New cell phone? What's up without the subsidizing?

Joey_V · January 2016

What happened to all the subsidizing of cell phone costs that they used to do? Sign up for 2years and get a discounted iphone?

Now it's all about full price, whether it's a monthly payment or cash?

Not really wanting to spend the full $700 on a new disposable phone. Ugh...

[Deleted User] · January 2016

It's been like this overseas for over a decade. I am happy to finally see it here. Actually, some carriers in the states have been like this.

Except. Overseas. You buy a phone, then choose a carrier.

BlueFox · January 2016

Now you can quit the carrier with no penalty, and the monthly bill is lower. With a subsidized phone you were stuck for two years with a high monthly bill to pay for the phone.

Joey_V · January 2016

BlueFox wrote: »

Now you can quit the carrier with no penalty, and the monthly bill is lower. With a subsidized phone you were stuck for two years with a high monthly bill to pay for the phone.

my job tomorrow is to see what kind of new and better plan att has for me. I guess i'll be living with my iphone 5s for a bit longer.

mdaudioguy · January 2016

When the phones were subsidized, you still paid one way or another... And, in some cases, you never stopped paying. If you're into Android, there are plenty of options to get quality hardware for around $400, and you don't need to buy from a carrier. We've bought a couple Motorola phones and some Nexus products and have been very pleased. There's also OnePlus, and some newer players, and many can be bought through Amazon. If Apple's your preference, your options are much more limited. Still, I'd rather own, than be beholden to a carrier, even if I had to pay a little more.

mdaudioguy · January 2016

nbrowser wrote: »

Joey, phones are getting expensive man...the one I tote around daily...replacement cost is damn near $1,300...even subsidized it cost me $800...painful.

Hope you got a good case, or a good insurance plan! What is it, and what does it do that made it worth that much to you?

mikeyb128 · January 2016

mdaudioguy wrote: »

nbrowser wrote: »

Joey, phones are getting expensive man...the one I tote around daily...replacement cost is damn near $1,300...even subsidized it cost me $800...painful.

Hope you got a good case, or a good insurance plan! What is it, and what does it do that made it worth that much to you?

Yeah Ken, what you got? My I phone 6 was maybe 200 bucks on a 2 year plan. And I think Rogers is a friggen rip off up here in Canada.

mantis · January 2016

I think everyone needs to take a step back and realize the power you put in your pocket. Think about all the things todays smart phones do! I mean we are not that far from Star Trek here.
In history there has never been a more versatile device that just about everyone uses daily. Think about this, can you go a full day without your smart phone? I bet the answer is no way.
We all rely totally on it in our daily lives. Some more then others but in one way or many you need it.
basic things like time, calculator , weather and calendar get used, then GPS , Internet , camera and many other things get used.
If you figure the actual value of this device in your life, paying $1000.00 is not unreasonable. Think about what you pay for your personal computer. My Laptop was $2600.00 and I use my smart phone way more.

Data plans , Minute plans are expensive IF you don't use them. But if your one who is using them daily , is the price that far off? You always have the option NOT to have a cellphone or a smart phone and then avoid all these charges completely you will.
So at the end of the day you may kick and scream but deep down inside you know you NEED this.

[Deleted User] · January 2016

Joey.

I know someone with an unlocked Samsung S6 Edge with 64gb for sale. It has a tiny, very fine, micro scratch on the back. The owner did not get a cover for it in time for Lone Star Audio and somehow that scratch occured.

tonyb · January 2016

mantis wrote: »

I think everyone needs to take a step back and realize the power you put in your pocket. Think about all the things todays smart phones do! I mean we are not that far from Star Trek here.
In history there has never been a more versatile device that just about everyone uses daily. Think about this, can you go a full day without your smart phone? I bet the answer is no way.
We all rely totally on it in our daily lives. Some more then others but in one way or many you need it.
basic things like time, calculator , weather and calendar get used, then GPS , Internet , camera and many other things get used.
If you figure the actual value of this device in your life, paying $1000.00 is not unreasonable. Think about what you pay for your personal computer. My Laptop was $2600.00 and I use my smart phone way more.

Data plans , Minute plans are expensive IF you don't use them. But if your one who is using them daily , is the price that far off? You always have the option NOT to have a cellphone or a smart phone and then avoid all these charges completely you will.
So at the end of the day you may kick and scream but deep down inside you know you NEED this.

I'll disagree with this.

