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Looks like the Xperia X1a is dropping in the U.s. at at least Best Buy for now. I have read good reviews on both devices. Has anyone seen a good head to head comparison of these two devices? It looks like they are in the same league. Thanks
I think it comes down to $299 (+2yr contract) for the Fuze, or $799 (+service you were going to pay for anyway) for a WVGA screen and headphone jack. All other pros/cons seem to vary from one reviewer to another.
The Xperia is metal construction. The Fuze is mostly plastic and high gloss black ( print magnet) The keys are spread out nice on the Xperia, bunched up on the Fuze due to the smaller size. There is a slight tilt on the Xperia and the slide is straight out on the Fuze. I know there are a lot of software differences but just wanted to state the obvious physical differences I compared.
If the Xperia sold for $600 it would be the best deal for a PDA Phone in a long while. $865 from a Sony Style store is just a lot of jack in this economy. ( tax inc )
I have looked at the FUZE and the Touch Pro at Sprint. Something has kept me from buyin either one of them. Yeah I sold the X1a a day later for about the same as what I paid for it. Sonystyle wants 15% restock fee ( ouch )
fhsieh said:
I think it comes down to $299 (+2yr contract) for the Fuze, or $799 (+service you were going to pay for anyway) for a WVGA screen and headphone jack. All other pros/cons seem to vary from one reviewer to another.
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Click to collapse
not necessarily , because you can get the fuze for $299 on 2 year contract, unlock it for free, sell it for ~$500 and then use that money to buy the xperia, making it only 2-300 more expensive. still more than it should be, but not as bad as people are making it seem..
omaralt said:
not necessarily , because you can get the fuze for $299 on 2 year contract, unlock it for free, sell it for ~$500 and then use that money to buy the xperia, making it only 2-300 more expensive. still more than it should be, but not as bad as people are making it seem..
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Click to collapse
Okay you two are on par, but compare it this way.
No-commitment price = $500
RETAIL PRICE = $849.99
Xprea X1a RETAIL PRICE = $800
It's a hell of a deal. Notice why I put two prices. Because you can only get the $500 deal if you're a customer of AT&T. If you're comparing the retail prices, I suggest you compare the retail prices. Not retail vs no-commitment. The $500 price is retail for AT&T customers only.
i mean, come on, anybody can get a brand new fuze for $500 + tax. If your not an at&t customer, i'm sure you know somebody whos an at&t customer, ask him/her to go buy one for you, no committment. the people who get screwed are our nice neighbors to the north (canadians). none of their gsm carriers have picked up this phone, and i hear the fuze is selling for north of $600 up there..
omaralt said:
i mean, come on, anybody can get a brand new fuze for $500 + tax. If your not an at&t customer, i'm sure you know somebody whos an at&t customer, ask him/her to go buy one for you, no committment. the people who get screwed are our nice neighbors to the north (canadians). none of their gsm carriers have picked up this phone, and i hear the fuze is selling for north of $600 up there..
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Click to collapse
True. But I was comparing the real retail price. Not how cheap you can get it for. I mean I bet someone could get it for free if they stole it. Or $100 if they worked for Sony or whatever. You know what I meant.
My reasons: PHAIL = bad; WIN = good
NO G-SENSOR! PHAIL!
Embedded screen! PHAIL!
Screen res. WIN!/PHAIL! (depending on pov. To install apps - fail; beauty - win)
TF3D and Panels! WIN!
No tv-out! PHAIL!
Metal casing. WIN!
Roomy buttons. WIN!
Price. UBER PHAIL! (I ain't paying that much for a device. IDK if you people like buying every phone for $1000+ as some of you have.)
Sony camera. WIN!
Kraize said:
True. But I was comparing the real retail price. Not how cheap you can get it for. I mean I bet someone could get it for free if they stole it. Or $100 if they worked for Sony or whatever. You know what I meant.
My reasons: PHAIL = bad; WIN = good
NO G-SENSOR! PHAIL!
Embedded screen! PHAIL!
Screen res. WIN!/PHAIL! (depending on pov. To install apps - fail; beauty - win)
TF3D and Panels! WIN!
No tv-out! PHAIL!
Metal casing. WIN!
Roomy buttons. WIN!
