For me, I only need the cheapest possible phone, with acceptable battery life, think Nokia, something like a banged up 3310 or 8310.
I sometimes wonder why people spend $1700+ for an iPhone, sometimes more if they buy a reliable case or a $100 tempered glass screen protector from Harvey Norman, and if they are a noob a 2 year extended warranty for $200 (even though the Australian consumer act covers most electronics for 2 years).
What are your thoughts?
No, its scum like him who cause the OEMs to retaliate and raise prices…. which affects the rest of us plebs and brodens alike
@Kangal: Yeah. It's also straight up fraud. Small chance of being caught out, sure, but if he is, that's criminal charges.
@easternculture: it should be, not sure why you think that is what a "true ozbargainer" would do.
But as a true d***head I'll be smashing the phone just before the phone reaches 2 years old to get my $299 back 😀
Fixed it for you 😁
Not cool man. Basically insurance fraud.
You were doing well until you said you were going to smash your phone to get your money back. That's despicable behaviour.
Because I want the best or I want that particular item. Why would you spend more money on anything?
Because lots of people sit in an office all day slacking off and not doing any work - it is nice to have a phone which does more than make phone calls to keep us entertained!
Having something fast with good battery life and a good display is essential for work. I can use my phone in places where a laptop isn't practical to do all of my work. Whether it's Googling something, look at emails, videos or even remotely accessing PCs and servers.
Having a kick ass camera is also good for taking photos. Lugging a fancy camera into a crawl space isn't practical compared to a phone. Also good for frequent travel.
However… I'd never spent $1000 on an iPhone. I'd rather go for a last gen Samsung S8 or a OnePlus.
I use my phone more than any other object. I want it to be able to do everything, fast. I want it to be able to connect with other devices in my home seamlessly, I want it to take the best photos. I have an iPhone X 256GB because it's worth it for me. Yes, it's overpriced, but given that I spend hours every single day on that device, it's worth it for me.
I don't however spend the same on a car etc, as, though I may spend the a similar amount of time, there is not productivity/feature benefit that justifies the luxury.
I'm 27yo male… you might be of a different generation and value things differently… like my Dad who uses his phone for only texting and calling.
So tell us what product things you do on your phone?
Productive as in, I want it to load faster, I want seamless connection with my computer and TV, if I've going to browse the internet and FB I want it to work as easily as possible. Even if I save 5 mins a day… it add up
Mattress Stores: You spend a third of your life in bed so get a good one.
Apple Store: You spend half your life on a phone so get a good one
As opposed to the previous forum about cars, where things likely safety features etc., play a part, phones are just down to personal preference in my opinion. Might as well discuss why people may prefer, say, Levi denim jeans over alternate jeans / trousers.
Some place a value on specific phone features, or the level of technologies that support those features.
Some place a value on the style / fashion / branding.
What I struggle to understand is why so many people put up with cracked screens, which affects a lot of the phones usability to some extent.
Cracked screens aren't that bad unless they're bad enough to leak glass shards.
For the most part they just look ugly and change the feel when swiping, no real impact on usability.
Surely there must be an impact when taking a photo (not in the photo obviously but in viewing the image to be taken).
Reading emails.
Gaming.
Anything that entails reading a screen?
Do different phones have different blutooth sound quality?
Potentially. There are different versions of Bluetooth.
aptX support makes BT quality better. Sadly for iPhone users, they don't have access to it because Apple doesn't want to pay Qualcomm for the technology.
Cheers. Looks like only a hand full of phones have aptx hd.
At least they support AAC and W1.
Don't understand it either. People need to stop the obsession with phones. I am still using Galaxy S6 and will not upgrade until prices return to a more reasonable level. Disgusted at 1k+ pricing for current Samsung flagships, the whole attraction with Android was that it was cheaper and offered more features than Apple. They lose a lot more value and really cannot justify that sort of ludicrous pricing.
galaxy s6 has one of the worst battery lifes haha how have you even lasted, you must use your phone for an hour a day max. update and put a smile on your face
Lasts a full day for me, and I use it all the time for emailing and browsing. I think I'd rather keep 1k+ in my pocket and spend it on something more worthwhile. S6 still has the great screen, NFC, IR Blaster and a pretty good camera for its age. No need to upgrade really, I just wouldn't mind a larger screen and a faster processor.
You've been able to buy an s8 for for under $800 for months which is a really good phone. Its probably more like 600 now
screen is tiny, it's glitchy, freezes up at times, battery sucks, gets hot at times..
Unfortunately there are more sheep than sensible people like you. Many people feel the impulse to have the newest tech just to feel a sense of belonging, which is really sad.
I use an S6 and an S8+ on a daily basis.
