Are android phones now becoming overpriced?

n1guyn1guy Posts: 1,173
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This is just something I've noticed over the past year or so. It used to be iPhones where vastly over priced, I remember the 3GS free on £35 per month contracts, the 3G £30, while you could get a top of the range android such as the Desire on contracts free for £25 or so, This went on ever since androids and iPhone were about I guess. But now you can get the latest iPhone the iPhone 5 free on £30 per month tariffs, while the latest androids are free on £35 pm tarriffs.
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  • gillyallangillyallan Posts: 31,708
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    They are definitely expensive. I think top of the range has taken a huge leap mind you from when desires era. £500+ worth though is debatable....guess its supply and demand and like apple, they'll cash in while the products are hot.
  • Trevor_MaloneTrevor_Malone Posts: 82
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    Samsung have really taken people for fools with the 16gb S4 having a RRP of over £600. Not even Apple have tried that with the release day RRP for the 16Gb iPhone 5 being £529.

    But Samsung is a corporate multi national giant and they are ONLY in it to make money, just like all the others.
  • gillyallangillyallan Posts: 31,708
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    It needs for everyone to stop buying.....wont happen though
  • Trevor_MaloneTrevor_Malone Posts: 82
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    But that won't happen, when you read comments on here with users stating the phone is worth £600 due to having a 1080p screen and great camera and features.

    Some TV's have gesture features, a 42" 1080p screen and even cameras built in for £600. Only a fool thinks any £500+ phone is value for money. These handsets are propping up Samsungs loss making divisions.

    But let them keep buying the emperors new clothes.

    Although I am guilty of getting a S4 lol, to be honest though its laggy as hell and the screen keeps flickering I think it's going back. I have distance selling rules THANK GOD.
  • gillyallangillyallan Posts: 31,708
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    Its terrifying to think of walking around with £600 of phone. Even mine s3mini is said all too often on here overpriced at £250 ish. However I do only pay £15.99 / month and previously paid £10 / month to use my old w810i on payg.
  • n1guyn1guy Posts: 1,173
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    gillyallan wrote: »
    Its terrifying to think of walking around with £600 of phone. Even mine s3mini is said all too often on here overpriced at £250 ish. However I do only pay £15.99 / month and previously paid £10 / month to use my old w810i on payg.

    Isn't it just £600 worth of phone. My laptop and tv are less expensive yet I'd think of them as more expensive. Google had the right idea with the Nexus 4. Top of the range at £250 or so.
  • Andrew_ReidAndrew_Reid Posts: 110
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    Look its only expensive if you buy a branded android phone,buy an unbranded android phone,the one i have got is the star n9330 from china,its the best phone i have ever had,and for £130 it is fantastic.
  • whoever,heywhoever,hey Posts: 30,992
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    Its called market forces.
  • Andrew_ReidAndrew_Reid Posts: 110
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    Its called market forces.

    No,its called been ripped off!!
  • jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
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    You think £35pm is expensive...?

    You clearly haven't seen the prices here
    http://ee.co.uk/

    To be honest the iPhone has got cheaper as there is no more exclusivity with carriers or certain killer features that Android doesn't have. You can still buy the HTC One for £25pm from third parties. And tbh iPhone's are still expensive on standard tariffs and in line with top end android phones.
  • whoever,heywhoever,hey Posts: 30,992
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    No,its called been ripped off!!

    Just go somewhere else then. Its called choice.
  • Andrew_ReidAndrew_Reid Posts: 110
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    Just go somewhere else then. Its called choice.

    Dont worry i have!
  • Step666Step666 Posts: 1,284
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    n1guy wrote: »
    This is just something I've noticed over the past year or so. It used to be iPhones where vastly over priced, I remember the 3GS free on £35 per month contracts, the 3G £30, while you could get a top of the range android such as the Desire on contracts free for £25 or so, This went on ever since androids and iPhone were about I guess. But now you can get the latest iPhone the iPhone 5 free on £30 per month tariffs, while the latest androids are free on £35 pm tarriffs.
    Except you're mistaken. The Desire definitely launched at a higher price than that.
    As for your comment about the iPhone5 being available free at £30/month, that's not a launch price, it's more than 6 months since it went on sale and prices have dipped quicker and sharper than any other iPhone before it.

    You're comparing apples and oranges, launch prices to prices after handsets have been on the market for a while of course it's going to seem like there's a disparity.


    Samsung have really taken people for fools with the 16gb S4 having a RRP of over £600.
    I don't suppose you have a source for that?
    I haven't seen any word on an RRP/MSRP for the S4.

    But that won't happen, when you read comments on here with users stating the phone is worth £600 due to having a 1080p screen and great camera and features.

    Some TV's have gesture features, a 42" 1080p screen and even cameras built in for £600. Only a fool thinks any £500+ phone is value for money. These handsets are propping up Samsungs loss making divisions.
    You do realise that it's vastly more complicated and therefore more expensive to fit all that into a phone than a TV?
    Most of the price you're paying for with devices like phones is for miniaturisation. Comparing it to a TV is pointless.
  • whoever,heywhoever,hey Posts: 30,992
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    Dont worry i have!

    Cool. So the markets working.
  • !!11oneone!!11oneone Posts: 4,098
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    Top of the range phones, starting with the IPhone have always been £500.

    My N95 was on a £30 a month contract, my Google Nexus One cost almost £500 to buy outright, my Galaxy Nexus cost £500. A low end laptop costs about that, and there's a similar amount of technology in a phone, except miniaturised.

