After my recent blogpost about Part one of the DiGi Blackberry vs. Maxis Blackberry review I did a few days back, I've been receiving lots of feedback from you peeps via blog comments and e-mails. Really glad you found it helpful before you plunged into the joy of Team Awesome with blackberries π
So yeah, as a recap, I've already told you in that earlier entry about which Blackberry telco plan is more
cost efficient and worth the money you're paying for.
But now, it's time for the showdown of both its performances! After testing it in various places, I've come to the conclusion that for most parts of KL city and the Klang Valley results in equal strong signal/reception for both Maxis and DiGi BB mobile network coverage. Hence, I decided to put it to test in the suburbs, outskirts and highways of Malaysia instead
But before that, there's something I'd like to highlight. I noticed this pattern in both the BBs at most places! The average time for my DiGi blackberry to successfully post a tweet is approximately 3 seconds whilst the my Maxis blackberry successfully posts it 2 seconds AFTER the DiGi one. Which brings that of a 3 second : 5 second speed .
Lemme prove it to you – the exact same tweets which I posted at the exact same time
Twitter has it in order of a timeline from top to bottom of the latest to the oldest Tweets
You can see for yourselves as to which Tweet arrived first then π
Okay along the North-South highway, specifically along the KL-Ipoh routes. Here's my verdict by a method of constant checking. When I say Maxis|DiGi it means both are at high-speed EDGE but when I say either Maxis or DiGi, it means that particular Telco's data connection speed is more superior the other Telco which I did not mention at that specific highway exit.. Got it? π
The unmentioned Telco would have either dropped to GPRS or lost its signal at SOS
West Malaysia
And here's the results of the telco coverage!
Rawang Maxis | DiGi
Ulu Bernam DiGi
Slim River Maxis | DiGi
Sungkai DiGi
Sungai Trolak DiGi
Bidor Maxis
Tapah Maxis | DiGi
Kampar Maxis | DiGi
Gopeng Maxis | DiGi
Simpang Pulai Maxis | DiGi
I figured out that by giving you that mini verdict, you can see for yourself as to which Telco line was more consistent on the highway π
Anyways, I was at Bukit Bangkong located in Tanah Hitam, Chemor for hiking with some of my adrenalin-fueled fockers! For those not in the know, Tanah Hitam is quite a rural estate and outskirt area of the Perak state. Photos shot with only my BB. Now let's take a look at how both the Telcos fared
Whilst at the foot of the hill before I began my journey, my Maxis BB signal was already down to GPRS while my DiGi BB signal was still standing at high-speed EDGE. As we all hiked that steep hill, Maxis signals began to pick up and it was back at EDGE with slight amounts of staggering back to GPRS and even GSM.
However, the DiGi one remained unperturbed standing strong. It remained so throughout the entire 45 minutes climbing the hill until we arrived its peak π
Go figure. I'll leave it to you for the judgement π
During some of my boring and dry lectures, I often relied on both my BBs to keep me company or at the very least, entertained. I'm an avid user of a few Blackberry apps such as Blackberry Messenger (BBM), Ubertwitter and Facebook for Blackberry by the way
Damn! One of my coursemates snapped a pic of me with her cellphone of me BB-ing during lecture
>_<
But since we're on the topic, Imma share with you how the BB lines fare in Monash University. In the cafeteria, both receptions were awesome but when it came to the Lecture Theaters, Tutorial Rooms and even elevators, I couldn't do ANYTHING with my Maxis BB except to reply SMSes! Angry maximus ROARRRR! The signal was dreadfully low. But thankfully, I had my DiGi BB to rely on π π Gracias!
Oh and you know what the best part is? Throughout the past few weeks, I've never experienced any dropped calls while using my DiGi BB, and SMSes were always promptly delivered. I can recall though, while using Maxis, certain SMSes will only reach my recipient the very next day! And that caused mom to be barking mad because she thought I didn't bother replying her SMS. Mom, I'm innocent! π π
Not to mention miscommunications between my friends and I and even the boyfie because my SMSes arrived later than usual. A friend of mine Bart also told me that the delivery reports for some of his SMSes which he sent from his Maxis cellphone never came! Gosh. Talk about mechanical noise in barriers of communication! T__T
Anyways, on a happier note – here I am LIVE in Genting Highlands located in the state of Pahang. Located at 2000 metres above sea level, let's just see if Maxis or DiGi telco scores better in terms of coverage and data signals okay okay? π π I'm excited to know too.
