SINGAPORE (July 29): M1, the smallest mobile operator here and the one most vulnerable if a fourth player enters the market, has introduced a new slew of mobile pricing plans aimed at users who can do without handset subsidies.

The Singapore mobile market is characterised by generous handset subsidies in return for two-year contracts, leading to the dominance of premium brands like Apple and Samsung.

However, there is growing demand for cheaper smartphones like China made ones from Xiaomi and Huawei and Lenovo that are not too shabby in terms of specifications. Quite often users buy these smartphones directly from the brands themselves or from third-party retailers, instead of via the telcos.

Now, users can buy these handsets with M1’s new plan, dubbed mySim, which offers more generous data and talktime compared to plans that come with handset subsidies.

For example, the basic $30 monthly plan for a 12-month term comes with 5GB worth of data and 300 minutes of talktime. If users prefer a one-month plan, the same price gives them 3GB worth of data and the same talktime.

Currently, M1’s own “Lite” post-paid plan, which costs $28 a month, comes with only 100 minutes of talktime and 300MB of data.

In recent months, the company has been actively introducing new products and making changes to its offerings.

For example, on July 10, M1 introduced the Data Passport feature, which lets users tap into their unused local data capacity when they travel to six countries without incurring hefty roaming charges.

As at 3.59 p.m., M1 shares were up one cents to $3.26.