Price. UBER PHAIL! (I ain't paying that much for a device. IDK if you people like buying every phone for $1000+ as some of you have.)
Sony camera. WIN!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But I'd guess most in the US eying on an xperia are already with att, or at least considering it. After all, xperia has the att 3g band, not tmo.
As a side note, I think x1 wins in terms of form factor and battery life as well. But even if the two were the same price, I would have gotten a touch pro. I am very, VERY happy with its keyboard.
What's with this "No commitment price"? I went to Fry's Electronics (big box store like Best Buy), and bought the phone for $475+tax (This was Saturday). While my wife drove, I called up AT&T and asked them for the unlock code. They asked for the IMEA number, I gave them that... and they gave me the unlock code. Phone was up and working on the T-Mobile system before we got home 10 minutes later.
Sure, I don't have 3G... but I like my $15/month unlimited data plan with tethering and free Hotspot calling. AT&T wants $60 for that plan. At 156K/s vs 500k/s... that's just not worth it! (And no, I don't think most people could get the plan I have with T-Mobile... had an account with them since they were called VoiceStream...)
All that being said - I owned an X1i for 5 days. It was hands down the faster phone (all that AT&T garbage probably slows the Fuze down... I'll flash it after I figure out what I really want to do with it). But the screen just didn't do it for me. The Fuze screen is flush with the face of the phone and I think that is a clear win over the X1 (think about how beat up that screen is going to look after a few months). The keyboards are 6 of 1, 1/2 dozen of the other in use. I could use both keyboards just fine. The X1i seemed to have this issue, however, where the software keyboard would launch any time input was required ... even if the keyboard was out. Very annoying. The Fuze let's me choose.
The X1 never locked up on me, and I did a ton of installs and had lots of apps open. The Fuze has locked up almost daily for me. Again, I think it is the AT&T bloatware, but I'm not sure.
So my review is also a little mixed. In the end I made a deal with my wife that if I didn't like the Fuze after a month or so, I'd give it to her and get the X1a (since I figure the price will have dropped by then).
Right now, at a price of $475 vs $799.99 it isn't a contest. When neither phone is a clear winner in any category I would say let value decide - and the Fuze is clearly the better value right now.
@Ghallo
Really I have no idea. Yes, it's true that you can get it for $500 anywhere. But if you call AT&T cs. They'll tell you that retail pricing is for those that don't have Aee Tee & Tee and no-commitment (retail for customers) is the no-contract price for Aee Tee & Tee customers.
I love my gtab but i can see how it might get semi-replaced right off the bat with this Motorla Atrix. Similiar specs and the ports that include laptop key board style usability combined with one for Media outputs will be readily available and easy to find....
My Iphone 3gs contract is up and i am seriously considering this device.
I know there is probably a seperate forum for this phone already but i wanted to see what GTAB users thought about it.
Here is a link fort those in the dark.
It has the Tegra processor, a laptop style doc, a multimedia style doc, and a car doc. Android 2.2.
http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/devices/motorola-atrix.jsp#fbid=Pz0w4Bi9BCz
I wont be getting any locked devices. If Motorola locks the bootloader then I'll wait for something else
I will be getting the Atrix and the docks, this is going to be one bad-azz phone. I am tired of my Iphone after using the Gtab, I have seen the light...
Then again, after reading around about Motorola philosophy of lock down "buy elsewhere" attitude...i may get the Samsung Infuse instead.
Honestly....if i wanted the locked down "buy elsewhere" attitude, why the frack wouldnt i just get the iphone 4 or iphone 5...that attitude kinda DEFEATS the WHOLE purpose of andorid..
No thanks. I'll pass for these reasons:
1. It's a phone, and I have one of those already. I also like to cost of the data plan I'm tied to at the moment.
2. Screen size - I got the G-tablet because I wanted the 10" screen for book/web/whatever reading.
3. If it's going to be locked down like Motorola says it will be, no thanks.
4. AT&T. Plain and simple - I've had way too many bad experiences with them to make me EVER go back.
It's an interesting concept, and if an open alternative which follows that model (specialized docks, etc.) is developed in the future, I may consider moving when I am ready to boot my phone. But at this moment, I'm not seeing anything that's giving me that "I have to have it" wow factor.