I can throw away my smart phone and not miss a beat in my daily life. I don't use it for business purposes which may be the deciding factor for others though.

Don't need the time of day, calculator, weather, calendar, GPS, Internet, or camera on a daily basis so no....I don't NEED it. I view it as a luxury item, Just like I don't NEED a Lexus, a basic Honda will do the same thing.

Part of the thing with technology is the double edged sword effect. Yeah, makes things more simple and accessible, but also takes away your ability to learn stuff on your own.

For example, most men used to be able to work on their own cars. Technology has made that almost impossible.

Nobody knows how to cook anymore because technology made it easy with prepackaged foods and the microwave.

Technology has also eliminated human contact, why talk to people when you can send them a text or email.

Technology has also given us too many ways to enjoy media....even in just your own home. Phones, tablets, laptops, gaming consoles, music servers, Ipods, smart TV's....and nobody talks to each other at home. The health and well being of kids and adults suffer.

So if technology was to go away tomorrow, I may miss the convenience factor, but I might enjoy the social benefits more.

tonyb · January 2016

Joey_V wrote: »

What happened to all the subsidizing of cell phone costs that they used to do? Sign up for 2years and get a discounted iphone?

Now it's all about full price, whether it's a monthly payment or cash?

Not really wanting to spend the full $700 on a new disposable phone. Ugh...

C'mon man, seriously ??

At your income level your complaining about a 700 buck phone....much less subsidizing it ?

sarnella · January 2016

"So if technology was to go away tomorrow, I may miss the convenience factor, but I might enjoy the social benefits more." - tonyb

This

Al

cfrizz · January 2016

Well said Dan.

Joey, since when is that 700 dollar phone disposable? What makes you consider it disposable?

I have always preferred to own my phone rather than basically renting it from a carrier.

I have the Samsung Note 2 that I purchased from Amazon used for 400.00 in 2013. I just took it into T-Mobile so that they could give me a new card for it and transfer my contacts from my old unsmart phone that I had for at least five years.

I don't have or need a monthly plan, I have been using their no longer in existence Pay as you go plan. I put 100.00 worth of minutes on it and it lasts me the whole year.

This phone does everything I need it to, it holds all of my 1300+ ebooks and 700 or so songs, plus a few games. I will keep it until it either dies, or some other new tech comes out that I just decide I can't live without, but quite frankly I don't see that happening.

99% of the time, my phone is in airplane mode because I don't need/want to be connected all the time.

These phones are not disposable, and just like audio gear, they are built to last for years. If you are one of those that insist on having the latest and greatest, it sounds you are now going to have to pay the full price for it. That's on you, not the carriers.

Joey_V · January 2016

tonyb wrote: »

Joey_V wrote: »

What happened to all the subsidizing of cell phone costs that they used to do? Sign up for 2years and get a discounted iphone?

Now it's all about full price, whether it's a monthly payment or cash?

Not really wanting to spend the full $700 on a new disposable phone. Ugh...

C'mon man, seriously ??

At your income level your complaining about a 700 buck phone....much less subsidizing it ?

What can I say, I'm a cheap bum

Joey_V · January 2016

cfrizz wrote: »

Well said Dan.

Joey, since when is that 700 dollar phone disposable? What makes you consider it disposable?

I have always preferred to own my phone rather than basically renting it from a carrier.

I have the Samsung Note 2 that I purchased from Amazon used for 400.00 in 2013. I just took it into T-Mobile so that they could give me a new card for it and transfer my contacts from my old unsmart phone that I had for at least five years.

I don't have or need a monthly plan, I have been using their no longer in existence Pay as you go plan. I put 100.00 worth of minutes on it and it lasts me the whole year.

This phone does everything I need it to, it holds all of my 1300+ ebooks and 700 or so songs, plus a few games. I will keep it until it either dies, or some other new tech comes out that I just decide I can't live without, but quite frankly I don't see that happening.

99% of the time, my phone is in airplane mode because I don't need/want to be connected all the time.

These phones are not disposable, and just like audio gear, they are built to last for years. If you are one of those that insist on having the latest and greatest, it sounds you are now going to have to pay the full price for it. That's on you, not the carriers.

I guess when I mean disposable I mean they purposely update the models every few months so within a span of 2 years, you're behind and feel like you need to upgrade. No other electric device is like that iirc. Tv that's 2 years old? Nah it's still great. 2 year old laptop? Still works.

