Would You Buy the iPhone 8 If It Cost $1,200? (9to5mac.com) 561
As we near the launch of the next iPhone, rumors are swirling about what it may feature. One of the most recent reports comes from developer and blogger John Gruber, who claims the iPhone 8 will have a starting price of around $1200. 9to5Mac reports: He last week said that he believed that what we've been referring to as the iPhone 8 would be called the iPhone Pro and that he actually hoped it would be really expensive: "I hope the iPhone Pro starts at $1500 or higher. I'd like to see what Apple can do in a phone with a higher price." As you might imagine, that generated quite a bit of discussion. Gruber has backed down somewhat from this position, and is now suggesting a starting point of around $1200: "$1,500 as a starting price is probably way too high. But I think $1,200 is quite likely as the starting price, with the high-end model at $1,300 or $1,400." His argument is effectively that Apple is constrained in what it can do in a phone because any technology included in the phone has to be available in huge volumes. If it were willing to sell fewer at a higher price, then it would have more options. There has been speculation that Gruber may have been tipped by Apple, and using his posts to prepare the ground for what would otherwise be a severe case of sticker shock. But Gruber denied this. If Apple does launch the iPhone 8 with a 4-figure price tag, would you buy it?
No way (Score:3, Insightful)
But I wouldn't be surprised if the legions of apple fans would pay nearly any amount for one.
Re:No way (Score:5, Insightful)
---
Re:No way (Score:5, Funny)
I don't buy new anyway.
I hope that lots of Fanbois dive in and shell out $1200 or more for their next iToy.
Then I can get an iPhone 6s from a pawn shop at a decent price.
See, every cloud does have a silver lining...
Re: (Score:2)
I work this way too (although not impressed with iphones so I avoid them). But I buy my phones and my cars secondhand - it saves me a lot of money with no downsides that I've ever found.
Keep it to yourself though - without all the suckers paying silly money for new things, the second hand market would dry up.
Re: No way (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
The fashionistas love parading their newest bit of bling iToys included.
The discard perfectly good phones because they are not regarded as 'cool' any more.
That means others can benefit from their fads.
Try it yourself sometime. There are even a couple of Galaxy S8's available in one pawn shop I know of in London. Sadly then both need new screens but for £349 each they are a bargain.
Re:No way (Score:5, Informative)
No. I would not buy one for 5$.
I am opposed to the basic principles of the Apple ecosystem--
Ever tried to make your own ringtone for an apple device? Be prepared to deal with proprietary audio formats, having to use the itunes backup feature to push the 3rd party re-encoded tune to the phone, and having to wade through literally thousands of paid endorsements to buy ringtones when you try to look up how to do it. OR-- you could just get an android phone, push any supported media file (which are industry standard formats) into the RINGTONES folder, then pick it.
Perhaps you want to do something else, like say-- play a gameboy game on your device? Oh-- sorry, no. Apple does not allow virtualized software to run on iDevices. :( It makes apple sad pandas, and they wont let those dangerous, nasty applications into the app store. It is for YOUR protection, citizen!
Why the fuck would I want a device that bends over backwards to STOP me from using it, EXCEPT in the shamelessly commercialized way the creators envisioned?
Fuck that noise.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Ever tried to make your own ringtone for an apple device?
I had to make a ringtone for my wife's phone. Can't remember the exact steps (googling may have been involved), but there wasn't anything difficult about it. Just the first 20 seconds of a song from a CD that I had ripped into iTunes. And I used AAC, not Apple Lossless, so there were no proprietary formats used.
Re:No way (Score:5, Informative)
Special app? You mean iTunes? You make a ringtone in iTunes, the only "hard" part is you rename the file from a .m4a extension to a .m4r extension, then use iTunes to move it to your phone. You don't need any special app to "import" it to the phone, you just use iTunes.
I have taught 80-year-old people how to do this.
Sorry you hate Apple enough that you never looked up how to do it?
Re:No way (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
False comparison is false.
It is possible to run an android device without google's application support framework (Gapps). One can use Amazon's store instead, for instance.