The piccie below was taken just before I yell my eyeballs outta their sockets at the Corkscrew. Nope, I didn't dare to take out both my Blackberries to compare the reception when i was just about to zoom down in breakneck speed down that killer rollercoaster …
…neither did I do it when I was spinning at 360 degrees upside down *panics*
But I did it before it was my turn!
Wheeeee! I'm at the highest point of Genting Highlands! Right on top of the ferris wheel π π
Look at all the little people!
High on top of the Ferris wheel and other *safer* rides around Genting Highlands, the hotels, the indoor themepark, casinos and its vicinity, my DiGi BB definitely has the upper hand. Almost, (if not all) the spots where I sat down to compare the BIS, the DiGi signal strength on EDGE was impressive. However, my Maxis BB was down to a steady GPRS throughout most the rides and the occasional EDGE
.
Underground
Now that I've reviewed how both the lines fared up high, what about how it fares waaaayyy below? Down down down below from the Underground flume ride mine tunnel, my Maxis BB coverage was only with 3 bars of GSM while my DiGi BB was kicking it effortlessly at full speed EDGE.
yellow men all around me – no wonder coverage can be so remarkable!
So.. what do you think? Any idea which Telco line to get already before you buy your first Blackberry?
What about exisiting users of other telcos? *winks*
Just when you thought the saga was over, there's Part 3 coming up next! π
Owh so i can say that Digi is better than maxis right?..and Digi plan is more cheaper than Maxis plan. π thanks for the info..wah so u r so rajin to do this experiment for us..really appreciate it π
eh got part 3 ke? don’t forget to notify me if the part 3 is published. π
Oh Lady Gaga Bukan She-Male Rupanya! Siap Ada Bukti Lagi!
yes definitely. not just claims, but proven ones too π and yes, cheaper no doubt! and no probs! no lah, not rajin, doing it becos it’s really interesting n ppl wanna know too! hehe
yes got part 3 π stay tuned!
and have fun with ur digi blackberry if ur planning to buy it in d end! woo hoo
what about digi bb vs celcom bb? thanks.
i knew it! it was digi dats better all along!! imma definitely gonna get digi blackberry oledi. ^^ thanx jess!
ahhaahahahah pretty obvious aint it? π π heh don’t mention it. go have fun with it! its awesome
Yes. DiGi dropped to GPRS in Bidor but still bearable.
yupyup, that was the only placed it dropped to GPRS. but the rest of the places were at EDGE π yeah, sumtimes GPRS is fast too! hehe depending on the transmission there hehe
OK lah set I will get the data plan thingy.
yup! good choice π π thumbs up
Hey!! I am a BB phone fans…although I haven’t gotten my BB Bold 9700 yet as Digi hasn’t officially launched it. I was wondering why you prefer BB phone rather than Iphone? Most of my friends told me that Iphone is more fun… I still feel like to get BB phone.. hehe
lemme tell u sumthin honestly, once u go BB u will never turn back! it’s awesome. I never liked the iphone and its sensitive touch screen. besides, it has all those games/apps dat i dont rlly need to use. its so unnecessary! and the BB u can BBM to ur friends instead of sms. its all free! and *psst* BB is more yeng okay! iphone is everywhere now. hahahaha π
haha.. I can believe you now as you replied my comment instantly by using BB phone.. hahaha. I also think that BB phone is more solid. I can’t find the About you page.. Are you Penang lang? I found that you are quite interesting blogger. Actually I just met few Penang floggers on last week. XD
so smart! yes correcto, i AM replying u using my BB. im THAAT in love with it. it’s my partner whenever i eat sleep shit work chill club ..etc.. whatever. when u see me, u’ll see my BB too. haha! definitely more solid haha. my BB dropped so many times n its still tough. and yes i’m frm penang π
if u wanna know more abt what HAPPENED to my BB, check this out https://thejessicat.com/2010/01/my-blackberry-spun-tumbled-wet-in-a-washing-machine-no-sweat-my-10-steps-of-how-to-rescue-it/ u’ll be amazed!
