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Data analysis group, Avalaunch Media, created a neat infographic using findings from a variety of online resources to show how owning an iPhone 5 can add up to you spending a little over $1800 and waste over 300 hours a year.

The greatest cost is obviously the data/voice plan you choose, which can be at least $1440 on its own, and the graphic compares the three major U.S. carriers supporting LTE and their various plans for customers.

Many of these costs may be little things you don?t think about, or wouldn?t consider, like a case, car charger, stereo dock, and the Lightning adapters, which price at about $30. Then there is the costs of what you buy in the various stores, i.e. iTunes, Bookstore, and App Store, and a good proportion of iPhone owners buy over $20 a year on apps alone.

Have you always taken these costs into consideration when buying any smartphone, or is this an eye-opening experience for you? Check out the infographic and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

iphone5-true-cost.jpg

http://www.gizmocraz...ar-infographic/

All those proprietary devices/accessories really add up. Apple and all the accessory makers will be cashing in as well since millions will need new docks, cables, or adapters.

I like that I can take a mini USB cable and use it for my phone, camera, picture frame, video recorder...and countless other devices. $5 cable (or cheaper) for all of that.

I'm no fan of apple but it's not just restricted to the iphone.

Lots of phones and plans are a rip off frankly.

Well, the above infographic is only for the US market, someone needs to make one for us here in Canada!

I'm no fan of apple but it's not just restricted to the iphone.

Lots of phones and plans are a rip off frankly.

Yea, not just to Apple but Apple is more expensive if you consider that you need all new accessories/adapters/cables. BBs, Androids, WP......

I am sure a much time is wasted on other platforms tho.

I was going to say that it was worse for Android devices as most of them are different on each itteration requiring new cases and accessories for each model, however, one plus to non android phones is the standardization of Micro USB

This is why I have a $50 per month Verizon Prepay phone. The reason it's so cheap is because the phone selection sucks. They know nobody will go with the prepay because everyone wants the lastest cool phone.

This is why I have a $50 per month Verizon Prepay phone. The reason it's so cheap is because the phone selection sucks. They know nobody will go with the prepay because everyone wants the lastest cool phone.

Here in Canada, you can put any phone on a prepaid plan. If I wanted an iPhone 5 for example, I can go and buy it outright, and then put it on prepaid.

DISCLAIMER IN ADVANCE: I'm not for or against Apple in principle. I just can't stand it when this kind of thing is published to the web, and the authors haven't even bothered to do any checking of their figures before posting.

Firstly, the $1439.76 figure is for a TWO year contract, not one year. So, you have to halve that amount. Secondly, the other expenses shown (case, charger, etc.) are actually one-off purchases, so can only be counted once for the first year of ownership, or averaged out over the ownership period.

In other words, the cost "per year" for the iPhone 5 is nowhere near $1808.76. Based on an ownership period of only the two-year contract, given the figures shown above, the per-year cost is exactly half that amount: $904.38. The average cost per year would continue to drop the longer you keep the phone.

This would of course apply to any phone under contract, not just the iPhone 5.

Learn to do math people!!!!

Well, the above infographic is only for the US market, someone needs to make one for us here in Canada!

Well I'm currently on a plan with Bell that comes to a shade under $68 a month (taxes in). For 3 years (meh). Comes to about $2400 over that span. Plus all the lovely extra fees they get in like long distance when the person I'm calling is less than 100km away.

At least my device was "free"

The article seems a bit trollish in all honesty. You encounter these same problems on every platform.

Totally trollish... after 2 years, my iPhone cost me:

Device (iPhone 4 32GB) - ?599

Tariff - ?25 per month x 24 (600 any network minutes, 1GB web, unlimited SMS)

Apps - an estimate but circa ?15

Case - ?2.99 (but let's call it ?5 to make the calculations easier)

And that's all folks - which to my calculation works out to be ?610 a year (or ?51 per month).

If I keep my phone for another year, which I will probably do... ?507 a year (or ?42 per month).

I can't stand Apple and think the iPhone is a piece of junk, but so is this article. ALL phones, especially smartphones, have a far higher TCO than most people realise. The iPhone is not THAT special in this regard. Possibly the iPhone 5 will have a slightly higher TCO initially, due to the change in connector, but otherwise... BS article is BS.

I can't stand Apple and think the iPhone is a piece of junk, but so is this article. ALL phones, especially smartphones, have a far higher TCO than most people realise. The iPhone is not THAT special in this regard. Possibly the iPhone 5 will have a slightly higher TCO initially, due to the change in connector, but otherwise... BS article is BS.