That means you dont need a google account to use the phone. Likewise, you dont need to download proprietary and beligerant software to manipulate the files on the phone. One can use any computer that supports MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) to manipulate the files in the device. This includes Linux and MacOSX. One can also do this directly
Re: (Score:2)
You still need to use a special app from the appmarket to "implant" your ringtone into the system, because you can't just say from the system menu: "Use this file"
I most definitely did _not_ use any iPhone application to do this. Just iTunes. Pick a song in your library, set start and end point until it loops nicely, make a copy to get rid of the unwanted megabytes of music, I don't know if I needed to change the file type, and move it to "Ring tones". See, you thought of a way how it could be done that didn't work. I instead used a way that worked.
Re: (Score:2)
You still need to use a special app from the appmarket to "implant" your ringtone into the system, because you can't just say from the system menu: "Use this file"
What I find fascinating is that I _did_ create a ringtone for my wife's iPhone, and _you didn't_, yet you claim that you know better than I what tools I needed to do it. Don't you think that is rather stupid and pretentious of you?
Re: (Score:2)
It does what I need it to do. I got on with my life. Lasts years too, it's reliable and I don't need to do maintenance reboots. It's also not subsidized by a marketing analytics company, so yeah, it tends to be pricey. The resale value and long life more than make up for it.
$1200 is fine for people who make reasonable money and just don't care about an extra $400-$500 for something they use every single day.
My phone is a "production" device. If I want to hack around, I'll get a tablet or something
Re: (Score:2)
None of my files are m4a, sorry.
I don't need any special software to move files to an android device or make music in any format a ring tone.
My experience with iDevices was similiar to the OPs.
Started with "nice built quility" continued with "connect me to iTunes" when switched on (WTF), oh, I can't access (nonDRM) files I have put myself on the device (WTF), oh, I need to install iTunes on my notebook if I want to copy files from it (WTF), oh, it asks me to sync... (WTF), oh, files from desktop are gon...
Breaking News.. (Score:5, Informative)
Pseudo-elitist dreams of being slightly more elitist without having to leave their conformist comfort zone.
what he really means is 'every kid on the block has an iphone these days, I pine for when I felt more special, so make a more expensive model so I can separate myself from the unwashed masses again (but actually I am a closet conformist, so it needs to be from my regular supplier, work in the same way - so please just make it cost more so I can buy myself a bit more 'special'..).
Believing that Apple is somehow constrained by price or volume is laughably laughable, they already delivery less for more and have demonstrated a willingness to have availability shortages (in fact historically have done it with a sense of pride during notable releases).
[Stands back to watch the koolaid drinkers backlash against reality]
Re: No way (Score:5, Insightful)
You should probably reevaluate your outlook on life. If someones job determines if you would help them or not when they were in a life threatening situation, your brain is broken and you should probably seek some help.
Re: (Score:2)
You should probably reevaluate your outlook on life. If someones job determines if you would help them or not when they were in a life threatening situation, your brain is broken and you should probably seek some help.
"God created cold so we could burn more Catholics!"
- Lady Whiteadder
Re: (Score:2)
Re: No way (Score:2)
Re: No way (Score:4, Funny)
Go away, redditer! Over here we say, "You Insensitive Clod!".
Re: (Score:3)
Go away, redditer! Over here we say, "You Insensitive Clod!".
I am both a redditer and a slashdotter you motherfucker insensitive clod!
Re: No way (Score:5, Funny)
if 1200 bucks is gonna break you thats your own fault.
Sure it is. Only the lazy and feckless don't have $1200 sitting around waiting for the right phone to come along. I bet if you check their physiognomy you'll find they have the low brow and cranial bumps of the genetically poor.
Re: No way (Score:5, Insightful)
Good for you. I do all those things on my phone as well and it cost me £150. But then I also paid £5000 for my last car and it did me well for 12 years (before I needed more room than an executive saloon could offer). Whose fault is it if you're paying over the odds for your phone AND your car?
I like people like you - because without you I couldn't buy top of the range goods for pennies on the pound.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Products are not always about utility. That is why some people have Luxury Car while others have the basic cars. Some people like sport cars that can go real fast even though most roads cannot handle them. Some people will buy a watch for thousands of dollars, while it will work just as well as a cheapo one that you can get out of a vending machine.