When I get the BB phone, I will exchange the BB pin code to you – (if you don’t mind) π I also come from Penang island. Nice to meet you here. XD.
Well, I don’t have a BB nor have I switched away from DiGi before. :/ go figure~
hmmm.. then get a BB! π u will never regret. oh u never switched away frm digi? oo dats good! hehe
both phone is free??
what do u mean? here’s Part One of this review if u didn’t see it yet : https://thejessicat.com/2010/02/blackberry-maxis-digi-compariso/ π mebbe u’ll understand better after reading it
jess good post ah!! haha! the telcos will be lots more busy than usual after seeing this lol! Digi has an EDGE over Maxis as you have posted here, so after you post the final part then I can decide which plan I’ll go for dee =) and your photo which you holding the 2 bb phone with first world hotel as backdrop, so machoO lar!! XD
hahahahhah thanks so much π digi definitely has the EDGE over this no doubt! π btw MACHO? T____T π π u know macho is for man anot!!! *cries* i look like a man meh!!! nooooooooooooooo
aha! straight after this post, digi following me on twitter haha, so efficient har, wanna tarek customer here ady XD XD
aiyak, you know im not meant so geh, haha, it means NICE~ sorry bout my MACHO flinglish yea XD
awwwwwwww thankewww π π how nice of u! xoxo
hahha and no worries, i was just kidding abt the man thing.
Thank God for your blog π Very2 helpful π now i go for that YELLOW MAN π hihi
thanks! haha glad i helped out π π yuppppppppp go for yellowman all the wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy
SMS are not delivered on time, because they go thru government filter and the government also corek the gramma I mean grammar and so that should not be mentioned on your blog, you broke rule, now you will get 3 strokes of (sugar) cane and later must hide in bamboo for 1 nite!
Datuk MKL
ahahaahhahaa what on EARTH have u been eating?!?!? hahahaha ur high one sugar (cane) for sure! hmmmmmmm… but it holds some truth though. that datuks/spirits hides in bamboos. hmm.. u sure know ur asian facts! π
btw sms not delivered on time becos the line is prolly not efficient enuf *angers*
AHHA!
haiz…… u making me harder to choose Iphone ,Jess
whyyyyyyyyyyy do u wanna choose iPhone in the 1st place! Join the blackberry cult! π iPhone is SO OVERRATED OMG
wow this is an extremely good and comprehensive review. a job very well done and i thank you for the information. i bet heaps of people other than me found ur article helpful (and not to mention hilarious)
thanks lots π no problem, haha i derive pleasure in making strange experiments to result in cool information which ppl never knew! Well, im glad it did help u fellas in decisions π hahhahaha cheers!
Is DiGi cheaper than Maxis too?
oh then u must have missed out the earlier part of this review. it’s here https://thejessicat.com/2010/02/blackberry-maxis-digi-compariso/ the prices n plans are stated there π
it’ll be greatly appreciated if you could disclose any incentives given by any of the telcos for your troubles in writing this article, as practised by many in the rest of the non-malaysia interweb blogworld
Hi effarr, this article is the review of the services provided by the telco company. In the end, it is up to us to choose which telco services that we want. What i try to say is, you can comment anything you want, but don’t try to sacastic here. Everything jess wrote here is what she want to share, and it is up to you and everyone believe her or not? Remember no fans boy here. Sorry if i offend you.
Yes that’s true, thanks. to believe it or not, thats up 2ur brand loyalty, other factors like perhaps which telco is stronger in ur area and most importantly ur OWN experience w the telcos. I was just stating mine and no one is required to adhere to what i say literally. btw, what is ‘fans boy’? :O
Well i’ve oways wanted to know whether Maxis or DiGi’s overall service is better. doesn’t everybody? Im sure everyone wants 2noe d answer too. So when i had the opportunity to review the telco n also compare them, this was a great chance 4me to conduct mini experiments to find out the verdict 4myself n my readers too.
