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Forum nameGeneral Discussion
Topic subjectThese cellphone prices are out of control!!!
Topic URLhttp://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=4&topic_id=12713540
12713540, These cellphone prices are out of control!!!
Posted by deejboram, Fri Jan-30-15 06:59 AM
I go to pay our T-Mobile bill just now and I see this:

PLAN START DATE: 01/03/15
ORIGINAL PRICE: $849.99
DOWN PAYMENT: $99.99
PAYMENTS REMAINING: 23

Fucking $31 a month for a damn phone?!?!!?

this is INSANE

now i gotta chill with this shit bottled up inside for several hours cause you cant just hit a nigga over the head with some "how the fuck you spending $1,000 on a gotdamn iPhone!!?!?!?!" before six o'clock in the morning.
at least let a nigga brush they teeth and take they vitamins

But, How do we fight this?
As a consumer I'm tired of this shit man.
Just more and more consumering they shove down our throats
and we really don't have an option to NOT do the smartphone thing or have the super duper jumbo pack of a cable package

it is actually CHEAPER to get tv, internet AND phone from comcast than just two individual pieces.

do I need to write the FCC, SEC or FTD to fix this

i need to go live on a farm in the middle of nowhere
12713561, Rap is outta control....RapaRapaRapaRap is outta control
Posted by GHNO, Fri Jan-30-15 08:29 AM
Rap is outta control
Rap is outta control
Rap is outta control
Rap is outta control
Rap is outta control
Rap is outta control

G, man, do I have the power like He-Man
To crack a wack MC's head, open like a pea can
Damn, my name should become Sam
But I prefer, a grand royal for the jam
I'm putting heads out, the guns I use to pump lead out
Hey son, I suggest that you head out
I total, cremate, strikin mic flakes
I won't break, I make more nerds than a earthquake
Strong, got more strength than King Kong
I'm worldwide, I'm interviewed like Kaity Tong
I'm on now, live at 12, it's so dope
All the way to 4 o'clock, there no soaps
I'm able to rock the mic nice and stable
It's a chance that you might see me on cable
Vision, Showtime or HBO with the flow
Getting more play than Rambo
Aiyyo, whatta you know, party people, rap is outta control
Rap is outta control, it's definitely, fuckin outta control
Rap is outta control, rap is definitely is outta control
It's outta control, rap is outta control

Straight from the underground, where universal beatdown is a mush
Yo, I stuck crab MC, E (too late, he got crushed)
Was he a pop rap singer, R&B swinger
Faggot who jumped the gate and now you get the finger
In other words, it's absurd to try to get wit
The brother from Brentwood, Long Island, nicknamed Swift Lip
I'm too smooth and yes, I groove to the slam track
Wit a Beck's in my right hand, left hand on bozack
I moved on ya posse, first reaction was "Oh shit
Let's do that brother, hell no (why) he's too quick"
So dial 1-900-55-eat-shit
I pack a twelve shot nine mil and yes I still kick
(What) ass like a jock (height) 6'3" and stocky
(Rap name) not Balboa, so motherfuck Rocky
I'm the mainstream supreme, slamming like Akeem
The Dream, and yes sometimes it may seem that

Rap is outta control
Rap is outta control
Sure dude, rap-rap-rap-rap-rap, for sure dude
Rap is outta control, yes, yes y'all, yes y'all
Yes y'all, yes y'all, kick it E

I stand tall, I won't fall, I recall
Ha ha, your rhymes stall
When I bust caps, until they Kryptonite caps
I reign of steel, I swap bullets like that
I'm like, Superman, fly high up in the sky
And if you try to shoot me down, clown, I won't die
I cremate, I hate, let's exterminate
Wait for a second, E, time to debate
As I take my fisherman hat off, there's no hat
For an MC on a trail of a mad comeback
12713587, I spent $100 on my iPhone
Posted by ndibs, Fri Jan-30-15 08:59 AM
Then I got a plan with ting, only pay for what I use and my average bill is $25/month. If I go crazy and use Instagram and do work on etsy while I'm out the house it's like $30. But by posting my ting referral code on reddit and tweeting it. I've managed to only pay a bill half the time. For June to December I paid $60 total. I need to just put it in my sig, but I don't even be thinking about my cell phone bill.
12713591, sounds to me like you don't talk to nobody
Posted by deejboram, Fri Jan-30-15 09:02 AM
>Then I got a plan with ting, only pay for what I use and my
>average bill is $25/month. If I go crazy and use Instagram
>and do work on etsy while I'm out the house it's like $30.


