[NFLPLAYBOOK]

I know I am a bit of a mobile junkie but I really enjoy the experience. My experience from buying my first flip phone for $300 to todays array of devices is a little mind boggling. Now it's not just a phone but also a tablet, Bluetooth headset and soon a watch to join the array. The jump from my $300 to at least $1500 a year has me wondering if anyone else is also noticing the increase. Not only has my amount of products increased but the prices of the phones has escalated quite a bit. I sometimes get the feeling that the carriers are artificially inflating the phone prices to force people to buy them on contract. So my question is, has todays mobile prices changed the way you buy devices or stopped you from buying certain ones at all?

[taz323]

Yea, there's no doubt that prices have gone up, but so has the features. But 1500. For a phone is steep.

[sting7k]

Who said you HAVE to have a tablet, bluetooth headset, and smart watch?

I only buy devices I want. I don't buy just because it's sitting on the shelf at Best Buy. Hence, I do not own a tablet, bluetooth headset, or smart watch. It's pretty easy.

It only gets out of hand if you allow it to get out of hand. The dollars flying out of your wallet are by your own choice.

[Laura Knotek]

I wouldn't say the price is getting out of hand, but I only upgrade when I'm eligible to upgrade on contract. Since the monthly bill does not get any cheaper if one pays full retail and does not have a contract, I'll take the carrier subsidy and wait until I'm eligible to upgrade on contract.

[anon(4698833)]

I know I am a bit of a mobile junky but I really enjoy the experience. My experience from buying my first flip phone for $300 to todays array of devices is a little mind boggling. Now it's not just a phone but also a tablet, Bluetooth headset and soon a watch to join the array. The jump from my $300 to at least $1500 a year has me wondering if anyone else is also noticing the increase. Not only has my amount of products increased but the prices of the phones has escalated quite a bit. I sometimes get the feeling that the carriers are artificially inflating the phone prices to force people to buy them on contract. So my question is, has todays mobile prices changed the way you buy devices or stopped you from buying certain ones at all?

The carriers don't name the pricing of the devices...they simply make the contract stipulations and the discounts that are awarded for signing said contracts. A retail price for a device is set by the manufacturer, and is consistent regardless of where the device is purchased. Contract prices really haven't changed either in quite a while...I remember paying $200 for Blackberry's and Palms, and over $100 for the old top tier flip phones before BB was even relevant.

I CAN agree with the carrier pricing of features and usage...especially data. Data charges these days are astronomical and ridiculous.

[Alex_Hong]

I don't actually feel that it's drastically more expensive. Not with carrier subsidies these days.

I remember paying a good amount for a HP iPaq Winmo 5 back in the days as well.

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk

[FlashFlare11]

Smartphones, now, have at least as much power as a laptop computer. Higher-end smartphones have even more power than that. With all these capabilities, $600 for a device is definitely more than reasonable. The only reason we see so many people with smartphones in the west is because of contract subsidies. If contracts didn't exist, there would be far fewer smartphone users. I also think the contracts have trained people to think that their phone is "worth" the $200 or so they paid for it when, in actuality, it's much more than that.

[anon(4698833)]

Smartphones, now, have at least as much power as a laptop computer. Higher-end smartphones have even more power than that. With all these capabilities, $600 for a device is definitely more than reasonable. The only reason we see so many people with smartphones in the west is because of contract subsidies. If contracts didn't exist, there would be far fewer smartphone users. I also think the contracts have trained people to think that their phone is "worth" the $200 or so they paid for it when, in actuality, it's much more than that.

Selling iPhone's around new device release times DEFINE this thought process...people become flabbergasted at the idea that one of these devices is worth more than what they can buy one for on contract. While selling my wife's iPhone 5, I had so many emails saying "How are you asking "X" amount when I can go buy one new for "X" amount...", it was not only frustrating, but very sad that people have such a lack of understanding of the market (yet are in the thick of it trying to buy a device).

[NFLPLAYBOOK]

Who said you HAVE to have a tablet, bluetooth headset, and smart watch?

I only buy devices I want. I don't buy just because it's sitting on the shelf at Best Buy. Hence, I do not own a tablet, bluetooth headset, or smart watch. It's pretty easy.

It only gets out of hand if you allow it to get out of hand. The dollars flying out of your wallet are by your own choice.

True the tablet and the smartwatch are overkill but they are so much fun. The bluetooth is a must.

[NFLPLAYBOOK]

Smartphones, now, have at least as much power as a laptop computer. Higher-end smartphones have even more power than that. With all these capabilities, $600 for a device is definitely more than reasonable. The only reason we see so many people with smartphones in the west is because of contract subsidies. If contracts didn't exist, there would be far fewer smartphone users. I also think the contracts have trained people to think that their phone is "worth" the $200 or so they paid for it when, in actuality, it's much more than that.

I wish the high end phones were only $600. Most of them with similar specs are running $750 +.