    As for value? Well, I use it for several hours every day and will keep it for two years. That's less than £2 a day for more than half of my leisure activity. Seems reasonable.
  • MrSuperMrSuper Posts: 18,467
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    jabbamk1 wrote: »
    To be honest the iPhone has got cheaper as there is no more exclusivity with carriers or certain killer features that Android doesn't have. You can still buy the HTC One for £25pm from third parties. And tbh iPhone's are still expensive on standard tariffs and in line with top end android phones.

    Do you have any links to that price plan?
  • jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
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    T-Mobile
    ______________
    500 Mins/Unl Texts & Data - £26pm + £44.99 upfront
    100 Mins/Unl Texts/1GB Data- £21pm + £84.99 upfront
    -Or 300 mins/250mb data for price above

    Orange
    ______________
    300 Mins/Unl Texts/500mb - £20.50pm + £54.99 upfront

    O2
    ______________
    Unl Mins/Texts & 1GB Data - £27pm + £69.99 upfront

    http://www.mobilephonesdirect.co.uk/
    http://www.mobiles.co.uk
  • mikesuffsmikesuffs Posts: 201
    Forum Member
    Samsung have really taken people for fools with the 16gb S4 having a RRP of over £600. Not even Apple have tried that with the release day RRP for the 16Gb iPhone 5 being £529.

    But Samsung is a corporate multi national giant and they are ONLY in it to make money, just like all the others.
    Whether you are a 'corporate multinational giant' or the corner shop, you are in business to make money. It's how you pay your staff and invest in new products. Failure to do so results in closure.

    To not seek the best selling price for your products/services is basically insane.
  • n1guyn1guy Posts: 1,173
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    jabbamk1 wrote: »
    T-Mobile
    ______________
    500 Mins/Unl Texts & Data - £26pm + £44.99 upfront
    100 Mins/Unl Texts/1GB Data- £21pm + £84.99 upfront
    -Or 300 mins/250mb data for price above

    Orange
    ______________
    300 Mins/Unl Texts/500mb - £20.50pm + £54.99 upfront

    O2
    ______________
    Unl Mins/Texts & 1GB Data - £27pm + £69.99 upfront

    http://www.mobilephonesdirect.co.uk/
    http://www.mobiles.co.uk

    There is still an upfront free involved, to get it free your talking £32+ and the S4 £35, the iPhone 5 is £30
  • dosanjh1dosanjh1 Posts: 8,727
    Forum Member
    n1guy wrote: »
    This is just something I've noticed over the past year or so. It used to be iPhones where vastly over priced, I remember the 3GS free on £35 per month contracts, the 3G £30, while you could get a top of the range android such as the Desire on contracts free for £25 or so, This went on ever since androids and iPhone were about I guess. But now you can get the latest iPhone the iPhone 5 free on £30 per month tariffs, while the latest androids are free on £35 pm tarriffs.

    I said this in a another thread but the networks and manufacturers have concocted one of the greatest marketing ploys of all time.

    Which other product could someone be persuaded to shell out £700+ and then be convinced to ditch it and buy another one for about the same price every 2 years?

    Consumers wouldn't do it for TV's, cameras, consoles, white goods or whatever. You'd be treated like a nutcase if you changed your fridge freezer every 2 years.

    Round of applause for them though, absolute genius.
  • n1guyn1guy Posts: 1,173
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    dosanjh1 wrote: »
    I said this in a another thread but the networks and manufacturers have concocted one of the greatest marketing ploys of all time.

    Which other product could someone be persuaded to shell out £700+ and then be convinced to ditch it and buy another one for about the same price every 2 years?

    Consumers wouldn't do it for TV's, cameras, consoles, white goods or whatever. You'd be treated like a nutcase if you changed your fridge freezer every 2 years.

    Round of applause for them though, absolute genius.

    Well this is true I guess. I mean its not like the phones stop working after 2 years, my iPhone 4 still does everything it did when I bought it 2-3 years ago, it mightn't be the fastest phone now or have the best camera but its still works fine, It really is genius by the manufacturers, even my laptop is 2-3 years old now, still works fine and I don't have the urge to buy a new one until this one packs in, how many of us keep phones until they pack in?
  • gillyallangillyallan Posts: 31,708
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    Its pressure of seeing friends with better phones that keeps it all moving. We dont all carry our fridges around and compare with friends but phones are so in your face that we do.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 148
    Forum Member
    Look its only expensive if you buy a branded android phone,buy an unbranded android phone,the one i have got is the star n9330 from china,its the best phone i have ever had,and for £130 it is fantastic.

    Exactly.

    I wanted a NOTE 2, but it was over £500 or £70 upfront with £36 a month

    Now, I purchased a NOTE 2 clone from china for £120. I am not going to say it is AS GOOD, because it is not, but it is prob about 80% as good. and since it costs 1/5th of the price it proves you CAN build a quality phone for a lot less, but Samsung are simply profiterring. Like it has been said though, they will charge, because people will pay. Stop paying, it will get cheaper, but that will never happen
  • dosanjh1dosanjh1 Posts: 8,727
    Forum Member
    gillyallan wrote: »
    Its pressure of seeing friends with better phones that keeps it all moving. We dont all carry our fridges around and compare with friends but phones are so in your face that we do.

    Agreed, but it's also about the way the contract is structured, being able to pay for a phone on a monthly basis and then the carrot of an upgrade after a few years ensuring the monthly spend remains the same.

    If everybody just paid for a cheaper contract but had to pay the £500-£600 for the phone upfront you can bet your bottom dollar that consumers would keep the phone for longer then the 18-24 months of the contracted term.
  • Anika HansonAnika Hanson Posts: 15,629
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    Modern smartphones are incredible bits if kit and many people like me rely on them heavily for day to to day tasks. So in theory they are worth £600, however as many including myself have been used to getting phones for next to nothing with our contracts we balk at paying such a huge amount.
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