i might just reduce my lines down to my at&t prepaid burner phone
12713595, how many of us REALLY talk to anybody though???
Posted by GHNO, Fri Jan-30-15 09:06 AM
When my bill comes...I RARELY have used more than 45minutes....
I haven't physically TALKED on this phone in over 5 days....

real talk....if I lost this Note 4 today...the only thing i'd miss/regret is that i'm still on the hook for paying for it ... lol

I'm really thinking about unplugging....goin back to a flip phone just for emergencies....
12713604, so youjust be having text-a-thons?
Posted by deejboram, Fri Jan-30-15 09:13 AM
>When my bill comes...I RARELY have used more than
>45minutes....
>I haven't physically TALKED on this phone in over 5 days....
>
>real talk....if I lost this Note 4 today...the only thing i'd
>miss/regret is that i'm still on the hook for paying for it
>... lol
>
>I'm really thinking about unplugging....goin back to a flip
>phone just for emergencies....



i have to call my office and conference calls when i work from home
i got family and friends outta state
12713612, I just don't like talking on the phone....but I love gadgets :(
Posted by GHNO, Fri Jan-30-15 09:19 AM
When I do talk on the phone.....I just use the land line at work or at home....sounds better anyway...

Honestly...cell phones are pretty shitty for having decent conversations.....

12713616, no landline at home and lines at work be tapped so no bueno.
Posted by deejboram, Fri Jan-30-15 09:20 AM
>When I do talk on the phone.....I just use the land line at
>work or at home....sounds better anyway...
>
>Honestly...cell phones are pretty shitty for having decent
>conversations.....
>
>
12713599, Nah I talk on the phone a few hours a week...
Posted by ndibs, Fri Jan-30-15 09:08 AM
Business shit, personal. That's the most expensive part Of my bill.

I use data through wifi mostly tho.
12713606, ahhhh see
Posted by deejboram, Fri Jan-30-15 09:14 AM
>Business shit, personal. That's the most expensive part Of
>my bill.
>
>I use data through wifi mostly tho.

if you using those free wi-fi calls then that explains it
but my business is REAL BUSINESS and i can't be risking shit trying to be cheap and use a wi-fi call that is more susceptible to dropping than a regular cellphone call

our service price aint bad at $45 a month unlimited everything
it is just the damn cost of the DEVICES!!!!!
12713614, I'm not using wifi calls for business
Posted by ndibs, Fri Jan-30-15 09:19 AM
Lol. wtf you think I'm calling the post office or my bank through snapchat or what's app or whatever those wifi calling plans are?
12713617, snap. crackle. pop. sounds like a Vonage box!
Posted by deejboram, Fri Jan-30-15 09:21 AM
.
12713628, If you mean an iPhone on the sprint network yes.
Posted by ndibs, Fri Jan-30-15 09:25 AM
12713619, I couldn't do it. I got a google nexus 5 on amazon for $20 and KIM
Posted by placee_22, Fri Jan-30-15 09:22 AM
it's a yr (probably 2) behind, but I'm running Android 5.somethin and generally have no complaints.

My guy at work just got the iPhone 6 and that shit's nice, but I wasn't feeling coming up off of that much $
12713623, wait... what's that $850 for, is that the off-contract price?
Posted by placee_22, Fri Jan-30-15 09:24 AM
gotdamn... I scoffed @ the 2-yr contract price. I sure as shit wasn't bout to pay damn near 2K for 2 new iPhones. Fuck all that.
12713641, t-mobile dont have contracts. they just make u pay fullprice for the phone
Posted by deejboram, Fri Jan-30-15 09:31 AM
even my galaxy s3 was $550 almost two years ago ($20 a month payment plan)
they basically give you a 0% loan to cover the cost of the phone spread out over 24 months

when you see it like that, it stings a lot more
12713693, damn, although I wonder what the overall cost difference is b/t them and
Posted by placee_22, Fri Jan-30-15 09:50 AM
a company w/ a contract and contract-priced phones?
12713711, which is why I still have a Galaxy S2. I refuse, yo.
Posted by daryloneal, Fri Jan-30-15 09:58 AM
It's crazy.

I can't rationalize paying that much for a phone, especially when I have an android tablet that basically does the same thing.

So I just try to keep it as light on apps as I can to keep it relatlively efficient and just ride it until the wheels fall off.
12714240, it's why I bought the LG G2 instead of the G3
Posted by legsdiamond, Fri Jan-30-15 01:41 PM


12713626, maybe try amazon
Posted by tariqhu, Fri Jan-30-15 09:24 AM
for phone deals. you might have to switch to android tho. I doubt iphones will be discounted.
12713633, iPhones will be discounted too bc you don't have to pay sales tax
Posted by ndibs, Fri Jan-30-15 09:28 AM
>for phone deals. you might have to switch to android tho. I
>doubt iphones will be discounted.

