Cost of Phones & Plans in Different Areas of the World


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UK

 

iPhone 5, 16GB ?529 (I actually paid ?305 brand new - but I got lucky so I'll neglect that for now).

 

Giffgaff:

250 mins

unlimited texts

unlimited data (no tethering)

?12pm - ?288 for 2 years

 

Total cost - ?817 or ~$1263 USD (inclusive of all taxes)

 

(When you take into account what I actually paid for the phone, ?593/$917 :p)

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<snip>

 

The reason I wanted to post this was because many people around here complain about how expensive the iPhone is.  Personally I don't have the full knowledge of why they think that way, so above anything else, I'd like to hear some justification behind that mentality.  Yes I know that the out-of-contract price for the iPhone is generally a bit more than everybody else, but people would have to be out of their mind to pay those prices over doing a contract deal.

 

<snip>

I admit I didn't read most of your post :P But I have to comment on the section I've quoted.

 

I bought an iPhone 3G new from Apple for ?500 (if I remember the price correctly) back in 2008 and went with a ?15 per month 30-day plan. Then, when the iPhone 4 came out, I was able to sell the iPhone 3G for ?300 and I bought the iPhone 4 for ?500. Then, again, when the iPhone 4S came out I sold my iPhone 4 for ?325 and bought the iPhone 4S for ?500. I recently sold my 2-year-old iPhone 4S for ?300 and bought a ?330 Galaxy S III.

 

For the past 3 years, I've been on Three's unlimited-date ?9.90 per month 30-day plan.

 

Basically what I'm saying it buying the phones outright is only expensive at first. After that, provided you have a cheap network plan, you can relatively inexpensively change your phones as often as you want without being tied into a contract :)

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I don't think anyone in the US thinks iPhone is expensive. You can get the iPhone 4 for free on a two year contract...The service is the expensive part, not the phone (well at least subsidized).

Exactly. The carriers are making a killing on us. I use AT&T as well and I paid $299 for my Note II at the time and around $200 a month for my plan (me and the wife). The iPhone would at least been a bit cheaper upfront than my Note II.

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I admit I didn't read most of your post :p But I have to comment on the section I've quoted.

 

I bought an iPhone 3G new from Apple for ?500 (if I remember the price correctly) back in 2008 and went with a ?15 per month 30-day plan. Then, when the iPhone 4 came out, I was able to sell the iPhone 3G for ?300 and I bought the iPhone 4 for ?500. Then, again, when the iPhone 4S came out I sold my iPhone 4 for ?325 and bought the iPhone 4S for ?500. I recently sold my 2-year-old iPhone 4S for ?300 and bought a ?330 Galaxy S III.

 

For the past 3 years, I've been on Three's unlimited-date ?9.90 per month 30-day plan.

 

Basically what I'm saying it buying the phones outright is only expensive at first. After that, provided you have a cheap network plan, you can relatively inexpensively change your phones as often as you want without being tied into a contract :)

 

That's really interesting.  Definitely makes sense why people would pay full price for phones then.  I wish we had plans like that here in the States on the major carriers.

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Phone - iPhone 5 16gb Black - Vodafone IE - ?99

  • unlimited calls to any network
  • unlimited texts to any network
  • 100 worldwide minutes
  • 100 worldwide texts
  • 2GB Data
  • 24 month contract

?55 per month - comes out to ?1419 total including tax.

 

We're probably much closer to the US in terms of (depending on state ofc) the cost of living than the UK would be.

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For me, on T-Mobile US, the costs aren't too bad in comparison to most.

 

Phone: Nexus 4 - $349 (I always buy unlocked so this has no ongoing carrier related costs)

 

Plan: $70/m ($940/y or $1680 over a typical US contract term) for unlimited everything (Minutes, SMS, MMS, Data, etc.)

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Mind blowing that people would spend so much money on a phone.  Makes me glad I get a free one from work and use VOIP at home for $7 a month.

Yes, it is, and something needs to be done in the US to address it.

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Yes, it is, and something needs to be done in the US to address it.

 

I don't foresee anyone taking steps.  People are obviously willing to pay for the latest and greatest.  Any attempt by the government to control it will simply be knocked down by contributions from the providers.....money, people are giving them by signing up with these plans.

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India - $750 for iPhone 5 16GB (Unlocked) = Rs. 45,000

 

$7 per month for 300 minutes of nationwide calling + 300 Texts + 300 mb of 3G + Unlimited 2G Data 

 

Not to mention calling rates are very cheap, its like $1 for 2 hours of nationwide talking.

 

Interestingly, last year the $ rates were better so comparatively an iPhone 4S 16GB costed $900 @ Rs. 45,000

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