Recently, there has been a lot of talk about Singtel’s latest add-on service – Whatsapp Pass.
I’m not sure if many of you know this, but Singtel is not charging you to use Whatsapp. You can still use Whatsapp even if you don’t purchase this add-on. I’m serious!
Before any of you think I’m working for Singtel (Haha! I wish, cos then I’ll have what people consider a ‘job’), I’m not. Last I checked, I’m still pretty much considered the unemployed since I’m a stay-at-home mom 😛
However, I am a Singtel user, and I use Whatsapp.
And, if Singtel is going to charge me for using Whatsapp, I will definitely kick up a big fuss. But they are not.
It just takes one person to misunderstand something, then blow it up in epic proportions, and everyone else gets sucked into the same belief without first doing their own investigations/research.
This applies to a lot of things, and trust me, I know this particularly well. A little too well for my sanity, in fact. But let’s not go there.
If you’re still not sure what the Whatsapp Pass is about, let me break it down for you:
That is basically it.
“Who might need this add-on?”, I hear you ask.
Well, people who do not have data plans on their phone lines. Yes, there are people who still do not have data in their phone plans (my secondary mobile line is a classic example).
By just purchasing this add-on, they no longer have to rely solely on Wi-Fi to upload and download things from Whatsapp. They can do so anywhere now, without worrying about data charges. Perfect for people who really only use their smartphones for communication purposes only. Very ideal for my secondary mobile line, where I only use Whatsapp (if I can find Wi-Fi, that is) and nothing else.
The other group of people who might need this are the ones with data in their phone plans, and is able to somehow exceed their data limit or leaving close to nothing for other use, just by uploading and downloading things like photos, videos, voice recordings etc through Whatsapp.
For example:
Your current phone line comes with 2GB data usage as part of the bundle.
If you’re a heavy Whatsapp user, sending and receiving files all the time, you might use up 1GB of your data from this. That leaves you with only 1GB of data for other things – be it watching YouTube videos, downloading documents from your email, or apps from your Playstore (I’m an Android user).
Now, if you purchase the Whatsapp Pass, you will get to use unlimited amount of data specifically on Whatsapp.
That means, you can upload and download as many files as you want from Whatsapp, and you will still have 2GB from your original data bundle to do whatever it is you want on your smartphone!
If you’re wondering how anyone can use so much data on Whatsapp, you might want to check this out. Hilarious take for sure, but it made sense to me! Hehe.
For those who have been telling others to switch to other chatting apps because of this add-on by Singtel, I’ve got bad news for you.
Even if you switch to LINE, or WeChat, or whatever new chatting app there is out there, data charges will still apply when you send and receive files from within the app. Nothing is as free as they are made out to be. You are just being charged according to your data usage. That’s all.
I shall repeat this, you can still use Whatsapp even if you don’t purchase the Whatsapp Pass. You will just be consuming the data from your phone plan, instead of having unlimited data usage on Whatsapp.
Personally, I won’t be needing the Whatsapp Pass add-on.
I’ve got 12GB of data to use in my primary phone line, and I seldom exceed 2GB a month. That’s at least another 10GB waiting to be used! As for my secondary phone line, the phone is pretty much a toy to Nakayla so I seldom use that line… So I think I’ll pass for now.
Perhaps, when the children are older, and they require their own phones , I’ll purchase this add-on for them. This way, they can Whatsapp me and the husband freely. And with no data on their phone plan, they can only Whatsapp and do nothing else on that smartphone.
But, if they somehow activate and use data for things other than Whatsapp on their smartphones, the not-so-smart smartphone users will see their piggy banks being emptied to pay for these additional charges.
I’m so cruel, but I like. Haha!
Actually yes, a lot of people do not have data plans, and ALOT of people take it for granted that EVERYONE has data plans/ I guess singtel did have a fault of not being clearer in their plan descriptor or something, plus singaporeans do like to jump the gun alot these days. Our island has somewhat transformed into one with tons of sensitivity of late!
Haha, yes. And, I’m clinging on to my old 12GB data plan, as with my data-less plan, both of which are no longer in existence! Hehe.
I won’t comment on the way Singtel release the information, because I honestly have no idea what they said. I just started seeing all these articles written by others, displaying their displeasure with the Whatsapp Pass, then I went to look further into it. Hehe.
I guess with the various social media platform, people tend to find their voices to make their concerns known. But then again, it could have always been this rampant, just that with the internet more easily available to people, news (accurate or not) gets spread really fast and seen by everyone! In the past, it’s usually by word of mouth? Hehe.