Generally.
12713636, as Bin says, I am bout to KIRK THEEE FUCK OUT!!!
Posted by deejboram, Fri Jan-30-15 09:29 AM
i hate when ppl look at th...
see yall
not only black folks have lil personal finance knowledge
my wife is bad with money too
she only looks at the $100 she gave up to get the phone
and sees the $31 a month payment
not realising that in 2 years she will have paid ~$1,000 for this gotdamn thing!
you know how many kiddy swimming lessons that could paid for?
FOURTY-EIGHT
that's how many!!!

her thing is, "quit trippin, we can afford it."
which is true we can afford $31 a month
(stuntastic, i know)
but got dammit it makes no sense to spend that kinda dough on such a bullshit device

i was ranting at the barbershop a few weeks ago about my wife saying shit like that
and all them niggas sided with my wife "stop being cheap nigga! if you can afford it, just get it for wifey and KIM. learn to pick your battles"

i got a $15 alcatel phone from walmart that works just as good as her iPhone
12713680, It might depend on how much you use the phone
Posted by Marbles, Fri Jan-30-15 09:45 AM

>but got dammit it makes no sense to spend that kinda dough on
>such a bullshit device

If your smartphone holds your calendar, alarm, phone, web access, music, social media, contacts, etc. and you use all this stuff frequently then $31/month isn't a lot.

If you just want a cool phone because it's the hot new thing, that's another story.
12713743, I think he's talking about that $31
Posted by tariqhu, Fri Jan-30-15 10:07 AM
in a addition to the monthly service bill. adding on a device payment to whatever the bill would normally be.
12713754, her phone aint used for none of that. just a cute $31 a month device
Posted by deejboram, Fri Jan-30-15 10:12 AM
honestly, if i didnt have to SEE how much this shit was each month i'd sleep a lot better
like i hate when i glance and see an invoice for some shoes she bought
yeah they look nice, but they dont look THAT got dam nice!
12714355, I know that's right...lmao!!!
Posted by DJ007, Fri Jan-30-15 02:54 PM

_____________________________________________________
"You can win with certainty with the spirit of "one cut". "Musashi Miyamoto
12713760, My wife JUST changed our plan at xmas
Posted by John Forte, Fri Jan-30-15 10:15 AM
We have three phones; mine, hers and her nephew's. She was grandfathered in for unlimited data, I had 2 gig, and I think he had 1G. She wanted to distribute the data more evenly because I'd go over my data every other month and it would cost us an extra $10. ATT told her that we could switch to the Family Share plan and get 10G of data between us (we've never used more than 6-7G) for the SAME price. What they neglected to tell us is that that Family Share plan technically takes us out of contract, so no more upgrades.

I found out the hard way a couple of days ago when I went in for my upgrade. They told me that if I wanted to upgrade, I'd have to either buy the phone outright, do the installment plan (zero interest) or go under a new contract which would cost $25 more per month, and I'd still have to pay $300 for the phone. I was mad as shit. So yeah, I'm on a $31/mo plan for the next 18 mo.
12713773, Wait, you're mad that you bought $800 phone
Posted by Sleepy, Fri Jan-30-15 10:20 AM
and it costs $800. Paying retail is what it is. What did you expect?

That's why I run with Android. Full featured and more affordable.

I'd have looked at that One plus One
12713797, im mad MY WIFE spent so much on a piddly talking device
Posted by deejboram, Fri Jan-30-15 10:32 AM
she acting like we got millions
i probably wont pay $1,000 for a phone until i have millions
im pretty sure of that shit
even at $31 a month that is just ridiculous
and she dont even have a case for it

so i'm going to shell out the dough and get her an otterbox as a early bday (mid-march) present
12713824, Man, being mad at the wife's purchases is normal for me...
Posted by Sleepy, Fri Jan-30-15 10:48 AM
You can't return it? I'd definitely be trying to go that route.

I'm sorry about that...what do you think is a far price for a phone though?
12714274, how you think i'mma return a GROWN WOMAN'S cellphone???`
Posted by deejboram, Fri Jan-30-15 02:02 PM
>You can't return it? I'd definitely be trying to go that
>route.

she older than me!!!
lol
plus, she cant return my lap dances would be a convenient quip for her


>I'm sorry about that...what do you think is a far price for a
>phone though?

man i think $200 TOPS should be the most we paying for a phone
got damn $1,000 man
$1,000!>!>>!>!>!
im no baller so that is a looooooot of fucking bread to me
that's damn near my rent!
12714468, RE: how you think i'mma return a GROWN WOMAN'S cellphone???`
Posted by Sleepy, Fri Jan-30-15 03:59 PM
>>You can't return it? I'd definitely be trying to go that
>>route.
>
>she older than me!!!
>lol
>plus, she cant return my lap dances would be a convenient quip
>for her
>
>
>>I'm sorry about that...what do you think is a far price for
>a
>>phone though?
>
>man i think $200 TOPS should be the most we paying for a
>phone
>got damn $1,000 man
>$1,000!>!>>!>!>!
>im no baller so that is a looooooot of fucking bread to me
>that's damn near my rent!