[NFLPLAYBOOK]

The carriers don't name the pricing of the devices...they simply make the contract stipulations and the discounts that are awarded for signing said contracts. A retail price for a device is set by the manufacturer, and is consistent regardless of where the device is purchased. Contract prices really haven't changed either in quite a while...I remember paying $200 for Blackberry's and Palms, and over $100 for the old top tier flip phones before BB was even relevant.

I CAN agree with the carrier pricing of features and usage...especially data. Data charges these days are astronomical and ridiculous.

Well they are throwing on some kind of extra handling charge. The Z ultra was released today and it's $50 more at the carrier locked than it is at Sony unlocked.

[BlackBerry Guy]

Everything's relative. When the RAZR V3 first came out, it was an $800 off contract device

[Xx BEN xX]

They sell ... That's why the prices keep going up. If we stopped buying them the prices would go down. Supply and demand. Up here where I'm working in Alberta (money is good) people would buy my 64 gig 5s for 1500.00 just because they can't find them anywhere.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Sekelani Zwambila]

I hear your point. I can justify why phones are so expensive....
Phones back in the day were made for one purpose. To call someone. Kapish!!
Then technology evolved. We where given the internet browser, email, messages, music,....all of these things a computer could do back in that time.
The iPhone is not a phone. Is a luxury that does the properties of a phone and WAY more.
The first time apps came to the store back in 2007, that's revolutionised the way we thought about a cellphone.
Yes many manufacturers had phones before the iPhone, but they didn't give the experience of a " phone" a tailored experience.
So the fundamentals of a phone has been blown to the curve.....
We are in the world of luxury, browsing, emailing and more just at your finger tips.
Apple have nailed this.

[Sekelani Zwambila]

Smartphones, now, have at least as much power as a laptop computer. Higher-end smartphones have even more power than that. With all these capabilities, $600 for a device is definitely more than reasonable. The only reason we see so many people with smartphones in the west is because of contract subsidies. If contracts didn't exist, there would be far fewer smartphone users. I also think the contracts have trained people to think that their phone is "worth" the $200 or so they paid for it when, in actuality, it's much more than that.

Mmm. I've never been into contracts. I buy my iPhones outright. I wouldn't wanna be stuck on a phone for longer than a year. I always get the latest iPhone. I'm also pretty scared about contacts. I consume heaps of data monthly, and I know for a fact I'll go over my limit then end up paying more than what the phone actually costs.

[Speedygi]

Considering Apple only releases one iPhone per year, I don't see a problem saving up for it with the time given lol.

[anon(4698833)]

Well they are throwing on some kind of extra handling charge. The Z ultra was released today and it's $50 more at the carrier locked than it is at Sony unlocked.

I'd personally like to see proof of this if you don't mind, because that makes zero sense.

And at any rate, just don't use the carrier if they are charging some arbitrary charge on top of the cost of the device. I don't see that with AT&T (which is what I use here in the states)...they charge either the subsidized contract price or the retail price which is unsubsidized...it's pretty black and white, you either get a discount with a contract or pay full retail...no fluff on the pricing. And even in your case, you said that Son is offering the phone CHEAPER in an unlocked state, so why on earth would you pay more to the carrier? It makes it very obvious that it is an erroneous pricing structure and just further defines the fact that the manufacturer names the proper retail price, and not the carrier (since the manufacturer was still offering the device at the cheaper unlocked rate).

Bottom line is this, device pricing hasn't really increased at all...the only thing that has increased is service charges, and that is something none of us can argue (or justify).

[Spencerdl]

What's up NFLPlayBook, imagine seeing you here.....SMILE. I agree with you and I also feel that pricing has been inflated, but not only by the carriers , but also by the manufacturers. It's been a know fact that it's cheaper to make more of......anything, however that has not taken place in the current smartphone market.....it used to be that way "back in the day" and you would think with sooooooo many more smartphones in demand compared to a few years ago that prices would be less than what they are.....IMO anyway

[warcraftWidow]

What's up NFLPlayBook, imagine seeing you here.....SMILE. I agree with you and I also feel that pricing has been inflated, but not only by the carriers , but also by the manufacturers. It's been a know fact that it's cheaper to make more of......anything, however that has not taken place in the current smartphone market.....it used to be that way "back in the day" and you would think with sooooooo many more smartphones in demand compared to a few years ago that prices would be less than what they are.....IMO anyway

But why would they charge less when their customers are willing to pay current prices? If I'm a stock holder (I.e., partial owner), and I know that they can sell 10 widgets at $100/each for a $50/each profit, but they choose to sell them at $60/each for only a $10/each profit, as a stock holder, I'm going to be upset at the reduced profits. Of course, it's a balancing act. At a certain price, the quantity sold will decline and therefore it might be better to sell more units at a lower price for a higher overall profit (but less per unit). Apple, Samsung, etc have many people making these sorts of calculations as do the carriers. They are going to charge what they have determined will maximize profits and revenue. Sometimes they'll get it wrong but only time will tell to see if it affects profits in the long run.

