Moldavian operator Moldcell has launched two tariff plans under the title Galaxy You, which are dedicated to customers who have a Samsung Galaxy phone. Customers can choose a plan which costs MDL 199.00 (US $11.54) or another available at MDL 349.00 (US $20.23). The first offers unlimited on-net minutes, 500 national minutes and 12 GB, while the second features unlimited national calls, 300 international minutes, 30 GB and access to Moldcell TV at no extra cost for 30 days. The operator also offers the latest Samsung Galaxy phone at a discounted rate with a dedicated subscription that has unlimited calls and up to 30 GB of data which is available at a discount of MDL 50.00 (US $2.90) off the standard subscription options.

Tarifica’s Take

The noteworthy aspect of these offerings is the fact that they are tied to one specific brand of device. Ordinarily, it might appear that the best policy for an mobile operator would be to make plans device-agnostic to the extent possible, to ensure the broadest uptake. In this case, however, we can see at least some reasons to limit the tariffs to Samsung Galaxy phones.

For one thing, the Galaxys, like the iPhones, are a high-end, relatively expensive line of smartphones, with the capability of handling the most data-demanding apps and types of data traffic. The two levels of Galaxy You offer large allowances of data, 12 GB and 30 GB; such quantities of data would likely be more in demand for users of Galaxy phones than for users of more modest devices. Essentially, with this offering, Moldcell could be construed as encouraging its subscribers to make the most of their Galaxys and, by extension, to become bigger data consumers going forward. Ultimately this will drive revenue to the operator.

Second, the Galaxy You plans are likely to be an excellent way to sell Samsung Galaxy phones. If the way to get a good deal on a large amount of mobile data is to get a Galaxy, and given that the phone is being offered by the operator with a discount off the Galaxy You plans, Moldcell clearly expects the plans to help move the devices. If it has an advantageous enough arrangement with Samsung, Moldcell stands to profit from the device sales as well as data consumption.