Current Events > How are smartphones supposed to be anything resembling affordable?

(+) Yeah! (+)

A contract with someone like AT&T where you can make monthly payments makes it much easier, but I think that's how these companies get you (to keep paying for their services etc). Who's gonna have a spare $600+ in their wallet to blow randomly on a new smartphone?

Most people don't randomly buy smart phones
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well the google pixel 3a has all the power of a flagship smartphone from all the other companies, minus some features like less cameras and no waterproofing

at 400 dollars. guess thats pretty good
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i would get the cheapest phone they have with the features wanted. don't need a high grade phone.
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i still have an s6. and i don't intend on getting a new one til this one's absolutely fried.
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They're not really advertised to be affordable.
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I have a Moto z2 (I guess they're at the z4 now) and it does everything I need to it plus I got a sweet battery mod so I don't need to charge it for legit like 2-3 days of heavy use. And a speaker mod that's pretty cool and useful as well.

All of that is less than one iPhone or Samsung.
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Well, you could pay in installments or save up.
Plus, smartphones can easily last 2+ years. Is it really that unreasonable to spend 600+ dollars on something that'll last that long? My LG V20 has been serving me for about 1.5 years and it shows no sign of trouble and I expect it to go 3+ years.

Unless you're talking about those people who buy flagship phones every year. Which I am also perplexed about.
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There's smartphones for every price range now.
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davidg4l posted...

Unless you're talking about those people who buy flagship phones every year. Which I am also perplexed about.

Mostly this, yeah

Super Slash posted...

$600+

iPhones aren't your only option, you know
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FL81 posted...

Super Slash posted...

$600+

iPhones aren't your only option, you know

I've been using Samsung for several years now. IIRC my Galaxy S6 at the time was about $650 in total that I paid in monthly increments. Then right after I had paid it off, everything on it started going kaput (battery was awful and the camera lens had gotten shattered and I still dunno how). So I traded it in for a Note 8 which I'm now using and will have paid off next month; it was around $950 or so in total. And now the charger port is going bad >_>

I'm honestly going with a cheap LG next time. Last one I had worked better than any Samsung phone I've used.
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Samsung always seems to have issues for me. Their Android Note tablet went to shit within a year. Meanwhile I'm still using my Xperia tablet I got years and years ago. My mid-range Moto 5 Plus phone I got a while ago is still going strong and I have no desire to upgrade anytime soon.
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I mean, other than the charging port my Note 8 is admittedly still going strong; I've dropped it several times with the front case missing and not a scratch. I'm impressed tbh.

I just need to get that charger port checked out, because if I barely touch it when it's on the charger, it knocks it off.

I pay $54 a month for my XS Max. That's like nothing for something I use so much every single day. Zero interest as well.
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You can get a solid smartphone for $100. Cheaper if you don't care about quality.

If you're in the US, you have to look for deals or get the previous year's flagship. You don't have to spend more than $500 on the latest phones if you're looking at it monthly. Even cheaper if you want to go outright like with the S9 for $300.

Apple and Samsung have the best quality right now. Samsung was not that great till S8, after the Note 7 fiasco, but they've improved.

Budget phones are a marketing trick for unsavvy shoppers. They use older stuff that, yeah, works, but is not the best bang for your buck.

Also LG is piss trash. They fucked up so many phones that unless you're getting it on clearance, you're going in uninformed for the shit they've tried to pull.

Also, TC, try cleaning the port. I usually just rinse it under water, but you can also use rubbing alcohol. I've had this issue with several USB-C devices and it's almost always lint and whatnot.
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LockeMonster posted...

Budget phones are a marketing trick for unsavvy shoppers. They use older stuff that, yeah, works, but is not the best bang for your buck.

lol no

Especially with the Samsung J series, you're getting a very solid phone for cheap.

OctilIery posted...

LockeMonster posted...

Budget phones are a marketing trick for unsavvy shoppers. They use older stuff that, yeah, works, but is not the best bang for your buck.

lol no

Especially with the Samsung J series, you're getting a very solid phone for cheap.

Um, yes. It's cheaper and older tech. I clarified that it might not affect your usage. Regardless, if you look for something on clearance as opposed to regular priced budget phones, the clearance stuff will always be the better bang for the buck.
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lease a phone, thats what i do
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FL81 posted...

I'm honestly going with a cheap LG next time. Last one I had worked better than any Samsung phone I've used.

i had the opposite experience. i went from the galaxy s4 to the LG G4 back to the galaxy s9+

the G4 i went through 4 phones. had to send in 3 of them because the speaker died a couple times. had the vibration motor die as well. just none stop problems. s9+ i've had almost a year and no problems.

most phones are designed to die after like a year. the battery becomes trash and you need to replace it or get a battery case or something. i still get like 6 hours of screen time on the stock battery which is way more than any other phone i had but still not enough. but better than the 2 hours i was getting on other phones.

compatibility with old phones is another issue. although most from the last 5 years should still be mostly fine. it's just older ones than that might not run every app. but i've only seen that with a few friends trying to run newer games. if you don't really game on your phone than it shouldn't be an issue.

OctilIery posted...

You can get a solid smartphone for $100. Cheaper if you don't care about quality.

This is what I paid for my s7. Can't really imagine needing anything more.

FL81 posted...

I'm honestly going with a cheap LG next time. Last one I had worked better than any Samsung phone I've used.

this is what ive got. sure it sucks but I never cared for mobile gaming and prefer to browse on my laptop
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LockeMonster posted...

Also, TC, try cleaning the port. I usually just rinse it under water, but you can also use rubbing alcohol. I've had this issue with several USB-C devices and it's almost always lint and whatnot.

Oh good deal, once I sober up I'll try it.

I still use my Xperia XZ for 3 year and no problems
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If you need it just for calls, text, and the occasional email, the cheap line of Samsung J series phones work perfectly.
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big name flagship phones are luxury items. you can find functional smartphones for between 30-100 dollars if you really need something. And even just going a bit higher than that, I recently got a ip6s for just 150
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