My 2 year old iPhone 5s... It's reached the point where I've run out of storage, I no longer update to the newest iOS for fear of decreased speed of operation and bugs or kinks, and the screen size is definitely no longer average.

It would seem like my phone is obsolete and everyone else has a newer and better phone.

Last month I was in Chicago, nice dinner out with one of my good friend who is a nurse. I pull out my phone and he goes "man, joey, you live in the Middle Ages or something? Are you on food stamps now?"

Of course he is a very close friend since we were in high school and college together and he was one of my groomsmen and I was his... But still, 2 years and already obsolete.

So I guess I'm just shocked that I have to $700 for another phone when I've been used to walking to an apple store, keeping my plan intact, pointing to a new iPhone for $200, trading mine in for $100, spending a delta of $100 every 2 years.

tonyb · January 2016

Joey the Phone is not obsolete. Your just being shamed into thinking so by very good marketing and your friends. Considering the 5s the "middle ages" is pretty effin' snooty if you ask me.

The internal storage capacity is nothing new on Iphones. Either buy the one with the most storage or get into Android where you can add storage.

Willow · January 2016

tonyb wrote: »

Joey the Phone is not obsolete. Your just being shamed into thinking so by very good marketing and your friends. Considering the 5s the "middle ages" is pretty effin' snooty if you ask me.

The internal storage capacity is nothing new on Iphones. Either buy the one with the most storage or get into Android where you can add storage.

Android or BlackBerry, heck even the BlackBerry android phone called Priv. Why limit yourself to what apple tells what limit you can have. That and itunes are the reasons I won't go to apple.

cfrizz · January 2016

I don't worry about what other people think about MY phone. Of course these companies are going to update every few months to make even more money off of those that want the latest and greatest.

I figure out what the minimum I want my phone to be able to do and will not settle for anything less, being willing to pay the price for that knowing that I'm going to be keeping it for years.

I have no interest in Apple products or any company that makes gear that is so proprietary because I consider them a rip-off. They always offer phones with no way to expand, then every time you upgrade, you have to upgrade all the accessories since none of your old ones will work with the new device.

My device has to have at least 16gb with a SD slot to expand the storage if needed. It also cannot have less than a 5" screen with 5.05" being just the right size. I like the fact that I can attach any USB cord I have here in the house to charge my phone or just about any other device I have. It's nice if I can plug it in and get an update to the software, but I'm not going to upgrade just to be able to get new software, if the software I have now does everything I want it to do.

I like to have flexibility, anything that hinders that flexibility is in the do not get category for me.

But it sounds like you really do need to update. So look at everything that is available to you, NOT just Apple products. Figure what you absolutely need it to do, and make sure you have enough storage space or the ability to expand that storage space. Factor in the accessories as well.

Then get the phone that best suits YOUR needs, and don't concern yourself with what other people think about your phone and how old it is. Also don't worry about how often the company is going to put out a new product, especially if your own continues to do everything you need it to do.

tonyb · January 2016

Stop talking common sense Cathy. Won't work with those who think your somehow lower class if you don't have the latest and greatest.

Joey_V · January 2016

tonyb wrote: »

Joey the Phone is not obsolete. Your just being shamed into thinking so by very good marketing and your friends. Considering the 5s the "middle ages" is pretty effin' snooty if you ask me.

The internal storage capacity is nothing new on Iphones. Either buy the one with the most storage or get into Android where you can add storage.

Nah I don't care what people think of my phone... But I've been kinda hampered by lack of storage. I should've bought the 64gb version when I had a chance.

Baby and pictures = no more memory.

And I kinda want a bigger screen... I surf the web on my phone and I don't like staring at a smallish screen... Funny as my iPhone 4 was smaller than the 5s.

Joey_V · January 2016

cfrizz wrote: »

I don't worry about what other people think about MY phone. Of course these companies are going to update every few months to make even more money off of those that want the latest and greatest.

I figure out what the minimum I want my phone to be able to do and will not settle for anything less, being willing to pay the price for that knowing that I'm going to be keeping it for years.

I have no interest in Apple products or any company that makes gear that is so proprietary because I consider them a rip-off. They always offer phones with no way to expand, then every time you upgrade, you have to upgrade all the accessories since none of your old ones will work with the new device.

My device has to have at least 16gb with a SD slot to expand the storage if needed. It also cannot have less than a 5" screen with 5.05" being just the right size. I like the fact that I can attach any USB cord I have here in the house to charge my phone or just about any other device I have. It's nice if I can plug it in and get an update to the software, but I'm not going to upgrade just to be able to get new software, if the software I have now does everything I want it to do.

