Public VS Telus - A simple price/data comparison

[taylor7787]

I recently made the switch to Public from Telus and before I make changes to do with money or make any large purchases I like to research to be sure I am getting the best deal. I was annoyed with Telus and the cost for very little data. The below comparison illustrates the difference in pay over a 1 month, 1 year and 2 year period for 2 phones

Public Mobile

6GB/month, nationwide talk and text = 195 $/3 months = 65/month

4 GB/month, nationwide talk and text = 150$/3 months = 50/month

Less auto pay discount 12 dollars total for both lines/3 months = 48/yr

Less referral for one line 3/3 months = 12/yr

780+450=1230 - 60 = 1170 per year plus tax

Telus

4GB data/month shared between 2 lines. Nationwide talk and text as well standard voice mail/caller id.

166 per month before tex

166*12=1992 per year plus tax

This very clearly illustrates that moving to public mobile has helped me save $822 per year with more than double that data. This made my decision a no brainer - I cant believe I didn't switch sooner. Thanks Public!

[kav2001c]

@Mr-Bump & @will13am oh yeah and as Bump mentioned subsidy amount varies by province for some strange reason

ON of course has the worst (big surprise) and places like SK/QC are best

[will13am]

Folks my point is that they do offer a bit of pricing on the hardware for getting a plan.  Their no term pricing for hardware is inflated.  There are avenues to obtain hardware at a lower price.  Nonetheless, whatever little advantage there is of getting the package deal should be factored in.  Remember, many people are unable to negotiate services like this one on their own.  There is a fee involved in having someone insert a SIM card into a locked phone and setting it up. 

[Mr-Bump]

@will13am Just took a look as well and an LG G6 is currently $200 upfront, and $100/m (unlimited local + 2gb). That phone is $600 on Amazon, and the same plan with PM (without rewards) is $45. The Telus plan as a BYOD is $75/m which means you're paying $25/m extra for the phone, or $600 after 2 years, plus the $200 upfront. 

By purchasing unlocked you are saving $200 on the phone and $720 in the plan after 2 years. 

*I am about to sleep, accuracy is not guaranteed. 

[kav2001c]

@will13am on Telus a Premium Plan is basically +$10 per month (lower tier smartphone, eg LG G5) a Premium Plus Plan is +$20 per month (S8, iPhone etc) and there is a basic tier (+$0) for a few odds and ends phones (usually clearance or very el cheapo phones)

So as example, an older iPhone 6S is $0 for $10 x 24 months (+$240)

A newer iPhone 8 would be $230 upfront + $20 x 24 months (+$480)

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@will13am wrote:

Out of curiosity, I just checked Telus to see what 4 gigs of sharable data cost.  It is $150 for a two person plan.  The one thing I can't figure out is how much hardware subsidy this share plan yields.  This is the one intagible that gets a lot of people going back to the major brands, the enticement of being able to get a shiny new iPhone with a small amount of initial down payment.

[will13am]

Out of curiosity, I just checked Telus to see what 4 gigs of sharable data cost.  It is $150 for a two person plan.  The one thing I can't figure out is how much hardware subsidy this share plan yields.  This is the one intagible that gets a lot of people going back to the major brands, the enticement of being able to get a shiny new iPhone with a small amount of initial down payment.  The BYOD plan does not fully account for the "perks" of getting hardware.  With hardware factored in, the gap closes somewhat.  That said, the problem with sticking to the major brands is the continued need to get a $1000 phone every two years so as to extract the maximum value out of spending almost $200 a month for a two person plan.  By going with options like Public Mobile, I can shop for phones at a fraction of the cost of carrier phones.  It is this piece of the puzzle that really makes going with Public Mobile a excellent value. 

[taylor7787]

this was direct BYOD from telus out of contract pricing. With phone would have been even more considering telus now has a 95 dollar minimum price per line with the new iphone 8

[ShawnC13]

@taylor7787, great comparison. Did your Telus price include phones?  Was there a monthly fee for subsidized phones or were you BYOD.  I know you will have still save a lot, but making sure we compare apples to apples.

[rileyjaun]

This is exactly the logic I use to buy a new phone every few years! Treat yourself with that money, and welcome to public mobile!

[rileyjaun]

This is exactly the logic I use to buy a new phone every few years! Treat yourself with that money, and welcome to public mobile!

[NDesai]

Some huge savings!

Welcome to Public Mobile and thank you for the feedback 🙂