Yeah, in that case, it might be time to move back to the flip phones. Smartphones are expensive, and you really need to try to find a good happy medium. Good luck man.

With that said, you can get a very good smartphone off contract for about $350 - $400. Like yourself, I wouldn't pay more than $200, but I'd also be looking at everything under the sun.
12714469, the problem is i like to surf the web on my phone
Posted by deejboram, Fri Jan-30-15 04:01 PM
and these newer browsers dont be working on older phone platforms
apps either
after this galaxy s3 dies i wanted to get a galaxy s5 off craigslist for like $250 but im not finding none
i might be able to swing a s4 for $200 tho
i still want an s5
12714542, Samsung and Apple aren't the only manufacturers that make smartphones
Posted by kfine, Fri Jan-30-15 04:49 PM

or even touchscreen phones, though

Take a look on Amazon, like Tariqhu suggested.

I've been using some generic brand touchscreen Android that I ordered on Amazon. The camera is fantastic (13MP) and it has a 1.7 ghz processor. No corny brand insignia except on the rear bottom of the phone, but it's barely noticeable

It was <$200 with good reviews. It's been great so far
12713791, I'm still trying to figure out why smart phones cost as much as laptops.
Posted by The Wordsmith, Fri Jan-30-15 10:29 AM
What's a plausible justification for it? Smart phones are ubiquitous now, so why are people still being charged these exorbitant prices as if it's brand spanking new technology?

Laptops have bigger screens, more hard drive space, more RAM, etc, etc and you can do more with them. The only thing smart phones have over them is that their portability is more convenient betwixt the two.

Smart phones being smaller means less materials are being used yet these things cost just as much (or more depending on the brand) than laptops.



Since 1976
12713799, damb. i aint even think of that. u bring up a DAMN GOOD point!
Posted by deejboram, Fri Jan-30-15 10:33 AM
why ARE cellphones costing as much as laptops?
ugh i feel so played and betrayed and marketed too
so gullable
12713803, because people will pay
Posted by tariqhu, Fri Jan-30-15 10:37 AM
high ass prices for them over and over again. why lower the price if people are willing to pay for them?
12713816, Oh, I know greed is at the bottom of it all.
Posted by The Wordsmith, Fri Jan-30-15 10:44 AM
That goes without saying. I was just wondering if someone could break out some kind of Power Point and legitimately expound on the reasons why these companies have to charge so freakin' much. I feel you, though.




Since 1976
12713820, i worked on an S-RAM anti-trust lawsuit and saw the BOM for iPhones
Posted by deejboram, Fri Jan-30-15 10:47 AM


>That goes without saying. I was just wondering if someone
>could break out some kind of Power Point and legitimately
>expound on the reasons why these companies have to charge so
>freakin' much. I feel you, though.


the components for them shits was like $28 but they was charging $600 each
of course you have to add in the labor it takes to assemble all them pieces but they build them in slave wage china/taiwan so it wont be much
Steve Jobs was caking
12713849, word
Posted by tariqhu, Fri Jan-30-15 11:01 AM
12714245, people will stand in line for a new iphone while using a perfectly
Posted by legsdiamond, Fri Jan-30-15 01:44 PM
good iphone
12714230, Separate chromebooks, netbooks, and budget notebooks from laptops.
Posted by Kira, Fri Jan-30-15 01:35 PM
>RE: I'm still trying to figure out why smart phones cost as much as >laptops.
>What's a plausible justification for it? Smart phones are
>ubiquitous now, so why are people still being charged these
>exorbitant prices as if it's brand spanking new technology?
>
>Laptops have bigger screens, more hard drive space, more RAM,
>etc, etc and you can do more with them. The only thing smart
>phones have over them is that their portability is more
>convenient betwixt the two.
>
>Smart phones being smaller means less materials are being used
>yet these things cost just as much (or more depending on the
>brand) than laptops.

Anything under $950 doesn't count as a laptop. <-- Yes, I'm bougie. With that said, manufacturing, designing, marketing, distribution, and software costs drive up the price of a smartphone. High end smartphones such as the iphone 6, LG G3, Saygus V2, etc. don't cost as much as a full spec 15 inch retina macbook so in one respect you're wrong. The market regulates itself and customers have shown that anything above $998 is too much for a smartphone.