I like to have flexibility, anything that hinders that flexibility is in the do not get category for me.

But it sounds like you really do need to update. So look at everything that is available to you, NOT just Apple products. Figure what you absolutely need it to do, and make sure you have enough storage space or the ability to expand that storage space. Factor in the accessories as well.

Then get the phone that best suits YOUR needs, and don't concern yourself with what other people think about your phone and how old it is. Also don't worry about how often the company is going to put out a new product, especially if your own continues to do everything you need it to do.

Problem is a lot of medical stuff come out for apple iOS first and sometimes only on iOS. So I'm kinda stuck.

I wonder if I can bill this as a "business expense".

txcoastal1 · January 2016

Joey_V wrote: »

cfrizz wrote: »

I wonder if I can bill this as a "business expense".

Absolutely, you're on call aren't you

cfrizz · January 2016

Joey_V wrote: »

Problem is a lot of medical stuff come out for apple iOS first and sometimes only on iOS. So I'm kinda stuck.

I wonder if I can bill this as a "business expense".

Have you checked if you can get this medical stuff or a suitable replacement for them with android.

Joey_V · January 2016

I use my phone to answer to our town's EMS/ambulance system if they need medical director questions/guidance.

I *should* be able to chalk this as a business expense now that I think of it.

txcoastal1 wrote: »

Joey_V wrote: »

cfrizz wrote: »

I wonder if I can bill this as a "business expense".

Absolutely, you're on call aren't you

gudnoyez · January 2016

The last I - phone I owned was a 5 the last few have been Samsung Galaxies. Me and the missus just got S6 Edges for a buck each with a 2 year contract at BB through Verizon couldn't be happier, all the old I-phones still hang out on the docks as they have a lot of music on them.

EndersShadow · January 2016

Joey_V wrote: »

Baby and pictures = no more memory.

Thats easy mate.... You just pull your pictures and video off onto your computer (dont use Apple software) and then keep only the REALLY good ones....

Then get yourself a nice digital photo frame to load up with pictures.....

I cant help you with the bigger screen lol... I got the 6+ for that reason and will be keeping it for quite some time.

But I periodically pull all the new photo's/video's off my wife and I's phone using Windows onto my main computer, where they are then backed up to a backup drive.... and also a offsite backup hdd I get from my parents, do a backup and then give back to them....

[Deleted User] · January 2016

Home cloud corrects all phone memory limitations. Delete phone storage at will. If you are worried about degradation of photos. Using your phone as a source for pristine photos is the problem to start with.

Google photo will handle your phone Rez just fine too.

H

Nightfall · January 2016

mantis wrote: »

Think about this, can you go a full day without your smart phone?

So at the end of the day you may kick and scream but deep down inside you know you NEED this.

I haven't had a cell phone for a few years now, no problem. I don't understand why cell phones are now viewed as a necessity, they aren't, life went on before cell phones existed just fine.

VR3 · January 2016

Buy last years phone at around 40% off, (700 down to 420) - then add it to a plan for ATT - $20 a month, always $20 a month.

Phone = $400 used, lets say IPhone 6 versus 6s + $20 a month (for forever)

After two years = $880

Subsidized phone = $200 + $40 a month + plan (always $40 a month)

That is an extra $280 after 2 years over the paid in full method PLUS you are paying double a month after your two year contract.

$200 + $960 = $1160 after two years, cost of phone on your plan after two years $40 a month

VR3 · January 2016

My current smartphone I paid $35 on EBay for it

I also find that my expectations for this phone are so low that I am actually extremely happy with it...

tonyb · January 2016

Payments on the purchase of a phone ? Whats next.....payments for that toaster ? lol

All because your told and sold the idea that you NEED this xyz phone. Guess that's a testament to what good marketing can accomplish.

Joey,
I'm sorry pal, don't mean to bust your nuts too bad but lets put things into perspective for a second. You just spent 30-40k on audio gear and your seriously going to whine about a 700 buck phone, subsidies ?? Maybe you need to reorganize that priority list, especially if the phone is a tool for you to make a living on a daily basis.

Key issue to me anyway, is it's a tool to make a living with.....the audio gear is a luxury you enjoy once in awhile. Which should hold more water ?

New cell phone? What's up without the subsidizing?

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