Yes assuming this isn't your first Apple iDevice and you have accessories to replace/requiring conversion.

Yes assuming this isn't your first Apple iDevice and you have accessories to replace/requiring conversion.

I did say possibly; and even if it is your first iDevice, you still might need an adaptor for the new connector, depending on what you're connecting it to.

Yes assuming this isn't your first Apple iDevice and you have accessories to replace/requiring conversion.

or this is your first one and need to buy all accessories on starter price 'cos there's no 'old stuff' on the shelf for thunderbolt

Aside from the overpriced accessories, the same can apply to any smartphone with a decent marketplace (e.g. Android or Windows Phone 7). What I found most-surprising were the monthly plans. $60 a month for a 300 MB data plan with limited talk time (and pay-as-you-go texting) is outrageous.

or this is your first one and need to buy all accessories on starter price 'cos there's no 'old stuff' on the shelf for thunderbolt

iPhone doesn't use Thunderbolt...

Totally trollish... after 2 years, my iPhone cost me:

Device (iPhone 4 32GB) - ?599

Tariff - ?25 per month x 24 (600 any network minutes, 1GB web, unlimited SMS)

Apps - an estimate but circa ?15

Case - ?2.99 (but let's call it ?5 to make the calculations easier)

And that's all folks - which to my calculation works out to be ?610 a year (or ?51 per month).

If I keep my phone for another year, which I will probably do... ?507 a year (or ?42 per month).

My Galaxy Nexus over 2 years would be half the cost:

Phone: Galaxy Nexus - ?350

Tariff: ?9.90 per month (200mins, 5000 texts, unlimited data)

Total after 2 years:

Phone: ?350

Tariff: ?237.60

Total: ?587.60 ($946.458)

Or ?24.48 per month

Total after 3 years:

Phone: ?350

Tariff: ?356.40

Total: ?706.40 ($1,137.85)

Or ?19.62 per month

Granted we cant really directly compare tariffs or phone, you have more minutes and i have more data, however iPhone 5 prices are about the same now as they were when the 4s was the top iPhone, which is comparable to the Nexus when i got it.

You do end up paying significantly more for the iPhone, however I agree you could easily get a bad contract with another phone and pay a lot more than you need to.

Totally trollish... after 2 years, my iPhone cost me:

Device (iPhone 4 32GB) - ?599

Tariff - ?25 per month x 24 (600 any network minutes, 1GB web, unlimited SMS)

Apps - an estimate but circa ?15

Case - ?2.99 (but let's call it ?5 to make the calculations easier)

And that's all folks - which to my calculation works out to be ?610 a year (or ?51 per month).

If I keep my phone for another year, which I will probably do... ?507 a year (or ?42 per month).

You do realize, the infographic was made for the AMERICAN market, no where else in the world?

