Any thoughts on this trend of super expensive phones?

[createweb]

With the new release of iPhones and upcoming Pixel 2, it seems that the trend is to make super expensive phones just to turn a profit. What are your thoughts on the price of the phones VS their specs? And are you going for cheaper alternatives?

[Jackaroo]

I'll admit it, I'm an iPhone fan boy and I was about to pre-order an iPhone X until I realised just how much a monthly contract was. I couldn't justify spending 1K+ on a phone out right, nor can I justify spending �82 a month for a contract. It's getting beyond ridiculous now, looks like it's me and trusty six for a while. Just can't bring myself/get on with anything but iPhone, guess that makes me a basic bitch

[Mama Bear]

It just really doesn't seem necessary or worth it in the slightest. Getting a slightly later gen off eBay is my strategy; so much more reasonably priced.

[j03]

My iPhone 6 is still running great and quick. The only thing I would need to replace someday soon would be the battery. Don't think I would buy a brand new iPhone anymore unless it comes equipped with truly remarkable next gen tech.

[Star Dream]

I tend to live by the principle of using whatever technology works until it either breaks completely or I absolutely must move on.
My 6 has worked perfectly fine for the past two years, and shows no signs of slowing down-- why should I upgrade when this is enough already?

Heck, even if it did die in some horrific accident, I'd probably just get another 6 just like it.
I just don't see the point in paying excess money for an upgrade that won't improve anything in my life right now.

If I'm going to put money towards upgrading anything, it'd be adding more stuff to my snake's tank for the sake of enrichment, or maybe getting myself a new purse. But anything electrical will be used until the day it dies-- or, in the case of my original iPod nano, ends up completely deep-frying itself while charging on a hot summer day.

[Charmander]

I'm rocking an iphone 4 now since my Galaxy S5 crashed.

I will be buying my next phone based on what doesn't break my bank lol

[createweb]

I'm currently using an android phone One Plus One (The current generation is One Plus Five). Still working, don't plan to change any time soon either.

[Demri]

Do people really pay full price for them?

[createweb]

Do people really pay full price for them?

Most people sell/trade in their older model of iPhones

[Views]

I was considering switching to the Huawei p10 once my contract is up. I played around with it and really liked it (and the price point is good too at $0 for a pre existing contract or $150).

My issue with changing though is that I am too reliant on apple. All my technology besides my desktop is apple. I would feel so out of the loop if I stopped using an iphone. That being said though, I would never pay over 1k for a phone. I’d rather go on vacation. I current have the 6 and will probably just upgrade to a 7 plus.

On a side note, anyone else hating the new iOS?

[zattab]

All types of technology have premium options for those who have the cash, so phones are no different.

There's great affordable phones coming out all the time but you can't really push boundaries at those price points so they don't get as much coverage. Like, my mom's got some LG phone that's from this year (or last? can't remember) that was significantly less expensive than mine and the actual technological differences between them would not matter much to a normal person. But compared to the coverage Google, Apple, and Samsung got this year?? I can't recall seeing much about it.
People are just so caught up in the advertising that they don't stop and think "maybe I should go for a cheaper phone, or hold onto my old one longer, instead of going for one of the best & most expensive on the market". The market isn't being flooded by super expensive phones--it's that nobody brings up the cheaper options put out by less sexy brands.


Do people really pay full price for them?

I'll admit I bought my Samsung Galaxy S8 outright when the price had only dropped about $15 lol (it's dropped about $100 at this point I think?) I don't know how common that is though.

[I_royalty_I]

I like getting new things, but usually have to save up or make cuts to the budget for a week or two. I had my iphone 6 for awhile and I definitely got my moneys worth there. Recently purchased an iPhone 8, 256gigs, outright. Time for an upgrade for sure. I plan on turning my old phone into a business phone, maybe writing that off. Then maybe trading my iphone 8 in for an iphone x next year if I hear good things... and just to try something new. I'm not completely sold on it right now though.

[Stocking Anarchy]

I was using the Galaxy S3 (bought it the day it came out) till about a month or so ago when it finally died. Now I have an S7 that I got from Amazon Warehouse Deals for about 300 bucks hehe.


Oh and I was all, wtf? I need a key to take out the sim card?!?!

[bbuilder]

I've been holding on to my iphone 5 for years now and i think i'm finally going to upgrade

I really don't mind spending money on something i'll be using every single day considering everything else I waste money on lol

[wmagicw]

In my opinion, iPhone used to be a perfect smartphone in those days, but recently? They keep adding unnecessary functions and hardwares, and use that as reasons to increase the price until it doesn't worth that price anymore

[regimes]

i think the phones themselves are pretty neat, but i couldn't spend that much on them. i have a cheap $80 samsung pre-paid phone and my phone bill is $20/month, 1gb data. have had it for two years and it hasn't messed up yet. it's all i really need.

