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Netflix’s $4 mobile-only plan is finally spreading to new markets

Published Oct 24th, 2019 9:48AM EDT
Netflix cheap mobile-only plan
Image: Valentin Wolf/imageBROKER/Shutterstock

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As the streaming video service market becomes more and more crowded, companies have to find ways to stand out from the crowd, even if they already have an established user base. This is true for Netflix as well, as two lower-cost streaming services from Disney and Apple are set to launch in the coming weeks. In the meantime, Netflix actually raised its prices earlier this year, bringing the monthly cost of its standard plan up to $12.99.

One way that Netflix expanded its reach in India was by introducing a mobile-only plan for $4, and although we don’t know when or if the plan will ever come stateside, Netflix introduced a mobile-only plan in Malaysia on Thursday that matches the one it brought to India over the summer. This is only the second region to see the plan.

TechCrunch reports that the mobile-only plan in Malaysia costs RM 17 ($4) a month, limits access to a single mobile device, and only allows the user to stream video in 480p quality. As you might expect, the mobile-only plan does not let users stream or cast shows and movies to their laptops or televisions.

“Our members in Malaysia love to watch shows on their smartphones and tablets,” explained Ajay Arora, Director of Product Innovation at Netflix. “With the first-ever Mobile plan in Southeast Asia, all of Netflix’s shows and movies will be even more accessible for Malaysians to stream and download.”

Netflix has been testing this cheaper plan in multiple territories around the world, many of which have access to a plethora of affordable streaming services. At the same time, prices have been increasing in other major markets, but with Disney+ starting at $6.99 (or less if you took advantage of one of the pre-launch deals) and Apple TV+ at $4.99 (or free if you bought a new Apple device), consumers are going to have some tough decisions to make.

Jacob Siegal
Jacob Siegal Associate Editor

Jacob Siegal is Associate Editor at BGR, having joined the news team in 2013. He has over a decade of professional writing and editing experience, and helps to lead our technology and entertainment product launch and movie release coverage.