My honest thought on Simba 😐
So… my phone plan was originally a prepaid Singtel card, and I switched to SIMBA in Oct 2025 due to personal reasons and I also heard a lot of people saying that SIMBA is quite good.
However, after using SIMBA, it doesn’t seem as good as what people say.
Honestly, I didn’t know that SIMBA reuses phone numbers like immediately.
For comparison, Singtel prepaid cards also reuse phone numbers, but only after the number has been inactive for one year.
When I used my new number, I realised it previously belonged to someone else.
He linked this number to his TikTok and Shopee accounts, so I couldn’t log in to TikTok or use Shopee to get the new-user gift.
As I wanted to use my new SIMBA number on Telegram 1 day after purchasing it, I realised that there were still active chats from the previous owner’s Telegram account
Some of the messages were very recent, someone had sent him a message just a few hours earlier, and many of the groups he was in were still very active.
Overall, the connection is okay.
I get data almost everywhere I go when I turn it on, except in MRT tunnels or some other places such as warehouses.
I wouldn’t say it’s very bad either.
My prepaid Singtel plan is $10/month with 100GB of data, and the price is the same as SIMBA, which offers 400GB of data. (This data can be used in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia.)
Honestly, overall, prepaid Singtel is better than SIMBA.
Would I say I regret changing to SIMBA?
Yes.
However, even if I hadn’t changed to SIMBA, I would still have changed my number due to personal reasons, and I probably would have chosen prepaid Singtel or the Eight data plan.
To me, SIMBA is good for travelling overseas, such as to China or Malaysia.
For example, I can use the same plan when I travel to China and it still works.
With the SIMBA plan, I don’t need to download VPN apps anymore, even though Instagram, Facebook, and many other apps are blocked in China.
From my experience, customer service can make or break your satisfaction with a mobile plan. While I didn’t extensively contact SIMBA customer support, the reuse of phone numbers without a delay left some hassles, especially linking to old accounts like TikTok and Shopee. In terms of reliability, SIMBA provides stable data connectivity in most places, except certain spots such as MRT tunnels and warehouses, which is fairly common across providers. Compared to Singtel’s long-standing network presence, SIMBA’s service is promising but still has some gaps. An advantage I noticed is SIMBA’s data roaming feature. Unlike Singtel, SIMBA allows you to use the same 400GB data plan across Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia, and even in China without needing a VPN. This is a huge plus for frequent travelers, as apps blocked in China—like Instagram and Facebook—remain accessible with SIMBA. Although SIMBA advertises high-speed data up to 10Gbps, real user experiences on speed can vary, and I didn’t test to the peak speeds. Singtel remains well-regarded for consistent customer support, especially for prepaid users who get a longer phone number recycling period. I would recommend considering your personal priorities: if you travel often in Asia and want convenience, SIMBA offers compelling features. But if you prioritize stable number retention and better customer support within Singapore, Singtel might be the safer choice. For anyone switching plans, make sure to check how numbers are recycled and linked services handled to avoid surprises.
would you switch to another telco?