People spend $5,000 and $10,000 a year on clothes. People drop $180 to thousands of dollars a night in clubs so this point is moot. SPOILER ALERT: we buy stuff we don't need all the time. It's not overpriced relative to function and value

I'll take an LG G3/iphone 6+ over a 2003-2010 budget laptop in terms of functionality.
12714236, i got a $500 i7 Haswell based laptop that runs SAS and BusObj
Posted by deejboram, Fri Jan-30-15 01:40 PM
>Anything under $950 doesn't count as a laptop. <-- Yes, I'm
>bougie.

my wife i6+ can't do that
12714527, my RHEL6.6 VM has SAS installed.
Posted by PoppaGeorge, Fri Jan-30-15 04:40 PM
I use it to check for any adverse changes when I update/patch a live system (one of my clients is running SAS).


---------------------------

forcing myself to actually respond to you is like bathing in ebola virus. - Binlahab

Like there is stupid, and then there is you, and then there is dead. - VAsBestBBW

R.I.P. Disco D
12714564, wait, what lol? SAS worked fine on my t410 and that was an i5
Posted by kfine, Fri Jan-30-15 05:00 PM

>
>my wife i6+ can't do that


12714579, www.sas.com you're not running that on no damn phone
Posted by deejboram, Fri Jan-30-15 05:08 PM
http://www.sas.com/

this software crashes servers because the computing power needed is so heavy
LOL to think you had it on your RAZR phone
12714597, um, thanks for the link.. I'm familiar with SAS as I program in it everyday
Posted by kfine, Fri Jan-30-15 05:16 PM

at work.

I've never owned a razr in my life, I was referring to my old ThinkPad.


>http://www.sas.com/
>
>this software crashes servers because the computing power
>needed is so heavy
>LOL to think you had it on your RAZR phone
12714616, I have in in a VM on my i3 laptop
Posted by PoppaGeorge, Fri Jan-30-15 05:39 PM

---------------------------

forcing myself to actually respond to you is like bathing in ebola virus. - Binlahab

Like there is stupid, and then there is you, and then there is dead. - VAsBestBBW

R.I.P. Disco D
12714256, RE: Separate chromebooks, netbooks, and budget notebooks from laptops.
Posted by PoppaGeorge, Fri Jan-30-15 01:50 PM
>Anything under $950 doesn't count as a laptop. <-- Yes, I'm
>bougie. With that said, manufacturing, designing, marketing,
>distribution, and software costs drive up the price of a
>smartphone. High end smartphones such as the iphone 6, LG G3,
>Saygus V2, etc. don't cost as much as a full spec 15 inch
>retina macbook so in one respect you're wrong. The market
>regulates itself and customers have shown that anything above
>$998 is too much for a smartphone.

They got 15" laptops at Walmart for $250 with full keyboards (including numeric keypad), DVD burner and alladat. I'm finna get one for my 16 year old daughter for school.


>I'll take an LG G3/iphone 6+ over a 2003-2010 budget laptop in
>terms of functionality.

no keyboard, tiny screen, no media input other than a microsd card, but somehow it's more functional than a laptop???

K...


---------------------------

forcing myself to actually respond to you is like bathing in ebola virus. - Binlahab

Like there is stupid, and then there is you, and then there is dead. - VAsBestBBW

R.I.P. Disco D
12714309, Reread what I wrote........
Posted by Kira, Fri Jan-30-15 02:23 PM
>>I'll take an LG G3/iphone 6+ over a 2003-2010 budget laptop
>in
>>terms of functionality.
>
>no keyboard, tiny screen, no media input other than a microsd
>card, but somehow it's more functional than a laptop???
>
>K...


I'll take an LG G3/iphone 6+ over a 2003-2010 budget laptop in terms of functionality.... Due to resolution and reliable hardware/software. 2003 budget laptops should barely work at this point. Ditto for anything from 2004 to 2010 that is not a 2008+ macbook.

From my perspective, those budget laptops are locked on inferior outdated operating systems using ancient hardware. Give me a 2014 flagship tablet over a 2003-2010 budget laptop.
12714396, The $250 laptop from wallyworld is better than a tablet
Posted by PoppaGeorge, Fri Jan-30-15 03:19 PM
>I'll take an LG G3/iphone 6+ over a 2003-2010 budget laptop in
>terms of functionality.... Due to resolution and reliable
>hardware/software. 2003 budget laptops should barely work at
>this point. Ditto for anything from 2004 to 2010 that is not a
>2008+ macbook.

For starters, it's a -new- laptop with a current OS (Win 8.1).

http://www.toshiba.com/us/computers/laptops/satellite/C50/C55D-B5319

^^^ This one in particular.