Like it or not, status symbols have value in our culture. Even if you see someone with one and you think they are a pretentious snob, it means the status symbo
Re: No way (Score:5, Funny)
Prada of course. I simply could not dream of using any other paperclip. Granted that at $185 a piece it is more expensive than other paperclips but, for some of us, quality matters.
When you consider the lifetime cost of assuring that your papers stay together, it just makes sense. Of course there are those luddites and fashion-challenged people who just don't understand. Fortunately for them there are plenty of bargain basement opportunities when it comes to their clipping needs.
For me, I just wouldn't feel comfortable trusting my documents with anything else.
http://www.avclub.com/amp/2577... [avclub.com]
Re: (Score:3)
You're half right. Status symbols have value to YOU. Personally I value utility and aesthetic value. Not only is status value pointless to me, but it doesn't even help define someone's status. Not since even those with the lowest status can buy status symbols on credit (and often do). Does a big luxury car mean you are rich and successful or are you scraping by with debt up to the eyeballs? I don't know, or care.
But keep buying those expensive new products - as I already said, I need you to supply the secon
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
You didn't go far enough. Get three rattle cans with different color primer and paint three body panels on your car. Preferably forward facing, make sure to pay attention to 'pre distressing' the front bumper cover.
People in fancy cars will _get_out_of_your_way_, the fancier the car, the faster they move to get out of your way.
If you do this, make absolutely sure you have insurance. The downside of having a car that looks uninsured: Cops are always running your plates for insurance...no problem though.
Re: (Score:3)
Why wouldn't I want it to be the absolute best it can be?
Above a certain price point (which is far less than $1500), price does not correlate well with quality. You should get the best equipment you can, but you should not decide what it "the best" based on its price tag.
In my case I can confirm (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:In my case I can confirm (Score:5, Funny)
I'm waiting for the headline, "Is Betteridge's Law True?"
Re: (Score:2)
I'm waiting for the headline, "Is Betteridge's Law True?"
You'll wait as long as it takes to get an accurate, researched summary from Slashdot.
Gruber did not [daringfireball.net] "claim the iPhone 8 will start at $1,200".
That reminds me. (Score:5, Funny)
What it's like to own an Apple product - The Oatmeal [theoatmeal.com]
Seems wiser to stick to a cellular phone which the foolish call "dumb". ;)
Re: (Score:2)
What it's like to own an Apple product - The Oatmeal [theoatmeal.com]
Seems wiser to stick to a cellular phone which the foolish call "dumb". ;)
As a dispassionate outside observer I have to say that your comic is a truly fascinating visualisation of what goes on in the brains of angry Slashdot posting cellar dwelling Google fanboys when they obsess about the way they think Apple users live their lives, here is what happens when they wake up one morning and start obsessing about Microsoft for a change: http://www.penny-arcade.com/co... [penny-arcade.com]
Re: (Score:2)
Re:That reminds me. (Score:5, Interesting)
My cellular phone has a charge that's measured in weeks, not hours. My cellular phone isn't a battery sucking brick that can't even have it's battery swapped. My cellular phone is for talking and on occasion texting. It was less than a hundred bucks and I spend very little on a monthly subscription. Your handheld computer (sold under the guise of being a telephone) may be "smart" but it makes fools of it's users.
Re:That reminds me. (Score:4, Insightful)
Good for you, but I'll keep my smart phone thanks. The minor hassle of having to charge when I'm sleeping is more than outweighed by the camera alone. Call me sentimental but I like looking at photos of my girlfriend and I having fun, or being able to add an explanatory photo to a technical email with a couple of taps.
Being able to chat to someone on the other side of the world, in a different time zone, when it suits both of us (not just when we are both in front of a PC), and all for free is pretty valuable to me too.
Oh, and I can post my SJW spam to Slashdot from anywhere at any time, can't forget that.
Easy (Score:4, Informative)
I wouldn't buy it at $200, why would I buy it at $1,200?
Sure! (Score:3)
"Would You Buy the iPhone 8 If It Cost $1,200? " ...and they were much less powerful then.
Sure!
I bought a PC when it cost 10.000$, when it cost 5000$ when it cost 2000$
You lost me at iPhone (Score:5, Informative)
No, I would not buy the iPhone.
never (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3)
Price is only one dimension (Score:5, Insightful)
If I buy something does not solely depend on the price. It also depends on the value I get from the item.