The s6 is my "testing" phone and my S8+ is my personal phone. The only thing I like about the S6 (over my S8+) is the fingerprint reader being on the home button. The overall user experience is far superior on the S8+ though. The speed, the quality of camera and the larger display are the things I really love on the newer phone.
A clean factory reset S6 (reset about 3 days ago) is still quite perceptibly slower (in terms of UI responsiveness, speed of launching apps etc) than my S8+ that is absolutely up to its gills with stuff (movies, cached Netflix stuff, heaps of music + spotify downloads, a few games etc).
I look at my phone as my portable assistant, and it actually has transcended the "device used to make calls/send messages" quite a while ago. I use it for entertainment (music, movies games), sync my work and personal emails, do banking, Internet browsing, navigator, transport planning (here and while travelling), getting an uber, as a camera, and as a communicator (whatsapp, Signal and FB messenger).
So, for the amount of value a zippy, feature rich phone with a top-notch screen brings in terms of quality of life, I definitely think its worth the asking price.. for me.
Agree with the post, phones are so over rated. Also iOS and Android are the worst mobile operating systems.
Do you create the Woolies posts on your Windows Phone Savas?
Not sure how I would do that
Have they even made any more Windows phones?
@Clear: Man the Surface Phone should be coming out very soon..also there is a new Linux phone that looks pretty good.
Exactly, whatever phone you prefer must be rubbish too.
Agreed, I have a 3 year old phone. I tried to download an app but google Play told me that it was not compatable with my phone. And I cant use it now because there is no updates to the Android version the phone uses.
Same thing with iPad. If you have an older version that is not supported with the newer updates, then it is technically useless because now most apps need the latest iOS.
What do you use EC?
ZTE axon 7 currently
My 3 year old phone is a Sony , can't remember what model but has NFC
@easternculture: That's not so bad. I'm still using a Nexus 5X so your Axon is way ahead. Managed to get the Oreo update but the battery life is horrendous. I'm still too tight to shell out big bucks for a OnePlus despite wanting high specs.
iPad Air 1 is still getting iOS updates.
It was released in nov 2013.
Yeah sure it gets updates, but after every update it gets more and more laggy.
@steven231: The upcoming iOS 12 focus is on performance.
…And new AR features for iPhone X, but for every other suppoted device, the focus is on performance and speed.
<shrugs> I’ve been using an air 1 for the last fortnight while my iPad Pro is getting repaired. Aside from the wait when things get loaded into memory it’s been fine.
Better than getting no support 6 months after the new model comes out.
@YellowDieselGolf: I use Samsung devices and they get support for 2 years, with project treble they might get more, we'll find out.
There's only one reason - because you want to.
Why bother buying a computer? My calculator computes fine. It even runs on solar power! Can't understand why people send thousands on these boxes of metal!
ive got an axon 7 too and was tempted to buy a spare. a few people around me have iphone Xs. the tech is meant to last 2 years maximum, making mobile phones a horrible cost to the environment.
Phones are easily marketed and im sure iphones are going to go up $300 per iteration, and people will still buy them, and apple will still pay as little tax as possible and keep their money.
I want to know more about the marketing value of an iphone/overpriced phone user. if someone is convinced they need to spend an excessive amount of money on a phone, does it attract more advertising for excessively overpriced items that are 'trending'?
Compared to people who spend less on a phone, are they more likely to be influenced to buy cheaper products with a likely high markup and low cost to produce?
your consumables are training you to keep consuming. the more money changes hands the better the economy.
Why buy a house when cardboard boxes are free behind shops.
Myself and the other half's reason is almost entirely the camera. The difference even between just my old S6 and my S8 is very noticeable. We still occasionally shoot in film, but nobody wants to lug around a big heavy camera 24/7.
That's primarily the reason why I went from the iPhone 7 to the 8. I was going overseas and I really wanted nice photos and there was a decent improvement (mainly in regard to sharpness) in the iPhone 8.
Looking back at it now though, a good mirrorless camera probably would have been a better idea since I wanted nice photos, and photography is something I've been looking into lately as a hobby.
I sometimes wonder why people spend $1700+ for an iPhone
Because I like electronics and technology. The same reason I paid $1100 for an Apple watch and $3000 for a MacBook Pro. I am a fan of Apple yes but it works. Their service is excellent. I had a 6+ with the touch disease issue. One call to apple care and 2 hours later I walked out with a refurbished 6+. This was while I was living in the US.
If I wasn't a fan of AppleI'd buy the equivalent android phone. I spend so much time on my phone that it's more than calls and texts. It's my go-to internet device, music player, camera, gaming device and I could go on… I have my credit cards on apple pay and I have a wallet case with my license and myki inside.