BigJohn
BigJohn89 said:
No thanks. I'll pass for these reasons:
1. It's a phone, and I have one of those already. I also like to cost of the data plan I'm tied to at the moment.
2. Screen size - I got the G-tablet because I wanted the 10" screen for book/web/whatever reading.
3. If it's going to be locked down like Motorola says it will be, no thanks.
4. AT&T. Plain and simple - I've had way too many bad experiences with them to make me EVER go back.
It's an interesting concept, and if an open alternative which follows that model (specialized docks, etc.) is developed in the future, I may consider moving when I am ready to boot my phone. But at this moment, I'm not seeing anything that's giving me that "I have to have it" wow factor.
BigJohn
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like large?
Try this!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyZohb7yhDw&feature=related
To each his own. My experiences with Verizon will make me NEVER go back...EVER.
Years ago i bought a phone with a shared line family plan for me and my wife with verizon...each month the second phone was billed outside of the plan, each month Verizon admitted their mistake, said they would correct the issue and apologized, then the next month..SAME THING ALL OVER AGAIN. After 8 months of that i told them to f*k off and have NEVER been back since.
AT&T on the other hand..i go over my minutes, i call them ask for a new plan...they up the plan and then TAKE OFF THE EXTRA CHARGES...EVERY TIME. Want to drop a line a few months early? No problem...done..no early cancellation fee. They shipped me a bad phone once..no problem..new one sent and old one mailed back, no charge. Battery died a little early once..no problem, service girl in store gave me a free one swapped out of a demo unit..NO CHARGE...the list goes on forever like this. Seriously, their customer service is Five star...its good enough that i am willing to accept the dead zones on I20 in a 4 mile area between augusta and atlanta and one in mid columbia thats about 2 miles long...
Just saying..for every "i hate AT&T" story....i have ones about how Verizon has the WORST customer service in the HISTORY of cell phones when it comes to needing something done. (and not come back the VERY next month..until you LOSE IT and go PSYCHO after 2/3rds of a year...)
OH and coverage? We have all seen the commercials right..the maps? I have traveled with my AT&T to cincinatti, NYC, Richmond, Charlotte, Winston Salem, Columbia, Greensboro, Atlanta, Valdosta, Northen LA, Asheville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinberg, Savanna, Chaleston, Myrtle beach, Hilton Head, DC, Va Beach, North Kentucky, etc...
Zero problems..
My sister and mothers house in Pleasant Graden NC...NO VERIZON coverage...AT&T phone works fine there..no problems.
Maybe i just have bizzaro luck..or maybe the commercials about Verizons coverage are over-hyped??
I dont know...personal experience versus commercials..im going to go with my actual experience
Nuff said.
The G-tab has a 10" screen. These are two completely different products. There's no way I would consider going smaller unless it is as a complimentary device, not a replacement.
1. AT&T Fail
2. Not 10" screen
3. Not a tablet
4. Better products will be out soon enough
I won't be buying it.
At&t 3G coverage as terrible unless in larger city areas. Not as bad as Tmo, but neither are in the same league for 3G as VZW.
Bionic seems interesting, but no buy if the bootloader is locked. I may be keeping my Inc a LOT longer than planned
It works great with gTablet for tethering, so okay with me
BTW, 4.3" seems big (for a phone it is), but try a 4.3" display for about 15 minutes and then try the gTablet. The 4.3" is functionally no better than than a 3.7" in comparison.
I believe a phone that docks into everything is that future, but the atrix isn't quite there yet.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
sanvara said:
The G-tab has a 10" screen. These are two completely different products. There's no way I would consider going smaller unless it is as a complimentary device, not a replacement.
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Click to collapse
Well regarding the Atrix it has a VERY small screen...but the orginal post was referring to the ability to use a keyboard 15inch screen laptop as a PORT!
Complimentary device maybe...but with the right phone i might use the gtab...less than i do now.
The iphone is DEFINATELY going...
What new phone style products are coming that might be better options?
rushless said:
BTW, 4.3" seems big (for a phone it is), but try a 4.3" display for about 15 minutes and then try the gTablet. The 4.3" is functionally no better than than a 3.7" in comparison.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The infuse has a 4.5 inch screen..that thing almost seems like a small tablet compared the years i have spent surfing o my 3GS.