TLDR. A public company has a fiduciary responsibility to maximize profits for its shareholders (owners). There's no such thing as a "fair" price for something like a consumer good, just what the market will bear.

[sting7k]

What's up NFLPlayBook, imagine seeing you here.....SMILE. I agree with you and I also feel that pricing has been inflated, but not only by the carriers , but also by the manufacturers. It's been a know fact that it's cheaper to make more of......anything, however that has not taken place in the current smartphone market.....it used to be that way "back in the day" and you would think with sooooooo many more smartphones in demand compared to a few years ago that prices would be less than what they are.....IMO anyway

The price of a smart phone is a lot more than just the sum of the parts that is made from.

[tbaptista]

The monthly cost is a bit much but the subsidized price of the phones is great! I got 2 5s phones for $199 each and received $200 each for the 4s phones I traded in. It was pretty much a wash and walked out with some serious hardware.

[anon(4698833)]

What's up NFLPlayBook, imagine seeing you here.....SMILE. I agree with you and I also feel that pricing has been inflated, but not only by the carriers , but also by the manufacturers. It's been a know fact that it's cheaper to make more of......anything, however that has not taken place in the current smartphone market.....it used to be that way "back in the day" and you would think with sooooooo many more smartphones in demand compared to a few years ago that prices would be less than what they are.....IMO anyway

In a world where profits are not the most important thing to a business, you'd be absolutely right. Here's the thing thought, people buy these smart devices in DROVES...they aren't just selling well, they are downright flying off the shelves, to a point where one could begin to argue that the pricing might actually be too LOW (and it is when you consider subsidized pricing, even with a 2 year contract signing, the pricing is lower than the actual production cost of the phone itself...and this is why carriers charge so much for FEATURES).

To be fully honest, pricing of these smart phones is actually a better deal (unsubsidized) than it was "back in the day" as you called it. What you get now for $600 is a substantially better product than what you got say 8 years ago, or even 5 years ago. These phones are so much more capable than they used to be...hell, I remember getting a Motorola PAGER back in the 90's and spending $350 for the thing, and it wouldn't even do alpha-numeric messages on the screen...it was strictly a numbers deal...for $350. If they had something with even half the features back then for $600, people would have gone ape sh*t over it.

Saying that a successful product should have a price lowering based on it's success is ridiculous. Businesses aren't in this game to make things easier for you to obtain, they are in it for ONE reason...money. Right now, Apple (and the other manufacturers of top tier devices) found the sweet spot between over priced/unsuccessful and underpriced/brand degrading. They've literally found a perfect target that makes retail pricing still attractive and subsidized pricing almost untouchable.

[NFLPLAYBOOK]

I'd personally like to see proof of this if you don't mind, because that makes zero sense.

And at any rate, just don't use the carrier if they are charging some arbitrary charge on top of the cost of the device. I don't see that with AT&T (which is what I use here in the states)...they charge either the subsidized contract price or the retail price which is unsubsidized...it's pretty black and white, you either get a discount with a contract or pay full retail...no fluff on the pricing. And even in your case, you said that Son is offering the phone CHEAPER in an unlocked state, so why on earth would you pay more to the carrier? It makes it very obvious that it is an erroneous pricing structure and just further defines the fact that the manufacturer names the proper retail price, and not the carrier (since the manufacturer was still offering the device at the cheaper unlocked rate).

Bottom line is this, device pricing hasn't really increased at all...the only thing that has increased is service charges, and that is something none of us can argue (or justify).

You're right it doesn't make sense to me either. You might have to scroll around the pages to find the information but here are the links.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra from Bell Mobility | Bell Canada

Mobile Phones - Sony Standard CA Sony Store - Sony CA

[NFLPLAYBOOK]

What's up NFLPlayBook, imagine seeing you here.....SMILE. I agree with you and I also feel that pricing has been inflated, but not only by the carriers , but also by the manufacturers. It's been a know fact that it's cheaper to make more of......anything, however that has not taken place in the current smartphone market.....it used to be that way "back in the day" and you would think with sooooooo many more smartphones in demand compared to a few years ago that prices would be less than what they are.....IMO anyway

It shouldn't shock you that much. I've had a few Apple products including the Mini. I'll be all ears on the 22nd just like everyone else. It's always good to see what they are coming out with next.

[GingerSnapsBack]

Who said you HAVE to have a tablet, bluetooth headset, and smart watch?

I only buy devices I want. I don't buy just because it's sitting on the shelf at Best Buy. Hence, I do not own a tablet, bluetooth headset, or smart watch. It's pretty easy.

It only gets out of hand if you allow it to get out of hand. The dollars flying out of your wallet are by your own choice.

This. I don't even have a computer at home for this reason. I don't need​ one so I don't buy one.