Yes, $1700 is a lot for a phone but the amount of time I spend on it makes it a worthwhile investment.
and if they are a noob a 2 year extended warranty for $200 (even though the Australian consumer act covers most electronics for 2 years).
Apple Care is $190 ish. If I smash my screen in 2 years it's a $45 service fee for repairs. I can do that twice.
Any other brand would need to be sent away or you'd need to use a dodgy shopping center person who half the time people use then post on here complaining they didn't reconnect the camera or Bluetooth no longer works.
Any other brand would need to be sent away or you'd need to use a dodgy shopping center person who half the time people use then post on here complaining they didn't reconnect the camera or Bluetooth no longer works.
Not true
Got my s7 display replaced here in Melbourne by Samsung - it just took about an hour
Got my s7 display replaced here in Melbourne by Samsung - it just took about an hour
Same XP here.
Dropped my S8+ a month into it's ownership, there was no damage to the surface of the screen but there appeared to be some damage to the backlights or the back panel of the LCD causing a 0.5 cm black round spot (all dead pixels) on the screen.
Went to Samsung in Sydney Olympic Park and they replaced the screen in about an hour without any hassle.
Older phones aren't compatible with the latest firmware and many apps need a recent firmware to run. My strategy is to have the oldest phone that can run the majority of apps. I wouldn't spend more than $500 on a phone.
Well I have a 1 year old child and my Samsung S5 struggles to take fast moving snaps. For me the price of an expensive phone is worth a lifetime of memories - hence just upgraded to S9+.
I have a GoPro for that. Find it more reliable and image is better quality than a camera phone
What's the point of lugging around a 300 camera and a 500 phone when you can have an 800 phone that does both?
That's why someone invented a backpack
why have a 300 camera and a 500 phone and carry a backpack when you can just have an $800 phone that can function as both in your pocket amongst other things. You're arguing a downhill battle here buddy.
+1 the camera.
I've got an 18 month old (first baby) and I justified a Pixel 2 last year simply because of that. No price on creating candid memories that will last a lifetime. The slick browsing and user experience is another plus.
I also have a mid range P&S and an A6000 but the vast majority of pictures taken have been with the Pixel. Not saying it takes better pictures than the A6000 but Google's picture processing and fake bokeh make for some gorgeous keepers.
The best camera is the one you have with you rings true. I would consider a mid range phone (have had them up until now) if anyone made one with a top shelf camera.
Wife is upgrading soon from an S7 to an S9.
I like a good fast reliable phone. Who cares cost. Xvideos needs to be fast, large screen and awesome sounds. The s9 ticked those boxes
Lol
I run a business and am travelling often so I need (and prefer) a high end reliable phone which has the best functionality and speed. I worked for a company that used to provide us with phones that were a little behind the times and working off them was a nightmare!!!
If you have the money to spend why not? It's just personal preference. Why drive an expensive car when a simple car, which costs a few thousand dollars, can get you from A to B just the same?
Personally I prefer mid-range stuff. Something that is much less expensive than top of the range and much more performance than bottom of the range.
lol a nokia 3310 surely this is a troll post
I have to get the most expensive phone to show everyone I'm of privilege, to match my 80k high yield investment car or my Merc A200 "AMG"(sic). How else am I going to show off on "Rich kids of Instagram"?
sarcasm intended
Pokémon Go
Horses for courses.
I buy Moto Gseries. Cheap, cheerful, plain Android experience. Everything I need.~300. Lasts 2 years, I try to aim for longer.
Cars, I love my cars so spend a bit more there, but far from expensive.
I love mechanical watches and spend a bit more there also. A $10 Casio works just as well if you want to make an argument there also… or my phone.
inspiration for someone for next topic..
why people buy high end car when there is a cheaper alternative !
Already a topic for that
Its all about looks and impressions for most.
For some its about having a great camera at hand.
For the savvy ones you buy a good used flagship phone that has just come out of contract and reap the best of both worlds.
What phone do you have Eastern Culture?
ZTE axon 7
I love my Xiaomi Mi Max. Only $180+ when i got it! Punching way above it's price.
I've never spent more than $300-ish on a phone. I generally use a phone for emails, FB, WhatsApp and taking photos. Currently, I use Samsung J5 Pro.
I struggle to justify more than a few hundred $ on a phone, something that might get dropped, lost, damaged so easily.
For the past few years I've simply gone THL W8, Lenovo K3 and now Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X. All have cost less than $200 and at least the first two lasted 2 years with ease. Hard to say with the Xiaomi but it works really well without being the best at anything, gets frequent updates and just does the job.
Paired with Lebara (Vodafone) it's perfect for me as I need free calls to overseas. I accept some phones will have better cameras but it's good enough for 99% of cases and if I want to do proper photography I've got my DSLR for that.
Whilst I could afford a better(?) phone I simply consider them to be consumable.