So when asking the question, you should ask "Are those features worth X".
I haven't seen the final list for the next iPhone yet. So I cannot say yet if it will be worth Y dollars.
In the past, the iPhones I bought were worth every penny I paid. But be aware: the value may depend on your needs. So what may be true for me, must not be true for everyone else.
Re: (Score:2, Troll)
At that price, durability is also a concern (Score:2)
On top of features, I would add: how long can the user reasonably expect to keep their device, which depends on several factors. Is the user likely to switch service provider (because they move, get better coverage, get a better deal, etc.) and would the device support the new set of radio frequencies? How durable is the device and can it be repaired (broken screen, etc.)? Given the user’s circumstances, how high are the risks that they could break or lose the device, and how well could they stomach a
Not servicable (Score:3, Insightful)
The iPhone is not made to last, the battery cannot be replaced, it cannot be opened by a normal person and be repaired or upgraded. Apps are not better, they are made to run swiftly on older versions. You are just buying a phone with next year's specs, and after that it's just like any old phone, which will scratch, which battery will fail, which will become slower and slower. So: No.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
The iPhone is not made to last, the battery cannot be replaced, it cannot be opened by a normal person and be repaired or upgraded.
The battery cannot be replaced? I don't know about the iPhone 8, because nobody has ever seen it, but battery replacement like screen replacement are on Apple's official price list. If they are on the price list, I'd assume the battery can be replaced.
And Apple has this thing called "out of warranty repair": If you have an older iPhone, let's say an iPhone 6 with broken screen and broken battery and whatever else is wrong, Apple will replace it with an equivalent refurbished phone for about half the cost
I got this far without owning one (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
What Apple can do (Score:5, Funny)
"I'd like to see what Apple can do in a phone with a higher price."
Remove even more ports?
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
A zero-port phone would be great. You could pretty much make it waterproof to as deep as the pressure that glass can handle.
Re: (Score:3)
"I'd like to see what Apple can do in a phone with a higher price."
Remove even more ports?
Adding more propriety bullshit?
Wait, what? (Score:5, Interesting)
Is the summary correct, is he claiming that you can do "more" if you don't mass produce something??? If Apple wanted to add some more exotic technology, they could simply lower their industry leading profit margin and instead of selling a $220 device for $650 they could sell a $400-$500 device for $800 or something like that.
To answer the question, I only have an iPhone (6 Plus) because my work provides it for development and although I am free to use it as a personal phone, I prefer a $200 Xiaomi Mi5 as it can do so much more. And Android is by far not my ideal mobile OS either (I still miss my Maemo/Meego N9 - damn you Stephen Elop for burying it), but I still find an Android phone more useful than an iOS one, even if I get the latter for free. So, no, $1200 would make it even more unlikely for me to get an iPhone. Which is a shame, as the apps that exist for both iOS and Android are most of the time better on iOS (for rather obvious - to devs at least - reasons), but there are many things you simply cannot do.
Re: (Score:2)
"If Apple wanted to add some more exotic technology, they could simply lower their industry leading profit margin"
A part that goes into a regular iPhone needs to be sourced at around a million units per day at release. There may be no amount of money that could get a part up to those volumes. If they are supply constrained the high price will bring down the demand to a matching level.
Re: (Score:2)
There's no technical reason why a phone couldn't run a regular Linux just with an UI adapted for touch. When you docked it you could use the traditional keyboard and mouse UI. I think that was the idea of the Ubuntu phone but they arrived late in the smartphone market (Windows Phone did too) and didn't have a strong corporate backing so they couldn't succeed.
Re: (Score:2)
As I said, I was fortunate enough to own a Maemo/Meego N9. It was a full linux machine (I could compile and run any standard package that I'd have on a linux server - even graphical apps but they were not easy to use unless you vnc-ed to the phone, which was of course possible), with an amazing QT-based UI (called "swipe" IIRC) - amazing in that it was as fluid as iOS (well, there were native apps), while having much superior multi-tasking / parallel running and app-switching capabilities, e.g. the apps did
Re:Wait, what? (Score:5, Interesting)
Is the summary correct...???
No, it's not [daringfireball.net].
Gruber is suggesting a Pro version might be able to help Apple spread its operations and logistics issues when it comes to sourcing components for the latest iPhone.
