No longer buying flagship phones...

[TwiceOver]

Doesn't Apple have some sort of monthly pay plan? I thought I read it was $27/mo to rent a phone from them forever.

 

[nakedfrog]

Here's an idea. Switch to a carrier that doesn't butt rape you on all the prices, and buy your flagship devices with the money you save. Unless you are a super heavy user, you're much better off on a MVNO than one of the major carriers. My typical usage is < 500 minutes, < 1000 SMS, and < 500 megs of data, and I pay $35 a month with Ting (or less if I use less). The money I save will buy a new iPhone every 18 months or so.

Ps, if anyone happens to be interested in Ting, use this referral link that gets both of us a $25 credit: https://z1r9nm2to47.ting.com/

I pay $33 after tax/fees for 1500 minutes, unlimited texts, and 1GB of 4G LTE on the VZW network via Page Plus, and I'm quite satisfied. Used a $150 phone for two years, would still be using it if the power button hadn't broken. Replaced it with a $200 LG G3 that I'll probably be using until a similar fate befalls it.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

What brand of phone do you have? I think if you come to Verizon with your own Iphone data access is $40/month

Looks like it depends on what data plan you go with. We have the 6GB data plan, so we have a $25 credit on the $40/month charge, equaling $15/month for each line.

We acquired an iPhone 5S from a friend that was selling after upgrading.
Also got a LG G2 from Best Buy.

Both were paid in full, less than $200 each. I think it was ~$300 for both.

$15 if you have a MORE Everything Plan with a data allowance of 6 GB or higher. However, it will show up on your bill as a $40 charge with a $25 credit.

http://www.verizonwireless.com/support/more-everything-plan-faqs/#access

 

[Homerboy]

Get an OPO -- flagship enough for pennies.

 

[Merad]

I pay $33 after tax/fees for 1500 minutes, unlimited texts, and 1GB of 4G LTE on the VZW network via Page Plus, and I'm quite satisfied. Used a $150 phone for two years, would still be using it if the power button hadn't broken. Replaced it with a $200 LG G3 that I'll probably be using until a similar fate befalls it.

I wasn't really considering MVNO's. Basically any of them offer better deals than VZW/ATT/T-Mobile.

 

[Merad]

Doesn't Apple have some sort of monthly pay plan? I thought I read it was $27/mo to rent a phone from them forever.

Verizon offers basically this setup. Although the price per month depends on the phone model. When you've paid half the cost of your phone (which takes 1 year) you can trade it in and upgrade.

 

[Mai72]

It is a phone. I like my Samsung Convoy flip phone for $15.00.

Just a personal opinion, why in the hell would any sane person pay $850.00 for a cell phone. Really.

My Note5 isn't just a phone. I do many things on this that I wouldn't be able to do on a flip phone. I read, budget my accounts, listen to audio tracks and I do my personal development all from my phone. I also use JEFIT when I'm working out in the gym, and I track my calories thru MyFitnessPal. I'm also a consistent user of One Note and Evernote. True, I could do all of this on my laptop, but I find having a smartphone to be much simplier.

I guess it just depends on the user. If a flip phone works for you then that's great.

 

[Dirigible]

it makes and receives calls.

What are these "calls" of which you speak? What's the best app for them? Is there one app for making them and another for receiving them? I'm confused.

 

[nakedfrog]

It does amuse me when people (usually old people) make snarky comments about smartphones and how flip phones work fine for them. I'd say maybe 5% of my smartphone usage involves talking to someone on the phone with my voice. Like a barbarian.

 

[highland145]

What are these "calls" of which you speak? What's the best app for them? Is there one app for making them and another for receiving them? I'm confused.

It was a failed social experiment where people actually used their mouths and ears to communicate. Total lunacy, imo.

 

[SlitheryDee]

It does amuse me when people (usually old people) make snarky comments about smartphones and how flip phones work fine for them. I'd say maybe 5% of my smartphone usage involves talking to someone on the phone with my voice. Like a barbarian.

It's great when, in the next breath after said comment, they're asking a child or grandchild to look up something on their smartphone. Can't see the benefits oldster...really?

 

[clamum]

$850 is hilarious for a vacuum. Actually, a $90 trashcan is even worse than a $850 vacuum or phone. LOL. Tridentchild's life is like a horrific car accident; you shouldn't look but goddamn, it's almost impossible not to gawk. Except a car accident prompts no laughter.