Regarding AT&Ts service..you might be on to somehting there. 99% of my travel is to LARGE cities. For the last 4 years namely its been NYC and Atlanta. When i go home though..in the TINY city of lexington SC from my home....3G service works great. At my girl friends home in Augusta GA, 3G service works great. Usually when i am in a small town though, i am at someones house who has wi-fi hooked up (including mine).
To each his own but Verizons customer serivce is so horrible..i wouldnt care if they had 10G service i would not use them. I might feel different if my luck with always having a 3G or wi-fi signal wasnt so good all the time though.
My gtab mainly does duty as a light alternative to my lap top for when im in the bed surfing the net or want to watch a movie on something in bed or on an airplane etc. I use it as a newsreader from a book stand on my desk at work also through out the day and it makes a great orginizer from same position. I have COMPLETELY stopped using it to type on or try to create any content though...couldnt handle the touch screen keyboard, its worse than using both the lap top and the iphone. It also works great to watch movies on long car trips and for quick "let me check on that" type of internet tasks from home when i am too inpatient to wait for the lap top to boot up.
Truthfully all these devices have their role but i initially posted about the Atrix as it seemed possibly capable of crossing into multiple roles.
One more thing to consider regarding carriers and then i will drop it.
This is a HUGE one.
AT&T has grandfathered all of its users who had smart phones prior to June of 2010 in so that they will continue to get UNLIMITED data for $29.00 a month regardless of how many times they renew or change phones.
Verizon may offer that for one time only introductory rate only, but everyone else (and when your contract is up) you will be locked into only getting 2G per month at a rate only $5.00 cheaper a month.
Now in 2013 rolls around ill be able to get 5G or more in data a month using the SAME technology verizon has, for probably HALF the cost (verizon charges I think $20 extra per G over the 2G) while retaining superior customer service.
Math:
5G from Verizon=$25+$20+$20=$65.00
5G from AT&T grandfathered customers=$29.00
This will be the reality by the time i get around to my next cell phone contract (after the one im about to start) as AT&T will have its LTE network up by then in the larger cities..
So there is that...
Allenfx said:
Like large?
Try this!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyZohb7yhDw&feature=related
To each his own. My experiences with Verizon will make me NEVER go back...EVER.
(Excess text of AT&T vs Verizon rant removed by BJ89)
My sister and mothers house in Pleasant Graden NC...NO VERIZON coverage...AT&T phone works fine there..no problems.
Maybe i just have bizzaro luck..or maybe the commercials about Verizons coverage are over-hyped??
I dont know...personal experience versus commercials..im going to go with my actual experience
Nuff said.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, I find it quite funny about how you totally ignored the meaning of my post and turned the whole thing into an evangelism for AT&T - all while assuming I use Verizon.
The purpose of my post was to state that I bought the G-tab because I wanted a large-screened tablet for reading/web surfing/similar tasks. I already have a phone with a data plan, and I do not want another. I also didn't go with an iPad or a Galaxy tab for the same reason - to get one at a price point similar to the G-tab, I would have to go with one that is subsidized by a carrier. Which means another data plan to pay for.
BTW, comparing the Atrix and the G-Tab is a waste of time as most people will treat them as two separate products with different purposes.
The Samsung phone you linked to was nice, but you glossed over the fact that I said that I didn't want another phone at this time - or in the near future.
Regarding the whole AT&T vs Verizon thing - I have had bad experiences with AT&T for quite a long time; even going as far back to before AT&T took over Cingular. It wasn't a one-time incident, and eventually I gave up dealing with them. It's my choice not to deal with them as much as it's your choice to use them.
I know there are plenty of people that have had bad customer service issues with my carrier of choice as well - which, by the way, is Sprint and not Verizon.
BigJohn
Various blogs have reported that Motorola is leaving the bootloader unlocked.
I read the reviews and it seams the laptop dock is pretty much just a gimmick and not all that useful. Sweet phone though. If I was going to spend a ton of cash on a phone and or a new plan anyways I might consider it. Happy with my gTab and HD2 for now though.
I'm def. not.
