iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max Malaysia Telco Plans Compared: Which Fits Your Budget?

Buying the iPhone 18 Pro from a telco can look incredibly cheap when you see a headline such as RM65 a month. The catch is simple: that is the phone instalment, not your complete monthly bill.

So instead of staring at dozens of plan combinations, we’ve simplified the comparison around one question: how much will the phone and plan actually cost you every month?

We’re comparing the 256GB iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max across Yes, U Mobile, CelcomDigi and Maxis, with the phone instalment and required plan added together. Yes, U Mobile and CelcomDigi use 36-month packages in the main table; Maxis uses 48-month Zerolution. You can compare the monthly bills at a glance, but keep that extra year in mind when looking at the totals.

Updated 13 September 2026: Maxis plan pricing and totals have been corrected to reflect the 48-month Zerolution options.

The quick answer: how much should you budget every month?

On the current listed prices, Yes and U Mobile are basically neck-and-neck. Yes is RM2 cheaper per month, which is only RM72 across 36 months. That is small enough that network coverage and how you use your data should probably decide between them.

The total-cost column shows your combined monthly bill multiplied by the listed payment term: 36 months for Yes, U Mobile and CelcomDigi, and 48 months for Maxis. These are scheduled phone-and-plan payments before tax, non-refundable one-off charges, optional add-ons and any final device settlement. Conditional rebates are not deducted, and an advance credited back to your bills should not be counted twice.

Maxis’ total includes an extra year of mobile service, so it isn’t a like-for-like three-year cost comparison. To compare all options over four years, add your expected year-four SIM-only spending to the 36-month packages.

Yes is the cheapest here — but don’t choose Ultra 178 just to get the RM65 headline

Yes advertises the iPhone 18 Pro from RM65/month and Pro Max from RM77/month, but those prices require the RM178 Ultra plan. Your actual combined bill therefore becomes RM243 and RM255 respectively.

Ironically, the cheaper Basic 58 plan gives you a much lower overall bill even though the phone instalment itself is higher. The 256GB Pro works out to RM146 + RM58 = RM204/month, while the Pro Max is RM159 + RM58 = RM217/month.

Basic 58 therefore makes the most sense if affordability is your priority and most of your usage stays on the phone. Yes gives you uncapped phone data and unlimited local calls, but Basic has a 20GB tethering allowance. If you regularly hotspot a laptop or tablet, that is worth considering before chasing the lowest bill.

There are launch promotions too, including an advertised additional RM360 off and a free 40W adapter worth RM169, but we have not deducted conditional promotions from the comparison. Treat them as a bonus only after Yes confirms exactly what your order qualifies for.

U Mobile costs RM2 more, but heavy hotspot users should take a closer look

U Mobile ULTRA Postpaid 68 comes to RM206/month for the Pro and RM219/month for the Pro Max over 36 months.

That is just RM2 more than Yes Basic. In return, the quoted ULTRA 68 plan includes a much larger 1,000GB data and hotspot allowance, so this is the option I would investigate first if your phone regularly doubles as internet access for a laptop.

U Mobile also becomes interesting for families through Family 128, but don’t divide the package price by four and assume each line gets an iPhone. Compare the whole household bill and the number of devices you actually need.

CelcomDigi costs more, so make sure you are getting something useful for it

CelcomDigi Easy360 with Postpaid 5G 100 comes to RM238/month for the Pro or RM251/month for the Pro Max.

That puts it roughly RM32 above U Mobile for the Pro in this comparison. It can still be the better choice if CelcomDigi coverage is stronger where you live or work, or if the plan benefits match services you already pay for.

The launch campaign also advertises a large headline value for gifts, trade-ins and benefits. Don’t treat that figure as cash off the phone. Check what you actually qualify for and whether getting a gift requires a more expensive plan or additional line.

Maxis: Postpaid 139 is the better-value starting point for a four-year plan

Planning to keep your next iPhone for several years and happy with Maxis coverage? Its 48-month Zerolution option is worth a look. With Postpaid 139, the 256GB iPhone 18 Pro costs RM90 for the phone plus RM139 for the plan, bringing your monthly bill to RM229 before tax. The Pro Max is RM99 plus RM139, or RM238/month.