Before you try to scoff at it and begin to tell me everything you think you CAN'T do with it, let me tell you a little something about what I'm currently using.

I'm running a new in 2010 Dell Inspiron 1121, aka the 11z. It's running a dual core first gen, low power i3-330UM processor with 8GB of RAM. It's an 11" laptop with a screen resolution of 1366x768 and no optical drive running Win 7.

However...

I run my entire business from this machine right now with help from the second monitor I have attached to it. At any given point in time I have at least two virtual machines running (one XP, the other Fedora 20), one for each of my clients and anything else for testing code or OS changes. Both VM's get their own dedicated wireless connection out via USB wifi adapters so I can better manage the VPN connections to the client sites.

While that's going on, from the host OS (Win7) I typically have a shit ton of applications running at any given time ranging from browsers (right now I have IE, Firefox, and Opera running, all with multiple tabs with firefox at 14 tabs alone... I just stopped to count), Winamp, Wireshark, Eclipse, Notepad ++, Python IDLE and likely a Cygwin session running.

When I'm not working, it serves as my audio workstation. I have my keyboard and audio interface plugged in with FL Studio+plugins running or maybe Cubase 5 or Sonar running depending on my mood. It can handle quite a bit in terms of plugins without so much as a hiccup.

... with that said... That Toshiba is running a more recent processor than mine with far better graphics capability than the Intel HD crap integrated in the i3 I have. The one issue I have with the laptop is that you can't upgrade memory on it: It's stuck at 4GB. For my daughter it's fine, for me it'll never do.

>
>From my perspective, those budget laptops are locked on
>inferior outdated operating systems using ancient hardware.
>Give me a 2014 flagship tablet over a 2003-2010 budget laptop.
>

Your perspective is wrong.

You'd be hard pressed to find a laptop for sale from a major retailer running anything less than Win8 with 8.1 being the standard these days. Also, the hardware is almost never outdated or even "ancient" by any stretch of the imagination.

FWIW, my 2010 "budget" laptop (the Inspiron 1121) runs circles around a 2015 flagship tablet by every measure except 3D performance... And even then it's surprised me a time or two with what it can handle.



---------------------------

forcing myself to actually respond to you is like bathing in ebola virus. - Binlahab

Like there is stupid, and then there is you, and then there is dead. - VAsBestBBW

R.I.P. Disco D
12714295, computer technology usually doesn't scale that way...
Posted by will_5198, Fri Jan-30-15 02:14 PM
laptops cost significantly more than desktops (which have more power, more RAM, more HD space, etc) because the former have to fit all those same features in a much smaller package. I'm assuming the same applies to cellphones.
12714664, I'd buy that reason if the tech was new but...
Posted by The Wordsmith, Fri Jan-30-15 06:35 PM
....laptops have been out for decades and are owned by numerous consumers. They can practically build those things in their sleep nowadays. By now those components used to build them should be ultra cheap. I have a hard time believing laptops as well as smartphones have a legit reason to be expensive.



Since 1976
12714304, RE: I'm still trying to figure out why smart phones cost as much as laptops.
Posted by double 0, Fri Jan-30-15 02:19 PM
making things smaller is hard.. and expensive..

and iphone components are made in like 5 different countries
12714451, builtin camera, larger and larger SSDs
Posted by Cocobrotha2, Fri Jan-30-15 03:45 PM
I think those 2 technologies drive alot of the prices in phones.
12713806, umm all carriers basically do this..hence the two yr deal
Posted by LAbeathustla, Fri Jan-30-15 10:40 AM
you paying for that phone over time...airtime cost nothing
12714254, it's why I never buy the newest latest when it comes to phones
Posted by legsdiamond, Fri Jan-30-15 01:48 PM
12714307, Right. Do some people actually believe the whole upgrade phenomenon exists
Posted by kfine, Fri Jan-30-15 02:20 PM

because these companies "care" lol?



12713822, You're doing it wrong
Posted by Binladen, Fri Jan-30-15 10:48 AM
12714251, tell me how to do it right then, Daddy
Posted by deejboram, Fri Jan-30-15 01:47 PM
.
12714268, I havent paid for an iphone since the first one, and I get a new one
Posted by Binladen, Fri Jan-30-15 01:56 PM
every time they release a new model. even the first was only $200.

I throw the old iphone on ebay or craigslist and sell it for more then the cost of the new one each time.
12714270, so, what you think i can get a T-Mobile iPhone 6+ for then?
Posted by deejboram, Fri Jan-30-15 01:59 PM
>every time they release a new model. even the first was only
>$200.


what cellphone service carrier are you with?
$200 iPhone 6 you dont say?