[Hawaiian]

i think the phones themselves are pretty neat, but i couldn't spend that much on them. i have a cheap $80 samsung pre-paid phone and my phone bill is $20/month, 1gb data. have had it for two years and it hasn't messed up yet. it's all i really need.

I used to purchase the newer phones way back before iphones were out and I realized that the updated models weren't really that groundbreaking and rather it was just trendy. I recently went into the ocean with my older phone and I found "BLU R1 HD - 8 GB - Black - Prime Exclusive - with Lockscreen Offers & Ads" for 40$ at the time and it doesn't really bother me having some Ads on lockscreen especially because you can stop the full screen ads with Apps running. I think there's also a way to temporarily disable them completely with developer options. Overall I have to say I'm satisfied with saving money on my phone so that I can spend the money elsewhere.

[regimes]

I used to purchase the newer phones way back before iphones were out and I realized that the updated models weren't really that groundbreaking and rather it was just trendy. I recently went into the ocean with my older phone and I found "BLU R1 HD - 8 GB - Black - Prime Exclusive - with Lockscreen Offers & Ads" for 40$ at the time and it doesn't really bother me having some Ads on lockscreen especially because you can stop the full screen ads with Apps running. I think there's also a way to temporarily disable them completely with developer options. Overall I have to say I'm satisfied with saving money on my phone so that I can spend the money elsewhere.

in my case, buying NP and UCs. xD

[Hawaiian]

in my case, buying NP and UCs. xD

exactly, or purchasing programs and supporting this forum! :)

[LibraryFaerie]

I don't mind spending good money on something I'm going to use everyday either. Especially because I will use things until they are absolutely done for. I don't upgrade cars until the old one needs towed away. I don't upgrade phones unless the old one is shattered or nonfunctioning. I'm also notorious for upgrading to old models when new models come out. I played playstation 2 until the playstation 4 came out, and then I only upgraded to the playstation 3. Went from an iPhone 4s to the 6s, when the 7 came out. Lol

But $1000 is still a little too rich for my blood.

[TtotheJ]

The name "Android" is looking more and more literal as technology grows. "Smart" phones were only the beginning of the apparent augmented reality thats slowly coming to fruition. 3g, 4g, and now the much anticipated 5g, the technological advancement of a smart-grid that will "reach every corner of the world",isn't being approached with the concerns that it should be. Artificial Intelligence, while already advancing rapidly now, is going to explode as soon as thr "smart-grid" has been put in place. Privacy? Forget about it. And the concern that should be acknowledged for that, is nothing compared to the very real and inevitable outcome of AI becoming self aware. With AI linked to the "cloud" AI's capacity to learn will be inconceivable to humans, thus making us obsolete.

Sent from my LGMS210 using Tapatalk

[Sezy]

The price of iphones are ridiculously over priced
I saw someone post on a local advert that they were looking to trade there iphone for a car
That seems crazy to me. I might just be old fashioned here but I cant believe people pay so much for phones these days

[wajack]

I don't get why it's cool for phones to be upwards of a thousand dollars now. What happened to the budget android market?

[tarasazs]

I am currently using Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 and in my opinion, it is one of the best smartphones I have ever used. I was an iPhone user, but I'm now enjoying Android because previously I use to believe that Android phones are crap, but they've really upped their game after all this time. The only investment I did after purchasing this phone was an investment on a privacy tool like HMA ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) and that's it. Doesn't make it anymore expensive, I guess.

[DrSloth]

i used to buys phones each 2 years, now i have the iphone 7 and wont be upgrading it to the next years probably, it's already good enough and also i cant afford it

[Synth Salazzle]

I don't own a phone. Never have.

I think it's pointless to drop so much on a brand new phone when the previous models work just fine.

[butternut]

Ive got a galaxy s7 and I loooove it. The only phone ive had thats worth the extra money.

[voidpup]

I'm moving soon, and I'm honestly considering just getting a $15 prepaid flip phone. Phones these days are just too much for too little.
I think my phone is worsening my mental health issues anyways, so I don't really want to drop $1,000 on a new one.
I'd rather have a really nice desktop computer, anyways.

[Teal]

I have a iPhone 7 Plus and the only reason I would want an upgrade would be the camera tbh.
But it's really not necessary when you can just buy a good camera, lol.

I drop my phone waaaay too much to want to upgrade too.
I'd be spending more in fixing screens.