 

[highland145]

It does amuse me when people (usually old people) make snarky comments about smartphones and how flip phones work fine for them. I'd say maybe 5% of my smartphone usage involves talking to someone on the phone with my voice. Like a barbarian.

Conan bash your puny head.

Much of ATOT and America....

:biggrin:

 

[madoka]

Is this actually true though?

I did the math when I bought my family plan with 128gb iPhone 6+s. Over the course of the contract, I think I saved $1600 over the subsidized plan by going the unsubsidized route. Was pretty eye opening for me. I didn't realize how much overcharging there was to get the subsidized phones.

 

[Capt Caveman]

$850 is hilarious for a vacuum. Actually, a $90 trashcan is even worse than a $850 vacuum or phone. LOL. Tridentchild's life is like a horrific car accident; you shouldn't look but goddamn, it's almost impossible not to gawk. Except a car accident prompts no laughter.

Funny thing is he had a job, this thread wouldn't exist.

 

[highland145]

It's great when, in the next breath after said comment, they're asking a child or grandchild to look up something on their smartphone. Can't see the benefits oldster...really?

That's why I pay the wife's cell bill....duh.


Was in Charleston last year, looking for an indoor gun range. Stopped at a local gym and asked if I could borrow their phone book...."Phone book??? Uh, just use your smart phone....."

 

[blankslate]

I think that you do not need to have a new flagship phone anymore unless you're using it directly for work such as developing apps or having work specific apps that will run better or you actually need the best camera for work related tasks.

Aside from I'd bet most people who get a flagship phone just want it and are willing to pay the extra cost. If the flagship phones do the things you need/want more quickly than older flagships or a midrange phone then the time saved from that can definitely be worth the extra cost.

For most smartphone tasks a midrange phone or flagship phone from a year to a couple of years ago will do the job nicely depending on the features you want.

Personally if I was looking to get a smartphone today I'd be taking hard looks at the LG G4 or G3 or the Note 4.


....

 

[nakedfrog]

Conan bash your puny head.

Much of ATOT and America....

:biggrin:

Go 'way, 'batin'!

 

[jlee]

I <3 my Nexus 6. They're $300 now, too.

 

[SlitheryDee]

Was in Charleston last year, looking for an indoor gun range. Stopped at a local gym and asked if I could borrow their phone book...."Phone book??? Uh, just use your smart phone....."

You joke, but for me at least, paying an exorbitant price for a smartphone and cell phone bill is totally worth not ever having to do that and the myriad other things that smartphones can do. I've done the cost benefit analysis for myself, and I ain't going back.

That's even considering that I almost never text or call anyone. In fact, my usage is so far opposite from what yours probably is that if there were no such thing as a smartphone, I probably wouldn't have a cell phone at all. A device that makes calls and sends texts has close to zero appeal to me, while a device with internet connectivity everywhere I go feels so good it's almost magical.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I wonder if there is such a thing as an ipod touch or equivalent device with nothing but an LTE radio in it. I know there are tablets like this, but if they made something smartphone sized with decent hardware I would be all over it.

 

[jlee]

You joke, but for me at least, paying an exorbitant price for a smartphone and cell phone bill is totally worth not ever having to do that and the myriad other things that smartphones can do. I've done the cost benefit analysis for myself, and I ain't going back.

That's even considering that I almost never text or call anyone. In fact, my usage is so far opposite from what yours probably is that if there were no such thing as a smartphone, I probably wouldn't have a cell phone at all. A device that makes calls and sends texts has close to zero appeal to me, while a device with internet connectivity everywhere I go feels so good it's almost magical.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I wonder if there is such a thing as an ipod touch or equivalent device with nothing but an LTE radio in it. I know there are tablets like this, but if they made something smartphone sized with decent hardware I would be all over it.

It probably wouldn't be any cheaper than a normal phone due to the additional cost of making a new product line that appeals to fewer people.

 

[Drako]

Somebody needs a Jitterbug. :biggrin:

 

[Dirigible]

It was a failed social experiment where people actually used their mouths and ears to communicate. Total lunacy, imo.

This response (and the frog's) entertained me. Thanks to you both!

 

[SSSnail]

Some of us have a need for a great smartphone, so we can work on it on the go, for instance. Try it, quite refreshing.

Just got a Note 5 for work, built-in a lot of things that allow me the freedom to work wherever (ironic, isn't it?). I still have my LG G3 as my personal phone, and between the two, I can almost do everything I need to do with regards to being connected.

 

[McLovin]

Are they called smartphones because people are so dumb to pay that kind of money to make a phone call?

Flip phone user here yo!