>I throw the old iphone on ebay or craigslist and sell it for
>more then the cost of the new one each time.

she had a HTC One that went caput (daughter slobbered all over it) so craigslist hustle was no bueno
12714275, Im with at&t fam, not sure about tmobile but I woulda thought their
Posted by Binladen, Fri Jan-30-15 02:04 PM
prices were the same.
Or just buy it from the apple store and activate it.
The iphone 6 starts at $199, or you just trying to buy it off contact?


>>every time they release a new model. even the first was
>only
>>$200.
>
>
>what cellphone service carrier are you with?
>$200 iPhone 6 you dont say?
>
>
>>I throw the old iphone on ebay or craigslist and sell it for
>>more then the cost of the new one each time.
>
>she had a HTC One that went caput (daughter slobbered all over
>it) so craigslist hustle was no bueno
12714297, You comparing apples to pineapples i see
Posted by deejboram, Fri Jan-30-15 02:15 PM
> prices were the same.
>Or just buy it from the apple store and activate it.
>The iphone 6 starts at $199, or you just trying to buy it off
>contact?
>


we dont have no contract
t-mobile dont do contracts
you just buy the phone and dip from them wheneever you feel like it
12714299, Ah, damn that. You better sign that contract.
Posted by Binladen, Fri Jan-30-15 02:16 PM
>> prices were the same.
>>Or just buy it from the apple store and activate it.
>>The iphone 6 starts at $199, or you just trying to buy it
>off
>>contact?
>>
>
>
>we dont have no contract
>t-mobile dont do contracts
>you just buy the phone and dip from them wheneever you feel
>like it
12714330, and pay for that 900 dollar cellphone
Posted by GriftyMcgrift, Fri Jan-30-15 02:32 PM
when you "dip"
12714364, Its like $325 minus $10 for each full month of your Service Commitment
Posted by Binladen, Fri Jan-30-15 02:59 PM
why would you dip tho? I've never understood the cellphone contract hate. I could be missing something...
12714390, Well, I know for me I stopped messing with carrier contracts after a bad
Posted by kfine, Fri Jan-30-15 03:16 PM

experience when I moved internationally. Of course disconnection varies carrier to carrier and times have changed (this was several years ago), but I got stuck having to pay in excess of $1000 for service and hardware that I could no longer use. On TOP of setting up service in my new country of residence.

I mean, there's honestly lots of opportunities for carriers to exploit a disconnect and charge more than was emphasized in the beginning. The carrier I was leaving for instance, had some stupid ass loophole predicated on the "reason" for the disconnect (essentially, the disconnect-fee-only option was only considered if the person died or was somehow incapacitated)

And after paying all of that, I couldn't even use the phone with any local carriers because the frequencies the phone was manufactured to work on weren't available with any carriers where I was living.




12714394, asking the wrong person lol
Posted by GriftyMcgrift, Fri Jan-30-15 03:18 PM
hell i get that att employee discount
my bill is right
12714517, haha true. .
Posted by tariqhu, Fri Jan-30-15 04:37 PM
just wish we got discounts on the phones too.
12714554, man that would be nice but hell we (uverse)
Posted by GriftyMcgrift, Fri Jan-30-15 04:56 PM
had to fight for that 50% discount for wireless and uverse. we used to only get like 18% discount on uverse smh
12714186, meh...
Posted by PoppaGeorge, Fri Jan-30-15 01:20 PM
>But, How do we fight this?

Don't buy an iPhone. That solves that problem.

>and we really don't have an option to NOT do the smartphone thing

Yeah, we do. I just got rid of mine a few months ago.

We don't really NEED smartphones. We've grown accustom to them by we don't need any of the shit they provide by any stretch of the imagination.


---------------------------

forcing myself to actually respond to you is like bathing in ebola virus. - Binlahab

Like there is stupid, and then there is you, and then there is dead. - VAsBestBBW

R.I.P. Disco D
12714272, thats what parents are for.
Posted by SimplyHannah, Fri Jan-30-15 02:02 PM
Sike nah, you can always just get a phone thats not a smart phone .... Or a beeper
12714291, man niggas talking about dumping cable....why aren't we dumping
Posted by southphillyman, Fri Jan-30-15 02:12 PM
these fucking cellphone plans?
like ppl are saying in here, ppl hardly talk anymore
it's all text and instagram anyway
might as well dump this shit and jockey wifi on a small tablet if i'm that pressed to text or browse
12714300, I paid $360 this month for cable, internet,, cellphone services
Posted by deejboram, Fri Jan-30-15 02:18 PM
that is A LOT of fucking bread
$180 comcast
$180 t-mobile

yeah im bout to go prepaid on that ass
i cant do this no more
i will leave wifey on t-mobile since she just got that i6 but im going to get a AT&T go! phone

i cant stand this shit no more

i really cant

dude, i am fed the fuck up!
12714302, and I complain about my $75 per mo cable bill
Posted by Binladen, Fri Jan-30-15 02:19 PM
12714361, I haven't fucked with phone contracts in several years, surprised so many
Posted by kfine, Fri Jan-30-15 02:57 PM
still do.

