapore on this date.

Apple was also expected to disappoint since the photos of iPhone 5 were leaked from a vendor. Apple also delivered as expected with the new iPhone being only evolutionary increment instead of a revolutionary device to beat up Samsung's new amazing phones:

The iPhone 5 met the predictions laid out by gadget geeks and tech analysts ahead of the unveiling last night (this morning, Singapore time), but offered few surprises to give Apple shares - already trading near record highs - another major kick. Apple had already telegraphed many of the software changes to expect in iPhone 5 when it debuted iOS 6, its latest mobile operating system, in June. iOS 6 software will be available next Wednesday as a free software update. 

"There is no 'wow' factor because everything you saw today is evolutionary. I do think they did enough to satisfy," said Mr Michael Yoshikami, Chief Executive of Destination Wealth Management.[3]

Samsung now leads the smartphone market with a 32.6 per cent share followed by Apple with 17 per cent, according to market research firm IDC. Both saw shipments rise compared to a year ago, with Samsung riding its flagship Galaxy S III phone.[3] I can count more Samsung's then iPhones since Samsung Galaxy S 3 was released in Singapore and according to the DBS Group Research, Android based phone sales are booming in Singapore in 2012 with 70% of M1's new customers in 2Q12 chose Androids.

[1] - Apple unveils iPhone 5, arriving in Singapore on Sept 21
[2] - iPhone 5 in Singapore on Sep 21 says HardwareZone
[3] - iPhone 5 available in Singapore on Sept 21
[4] - Singapore's SingTel to sell iPhone 5 from Sept. 21
[5] - Starhub Media Statement - iPhone 5
[6] - Mobile1 (Facebook)

new iPhone 5's look disappoints many

Apple's new iPhone, iPhone 5, is expected to be released in September 12th 2012[1] but before it is officially released, its supposedly real photos traditionally leaked from an Apple parts supplier and repair company. And the "new" iPhone looks exactly the same way the iPhone 4S looks, which is almost identical to iPhone 4!

As expected many are unimpressed with the photos supposedly belonging to next iPhone:

But it's not a major change, and some reviewers are saying the iPhone is starting to look dated.
- Forbes Magazine says Apple appears to be "phoning it in" if these photos are to be believed.
- Fox News says it looks "small and chubby" compared to newer phones.
- And CNET says "gadgeteers will be disappointed" if this is the final phone.  

The problem, many say, is Samsung's new Galaxy 3, which is sleeker and thinner, with a much bigger screen.  The Galaxy raises the bar the way the iPhone used to, three or four years ago. 

Source : New iPhone photos leave many unimpressed

And this time users have one more important excuse to directly upgrade from their current iPhones to Samsung Galaxy SIII: New iPhone is expected to come with a smaller connector plug which will basically make current chargers and zillions of types of docks useless (if they do not allow some space for a converter.)

iPhone versus Samsung Galaxy S 3. Henry Blodget says
Galaxy SIII looks like a next generation phone while iPhone looks old now.
Source : Business Insider

Some like Henry Blodget even went further to say that it will be a disaster for Apple if this photos really belong to the new iPhone. henry Blodget wrote in Business Insider that if the iPhone 5 really looks like this, Apple may be screwed:

"And I can't be the only potential customer who is deflated by what they see. In fact, I'll go far enough to say that, if the iPhone 5 looks like the pictures that have recently appeared, Apple may be screwed. 

Why? 

Because the "iPhone 5" looks pretty much like the iPhone 4S. Which looked exactly like the iPhone 4, a phone that is now two years old. In the meantime, Samsung and other manufacturers have come out with phones that make people's jaws drop, such as the Galaxy S3, which has a (relatively) humongous screen. Although the Apple faithful may start hyperventilating about things like the movement or elimination of a button, most phone buyers couldn't care less. Now that most phones do the same things and work pretty much the same way, the most obvious (and, arguably, important) difference between them is the screen."
Source : If The iPhone 5 Really Looks Like This, Apple May Be Screwed...

Henry Blodget argues that Apple's decision to move the release of last year's iPhone from the summer to the fall, and then to release a phone that was only a "refresh" of the prior generation, had allowed Samsung, et al, to catch up.[2]

[1] - Apple Will Announce The iPhone 5 And iPad Mini On September 12
[2] - Here's How Apple Blew It On The iPhone