Apple's problem is not as simple as putting better stuff into the hardware. It's doing that 1 million times a day, every day, for every new version of iPhone that hits the shelves. He suggests a Pro version of the device at a high price-point would give them some breathing space when doing that.
Just imagine the logistics of just boxing and shipping 1 million of *anything* every day, let alone sourcing, assembling and testing something as complex and impressively well built (for this scale of engineering) as an iPhone.
Not even for USD 1.20 (Score:2)
That's it!
Nope (Score:3, Interesting)
I wouldn't buy it for any price, really. It isn't the functionality or the hardware, but the fact that you are tied into only ever using Apple's app store etc etc - plus the fact that you have to actually BUY the development tools and learn yet another languages, when the Android comes without the same degree of tie-in, plus you can download the whole development kit for free and it is Java, a language that actually has applications outside the phone. In a way, it isn't the iPhone that I don't want, it is Apple.
Stupid question (Score:3)
Personally I wouldn't buy an iPhone for 1/3rd of that price. A better question is: If you bought an iPhone at $600 would you buy one for $1200.
If it gives me superpowers ... (Score:3)
... like making me fly, giving me the body of a well-trained Ryan Gosling and making all good looking girls wanting to have sex with me I would consider buying it for that price.
Other than that: No.
Just got a Moto G5 Plus. Still a compromise. I wanted a 6"+ phablet with massive battery live, rugged case, stock android and uncastrated memory. Huawei Mate 9 and Xiaomi Mi Max came resonably close to those specs but I steered clear for various resons. The Moto G5 Plus but it's the best compromise. 32GB storage, 3GB RAM, good camera, near stock android. Common and as such cases and protective glas easyly available. 280 Euros. Close to the maximum I'm willing to spend on a smartphone. I would've stuck with my Moto G2, but it only has 8GB memory - which is a drag.
Given that, at the current rate, I replace my phone roughly every 3 years spending 1200€ would be a waste of money.
My 2 eurocents.
Re: (Score:3)
...and making all good looking girls wanting to have sex with me I would consider buying it for that price.
All you need to do is buy the $1200 iPhone 8 & then add the $1000 I am Rich app [latimes.com].
Tim, allow me to phrase it in a way you understand (Score:5, Funny)
I would not like it here or there.
I would not like it anywhere.
I do not like the iPhone look
I do not like it, Timmy Cook.
(and yes, that third line works better with Macbook, but sadly they didn't bring out a new model in the past decade and I grew tired waiting for it)
Nonsense questions (Score:3, Interesting)
Asking me if I would pay $1,200 for a phone, when I have never seen it, when I have never used it, when nobody can tell me what it does? That's a nonsense question.
No, and not sure I would for Android either... (Score:3)
Even if apple were to give me the next iPhone for free, or pay me $1,200 to take it, I wouldn't. I never really liked the iPhone. I never really liked apple products. Well, mainly apple OSs - their choice of hardware is normally pretty good, even if it if overpriced.
That said, I'd have to seriously consider paying out that amount of money for an Android phone. In the past I've paid around $800, and that was also a fairly serious consideration. Having paid out that amount, I expect the phone to last me many years before I need to upgrade. The hardware is still good and I've no issues there -- however, if I want Android O then I'll need a new phone. If I had to pay $1,200 or more, I would expect it to last several more years, and for the OS to be upgraded for many more years. And that's probably not likely for either OS.
apple do have a better track record for updating old devices, so apple people may be more likely to pay out that amount. Plus, historically, apple people have been more inclined to pay bigger bucks for the devices -- even to the point of selling a kidney to get one [telegraph.co.uk]. So I'd almost wager that they could set any price on it and the majority would pay it to upgrade -- even if this year's model was only a minor improvement over last year's. The iPhone could end up being a textbook case of a Giffen good (where demand rises with price).
I'm reminded of a story, but I can't find it online, where a shop owner asked the assistant to mark down several ugly statues from $15 to $10 in order to sell them out. The assistant made a mistake and priced them all at $100, and they all sold out that day. Many people will associate higher prices with a better product, and will see identical products differently depending on the price.
Re: (Score:2)
Even if apple were to give me the next iPhone for free, or pay me $1,200 to take it, I wouldn't.