This topic is now closed to further replies.
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    • Sihoo Doro C300 Pro V2 Ergonomic Office Chair review: The Ikea of chairs by Steven Parker I've reviewed a few gaming chairs over the past three years or so and generally found them to score well in our reviews. SIHOO reached out asking if I was interested in taking a look at their flagship chair, the Doro C300 Pro V2. I never got the chance to check out its predecessor, but the V2 is described as an "Adaptive Ergonomic Chair." It became available to buy in April of this year. Let's get things rolling with a closer look at the specifications and features. Specifications Doro C300 Pro V2 Model Ergonomic Materials Mesh Back and Seat; Soft PU Coated Armrests Height adjustability 45.5 - 53 cm / 17.5" - 20.9" Seat (w+d) 52 x 43 - 47 cm / 20.5" x 16.9" - 18.5" (adjustable) Backrest 52 – 60 cm / 20.5" - 23.6" (adjustable) Lumbar support Mesh built-in (adjustable) Armrest adjustability 8D Bionic Armrests Rocking angle 105°, 120°, 135° (fixed) Neck support Mesh built-in (adjustable) Net weight 27.3 kg / 59.64 lbs Weight support 150 kg / 330 lbs Colors Black, White Warranty 5 years (upon registering) Price $499.99, $539.99 Introduction At first glance, it looks like a chair that in another life wants to be a Herman Miller; It certainly looks like my Aeron Remastered, but the Doro C300 Pro V2 has quite a few more features and costs quite a bit less. SIHOO says that it is made up of a "DynaCore" system that tracks your movement and synchronizes the headrest, backrest, lumbar support, and armrests as you shift, twist, or recline. They also say that the "SyncroFlex Backrest" molds to your spine, which kind of describes how the mesh fabric works in most ergonomic chairs, but anyway. Below are the meat and potatoes measurements for the chair. Here is the same tech sheet, but in inches. Durability I would be remiss to not talk about the various durability testing this chair underwent before coming to market, as this is claimed on the product page. First of all, the chair is BIFMA-, SGS-, and TÜV-certified. As for durability, the tests undergone were: 100,000 Castor cycles tested 120,000 Armrest cycles tested 120,000 Recline cycles tested 120,000 Gas lift cycles tested 60,000 Armrest durability cycles tested 120,000 Rotation cycles tested Nothing about weights testing, though. Now that's all disclosed, now onto my own personal findings. Assembly The Doro C300 Pro V2 came in two large boxes (1) (2), and everything was packed very well, protecting the different parts of the chair. In the box, there is a folded sheet that explains the 12 steps to assemble it; they are: Remove the bottom cover on the aluminum base; Insert the five legs into the aluminum base and use ten screws to fasten them; Insert the castors into the legs; Replace the bottom cover on the bottom of the aluminum base; Place the Class 4 Hydraulics gas cylinder into the aluminum base; Screw the bottom part of the arm rests, taking care of the orientation using two screws on each side; Use three torx screws to fasten the footrest to the bottom of the seat; Fasten the backrest to the seat using four torx bolts; Fasten the armrests to the backrest using four Torx bolts (two on each side), taking care to note the orientation; Place the chair onto the Class 4 Hydraulics gas cylinder; Insert the headrest into the top of the backrest; Use two torx screws to fasten the headrest to the backrest. There's also an online guide you can refer to. Carefully unpacking the two boxes took around 15 minutes because almost everything is wrapped in plastic and protective foam; the chair assembly itself took around an hour. I say in the above assembly steps to take note of the orientation, because it's not obvious which way around the bottom portion of the armrests go, and although there is an L and R on the bottom of the armrests, it also wasn't clear from the instructions which was actually left or right, facing the chair, or in the seated down orientation? Anyway, I ended up putting the bottom portions on the wrong sides, and after securing one of the armrests, I discovered that although it was on the correct side, the armrest base could rotate a full 360°, but not when bolted to the chair, so I had to remove it, rotate it, and then bolt it back on. Truly an Ikea experience! Also, to complicate things further, although all the parts are labeled from A to X (yes, that's 24 parts) unhelpfully, these letters do not appear on the parts themselves or the package with the bolts, screws, and washers. There's also a pair of protective gloves in the box, but I think they were made for much smaller hands than I have. Even my friend, who is 5.1, had difficulty putting them on. Once assembled, I needed to sit down. Anyway, as I said, it looks quite similar to my Herman Miller. And here is the back of it. If you look at the product page and on Amazon, it seems like a lot of thought has gone into the chair itself and what it's capable of, but there is no mention at all about the castors, and this is an area where I think the chair trips up quite quickly. I found it difficult to move the chair in any direction. I asked a friend who came to visit me earlier this week to test my findings, and she said that the wheels were "no good," so it definitely isn't just me. I am 6'2 myself and a big guy, I work from home and gained a few pounds from mostly staying in and the hell away from other people. However, the Doro C300 Pro V2 is rated for up to 150kg (330lbs), which in my case is used well within its max rating. Ergonomics The number of adjustments you can make, right up to setting it in nap mode — which I haven't fully tested yet — is what you'd expect from a premium chair. Yes, you can go up and down (max 7.5 cm adjustment), rock back and forth (with tilt adjustment), and lock the chair between three stages of 105°, 120°, 135°, which is not quite as flat as the AndaSeat I tested at 160°. Some thought has also gone into the "8D" armrests, too, which are cushioned but quite firm; you'll only know it if you press hard into the PU-covered tops, which give about half a centimeter, but it's enough to ensure your skin won't get awkwardly stuck to it in warmer (or sweatier) conditions. It almost feels like plastic and is very easy to keep clean. However, the armrest positions move far too easily, and I am not sure what that "elbow" function is. Maybe