Whatever I’ve learned or discovered from this comparison n everythin I stated are all personally experienced by me at dat particular moment n place – all true/real life moments. i was merely blogging my experience abt both the telcos π Why, r u a maxis or a digi customer urself? anything which u experienced contradicts with the experiences I have? do let me know π
Oh but if u must know, none of the telcos paid me to do this. cheers
Hi….i’m in d process of getting 1 BB. n now still considering which telco should i choose.
ur writing has been very helpful. however, i’m just wondering whether u have any experience with celcom. coz i noticed that u compared only between maxis n digi. how bout celcom then?
in terms of coverage, digi and maxis beats celcom. but in terms of benefits or rewards, perhaps celcom could have an advantage too. π
why would you think that she is being given incentive to write this. it is her blog and she has due right to write what she wants to. if she sees fit that she now has a comparison to maxis. then let her state her opinions. it is fair enough that maxis is well known to be expensive. maybe you don’t have to pay for your bills as you might be working for them or their agencies. no?
whoaa. okay heh. thanks. and randomly, im pondering on ur last sentence. Now that u’ve mentioned…. hmm.. *thinks* That’s a thought.
I agree with effarr. where got ppl do things for free one?! BUT I KNOW THE TRUTH! You just wanna promote BB and BB and BB here and there so that people don’t get iPhone, that’s the real reason right?!
You siao one haha go all the way this far just to prove a point π But you know I’ll always sayang u although we have iPhone vs BB wars right? ^______^
Yup!! Iβm neutral in a way towards the telcos but VERY PARTIAL to blackberries! Hahahaha I dun care, the BB vs iPhone war will never end and I will stand tall to advocate it! Hahahahaah
But beneath all dat, u know I still sayang u too! Woots π π letβs just agree to disagree on our stands w the BB n iPhone haha
Make love not war. Where got BB vs iPhone. Berry ok wat. iPhone also ok wat. now wating for Nexus One.
iiiiiiiiiiii looooooooovvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeee BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB. *kicks all other phones aside* AHAHHAAH CERTIFIED BBA π π π
Bump Bump Bump!!!!!!! Other PHONES GG & CertifiED XD XD XD
Digi BB rocks! But for your info, I switched from Digi to my current provider Maxis 2 years ago because Digi’s signal was pretty weak in my area… Eh, how does Celcom fare in this showdown?
By the way, would you want to check out Irenelim Fashion partnership program? http://www.irenelim.com/become-our-partner.html
Cheers, jessicat π
lol yes so far so good for me! π hmmm okay, which area are u in? perhaps u can let the digi ppl know about the weak transmission in ur area. But if maxis works fine for u then whatever floats ur boat π
and okay will checkit out π
The weird thing is if I was in the house the signal was barely 1 bar, but when I walked out of the house, the signal immediately jumped to full strength! Otherwise I would never byebye to Digi who I have used for so many years…
goshhhhh. i guessed u must’ve moved in to the new place is it? Which area? is it a far off area away frm the city? π
Not too far I guess from the Puchong center… about 5 minutes away nia… haha. But like I said, the signal is ultra strong just outside of my house. Oh, maybe my house’s material too “signal-proof” la. Haha…
Yeah…. i got this problem too… if not i wont switch to Maxis… LoL
Wah, this reply reply thingy not bad… can have unlimited levels ah?
hahahaha! yes unlimited levels. but when it gets too tiny it stops la π btw hmmm.. then i guess ur place got this INVISIBLE BARRIER for digi transmission hahahahaa π
You gila one.
hahaaha yeah ma! if not how to review n compare? in KL n klang valley both receptions n BIS r equally strong! No choice but to go to other places n test them out lor π
I honestly think this is a good piece of article for peeps who are deciding on which telco to choose from. A simple comparison between the price plan alone, I bet most user will choose the Digi plan. Judging from the telco coverage, it appears Digi have the advantage as well. Maybe if Maxis see this, they will try to come out with a better plan or wider their area of coverage to be competitive in the market? ^_^
awww thanks π and yeah, i hope they will. I’ve been a maxis user for long and with this i hope they get better too! π π and youuuuuuuuuuuu better get ur BB soon π
Quite surprising to hear that DiGi has coverage almost everywhere. They were down on the coverage game a few years back.. Oh never liked the BB, prefer the iPhone! =p N I heard DiGi is going to carry it soon…
Now I wonder which bacteria picture i’ll get this time…….
