M1's rebrand and digital push enables new Bespoke Flexi mobile plans for customers

Back in December 2020, M1 unveiled a new logo - a sign of greater things to come. This culminated in an official announcement today (Feb 23, 2021) where M1 said its brand refresh signifies the start of its full digital transformation to become Singapore's first truly digital network provider.

This transformation also made it possible for a third variation of typical mobile plans available, which M1 calls it Bespoke Flexi plan.

Before we go into the details of the mobile plan, M1 said that the following are tangible benefits for its customers, thanks to its digital revamp:

• Cloud-native applications: M1's backend (except the physical network) has moved to the cloud, with the total number of applications now down to only 30 (instead of 150 previously). M1 said this would help them be more flexible in scaling up/down to suit its users' needs.
• Data analytics: M1's streamlined its 200+ databases into a single datatake, simplifying M1's ability to use actionable data insights to serve their customers.
• Automation: Customer-facing touchpoints are automated to provide real-time processing of their needs, such as changing plans, looking into bills, and other features.
• Individualised services: Products, business solutions, and services can be made to be more accurate to the specific needs of its customers.

Examples of such enhancements worthy of its rebrand include a refreshed M1 app with said data insights for customers and an in-store virtual assistant (Megan) for physical M1 outlets.

Bespoke Flexi mobile plan

Another crucial addition to M1's arsenal is a new type of mobile plan with some flexibility in its plan structure and monthly handset fees.

Called the Bespoke Flexi plan, M1 customers can choose to pay the handset's price over 12 to 36 months of their choosing, and a local data + talk time plan that can be adjusted up to once per month.

In Bespoke Flexi plans, the handset costs are broken down into two parts: an upfront fee chosen by the customer and the option to pay off the remainder over 12, 18, 24, or 36 months.

The minimum upfront fee an M1 customer can start at is $0 (which would spread out the entire handset cost over the chosen duration), with a maximum upfront fee that depends on the smartphone's official retail price.

The resulting monthly handset fee is separate from the data and talk time bill (below).

The data and talk time portion is also broken down. Users can select 5, 15, 25, 35, 70, or unlimited GBs' worth of local data, coupled with 100, 300, or unlimited talk time. A user is also given the flexibility to modify this plan during the course of use, up to once a month.

100 SMSes are included regardless of the plan structure chosen. Below is a cost summary of all possible data and talk time configurations in Bespoke Flexi plans.

We've experimented with several handsets on M1's website and found that the data+talk time monthly fees are consistent across different handsets.

Please note that the costs above do not factor in add-ons and other service fees.

According to M1's FAQ page , Bespoke Flexi plans can be renewed six months into the previous plan, but the user is required to settle any outstanding handset balance.

That means that there's no penalty for renewing early on, but you can only take a new device if the previous one is fully paid up and six months have gone by.

Terminating a Bespoke Flexi plan also nets no penalties, but the handset's outstanding balance will need to be paid in full upon termination.

The FAQ page currently does not state if it's possible to pay for devices in full, ahead of the chosen monthly structure (i.e. paying off the rest of the device fee before your 36 months are up).

This article was first published in Hardware Zone.