[Basilclover]

TFW you are on a 4 year old phone :( I don't think I am going to upgrade anytime soon but i'll probably replace the battery and hey! maybe it will get oreo.

[Psychedelic]

I get every iPhone that comes out xD I paid $1000 for my iPhone x and i love it

[Dragonnyk]

I use an iphone 8, and I have almost no complaints.

[normanbates]

i have galaxy s8 and its really nice, i'm looking to buy s9 soon

[Dragonnyk]

the exponential increase in the value of smartphones has become a problem. at least in my country.

[jFetch]

I had a HTC M8 for a while and I liked it just fine. After a while I realized I was looking at it too much instead of enjoying my environment around me when I was out and about. I downgraded back down to my flip phone and I'm much happier because I actually pay attention to things and talk to people more when I'm out.

I wouldn't be surprised if there were others my age or older that downgrade, because we can remember a time when we did without tech rather than being born into it. And the older you get, the more you want to simplify - at least in my experience.

[salsadog]

Honestly the 1k price for the iphone X pissed me off so much. 1k for a no jack phone??? Bitch.

I love apple phones because they are so easy to use but the price is getting ridiculous. I still have my 6 and need to get a new one soon because the battery is fucked. Thanks apple.

[RealisticError]

Everyone talking about 1k+ for an iPhone X and in Australia an iPhone almost costs 1k, the x is like 1600 -_-

[PabstBlueRibbon]

Call me super old-fashioned, but I miss flip phones. I have an LG smartphone right now, but it's literally only because I have to have one to take care of things. I don't like the screen, I hate how the trend is also make the virtual keys as tiny as possible, and for the things to be so hard to hold. Some of my coworkers have cellphones that they use to watch Hulu/Netflix because that's also where the trend is going and those things are huge. Imagine walking around, trying to talk into a paperback book huge.

Did I also mention the fact that they're so breakable? Same coworker with the giant tablet/smartphone once dropped it while we were at a restaurant. It fell all of 1 foot from his hand to the table top, landed on one corner, which started a crack in the screen and opened the thing into three pieces. And he was all like, "Nah, it's fine." As he put the battery back in and clipped the back cover on again. That POS still has about 8 months left on his 2 year contract too.

I'd kill to have a Blackberry again or some kind of hybrid that would give me a real keyboard to type on again.

[Ked]

I don't really have a problem using an older phone. But my old phone broken so I was kind of forced to buy a Iphone 7.
It's actually not that bad. I don't have any complaints :)

[Jesedmoga]

I believe in my country the price is getting problematic as well, but also see an increase of people who changes their phone as soon as the new one comes out, so maybe i'm with the minority?
Personally, as long as my phone can do what I need (including some specific apps) I see no need to change them so quickly, and I'll never buy a phone based on the stuff that most commonly sells them, like the camera.

[master4you2]

Mobile tech is increasing in quality at a really fast pace, with the intent to include the best possibly hardware, this comes with excessive seeming prices. I haven't looked into it in awhile, but I believe phones are still sold at below cost, and the plans are what make the actual money.

[MrSlowBro]

they're pretty nice cant lie. I want a new Oneplus 6~

[Misha]

I have an LG Premier Pro or something like that. I'm not spending a grand on a damn cell phone. That's insane. Are they cool? Yes. Are they worth buying? Not in my opinion

[Versace]

I bought the iPhone X when it first came out, tried out my friend�s Huawei- instant regret since the Huawei phones seem sooo much better.

[RealisticError]

I bought the iPhone X when it first came out, tried out my friend’s Huawei- instant regret since the Huawei phones seem sooo much better.

My boss got a huawei and has had constant issues with it, not sure which model it is though.

[Jumbo Shrimp]

I honestly don’t even check specs, I have an iPhone cuz it’s what I’m comfortable with. Thankfully I’m on my moms plan so it’s only $40 a month for unlimited with Verizon and $23 for the phone itself, not including my military discount which knocks a couple bucks off for her
I’ve never even heard of the huawei, what is that? New?

[RealisticError]

I honestly don’t even check specs, I have an iPhone cuz it’s what I’m comfortable with. Thankfully I’m on my moms plan so it’s only $40 a month for unlimited with Verizon and $23 for the phone itself, not including my military discount which knocks a couple bucks off for her
I’ve never even heard of the huawei, what is that? New?