Yea I guess theyβve improved over d years. Btw U like the iphone? Nooooooo what blasphemy is this! Hahahah BB rocks anytime. Join Team Awesome! π hahahaha
Lol I guess the speccy bacteria will b stickin to ya foreverrrr! Haha go get a gravatar (globally recognized avatar) la if u dun wanna stay a puny bacteria π
Yup, touch screen FTW. The Nexus One n HTCs looks good too.. Tak mau BB unless they come out with something sexy.
Gravatar? Will do n im gonna b a lion instead of this puny bacteria.. ROAR!!
if u want touch screen get the blackberry storm!! π its touch screeeeeeeeeeeen.
and no ur stuck to being a bacteria for life. alternatively, u can opt to be a plankton π
yo, anote great n in4mativ post , even witout many pixs u naild it, afte digestin al tis info especialy d 1 dat wif d line up in a jungle trekkin hill, wow! u oredi made yr point!!! meow!!
hahaha thanks! but what do u mean without many pix! T____T i tried to put as many pix as i can lor! still not enuf? hehe. yeahhh i made my point alright. narrated everything that i went thru π
nice review! hehe.. now i hv a clearer idea. π
thanks babe π glad u do! woots. join the BB cult!
Awesome post. this deserves an RT!
awwwwwwww thanks much!! π
still feel that digi is best with its rate and BB connection never fail me so far~ compare to maxis..alot of hidden charges like my friend kena~
yup, ur absolutely right.that’s what i felt too when I was using it so far this whole month π
How bout with Celcom 1 eh?
hehe I wasn’t given the chance to review all 3 at the same time yet π when I do, i’ll definitely compare it kau kau too
Hey Jess; great article!
However, do you know if BBM works internationally? Like, is it still free to message someone in another country for free?
thanks alot! π took me pains to write this loooooooong one hehe.
and yes, it does work internationally. As long as the recipient has BBM on their BB too, you’re good to go π
walaueh … love yr illustration!!
Crazy tho i must say but your efforts on d review must be applauded..!
Thanks for helping me decide on the obvious. I wl follow u … Mr Yellow
Hmm..ok so I just goggled digi blackberry vs maxis blackberry and your blog came up..hehe…so I do wanna add though you’re using the curve so you should try using the bold 9700 so you can test the 3G signal test…I do have digi blackberry and use maxis iphone 3g..so there are areas where DIGI falls to Edge while Maxis is full 3G…and yeah..for the iphone when Maxis falls to EDGE it really sucks..DIGI EDGE is much better ….
yup. definitely! π hehe i like the bold 9700 too btw π π
Go get one then..hehe..then u can browse much faster!!! hehe
hi jessica..
really glad i found yr digi vs maxis post
sooooooooooooooooo useful tqvm
am sooooooooooooooo wanna get my 1st bb (been eyeing bold 9700) but havent decide which telco 2 choose frm
really need yr comparison with celcom
if digi come up with bold 9700+rm58+juz.pay.wht.u use——–>definitely will get 1
hope the bb not 2 pricey laa
my fren offer bold with celcom @ rm888 monthly 188 unlimited
do notify me after u’ve done compare with celcom yee
tq
aiyaaa..there’s digi bb roadshow @ sg wang ends 2mrw 10pm
d best part????? bb 8520 is only rm549 instead rm1199
but got wedding 2 attend laaaaaaaaa
I am an ex-user for maxis, from my experience DIGI coverage for EDGE is much wider than Maxis. I’m happy with that my Digi BIS is running perfectly well on my BB. This is my first visit to your blog, pretty nice interface. Do you have any associates with media/advertising as well? There seems to be many photos related to it. In future there might be something we can workout with.
Thanks! gotta credit my webmaster for that π
and yes I do. what’s in your mind?
email me at im@thejessicat.com to discuss. Cheers!