it is good for a short person with short arms, anyway, I never used it and kept it flat at all times. There are eight levels of adjustment for the armrests, they are: backwards, forwards, swing left/right, height up and down, tilt, and 360° rotation, which can be handy for desk clearance. As I said, the armrest pads shift far too easily, which could give off an ergonomic vibe, but who wants the armrest sliding when you are shifting weight? The height adjustability does lock into place when lifting and adjusting. Comfort This is ultimately what it boils down to at the end of the day, right? Quite a lot of reviews praise the comfort of this chair, and I don't disagree that the mesh seating is quite comfortable. I am used to the material from my daily Herman Miller. However, the backrest cannot be locked into place, and this is actually a feature; as you shift or recline yourself on the chair, the backrest moves with your body. It took some getting used to. The lumbar gives ample support, but I would have preferred an adjustable one built into the seat base, as this causes the backrest to move up and down at will. Again, as with my previous chair review, this chair is also rated for tall people, but nowhere in the product documentation does it say how tall. Being 6'2 myself, I'm happy to say that the backrest is tall and wide enough, and thought has been given to being able to adjust the neck rest, but as others have mentioned in their reviews, people as tall as 6.2ft is about the limit for the neckrest. Conclusion What I didn't like The footrest is rated for 15kg (33 lbs), which to me seems a bit light, and after looking online, it seems like a chair footrest for adults must be at least twice that rating. In all honesty, they are just hollow metal tubes, so it is not recommended to let a kid sit on them. I also feel like it doesn't really go out far enough for my height, so that kind of puts the dampener on me being able to use it regularly. I'll just have to continue to use my subwoofer as a footrest! I do not like the armrests being able to shift around as easily as they can, and they are a little too forward-positioned in the chair to comfortably sit close to my desk, because even in the lowest height position, they don't allow me to go under the desk like is possible with my Herman Miller. I also feel like this chair could have been delivered partially constructed, especially the armrests on the seat, and why the aluminum base wasn't already pre-constructed (without the castors) is baffling, considering it would have fit in one of the two boxes that way. The instructions also need to be clearer. On the pamphlet, there's an A to X listing (which is also used in the steps), but none of the physical parts use this lettering system! What I did like I'll be honest, I haven't used it for very long, just one week, and seating comfort is subjective after all! Any spills wiped straight off it, the stitching, and the lines look great, not a fray to be seen or stitch out of place. It looks kind of cool, too. My favorite feature of these seats is the nap mode. While you're not lying completely flat, it leans far back enough to make you easily doze off after a heavy gaming or working session. Overall, this chair offers plenty of comfort features. The MSRP does vary quite a bit depending on the region, at £549.99 in the UK, and €580 in Europe, and $599 before tax in the U.S. However, shipping is free, which is a bonus for such a heavy item. Is it worth it, though? At three years' warranty, I think it's a decent deal. Another firm out of Germany sent me a free replacement hydraulic gas spring for a chair that failed after almost four years, so it was well outside its two-year warranty. My advice is to always try, as you might have the same luck I did. If I could fault it at all, it would be the constant shifting of the armrests and backrest. Where to buy Although the footrest variant normally costs $539.99, it has been discounted to $469.99 on the official website in Black or White. In fact, the non-footrest variant is only $40 cheaper. On Amazon, it currently costs more at $499.99 links below. Sihoo Doro C300 Pro V2 for $469.99 (official website) Sihoo Doro C300 Pro V2 for $499.99 at Amazon US SIHOO provided a free sample without any review or pre-approval. Good to know This Amazon link is U.S. specific, and not available in other regions unless specified. We only use first-party seller links (at the time of article publishing); ensure that you purchase from a first-party seller link only. Check out Today's Deals on Amazon | or our recent tech deals. Become a Prime member (for Students or SNAP) via Neowin Get Prime Access - Prime for half price (for qualifying Medicaid, EBT, SNAP) Subscribe to Prime Video, Audible Plus, Music Unlimited or Kindle Unlimited via Neowin As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
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    • The only reason I want to know where you from is because if you are not from the U.K, then why should you care what we in the U.K do or don't do? Racist I am not, I am fed up with the amount coming over here and feel they can come over here and think we need to support them. Do you know how much it costs this country to support these people coming over here? Even when we give them a place to live it is not good enough. We had a barge that was being used to house immigrants, oh but that was not good enough. A mate said to me at the time, when he was homeless, he would have been happy to live on the barge, instead of ending up sleeping on a bench on the beach. I am not scared to say what my family heritage is, unlike you who is scared to say where they are from or where they live. Father side U.S, mother side Wales, still have family living in the U.S. A mate who sadly died a few years ago, had a load of people from different races recording in his studio, I got on with all of them. Skin colour don't bother me, where they are from don't bother me. Religion don't bother me as long as they don't push it onto me and it is not crazy stuff. I am not religious. But if you are not living in the U.K, then why should you care if we are in the E.U or not? This the problem, too many people poking their noses into where it don't belong. But you believe what you believe, if you think I am racist, then be it, I really do not care. Just grow a pair
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