Expensive Smart Phones - A bad idea or perfectly fine?

B.A._Baracus

Just looked at whirlpool's thread of the new 'Amazon Fire' Phone and it got me thinking For the record this is only a stupid silly thread so not to be taken too seriously in any way :P

But is buying an expensive smart phone a bad idea? For the sake of argument lets say we are talking about a brand new iPhone worth €700 (or whatever brand)
I say the words 'bad idea' because the nature of the device and how we use it. We bring it everywhere... we all drop our phones. Who here hasnt broken a phone by mistake. Also the likelihood of having a phone stolen is much higher when its expensive. Not to mention when we throw alcohol into the mix things get can silly (leaving it in a taxi, foolishly leaving it behind in the bar or takeaway etc)

So I stuck up a poll :P
Oh and before anyone asks I just have a Vodafone Smart Mini 2 :pac: Couldnt give a toss what happens to it :pac: Only cost me 40 euro brand new.

MyPeopleDrankTheSoup

Buy whatever you want if you have the money.

Problem is I see loads of people getting iPhones (and it's always iPhone!) who simply cannot afford them. They give out that they've no cash, some of them on the dole, yet they somehow rocking an iPhone. Priorities people.

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

If you've never had a decent smartphone, always a cheap android then it'll probably be grand. But if you get something decent, then go back to using a brick the lack of memory and crap battery life will really boil your piss. That's why we have insurance.

Cookie_Monster

is buying an expensive anything rather than cheap tat a bad idea?

Karl Stein

I don't like the idea of carrying a bit of kit worth €5/6/700 around with me never mind go on the lash with it.

I currently have a Moto G which is an excellent smartphone for the money and at €150 you wouldn't be too out of pocket if it was lost or stolen.

B.A._Baracus

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

is buying an expensive anything rather than cheap tat a bad idea?

The nature of the device as I said in my original post
An expensive tv, painting, etc is safely stored within your home. I mean, you don't take them down to the local pub with you :pac:

most of the mid range android phones,even the ones for €120 are very decent now and do everything you want even if your an avid ..phone user...phonist :P

if you wanted a €500+ phone that bad get it on bill pay..

Cookie_Monster

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

The nature of the device as I said in my original post
An expensive tv, painting, etc is safely stored within your home. I mean, you don't take them down to the local pub with you :pac:

watches can cost substantially more than phones, as can tablets or even wallets (for designer nonsense).

B.A._Baracus

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

watches can cost substancially more than phones, as can tablets or even wallets (for designer nonsense).

Well.... how often would you take off your watch and put it down on a table. Then to put it back on. Then off again (akin to taking your phone in and out of your pocket)

As for wallets, I am sure there are wallets more expensive (designer nonsense as you say) But more people have iPhones in Ireland than 800 euro wallets. A trend it seems.

As for tablets? an interesting point to mention. However, a tablet is not a "life-line" as they say. How many people would bring their iPad to work, then to the gym, then to the shops, then to the bar etc.

toastedpickles

Smartphones...HA! :pac: blockia ftw, at least if someone tries to rob it you can club them over the head with it and know it won't shatter into a million peices

deco nate

aaronc182 wrote: »

most of the mid range android phones,even the ones for €120 are very decent now and do everything you want even if your an avid ..phone user...phonist :P

if you wanted a €500+ phone that bad get it on bill pay..

That's crazy, on bill pay you will pay twice the price of the phone.

At the very least, the amount of people that think bill pay is cheaper than buying a phone outright is insane.! Shop around, also.. Insurance!

desultory

Never pay the same for a phone that you could buy a car for.

Tombi!

I don't see much point in it now.
It's useless to me (as an average consumer) buying technology that's that powerful when a cheaper device fullfills my needs just fine.
At the start I could understand when it was "new" and everyone wanted that 400 euro iPhone since we never saw anything like it.

But as technology becomes easier and cheaper to produce then the average person isn't going to have a need for something so expensive.

It's like buying a PC that's made for gaming (or building one): you could spend 600-700 euro and have it last 5 years easily or if you really wanted, you could try to stay at the "best of the best" because you have an interest in it more than an average person would and would rather spend a few thousand.

It's the same for phones; most people would be grand with a smartphone that's 150-180. Remember when the iPhone was released? It was expensive as Hell and the phones we used then cost about 150 and the iPhone seemed years ahead compared to it.
Time moves on and now what was considered "amazing technology" is just as cheap as a phone was several years ago.

the iphones in particular disgust me as a brand specially how the treat previous customers,

youve spent €400-€500 on a iphone 4 they bring out the 5 and you update your software on your 4 to find its now slow and unusable forcing you to buy a 5

mopey

depends if your willing to splash out on a decent portable charger aswell, or even an extra battery or larger capacity battery, id the foresight to get a portable charger my vita (i get 6 hours tops out of that) and im glad i did charges my phone more than the vita charges both to full mind, with one charge to itself.


but.. imo at this point paying anymore than 200 is silly more specs means more drain and the batteries are crap, maybe theyre sitting around to long? then theres the fact your charging it so often itll will probably have to be replaced sooner rather than later (anything with an i infront says hello), which is another point of contention with me anything with an i infront is overpriced and underspecced. thats probably another thread though..

/half rant over

i dont think batteries are the issue i think there as good as there gonna get

my battries at 47% now the screen has taken the most usage at 35% and thats on its lowest setting,

the screens have fantastic detail,there nearly overkill for there size when come out with a screen that uses less power that willl be a game changer.

Until then we have buy chargers and walk around with phones on the dimmest screen setting

deco nate

Have to ask, but why does it always end up talking about iPhone? Plenty of phones cost
Just as much.

But they are better specced
Phones!

Have apple inbedded so much
Into people's minds that if you
Spend 500–600 that it must be an iPhone?

They are low end phones
For that price range.

Oh no, this just ended up like
All the smart phone threads!!!

well if were talking bout whether 500-600 phones are worth it and nearly every second person you has one its inevitable to start talking about them ....specially if the thread is if about if its a good idea to spend 500 on a device

Personally i dont like them and think theres much better out there for less

Overheal

It was called the Genesis, don't be a dick

Canis Lupus

I don't really use a phone. I went travelling and kind of grew out of the habit of needing one. I have a cheap 20e phone from a couple of years back. Battery needs charging once a month and I pay a pittance for credit.

The only thing I miss about not having a smartphone is those rare occasions when I'm slightly lost and need directions but then old schooling it and asking people tends to do the trick.

I think smart phones are just an expensive way to keep an eye on facebook.