I would take ten thousand, start a business selling them for $800, and become a multi millionaire. You don't seem to be very smart.
Re: (Score:2)
Popular Android phones/tablets usually have custom ROMs available for them - wait for your warranty to run out (or official updates to stop) if you're concerned about that, then root/install recovery/install ROM and you're good to go with usually the latest Android release. I've got an ageing Nexus 10 tablet from 2012 that's running Android 7.1.2 from 2017 (via LineageOS 14), so you can breathe life into old phones/tablets with Android, unlike with iOS.
Sure I could find the money (Score:2)
Seriously, if you're on this site you should be nerdy enough to be a well paid IT professional that could easily afford it, no need to go dumpster diving for phones. If you're not, maybe you should be soul searching a bit about why. Personally I never felt the need to get hacking on/from my phone, that's what my computer is for but if you want to go all CyanogenMod that's okay. But I got an iPhone SE and feel it was totally worth the money. That said, for $1200 it would have to do something new and amazing.
Re: Sure I could find the money (Score:2)
Do a little fucking soul searching about not spending $xxxx on a phone?
You're scary, man. If I had that spare cash I could get one hell of a nice used oscilloscope.
This is still Slashdot, I think. All you people who "went into IT because it pays good" better watch out, because you're on the list for replacement.
Re: (Score:2)
Do a little fucking soul searching about not spending $xxxx on a phone?
He was saying that if you work in tech, and the reason not to buy a phone for $1,200 is because you cannot afford it, then yes, you should do a bit of soul searching how come that you haven't got a well paying job.
If you don't like the phone, or if you have other priorities, or if you think that it isn't worth it or not worth it for you, that's fine. But if you cannot afford it? In England, every chav living on benefits has an iPhone. If you work in tech and cannot afford it, you are doing something wron
Re: (Score:2)
You tell him! Stinking poor person! Who let him in? Have him ejected at once and everyone check their wallets.
I would consider it (Score:2)
Only $1200? (Score:2)
Only $1200?! Shut up and take my money! /s
Seriously though, the era of $700 smartphones was mostly over once carriers stopped subsidizing them. Now that you pay an installment plan rather than getting it 'free' it's harder to want to spend that much. For my personal iPhone 8 speculation, I think it'll have a 10-bit Rec.2020 (HDR) camera and OLED screen for HDR color support; I suspect there isn't enough volume of small quantum-dot displays to supply the new iPhones. DPI may have hit the wall of diminishing
The Constraining of Greed. (Score:3)
Apple, you want to charge more for your product, because you feel constrained as to what you can do with a phone? The last time you felt constrained you removed the headphone jack. And that's but one "feature" (out of dozens) users never asked for.
Hundreds of billions sitting in offshore tax havens, already obscene profit margins, and you feel the need to charge even more. This flavor of Greed is only matched by the stupidity of customers willing to pay that much for your product. Sadly, I'm certain the lines will be longer than ever on release day.
Re: (Score:2)
Hey, there are people above telling us that if we can't afford an iPhone at $1200 we should do some soul searching.
I don't count anyway (Score:2)
I am in no way average as a consumer.
I just got a Lenovo P2 and I freaking love that thing! I charge it about every two to four days while happily watching the Plex media (synced to to 128GB SD card I added in lieu of a second SIM) during my commute.
It's not perfect. Still doesn't have a hardware keyboard but damned if it isn't the first smartphone since the Desire Z I actually don't hate using.
And it didn't even cost half of the usual flagship phones. (my employer spent a bit over half of what a flagship p
Re: (Score:2)
That should have been "my wife's new P2"
Sigh. (Score:3)
No, but I'm sure some idiot would.
My problem is not price but value-for-money. It's not there in Apple products, reflected in their ludicrously high margins. They aren't giving you anywhere near the value that the devices and associated services cost.
But Samsung aren't much better. I wouldn't touch any of their top-range smart phones either. And I can't see why my S5 mini is basically an S5 WITHOUT USB host functionality. Basically everything else is identical, but a software / TINY hardware change, makes things not work on the Mini for no real discernible reason.