It’s a Chinese high cost brand that specialises in ripping off other phone brands really well (that’s a compliment, I swear, they’re really good phones generally from what I’ve heard)

[Jumbo Shrimp]

It’s a Chinese high cost brand that specialises in ripping off other phone brands really well (that’s a compliment, I swear, they’re really good phones generally from what I’ve heard)

oh okay, thats very interesting! surprised i havent heard of it, given that i live in a college town and go to college lol. id expect some broke people to have it but i guess we're all just idiots that pay the high price for something we're mildly familiar with

[RealisticError]

oh okay, thats very interesting! surprised i havent heard of it, given that i live in a college town and go to college lol. id expect some broke people to have it but i guess we're all just idiots that pay the high price for something we're mildly familiar with

It does seem weird that no uni kids have them, maybe they're bigger here in Aus than over in the states? They're basically rip off iphones or galaxies for like half the price lol.

[Jumbo Shrimp]

It does seem weird that no uni kids have them, maybe they're bigger here in Aus than over in the states? They're basically rip off iphones or galaxies for like half the price lol.
Yeah I’ve never even heard of them. I asked some friends and they haven’t either so it must just be less popular where I live I guess

[Versace]

It does seem weird that no uni kids have them, maybe they're bigger here in Aus than over in the states? They're basically rip off iphones or galaxies for like half the price lol.

They�re not big where I live as well- which is why I never knew about them until my friend got one. The camera is SO good though, my iphone just lags for no reason when I have about 50 photos and only 2 pages of apps (including the preset ones lol)

[RealisticError]

They’re not big where I live as well- which is why I never knew about them until my friend got one. The camera is SO good though, my iphone just lags for no reason when I have about 50 photos and only 2 pages of apps (including the preset ones lol)

It's interesting your iphone lags like that, I've got a 7 plus and never had any lag that I can remember...maybe they messed up with the iphone x's lol

[Baelia]

i can't not have an iphone. i wish i could get into android, but i got an expensive one and it was shit and looked ugly. even customizing it, it just didn't feel right in my hands. i have no idea why the fuck a phone has to be $2000 though. they become obsolete within a few years.

[Yeri]

I'll be first to admit I like having the newest, shiniest things and I put in an order for the XS Max last week. I'm hoping for the matching Watch for Christmas too. I do agree that the prices are just crazy, but this year I've put down an upfront payment which has brought down my monthly fee by about �20. It seems to be the only way to do it now. I used to never put money down so the handset was free but they're just too much now.

Unpopular opinion though is the gold colour is actually disgusting. I don't know how but on YouTube it looks a lot nicer when people are showing them off, whereas when you see it in person it's just gross.

[Serpent Rider]

The good thing about a vacant, overpriced market is it gives incentive for profiteers to create superior products for cheaper prices on the consumer end. I wouldn't be surprised if we see phones with the computational power of the iPhone X being sold unlocked with open-source OS, no OS-baked programs for $100 in supermarkets in the next 10 years. It's only a matter of time before the plebeianization of high-end mobiles occurs, and it will be brilliant.

[panic!]

But lately the phones have been getting more and more expensive without any real technological advancement!
It's like paying more buying the same phone!

[Fiore]

I currently have the iPhone 5 and I think it's time for an upgrade. Got it when it first came out and it served me well. changed the battery twice and that's about it. And this isn't the 5s or SE. It's the really freakin' old 5. And still in pristine condition but slow as heck.

I recently acquired an old beat up 6s that I'm going to try and restore. I ordered the back casing and battery for it. I think it *might* have logic board damage but the parts didn't cost much so I figure if it can't be fixed I won't be at too much of a loss.

[Swedish Fish]

I personally don't like it.

I wish Apple would allow you to customize your specs. Like "build your own iPhone." I'd want everything except the latest camera...
Or sometimes I want even the most basic. Something that includes, phone (for calls obviously), messaging (iMessage is amazing), internet (one app like safari or chrome), a decent but not crummy camera, maps, and maybe just a music app like spotify/iTunes.

I don't need very much. I can access most things through browsers, but for stuff like my calendar... I'm pretty old school and would rather have it in print...
I truly miss the glory days of flip and swivel phones. The iPhone had a wow factor and latest edge to phones, but it's pretty lackluster now imo...

[fallacy]

Honestly, It always gets to the point that we have to keep upgrading and upgrading our phones due to the demand of certain apps and UIs though iPhone did admitted to be slowing down phones.
I think you can buy one good smartphone and it's all good for the next 3-5 years it's a well spent investment.

[Mardan]

I used to be the "lmao Apple sucks, who would ever buy those overprices pieces of crap?" type.
Kind of still am.
But since I got one for free 3 years ago (6S) it's been the best phone I've ever had, so I'm a bit reclutant to keep the mindset.