599/499 for a phone and a dock with a screen? I think not. It's essentially still just a phone. Some people change their phones every year or 2. So you're either locking yourself into an expensive short term investment or willing to hold on to older tech for longer, in which case maybe it would be worth it. You're also locked into a data contract for 2 years - inflating the cost of the package drastically.
Option 2 is a tablet for 379/399, a $40 wireless mouse/kb bundle from logitech or ms and a $50 hdmi dock, then hook it up to your LCD TV or monitor and voila, similar effect albeit not as mobile as the atrix lapdock, but if you're willing to carry that around in a bag, why not just buy a more powerful netbook or laptop for $300 upfront and let that be that? It just doesn't make much sense at the current price point.
It's a gimmick, imho.
If the entire dock were maybe $100-150 then it might pass as worthwhile. That would essentially give you a phone and 'netbook' transformer for $350 which is around the cost of a netbook/laptop/tablet. At 299/399 with/without a rebate for the dock alone and that's not including the cost of being locked into a contract for 2 years....whereas the VS is 399 off the bat, no catch, it's not really for me. To each his own though. I'm sure there are reasons to get it.
Assuming you're a current Captivate owner as most of us are in this forum. And you were fed up with lack of firmware updates, non-functional GPS, quirky third party ROMs (though, THANK YOU for making life with my Captivate tolerable!) and were interested in a Motorola Atrix...
Would you take ~$100 for a Captivate as a trade-in towards the Atrix? If not, what would you do with it?
LOL no...
Maybe in a year or two I would take $100, but I would be using the money for a good phone, not that Atrix or whatever...thing looks designed to make money off of add-ons...for example look at the console market...remember the 32X? add-on. remember the Sega CD? Add-on. Did not work so well in the console market, splitting up the demographic is never a good thing. And it wont work here either.
90% of the captivates listed on Craigslist in my area are 250$, if I needed to get rid of mine I'd put it up for 200 and I'm certain it would be gone in a day.
Well i guess there's a few factors involved in that decision. What did you pay for it? Are you happy with the captivate? How badly do you want an atrix? Do you care if you loose money? In the end it's your decision and most people have already made up their mind even before asking these type of questions.
Me? I'm only out of pocket $50 with the captivate. But i'm happy with it now that I'm on a great rom, so i see no difference in the latest and greatest device. It's a never ending cycle that will make you broke!
Samsung may have terrible support for their phones, but due to this phone being the first solid android on AT&T, it has fantastic support from the dev community.
Motorola has a long history of locking their phones down, and making it near impossible to switch the kernal. Samsung may be lazy, but Moto hates its customers actively.
I will never own another moto phone.
OK, good points. I guess it's a very low amount of money at this point to consider as a trade-in. I'm definitely going to be losing money, the question is how much and the trade-in would have softened the blow a bit. I guess I could resell but I hate dealing with things like eBay and Craig's.
Regarding phone mods - Well, they're great but what I really want is simply a phone that works. I don't want to have to flash a phone to get a marginally better GPS or an Android release that isn't two steps behind. I think Motorola does have a better track record in supporting their front lines phones.
Yeah, the Atrix is an accessory platform. Though it's neat I can't really understand the utility of the laptop dock. Text messaging with a real keyboard is nice though. One of things I miss about not having a Nokia with their PC software.
There are several wifi/usb apps that let you use your pc keyboard to type on an Android phone. You don't need anything from the manufacturer.
gibson3659 said:
There are several wifi/usb apps that let you use your pc keyboard to type on an Android phone. You don't need anything from the manufacturer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I completely overlooked this. I just paired my PS3 Bluetooth keyboard with my phone and it works great - even with mouse. Not exactly portable but if I want/need to use it I can. Great option.
Hell No
There is no way I would accept 100$ for this amazing piece of hardware... unless that hundred dollars was taken off the 200$ price of the atrix and I was able to purchase it without waiting the 13 remaining months I have on my contract and now early termination fees.
If you are selling your captivate for a 100$ though, I'd be happy to buy it from you
The only thing the Atrix has over the SGS is the dual core proc, which it can't even use running Froyo. I don't even know that Gingerbread enables dual core, you may have to wait until honeycomb to get the full power out of the phone. Top that off with the locked bootloader and support that rivals samsung in ineptitude, and I think I'll pass. By the time my contract is up with AT&T they'll have quad-core phones out anyway, and with lagfix, CM7, and overclocking I think we'll find the Captivate to be a powerhouse well into the future.
