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Smartphones: What's Hot??

Discussion in 'Techno-Magic' started by Barmy Army, Jun 8, 2011.

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  1. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    Remove all ads!
    What Barmy was trying to say is that if you go with AT&T and the iPhone at that price, they likely lock you into a contract with them for an X number of months/years at a price higher than it would have been if you hadn't got the phone with them. That's the norm with subsidised phones; in the long run you pay the full price of the phone and then some due to the higher service fee.

    If you buy the phone on the market and not with a service provider, you end up paying more but you're free to choose whichever service provider you want (normally the cheapest with good coverage for your needs). That costs you less in the long run.
     
    Taluntain, Jun 10, 2011
    #41
  2. Chandos the Red

    Chandos the Red This Wheel's on Fire

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    So you are saying that minutes are actually cheaper if I already have a phone? For instance, if I leave ATT and go with Sprint for a year, then come back to ATT and ask them to give me minutes with my original phone that my minutes would be less? Let me contact them and see if that's true, because I "believe," but I'm not sure, that minutes are actually more without a contract [month-to-month]. But I will find out. Because I don't have a contract on my phone.

    What? That you don't know what you are talking about? As I said, I will see if minutes are cheaper without a contract and let you know. In the meantime get a hold of yourself [...and not like that]. Chillout, bro.
     
    Chandos the Red, Jun 10, 2011
    #42
  3. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    The norm is to discount the phone prices but make up for it with more expensive service and a binding contract which prevents you from switching carriers for a set amount of time. Of course, I have no way of knowing what kind of deal exactly you got but usually whenever a phone is sold significantly cheaper than the market price by a carrier, the catch is that the service is more expensive. This has been a standard MNO marketing strategy for at least a decade - it's public knowledge in Europe, hence Barmy's incredulous reaction.

    But if you actually managed to get the phone with no contractual obligations (not even carrier lock), then you got a very good deal. Because normally subsidised phones are not available for prepaid customers, only for postpaid.
     
    Taluntain, Jun 10, 2011
    #43
  4. Chandos the Red

    Chandos the Red This Wheel's on Fire

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    Ok. It's .10 a minute without a contract. The problem is the data. Right now, because I'm an old customer, I have unlimited data. But the no contract plan is only 200MB, which is far less than Mrs. Chandos uses. She uses over 1GB a month.

    Right now I pay 110.00 a month for two phones with 700 minutes unlimited data and 200 text messages. I never go over on my minutes so I don't need unlimited minutes as much as I need the data and text messages.

    700 minutes X .10 is $70.00 a month. It's really about the same going by my actual usage per month. Someone who needs unlimited minutes might consider a plan like that. Although the cost would really be 60.00 X 2, for 2 phones PLUS the cost of data.

    There is a contract on the wife's phone, but the one on mine expired years ago. That's why I was interested in what Barmy had to say, because I could probably us a new phone, but his is like 549.00 WITH a contract.
     
    Chandos the Red, Jun 10, 2011
    #44
  5. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    *Requires a minimum data service starting at $15/month. 2 year contract & new activation required. Limit 5 iPhone devices per household when ordering online.

    That's right below the buy button on the page you linked. That's what we've been talking about. Anything deviating from that is either part of a special or some grandfathering in scheme, but it's not the norm for new customers.
     
    Taluntain, Jun 10, 2011
    #45
  6. Chandos the Red

    Chandos the Red This Wheel's on Fire

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    Exactly. Being a long time customer gains perks. I have unlimited data on the Iphone for 20.00 a month.
     
    Chandos the Red, Jun 10, 2011
    #46
  7. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    That's great then, you got a very good deal - which new customers can't.

    Edit: Great in the sense that you didn't get a contract, if that's really the case, that is. What you're paying for the minutes is probably too much, so I'd check the prices with the other carriers if I were you.
     