But I factored that into my value analysis when I bought it. It's not worth paying extra, for a screen that I think is too big, just to get USB host. In similar terms of what I actually want to do on the phone, Apple doesn't even get a look-in. Never has.
But I'm sure there are people out there with money to burn, because EVERY new model of smartphone has people who buy it by the truckload, which is just unfathomable to me. Most of them don't use it for anything more than a quick snap, checking Facebook, and texting their friends. Hell, I've met people who barely use 5% of the functions / apps on their phone, or even know what they do (e.g. introducing people to using Map apps as a satnav etc.).
Why you'd pay that money for a device you don't even understand the basic capabilities of, I can't work out. It's like buying a Ferrari sports car when you can't even drive a Fiat Panda or have never heard of air-conditioning. You do it entirely for the show.
Not for a disposable object (Score:3)
Phones drop, get ruined by water and are obsolete after a year. I don't mind spending money for a durable object, but I don't want to agonize about dangling my phone over the side of a boat to take photos. Will reconsider if and when there are inexpensive repairs and upgrades available.
I wouldn't buy it, period. (Score:2)
I've had iDevices, including an iPad Air. Sure, the hardware was nice, but the user experience is so locked-down, strangled and limited that it was a real hassle to use it.
Not worth it.
i am done with expensive smartphones (Score:2)
Yes (Score:3)
Idiot (Score:2)
What a nut case this guy is, the 'top end' phones are already way to expensive as they are now. Not a chance i'm paying €800 for a phone.
My maximum budget is €200 and that gets you a really great phone already, suiting more then my needs. Paying €600 extra could never be worth the added value these 'top end' phones provide.
No, but I know who would (Score:2)
I sure wouldn't, and I doubt my company will (Score:2)
No need to qualify that (Score:2)
$1200 HAHAHAHAHA (Score:3)
I love technology, but I'm not willing to pay anywhere near close to that for what is essentially a disposable device. I typically buy a new phone when the one I'm using doesn't do what I need it to do. I have a Honor 5X that I bought about a year and a half ago for $110. It sends texts, emails, takes pictures, and works fine for basic web browsing. The battery is still good condition so it may last another 1.5 years. You can keep a li-ion battery in "good shape" by keeping the charge between 30-85% and only full charging when you absolutely have a need to like traveling, etc. A phone is a tool, and unless there is a new version/device that will improve my productivity or is much more functional then there is no need to upgrade as long as it is operational. I treat everything this way. It's the reason I drove my last vehicle for 14 years. Yes it had some rust, etc. but it was functional, why waste money on an unneeded vehicle upgrade when it could be used elsewhere with better long term results?
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You mean like a headphone jack?
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or a removable battery?
or a modern interface?
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An iPhone that ran OSX , not IOS, OSX, and could dock into a monitor and screen would be spectacular and it baffles me it hasn't been done yet (I know the ubuntu phone tried, but that never really took off f
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You mean like this [sentio.com]?
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I know that apple stuff is expensive but $150?
According to www.apple.com
Apple 12W iPhone charger costs $19.95. Perhaps you were confusing it with a MacBook charger?
Re:Problem is not phone cost (Score:5, Funny)
The problem is not that I'd pay $1200 for an iPhone 8. The problem is my wife will.
Re:Problem is not phone cost (Score:4, Funny)
Maybe it's time to upgrade to iWife 2.
With technology improving the way it is, you might soon be able to ditch the iWife and get an Android in your bed.
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I can get pretty much any phone for a dollar if I get a new mobile contract.
How does contract costs change if you get it without phone? Isn't it just a hidden leasing?
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A variation of the old Door in the Face [wikipedia.org] strategy.
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Removable storage ? Check
Too many recent phones lack that. And some lack the headphone jack. Sometimes things change for the worse.
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A shame they couldn't (or wouldn't) get the UI to work like BB10. Using android and iOS feels like stepping back in time. Former WebOS users understand what I mean...
Google, if you're listening, steal the good parts from those and make them your own. We'll even pretend they're new and innovative. If you do this, I'll turn off my ad blocker. Amen.
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Problem being is IF you get a fancy phone, quite a few others will also want your fancy phone. I seem to recall a commercial a couple of years ago about a person being mugged and they gave his phone back to him (hilarious). I kind of like that idea that others would not be interested in wanting my phone even if they stole it.