After coming from an Iphone 3G where I had to jailbreak to receive any kind of functionality I would not take $100 for the phone. The sheer openess to mod the phone to how it fits me and not how Stevie thinks it should fit makes it worth far more than $100
I sold my wife's captivate the other day on ebay for $330...
To chorus in... no. I would not take a $100 trade in for an Atrix... unless included in that deal someone was taking over my AT&T contract and I was going to a better carrier.
price
i will bid 110 on the phone i like it better then any phone out there because i can do stuff with the phone with this site dev . you know the grass is always greener on the other side
I have a better offer. How about I pay you $125 for your Captivate+shipping and we call it a day? =D
I see Captivate's selling for at least $200, so if your goal to sell and buy an Atrix I would highly recommend you sell it yourself through ebay, craigs, friends, etc before you take the lazy way out and lose $100 bucks for convienence.
Yeah, gonna have to say no.. Bought this thing off contract cause my iphone sucked so hard. Now if I could give them my cappy and $100 for an Atrix I'm all in!
I sold mine for 200. I could have gotten more, but I was happy with the deal.
Like most everyone else, NO I would not give up my Captivate for $100. After I flashed it with an awesome ROM (Paragon) it runs the way I suspect Samsung dreamed it might. I now get great battery life and a working GPS. The Captivate also enjoys great support here on XDA.
Not really worried about firmware updates..as the devs here on xda make the roms better then any!!!...plus i love the cappy screen...maybe a nexus s but think i will hold out on the atrix as i jumped on the android bandwagon for att when the backflip came out....since att finnaly got a android but really not impressed with motoblur as it took them for ever to get 2.1
Sent from my SGH-I897 using XDA App
I'll agree with the others. I wouldn't take $250 for my Captivate.
Matter of fact, if you're as anal retentive as I am , and have the box and everything it came with, and took SUPER GOOD care of it, you could probably get around $325-350 on fleaBay - check the completed auctions!
That's if you want to maximize the $$ you get out of it.
What is the difference between iPod Touch and iPhone? A $5 GSM/CDMA chip? Why $400 price difference?
Large screen Android tablets can be had for $200. Why unlocked phones are $600-800?
Sorry if it's been discussed, my search didn't find a good topic on the subject.
Wow, no answers! Noone else is interested in this question?
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
Which?
They're expensive because of convenience, demand. people want it they gotta pay....
Sent from my LS670 using XDA App
They are so expensive, because people buy them anyways.
Manufactors and carriers are all after our money, why should they lower the price.
Besides that some devices also have to pay back the research that went into developing them.
Don't have any idea why unlocked phones are costlier but it you compare tablet and phone, size does matter. Smaller, faster and costier.
go overseas and see the prices some can have more then a hundred dollars difference even if they are the same devices
The price triples at the 3rd world countries. I wonder why.
Yeah, you're lucky for not live in a country like Brazil, there a smartphone like S2 or Iphone4 costs around 1000,00 US$ bucks...
well maybe unlucking phone is expensive because its not really designated in any other area than the original area, but the publisher wants to publicly sale it to other region. that can be the cause too
Development is expensive.
You buy a brand, this is why most of the time you pay double.. buy another phone with the same specs but with a non popular brand and you will pay less...
Not to mention that you are talking about Apple...
All your reasoning would apply for everything else electronic- TVs, MP3 or Blue Ray players, etc. Yet they all keep coming down in prices. But not the phones.
Yea, good question I was wondering the same.
It really is a gigantic gap between say an Iphone and Ipod touch in terms of price, yet the hardware has very little difference.
Seems like a marketing thing, as most users will want all the goodies packed together in a small package + a phone in one device.
It's a conspiracy i tell yea
You should see it like this. When you buy a phone, you pay for the development, the construction, the shipping, the people who check it, the people who made the software. add that up with an expensive casing (like HTC has.) and the euro's (or dollars) fly onto the price tag. With Apple, I don't know, they just rip your wallet.
Smartphones are still upcomming, with new technology added every time a new device is being developed.