    Last edited: Jun 10, 2011
    Taluntain, Jun 10, 2011
    #47
  8. Barmy Army

    Barmy Army Simple mind, simple pleasures... Adored Veteran

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    You're being ripped off. That contract, SIM only would be half that price, the rest is paying for the phone. Thats what phone companies do. Believe me or dont, im past caring about this discussion. talking to you is a bit like playing tennis off a cliff. The harder i try, the more the ball goes farther away. and im perfectly calm, you just lost a lot of my respect when you called me a dick just for proving you wrong, thats all. This is actually ridiculous. Washing my hands of it now :lol:.
     
    Barmy Army, Jun 10, 2011
    #48
  9. Chandos the Red

    Chandos the Red This Wheel's on Fire

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    Ok. show me which carrier. If I can get two phones with 700 minutes, 200 text mesages and unlimited data for 55.00 I would be glad to switch. Of course, the phone would be how much?
     
    Chandos the Red, Jun 10, 2011
    #49
  10. Splunge

    Splunge Bhaal’s financial advisor Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    Are any of the phones being discussed here actually capable of making, like, a phone call?

    Just asking...

    :p
     
    Splunge, Jun 10, 2011
    #50
    The Great Snook likes this.
  11. Harbourboy

    Harbourboy Take thy form from off my door! Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    Because it's an identical sort of argument.

    Just like Kitrax's Creative vs iPod rantings from a few years back.
     
    Harbourboy, Jun 10, 2011
    #51
  12. Taza

    Taza Weird Modmaker Veteran

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    Yes. In fact, the Wildfire is so smart it tries to dial numbers for you just based on previous usage habits and recommends other numbers you might like.

    Pocket-dialing little piece of...
     
    Taza, Jun 11, 2011
    #52
  13. Cap'n CJ

    Cap'n CJ Arrr! Veteran

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    The Wildfire is just a stripped down Desire.
     
    Cap'n CJ, Jun 11, 2011
    #53
  14. Topken

    Topken Elven-dragon wizard

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    How about Unlimited everything for $50 with shrinkage plan. Every 6 months for up to 18 months your plan shrinks $5 so at 6 months its $45, 12 months its $40 and at 18 months its $35 and stays there. Plus an android based Samsung Galaxy Prevail for only $179.99
     
    Topken, Jun 11, 2011
    #54
  15. Splunge

    Splunge Bhaal’s financial advisor Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    I thought you needed a pool to get shrinkage. :p
     
    Splunge, Jun 13, 2011
    #55
  16. Topken

    Topken Elven-dragon wizard

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    Topken, Jun 13, 2011
    #56
  17. Barmy Army

    Barmy Army Simple mind, simple pleasures... Adored Veteran

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    With the iPhone 5 out, I thought it would be apt to show Apples perfect customer, waiting in a queue for the new device...



    Oh, by the way, Google now own a 68.1% market share of the Smartphone market (and growing all the time - compared to Apples 16.9%, which is dropping all the time), up about 40% from when this thread was opened... I guess I was kind of right.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 19, 2015
    Barmy Army, Sep 23, 2012
    #57
  18. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    I think I'm going to get an iPhone.

    I don't know why, but I heard it'd piss off some guy who calls himself Barmy Army.

    Works for me! :evil:
     
    Taluntain, Sep 23, 2012
    #58
  19. Barmy Army

    Barmy Army Simple mind, simple pleasures... Adored Veteran

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    :lol::lol::lol:
    :p
     
    Barmy Army, Sep 23, 2012
    #59
  20. dmc

    dmc Speak softly and carry a big briefcase Staff Member Distinguished Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!)

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    I got a Samsung Galaxy 3 thingie, whatever you call it. I got sick and tired of the Blackberry and have no problem with the virtual keboard. Plus, the screen being some 220% of the berry screen (or so, it's really a complete guess but it feels like it) makes it easier on my eyes. I'm sure I am not coming close to utilizing its various bells and whistles properly, but I really don't give a rat's ass about that.
     
    dmc, Sep 24, 2012
    #60
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