I honestly thought it was common knowledge that 'certain' cell phones are that expensive. If more people had to pay $800-$1000 for their phones upfront the upgrade gimmick wouldn't have much to stand on. Buying into these carriers' models for one's hardware needs is essentially paying a brand mortgage.

Not to mention this whole era of, let's call it e-gluttony, is soo bad for the environment:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/30/world/asia/china-electronic-waste-e-waste/

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/detox/electronics/the-e-waste-problem/where-does-e-waste-end-up/

One of those articles estimates that american e-waste generation approaches something like 60lbs PER CAPITA in a year. Plus there is still substantial environmental damage from the exotic mineral extraction necessary to manufacture all these tech products in the first place.

Looking at it from the life cycle perspective is what made me really question all my consumption. I could see if it was NEEDED but so much is just greed/trendiness/boredom.
12714459, RE: man niggas talking about dumping cable....why aren't we dumping
Posted by BlassFemur, Fri Jan-30-15 03:50 PM
>these fucking cellphone plans?<

This is my plan as soon as mine is up. I really can do without these phones. I use Spotify, text and Youtube mainly. I wouldn't be losing much.
12714314, come on guys, dont act brand new
Posted by ShinobiShaw, Fri Jan-30-15 02:25 PM
Apple is a high end consumer product company. They don't make cheap (price) electronics.

If you are wondering why the phone cost just as much as a laptop or tablet that does much more, its simply cause they can and people will buy it. You don't need an iphone or any high end phone. Most of the time I just make calls and text on my phone but now I've downloaded every micro-transaction game in the app store and it occupies all my down time.
12714317, When my Galaxy S2 dies, I'm gonna be on eBay for my next one...
Posted by PimpTrickGangstaClik, Fri Jan-30-15 02:26 PM
Forget getting a brand new phone. I don't need whatever useless new features they've added.
Give me a 3-4 year old phone in working condition, and I'm good to good
12714473, ^^^^^^^^^
Posted by daryloneal, Fri Jan-30-15 04:02 PM
12714528, You can lease phones now
Posted by Chanson, Fri Jan-30-15 04:41 PM
You don't have to buy them.
12714617, i have not ever paid for a new iPhone.
Posted by SoWhat, Fri Jan-30-15 05:43 PM
i've only bought refurbished iPhones from AT&T for no more than $99. i'm on my 3rd such device.

i don't see me ever paying for a new iPhone. for what? the refurbished ones work just fine. and when i've had a problem w/my phone i've had Apple give me a new one. no questions asked.
12714760, dont worry...cell gon be back up in a year or two ..all wifi
Posted by LAbeathustla, Fri Jan-30-15 09:31 PM
as soon ass cities upgrade to citywide wifi...your cellular network will be only an emergency backup...right now u can just get an app and text/ talk for free over wifi domestic and int'l... and soon this will be the norm...
12714785, This ain't Europe... that shit ain't happening anytime soon
Posted by PoppaGeorge, Fri Jan-30-15 10:41 PM
We were promised a fiber rollout over a decade ago, the ISP's/telco's took the billions they got from the government to do that and paid their executives ginormous bonuses and never laid a strand of fiber.

municipal wifi would fuck up cellular money, so they'll likely lobby agains it HARD just like the ISP/Telco lobbyists did for municipal fiber.

---------------------------

forcing myself to actually respond to you is like bathing in ebola virus. - Binlahab

Like there is stupid, and then there is you, and then there is dead. - VAsBestBBW

R.I.P. Disco D
12714822, its coming sooner than you think bruh
Posted by LAbeathustla, Sat Jan-31-15 01:29 AM
12715011, I'm not holding my breath
Posted by PoppaGeorge, Sat Jan-31-15 02:10 PM
I know of a couple of cities that had municipal wifi with Tempe, AZ being one.

You see I said "had"

It was the first city in the US that had citywide wifi internet access for it's citizens.

http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe/articles/2011/08/13/20110813tempe-chandler-wi-fi-project-fizzled-fast.html


---------------------------

forcing myself to actually respond to you is like bathing in ebola virus. - Binlahab

Like there is stupid, and then there is you, and then there is dead. - VAsBestBBW

R.I.P. Disco D