Nice work there…I am a newbie BB Bold 9700 user with …Maxis coz I am not so sure about Digi’s Turbo 3G coverage at my Kota Damansara area. So I purchased a Digi pre-paid sim and used it on a non-BB phone to see the coverage. Your great review covers all aspects except one…unlike other ppl I use my hp as a modem as well at home. Maxis allows this but Digi specifically states that the charge will be different. What a bummer! If Digi allows the BB to be used as a modem then I will switch yesterday!!!
heehee i know, but we can;t have the best of both worlds right! π π digi alrdy giving such an amazing deal, if we push further it will be more expensive oso ma π then will be same as the other telcos edi
DIGI coverage for EDGE is much wider than Maxis but no 3G coverage at the south of Malaysia. We are almost forgoted by DIGI here, Skudai, Johor Bahru. My experience at Penang and Johor, Maxis coverage better than DIGI. So, I switch from DIGI to MAXIS.
okay thanks for the info hehe π
Thanks alot for this review. I am going to switch
no problem! π glad it was of help. switch away!
the last picture is cute! π
do u have any idea where to find anyone who compared celcom? email me thanks!
hehe thanks lots! π very coincidental that the real man in yellow was there LOL hehe! nope, no one compared celcom. just maxis n digi π
Made a movie about this, would you and anyone else here consider checking it out real quick and let me know your thoughts? I left the link in the appropriate field, hope you can access it. I’d appreciate it lots, thanks
Did Digi paid you to make a post abt this?You made it as obvious as it is.its rather bias.
haha nope they didnt pay me a cent π
Great review.I’m using Digi BB but mine is 68 plan, can the existing user get the 58 plan?so far I have no prob using Digi, the coverage is OK in KL n Selangor (work n play here) but I travel a lot u see, kelantan n terengganu is GPRS. So the coverage is not that good in those area.why only have EDGE as the fastest connection, why no 3Gbb.it shuld be faster. U didn’t mention any 3G connection.I tot thetering, using phone is free bcoz of unlimited data plan. Plz clarify..
ehh 58 plan? wasnt it oways 68 plan? π
oh and bcos bb curve is the cheapest bb around, to make it more affordable fo everyone. so of cos, it will have its disadvantages at all. But, they’ve recently launched a new BB curve now. this new one has 3G! π
and digi doesnt allow teethering for that old bb curve.
hi there, thanks for this review!
but isnt that digi got advance payment if one take the digi smart plan?
it costs (if im not mistaken) around rm500++ for 24 months contract.
then pay the bb, and monthly usage.
i thot one just nid to pay the fon price for the promotion and the following bills for the rest of the contract.
at that point i have cost overrun, since one of the promoter tells me that i have to pay advnced pymnt, but another one tells me to pay the cost of the fon and the monthly usage bill.
what about you?
You’re supposed to pay the cost of the phone and monthly usage bill only. Go to the DiGi outlet to ask further information. Im sure they’ll be of good help π
if i use bb 9700 bold with dg.. is it will get the same result as i used the curve?
what results?? Bold runs on 3G which is better than the Curve who runs on EDGE connections.
but the 3g coverage for dg not as good as maxis rite? so, if i want to use bold which telco u will suggest? tg π
digi lol π
Your smile so funny. Like RAT.
hahhahaaah yeah i know right! π Sadly!
have u published the part 3? or i miss it?
Yup! π
Part 1 – https://thejessicat.com/2010/02/blackberry-maxis-digi-compariso/
Part 2 – https://thejessicat.com/2010/03/blackberry-unlimited-experience-review-digi-maxis/
Part 3 – https://thejessicat.com/2010/03/my-digi-blackberry-unlimited-plan-experience-live-in-penang-the-star-brats/
Part 4 – https://thejessicat.com/2010/03/ive-found-new-love-after-dating-the-yellow-man-for-so-long-ive-became-just-like-him/
Cheers!
i’m living in kuantan. just wanted the comparison of bb maxis-digi net coverage here..can u help me?
hmmm… as much as i would wanna help, i cant π try asking around ur friends n users of both digi n maxis. u can draw ur own comparisons frm there. cheers!
ppl using celcom ere..im not interested in celcom… tats y. tq
hello there.. 1st of all, LOVE UR WEBSITE! it’s very interesting and helpful. looking forward for ur nxt post.
hello there.. 1st of all, LOVE UR WEBSITE! itβs very interesting and helpful. looking forward for ur nxt post.
Thanks so much for sharing such a good info to all people π
And YES DiGi is the best provider and cheap compare to others. Take care and have a nice day yeaaa.