had to buy a cell phone

[97guns]

my wifes phone stopped charging, something wrong with the charge port on the phone so she's been eyeballin iphones and settled on a 6s plus for $650 + $58 tax from our carrier. i figured i need one too and started poking around on ebay, just snagged the same exact phone for $515, wish i had her look there too.

[FLA]

just for future reference, when you buy the phones on eBay are they new in package or used?

[97guns]

you can buy new or used, this one is new

[disneysteve]

I'm going to need a new iPhone soon. I have an iPhone 5 that is starting to show its age, especially in battery life. I've looked at ebay a couple of times but not seriously. I suppose it's worth it to save $100 or more. I'm just a little nervous about buying something like that and it not working when I get it. And I wonder how the person got it that they can afford to sell it for a big discount like that.

[rennigade]

If everyone would stop buying iphones it wouldnt be such a big deal to replace a phone. Apple gouges its customers and no one seems to care for some reason. They just accept the fact that they're going to blow $500+.

My wife went from an apple to android about a year ago. She never looked back. Bought a nexus 5x for $200 and had zero issues with the transition. She could replace her phone almost 3x for what it costs for an iphone.

People get stuck on this idea..."well its what im used to so it has to be superior." Its not. If you're really looking for the "latest and greatest" you wouldnt be touching an apple product. The ease of use is the same so that argument is out the window. Cameras on iphone are no longer the best. The only difference we ran across was icloud vs google photos for sharing photos. Took all of 15 minutes to figure out. One thing with the android is you can't get that apple symbol on it...but thats kinda awesome.

Oh also...if you're still using att, verizon or sprint as your primary carrier you're getting screwed. Check out project fi. Last 5 bills with fi hasnt gone over $28/month. Guess if you have a family plan with 8 people on it you may be able to get that rate though.

[JustDave]

If everyone would stop buying iphones it wouldnt be such a big deal to replace a phone. Apple gouges its customers and no one seems to care for some reason. They just accept the fact that they're going to blow $500+.

My wife went from an apple to android about a year ago. She never looked back. Bought a nexus 5x for $200 and had zero issues with the transition. She could replace her phone almost 3x for what it costs for an iphone.

People get stuck on this idea..."well its what im used to so it has to be superior." Its not. If you're really looking for the "latest and greatest" you wouldnt be touching an apple product. The ease of use is the same so that argument is out the window. Cameras on iphone are no longer the best. The only difference we ran across was icloud vs google photos for sharing photos. Took all of 15 minutes to figure out. One thing with the android is you can't get that apple symbol on it...but thats kinda awesome.

Oh also...if you're still using att, verizon or sprint as your primary carrier you're getting screwed. Check out project fi. Last 5 bills with fi hasnt gone over $28/month. Guess if you have a family plan with 8 people on it you may be able to get that rate though.

I agree completely. Although to be fair, the new Pixel line of phones by Google is ridiculous too. We've collectively lost our minds as a society if we're spending $600+ on a phone (and that's the "cheap" model).

Android family here, and I've never spent more than $150 on a phone. Couple that with the Tmobile 100 minute plan for $30 (admittedly, this won't work for everyone, but I rarely use my phone to actually make calls), no contract nonsense either. Just my $0.02.

[HundredK]

I agree completely. Although to be fair, the new Pixel line of phones by Google is ridiculous too. We've collectively lost our minds as a society if we're spending $600+ on a phone (and that's the "cheap" model).

Android family here, and I've never spent more than $150 on a phone. Couple that with the Tmobile 100 minute plan for $30 (admittedly, this won't work for everyone, but I rarely use my phone to actually make calls), no contract nonsense either. Just my $0.02.

We're on the AT&T next plan where we pay a monthly fee (supposedly toward the purchase price of the phone), but then we can upgrade every 12 months to a new phone. So we're sort of perpetually renting phones to be able to have the newest models. My justification has always been that if I'm going to upgrade anyhow, might as well not pay full price for the phone (end up paying about half price that way assuming I actually upgrade every year). But in the future, I'm not sure, I might just buy this phone out and keep it a while.

Also, Android for the win! I hate apple crap.

[disneysteve]

We've collectively lost our minds as a society if we're spending $600+ on a phone

I rarely use my phone to actually make calls

I think you answered your own question here. We aren't spending $600 on a phone. We're spending $600 on a portable computer.

I hardly ever make phone calls but I use my smartphone constantly throughout the day, both at home and at work.

I think a bigger problem is all of the people who think they must have the latest and greatest model and upgrade every time a new one comes out. I had an iPhone 3. I used it for several years. The only reason I got rid of it was because they stopped supporting it and the apps would no longer work. I then got an iPhone 5 and it is without a doubt the best piece of technology I have ever owned. I'm in no rush to replace it even though I've had it for about 4 years. The battery is slowly going and I need to charge it more frequently, but I'm going to hang onto it as long as I possibly can.

[greenskeeper]

my employer provides me with a smart phone, out of pocket per month for me is $0

[disneysteve]

my employer provides me with a smart phone, out of pocket per month for me is $0

Our family cell phone bill for 5 people is $181.

I do a professional survey that is iPhone compatible only and earn a minimum of $100/month doing that. There are usually a few mini surveys during the month for another $5 or $10 each also.

So our net out of pocket cost for 5 people (4 smartphones, 1 not) runs under $80. I'm okay with that, even after I factor in the cost of the phones themselves.

[97guns]

this will be my first iphone, i had been an android user all along and my last phone was the most expensive one i had ever bought for $200, its 2 years old and the operating system is getting out of date, unable to run a few things.


i live 10 miles from cupertino and the apple campus, it seems like everyone and their mother has apples here, im getting really excited about having one. i have a mac air laptop that is 8 years old and still going strong but the OS is also getting dated

[HundredK]

this will be my first iphone, i had been an android user all along and my last phone was the most expensive one i had ever bought for $200, its 2 years old and the operating system is getting out of date, unable to run a few things.


i live 10 miles from cupertino and the apple campus, it seems like everyone and their mother has apples here, im getting really excited about having one. i have a mac air laptop that is 8 years old and still going strong but the OS is also getting dated

You'll have to let us know how you like it. I personally have tried apple phones twice and both times was so infuriated with them. I much prefer the android platform. That said, maybe if you're coming from really old tech, you'll be happy with what apple has to offer. It seems to me that people tend to be in one camp or the other and have a hard time migrating.

[Tabs]

Haha, I love tech. It's a terrible affliction to my pocket book.

However, that said, I am currently using a Galaxy S5. It is still a very capable phone, by now is very affordable, is rated IP67 iirc, and has a removeable battery. In other words, if my battery degrades or dies somehow, I can easily replace it. Most of my data is stored in the cloud anyways.

I admit I paid like $400 for my current phone, but if I ever had to replace it, I am pretty sure I can find another one for as little as $200.

With my current phone provider, I am paying $30/month. I may switch soon though, as my coverage with them is not very good....

[JoeP]

Like any industry, cell phone makers know that some people will buy the latest models, and they have found price points to maximize profit. Why do they charge $600? To borrow the punchline from one of my favorite jokes: "Because they can!"

I look at cell phones like cars: buy used, good condition, has the features I want now, a couple extra features are ok, take advantage of someone else taking the depreciation hit.

[Snydley]

I have a older Samsung smartphone. I paid $22 for it on ebay. I year later I found the exact same model for DH for $35. We can text, call, use the internet, and other apps (navigation being the one we both use regularly). I can't see all the icons people send and I can't group text. I can live without those things. We use both of these phones on a Ting plan and pay $43/month.

I cannot believe what people pay for phones and cell phone plans.