Why is SSD more expensive than a normal HDD, because it's a new technology. DVD drives used to be really expensive aswell, look at them now they aren't so expensive anymore.
Anything that's new has a price, and it's your choice if you want to pay for it or not.
I hope this helps.
It's not that unbranded phones are more expensive, the price just isn't subsidised by the network operators.
Network operators sell you the handset at a loss, but tie you into a contract to recoup their initial cost. Customer inertia means there's a good chance you'll stay with them.
well they give you much more ie. i have an ace and i can do everything what i usually do on my pc... except gaming ofc.
Unlocked phones are not only expensive because of the demand. When you buy one on contract, you are going to end up paying over $1000 over the 2 year contract anyways. That's why they discount smartphones so much on contract, they know they will get paid back from the contract.
Sent from my HD2
I'm guessing prices don't come down on phones because carriers subsidize prices. Manufacturers know that and therefore prices will stay rather high. Having said that, development on new phone technology is going at a fast rate right now so manufacturers also are recouping those costs.
Althestrasz said:
You should see it like this. When you buy a phone, you pay for the development, the construction, the shipping, the people who check it, the people who made the software. add that up with an expensive casing (like HTC has.) and the euro's (or dollars) fly onto the price tag. With Apple, I don't know, they just rip your wallet.
Smartphones are still upcomming, with new technology added every time a new device is being developed.
Why is SSD more expensive than a normal HDD, because it's a new technology. DVD drives used to be really expensive aswell, look at them now they aren't so expensive anymore.
Anything that's new has a price, and it's your choice if you want to pay for it or not.
I hope this helps.
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Everything else also has to be developed, designed, engineered, assembled, shipped and retailed. In fact, iPod was developed before iPhone and they mostly made of the same parts.
Also, if you look at pricing for prepaid phones, I don't think that carriers subsidize that much. Mostly they hike their prices to force us in their contracts.
A week or so ago I saw a link on one of the "deal tracking" sites, an HTC tablet was offered for the same price with no contract or service as the "discounted" price from Sprint.
theyre expensives due to all research and work of the engineers...and of course to obtain more money from all of us...you want the finest and latest technology from theirs...you have to pay whatever their wants...
https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=galaxy_nexus_hspa
Wow! If I had the cash, I would be all over that! The only problem is the 5mp camera :/
I wonder if google is getting back into selling unlocked phones, I certainly hope so
Its not really that betterer than the mytouch and its laggy as hell and no keyyboard
Sent from my Htc Doubleshot running ICS SENSE 4.0a
Meh, prices have been dropping like rocks for the GNex
That's the problem with android phones, there's no residual value.
It's not worth it to buy the flagship phone this early. As a general rule of thumb, I only buy android phones that are a year or older. Or phones that are known to have bad resale values. All 4 of my past android phones I haven't paid more than $180 for new And they aren't exactly low end either
It is possible to find great deals on recent phones as well. You just have to look hard enough.
Includes Cliq $150>>$180 4 months later
3G Slide $180>>$215 6 months later
G2 $180>>$255 8 months later (although I think I undersold this one)
4G Slide $180>> not sold yet
Best part is, the deal I get is so great, that I can sell the phone back about 8-12 months later, and still make money off it to buy a new phone.
Great way to recycle money for phones. Been using the same $200 I started with for the past 3 years. And you get fresh phones all the time Ever since my old Nokia 5800 from 2009
Apple products however retain their value so much better, so they're much easier to flip when you're done with them
gtmaster303 said:
Meh, prices have been dropping like rocks for the GNex
That's the problem with android phones, there's no residual value.
It's not worth it to buy the flagship phone this early. As a general rule of thumb, I only buy android phones that are a year or older. Or phones that are known to have bad resale values. All 4 of my past android phones I haven't paid more than $180 for new And they aren't exactly low end either
It is possible to find great deals on recent phones as well. You just have to look hard enough.
Includes Cliq $150>>$180 4 months later
3G Slide $180>>$215 6 months later
G2 $180>>$255 8 months later (although I think I undersold this one)
4G Slide $180>> not sold yet
Best part is, the deal I get is so great, that I can sell the phone back about 8-12 months later, and still make money off it to buy a new phone.
