Not buying a phone that costs more than my creamation

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DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
40,730
670
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I prefer wired headphones so in your shoes I'd replace the battery and keep using it.

I'm using a Moto G5 + myself, which only cost around $200 and lets me use a 128 GB microSD card to carry around my music library. But I understand if you've been happily using Apple phones for years then you don't want to switch.
 

gorcorps

aka Brandon
Jul 18, 2004
30,739
454
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you cant hold onto your old iphones forever as newer OS updates will just slow it down further. i had apple products before. even worse, if you dont update, you cant install apps. which is absolutely ridiculous. on android, my samsung s5 can install any apps that my s7 right now can.

apple is testing its customers' loyalty. and it's very interesting to see.

To be fair, the s5 is only 4ish years old... the iphones of the same age can still install apps
 

bearxor

Diamond Member
Jul 8, 2001
6,605
3
81
My mom died this past summer and the cost to get her cremated was $1950.

I haven't paid for too many cremations in my life but given my experience and your qualifications I'd say that you could buy just about every phone out there then!
 
May 13, 2009
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Buying a phone is a waste anymore. I don't personally know anyone who does it. Leasing is the way to go(or the iphone upgrade program from Apple). Never get stuck with a device that doesn't work or is too old. Upgrade when you feel like. This is why they can charge so much. Almost nobody is actually paying full price for them and carriers like Verizon are buying the devices already before customers get them.
But aren't you paying full price? Just in payments though?

I'm still using a lg g4. Its 3 years old. Paid $400 cash on sale. I just can't get rid of it because of the removable battery. Its just too handy a feature.
 

fleshconsumed

Diamond Member
Feb 21, 2002
6,486
2,363
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I have an iPhone 6S Plus, the battery is wearing down & I would love a new phone. Love the new XMax...but after taxes & all that phone costs close to what my creamation will! It is also darn near the cost of a refurbished MacBook Pro & more than a 10.5 inch iPad Pro.

Kind of stuck trying to figure out what to do. Thinking of waiting for the XR verision which I want in red but even that is still expensive. Maybe just replace the battery on my 6S Plus & use it another year & go for a newer iPad to replace my Air 2 ?
Yeah... My SO is looking to replace her five year old 5S that is finally getting too slow for her to use. I have replaced the battery once at 2.5 year mark (before apple started offering cheap battery replacements), I have also replaced the screen once because she dropped it and shattered the screen.

But now that her 5s is finally slowing down to a crawl she's itching for an upgrade. Understandable, but she's looking at Xs 256GB at $1150 + TAX. I paid less than that for my refurb Dell XPS 13 9370 and my most expensive phone was under $300. She also uses her phone a lot so her battery is guaranteed to die at or before 3 year mark. So assuming she keeps her phone for 3 years until the battery dies she'll be spending $400 a year on a phone. If she decides to replace the battery (at $69) and keep it until it's 5 years old, it's still $260 per year. IMO that's insanity. She also drops her phone all the time so there is also that risk.

I'm hoping to run these numbers by her this weekend to try and convince her to go with basic 64GB Xr, but I fear I may be fighting an uphill battle that may spectacularly backfire. I'll have to tread very very lightly. Sigh, damn you apple, damn you all to hell.
 

Ichinisan

Lifer
Oct 9, 2002
28,298
1,235
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Yeah... My SO is looking to replace her five year old 5S that is finally getting too slow for her to use. I have replaced the battery once at 2.5 year mark (before apple started offering cheap battery replacements), I have also replaced the screen once because she dropped it and shattered the screen.

But now that her 5s is finally slowing down to a crawl she's itching for an upgrade. Understandable, but she's looking at Xs 256GB at $1150 + TAX. I paid less than that for my refurb Dell XPS 13 9370 and my most expensive phone was under $300. She also uses her phone a lot so her battery is guaranteed to die at or before 3 year mark. So assuming she keeps her phone for 3 years until the battery dies she'll be spending $400 a year on a phone. If she decides to replace the battery (at $69) and keep it until it's 5 years old, it's still $260 per year. IMO that's insanity. She also drops her phone all the time so there is also that risk.

I'm hoping to run these numbers by her this weekend to try and convince her to go with basic 64GB Xr, but I fear I may be fighting an uphill battle that may spectacularly backfire. I'll have to tread very very lightly. Sigh, damn you apple, damn you all to hell.
She might be able to get by another year. iOS 12 is supposed to make older devices like hers MUCH more tolerable.

It definitely helps with my iPod touch 6th gen, but that processor is one generation newer than her 5s -- so I dunno.
 

cmdrdredd

Lifer
Dec 12, 2001
27,052
357
126
But aren't you paying full price? Just in payments though?

I'm still using a lg g4. Its 3 years old. Paid $400 cash on sale. I just can't get rid of it because of the removable battery. Its just too handy a feature.

On TMobile I pay half the cost and then upgrade when I want by trading in my old phone. The iPhone upgrade program from Apple is about $40/mo which comes out to $480 a year to get a new phone whenever they launch each time and includes Apple care.
 

Blackjack200

Lifer
May 28, 2007
15,995
1,688
126
To be fair, the s5 is only 4ish years old... the iphones of the same age can still install apps

It's insane to recommend Android based on longevity. My iPhone 6 is 4 years old and works just fine. iOS 12 sped it up and got rid of some of the bugs. My battery is okay, but I'm still going to take advantage of the $30 program before the end of the year. I wouldn't be surprised if I'm still using it for another couple of years.
 

realibrad

Lifer
Oct 18, 2013
12,337
898
126
It's insane to recommend Android based on longevity. My iPhone 6 is 4 years old and works just fine. iOS 12 sped it up and got rid of some of the bugs. My battery is okay, but I'm still going to take advantage of the $30 program before the end of the year. I wouldn't be surprised if I'm still using it for another couple of years.

I had my Galaxy S1 for 5 1/2 years. Its mainly about how well you take care of your phone. I never had a case or a screen protector on it either.
 

Blackjack200

Lifer
May 28, 2007
15,995
1,688
126
I had my Galaxy S1 for 5 1/2 years. Its mainly about how well you take care of your phone. I never had a case or a screen protector on it either.

Is it running the latest version of Android? My understanding is that the biggest issue is ongoing software support.
 

realibrad

Lifer
Oct 18, 2013
12,337
898
126
Is it running the latest version of Android? My understanding is that the biggest issue is ongoing software support.

I got rid of it a while back. It eventually was rooted. Much has changed on the software side though so the experience then would not match it now. Many updates stop after the 2 year. From what I understand, its the hardware manufactures that stop doing security and thus it all stops.