Here’s how the three plans compare for the 256GB models. Every monthly figure below includes both the phone and the plan.

The RM84 Pro instalment on Postpaid 199 looks tempting, but it saves just RM6 on the phone compared with Postpaid 139 while adding RM60 to the plan. Your combined bill ends up RM54 higher each month. Staying with 139 saves RM2,592 over 48 months for either 256GB model, assuming unchanged prices and before any extra charges or promotions.

For a new line, I’d therefore start with Postpaid 139 and move up only if the extra plan benefits are genuinely useful. Already paying for an eligible Maxis plan? Compare the additional phone payment before switching networks or upgrading your plan.

The trade-off is time: this is a four-year payment arrangement, not the three-year package used for the other telcos above. It suits someone who intends to keep both the phone and line for the longer term. Check the upfront amount and the applicable device-ownership and early-exit terms in the Maxis store before signing; the totals here cover scheduled monthly bills, not every possible charge.

Can you handle a higher bill for 24 months instead?

If your income is comfortable enough, I actually like the shorter 24-month option. You pay more each month, but you are finished with the device commitment a year earlier.

The trade-off is straightforward: 36 months is easier on your monthly budget, while 24 months gets the commitment out of the way faster. Don’t choose 24 months if the extra RM60–RM70 every month makes the rest of your budget uncomfortable.

Which telco plan suits the way you use your iPhone?

The best deal therefore depends less on who advertises the smallest device instalment and more on how you actually use your line. Someone who rarely tethers may prefer Yes Basic, while a frequent hotspot user could get more value from paying RM2 extra for U Mobile. If CelcomDigi or Maxis works better where you live and work, compare the complete package against the cost of staying with a network you already trust.

Pro or Pro Max?

For most value-conscious buyers, I would start with the 256GB iPhone 18 Pro. Moving to the Pro Max adds RM13/month on the Yes, U Mobile and CelcomDigi 36-month combinations above, or RM468 over the term. On Maxis’ three 48-month plans shown here, the upgrade adds RM9/month, totalling RM432 over four years. The smaller monthly difference partly reflects the longer repayment period.

That isn’t a huge premium if you genuinely want the larger display and battery advantages of the Pro Max. But if affordability is the priority, the Pro is the easier recommendation. I would also resist upgrading the storage, plan tier and phone size all at once just because each individual monthly increase looks small.

What about buying outright with Ryt Bank?

Buying the phone separately is worth considering if you already have a cheap SIM plan that works well for you. Apple Malaysia pricing starts at RM5,499 for the Pro 256GB and RM5,999 for the Pro Max 256GB.

Yes’ Ryt Credit promotion provides another route without a conventional telco device contract. The supplied campaign material advertises up to 4% cashback, with the promotional visual showing up to RM479 cashback, a free 100GB SIM and a power adapter worth RM169, subject to eligibility and campaign conditions.

Just compare the financing properly. Check the actual repayment schedule, interest or financing cost and total repayable rather than comparing only the monthly number with a telco’s 0% device instalment.

So, which deal would we choose?

If keeping the monthly bill low is the priority, Yes Basic 58 is the strongest starting point from the confirmed Yes pricing: RM204/month for the 256GB Pro and RM217/month for the Pro Max before tax.

If you tether a laptop frequently, U Mobile ULTRA 68 is potentially worth paying RM2 more for because of its much larger hotspot allowance.

CelcomDigi is worth considering if its coverage or plan benefits justify the difference for you. For Maxis users comfortable with a four-year arrangement, Postpaid 139 is the better-value starting point among the plans shown: RM229/month for the Pro or RM238/month for the Pro Max. Move to 169 or 199 only for plan benefits you will actually use, not to chase a smaller phone instalment. Prefer to finish paying sooner? Compare the 24-month packages instead.

Most importantly, don’t choose a telco because it advertises the smallest device instalment. Add the phone and plan together, check what you need to pay upfront, and ask what it costs to leave early. The best iPhone deal is the one that still feels affordable six months after the excitement of buying it has worn off.