My way of looking at it.
1 x $200 Xiaomi or equivalent every 2 years - annual cost $100 approx.
Lebara 5G 180 day plan x 2 - annual cost $200 approx.
Total $300 per year or $25/month Hard to beat.
Most flagships are like ~$1000 arent they? I'd estimate that people keep their phones for like two years, and even after that the phone may have a resell value of like $300?
$350/yr for a device which people are generally glued to these days is a justified investment tbh. Once you use a flagship phone you'll never want to go back to a low-tier phone.
Look again. Most flagships like Pixel 2 XL were released at 1.3k, iPhone X 256Gb is 1.8k.
Since the 5C I've purchased the latest apple phone when it's been released, and then sold it a year later for only a few hundred dollars less than I got it for. For me, the phone is more than worth those few hundred dollars for a year.
FYI case $10 from ebay, tempered glass $5. Only idiots who buy $100 tempered glass.
Why not ?
Some people earn $200-500k it’s not an issue.
I use my phone more than my laptop, thus it needs to be awesome or else I won't be satisfied.
:)
I believe a fair comparison is a question why people spending $500+ on headphones instead of ones found in Coles. There is some noticeable difference across many aspects. If you cannot tell, do whatever suits you. If expensive mobile phones are not your thing, maybe you do not value those technical improvements. Just people's choice and value.
Similar to other users. I tend to use my phone more than any other electronic device.
I'm noticing between work laptop, personal laptop and phone that I am not even booting up my personal laptop weekly.
I 'm finding that what I used to do on my laptop I am doing on my phone. The web portals are getting better and the apps are getting better etc.
Other tricky things to do on phones I can do at work / boot up laptop now and then.
I don't game on PC anymore as I game on my phone and xbox.
So. I'm going to spend more on my next phone and less on my next laptop. =D
Something can be "expensive" but also be good value. I have a Pixel, which I purchased on a Telstra plan. Is it cheap? Arguably not. But that doesn't mean isn't good value. My phone and phone plan is something that I use literally every day. Not just a few minutes a day, but constantly throughout the day. The reality is, a more expensive phone has better features. The phone is fast, the camera is great, and I get free storage for all my photos and videos. These are just a few of the benefits of an expensive phone.
If I have a big purchase to make, I try to work out what the expected cost will be to per day, for the life of the product. For example, if a phone were to cost $1,200 outright, but I expect to keep it for two years (which is a reasonable amount of time to keep a phone), the calculation would be simple:
$1,200 (price of the phone) / 730 (number of days over two years) = $1.65 per day (rounded up)
$1.65 is less that half the price of a cup of coffee from most cafes. When you work out the cost per day for a phone, even an expensive phone, it is not actually that high, considering what people do/can do with them. Beyond that, my "flagship" phone from two years ago will likely me a hand me down to a parent or someone else, which will extend its life even further.
I get laid much more with fancy phones
People earn the money and are free to spend it however they want.
cause i get it reimbursed by work.
is this still a topic in 2018? wake me up when its 2028
Gotta make use of the saving on phone plans from the Amaysim referral credit.
I used to by the mid range budget phones until a few years ago and went all out on the Galaxy s7 edge to this day still loving it, don't find it getting slow to the point of being unusable and the app's are still optimised for it. I may jump for the next gen Samsung when they come out next year or just hold onto my G7E as the camera and everything else is still really great.
Get the S10 when it comes out, i love my S9 but the massive improvement in performance without increase in battery or enough efficiency makes the battery not as good. Still get like 4 and a bit hours of SOT but i reckon it should be more. Also it seems to be like a tick tock style upgrade (S6 and S7 are similar, S8 and S9 are similar etc.)
The camera.
A $200 dollar smart phone will do everything I need, bar take highly detailed photos.
And it feels good to buy something expensive.
This is 100% correct. My only issue with mobile phones right now is that the good cameras are on the $800+ ones.
I would be 100% happy with using a $200 Xiaomi Mi A1 for everything, except the camera. I would like my growing families photos taken looking nice and detailed.
The $200-400 phones have good cameras in good lighting. they don't focus as fast as i would like, and they are all junk in low light/indoor situations
Depends on what you want and if you can comfortably afford it.
I'm not someone that upgrades every year but I got the iphone x last year. it was a big upgrade for me. I don't see it as a massive dent since it's something I use everyday.
I’m with the camera guy. Your phones will come and go, but your photos will hang around and remind you of how much better your memories could have looked with a better camera/phone. I’m basically after an awesome pocket camera that takes 100MP photos under 2MB with OzBargain access. Is that too much to ask?
Sent from my iPhone 6
can't online troll on a 8310 mate
angusngon9 on 20/06/2018 - 14:57 Comment score below threshold.