Great way to recycle money for phones. Been using the same $200 I started with for the past 3 years. And you get fresh phones all the time Ever since my old Nokia 5800 from 2009
Apple products however retain their value so much better, so they're much easier to flip when you're done with them
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I haven't paid for an Android phone, yet. I bought my first smartphone, a T-Mobile DASH, on ebay for $50. I "jailbroke" it and had it running Win6.5 really well. Then, my ex gave me his brand new Moto Cliq (he preferred Blackberry). I kept it about a year, then it started messing up so T-Mobile traded it for a new white MyTouch 3G Slide. I kept it about a year, then decided I wanted the new MyTouch 4G Slide. I talked T-Mobile into giving me one for $50 (have been a good customer for over 8 years). Then I sold the MT3GS on ebay for $165. So, I'm happy with how my phones have been. I would love to get the GNex, but I'll wait.
Depends on what you want out of it. To some, money is immaterial.
I have quite the depth of knowledge to this phone specifically, now, and have for some time.
If i'd waited until now to get it, then i'd just be starting and playing catch up. By purchasing one of these within a few days of launch (truthfully, I had to come back the day after because the store didn't have them in yet) I was able to start learning about it a long time ago.
Someone has to break new ground, and that means picking one up around launch time. For all you that come in late to the game and have roms and how-to's, methods of doing this and that - it has to come from somewhere, and doesn't make itself.
If you want to look at just the $ part of it, and ignore anything else, fine - but don't forget what you get for that investment or the inherent value in being an early adopter.
Blue6IX said:
Depends on what you want out of it. To some, money is immaterial.
I have quite the depth of knowledge to this phone specifically, now, and have for some time.
If i'd waited until now to get it, then i'd just be starting and playing catch up. By purchasing one of these within a few days of launch (truthfully, I had to come back the day after because the store didn't have them in yet) I was able to start learning about it a long time ago.
Someone has to break new ground, and that means picking one up around launch time. For all you that come in late to the game and have roms and how-to's, methods of doing this and that - it has to come from somewhere, and doesn't make itself.
If you want to look at just the $ part of it, and ignore anything else, fine - but don't forget what you get for that investment or the inherent value in being an early adopter.
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It's not really about the money. I just love the model that I can upgrade my hardware continually without having to invest more $$$
We're all broke here, as you may already know
gtmaster303 said:
It's not really about the money. I just love the model that I can upgrade my hardware continually without having to invest more $$$
We're all broke here, as you may already know
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Click to collapse
Amen to that
Blue6IX said:
Depends on what you want out of it. To some, money is immaterial.
I have quite the depth of knowledge to this phone specifically, now, and have for some time.
If i'd waited until now to get it, then i'd just be starting and playing catch up. By purchasing one of these within a few days of launch (truthfully, I had to come back the day after because the store didn't have them in yet) I was able to start learning about it a long time ago.
Someone has to break new ground, and that means picking one up around launch time. For all you that come in late to the game and have roms and how-to's, methods of doing this and that - it has to come from somewhere, and doesn't make itself.
If you want to look at just the $ part of it, and ignore anything else, fine - but don't forget what you get for that investment or the inherent value in being an early adopter.
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Click to collapse
I think it all depends on your perspective. As somebody who makes a hobby out of learning a phone from the inside out, its an investment that is worth the price of early adoption.
For those who do not intend to study their phones, for whatever reasons, and whom are not likely to ever spend time developing, its better to wait to see if a particular phone will mature in development before buying it. For a user, the real value of a phone lies in its usability, making a phone with ample development much more valuable.
So for a user, a well developed phone comes at a discounted price but is far more valuable than its less developed successors.
P.S. Some might argue that the time you save waiting for cm9 to compile on a shiny new quadcore is well worth the cost of no more than 2 doubleshots!
Talk about prices dropping, ever since HTC announced they're not making keyboard phones anymore, G2 prices have been falling to no end.
You can get one in good condition for <$150 on ebay right now That's one of the biggest drops I've ever seen on a phone. I only sold mine 2 months ago for $255, granted it was in mint condition.
I'm so glad I dumped the phone when it still had value. I knew this would happen. hehe, maybe I might even buy one back, now that its lost all of it value
But definitely keyboard phones are getting rare. Diehard fans should start stockpiling now