Why do people actually *buy* mobile phones?

Hi,

I'm after a "HTC Tornado". I have an existing package.
Now you can buy for ~£290 sim free or get one with a package for the same
annual cost.

Apparently any lock is dead easy to remove.

So why do people buy a phone rather than get a cheap package?

They have the added bonus of a fair few free calls, "immediate" replacement
if the phone is crocked etc.

Why should I buy rather than just take out another package - even I don't
use any of the call allocation.

What am I missing?

---

› See More: Why do people actually *buy* mobile phones?

Jo wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm after a "HTC Tornado". I have an existing package.
> Now you can buy for ~£290 sim free or get one with a package for the same
> annual cost.
>
> Apparently any lock is dead easy to remove.
>
> So why do people buy a phone rather than get a cheap package?
>
> They have the added bonus of a fair few free calls, "immediate" replacement
> if the phone is crocked etc.
>
> Why should I buy rather than just take out another package - even I don't
> use any of the call allocation.
>
> What am I missing?

Th efact that some people have poor credit so can't get contracts, some
people don't want to be paying out each month for cashflow reasons, not
having the phone butchered by a network prior to sale

"Woby Tide" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

Jo wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm after a "HTC Tornado". I have an existing package.
> Now you can buy for ~£290 sim free or get one with a package for the same
> annual cost.
>
> Apparently any lock is dead easy to remove.
>
> So why do people buy a phone rather than get a cheap package?
>
> They have the added bonus of a fair few free calls, "immediate"
> replacement
> if the phone is crocked etc.
>
> Why should I buy rather than just take out another package - even I don't
> use any of the call allocation.
>
> What am I missing?

>Th efact that some people have poor credit so can't get contracts, some
>people don't want to be paying out each month for cashflow reasons, not
>having the phone butchered by a network prior to sale

Right so none of those apply to me so I amay aswell get a contract.

Cheers

"Jo" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi,
>
> I'm after a "HTC Tornado". I have an existing package.
> Now you can buy for ~£290 sim free or get one with a package for the same
> annual cost.
>
> Apparently any lock is dead easy to remove.
>
> So why do people buy a phone rather than get a cheap package?
>
> They have the added bonus of a fair few free calls, "immediate"
> replacement
> if the phone is crocked etc.
>
> Why should I buy rather than just take out another package - even I don't
> use any of the call allocation.
>
> What am I missing?

Some people (me included) have such low usage that a contract isn't the
right option. Not everyone wants to be tied down for 12 or 18 months
either. What happens if you need or want a new phone in 8 months time? More
importantly, the contract allowance may not correspond well to your actual
usage and you may not use up all your allowance while incurring additional
costs for calls, text, data and voicemail access.

"Jo" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> So why do people buy a phone rather than get a cheap package?


> What am I missing?

Could make sense if you don't want a fancy phone - and you can buy a decent
used one on Ebay for £20 to £40 - and then get a phone free contract. I was
offered a phoen free contract by Voda - which worked out £6 pm cheaper than
a contract with a "free"6230i.

"Jo" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>>Th efact that some people have poor credit so can't get contracts, some
>>people don't want to be paying out each month for cashflow reasons, not
>>having the phone butchered by a network prior to sale
>
> Right so none of those apply to me so I amay aswell get a contract.

Well, quite.

Luck you, ya dafty.

On Fri, 21 Apr 2006 13:07:50 +0100, "Jo" <[email protected]> wrote:

>So why do people buy a phone rather than get a cheap package?

I can only speak for myself, but I often buy generic phones without
contract due to being able to get exactly the model I like without any
nasty customisations or SIM locks and knowing I wont have to mess
about or wait for an unlocking solution.

I also usually get a phone each year on contract renewal. Sometime
these go straight on ebay (got £ 190 for my 'free' 6680 last year
which covered a large chunk of the years line rental), sometimes (if
they're easily unlocked and de-branded) I use the supplied phone. I've
even been known to take out a second contract just for the phone -
such as a cashback deal on a Pink V3 for my wife...

So I guess people just take the deals they need to get the phone they
want!

Rgds
Jonathan
--
Free VoIP SIP accounts at www.kcip.com

"TKD" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]

[snip]

> Some people (me included) have such low usage that a
> contract isn't the right option. Not everyone wants to be
> tied down for 12 or 18 months either. What happens if you
> need or want a new phone in 8 months time? More
> importantly, the contract allowance may not correspond
> well to your actual usage and you may not use up all
> your allowance while incurring additional costs for
> calls, text, data and voicemail access.

Why do people want to change their phones every 5 minutes anyway..? When
did you last "upgrade" your landline phone..?!

Ivor

On Fri, 21 Apr 2006 13:07:50 +0100, "Jo" <[email protected]> wrote:

>I'm after a "HTC Tornado". I have an existing package.
>Now you can buy for ~£290 sim free or get one with a package for the same
>annual cost.
>
>Apparently any lock is dead easy to remove.
>
>So why do people buy a phone rather than get a cheap package?

I'm surprised that no-one has offered an obvious answer: that you're
comparing an *annual* cost with a *once-only* cost. So keeping the
phone for two years on contract would cost twice as much as buying it.

Not everyone changes their mobile phone every year!

Mike.

--
Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem

"Mike" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]
> On Fri, 21 Apr 2006 13:07:50 +0100, "Jo"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > I'm after a "HTC Tornado". I have an existing package.
> > Now you can buy for ~£290 sim free or get one with a
> > package for the same annual cost.
> >
> > Apparently any lock is dead easy to remove.
> >
> > So why do people buy a phone rather than get a cheap
> > package?
>
> I'm surprised that no-one has offered an obvious answer:
> that you're comparing an *annual* cost with a *once-only*
> cost. So keeping the phone for two years on contract
> would cost twice as much as buying it.
>
> Not everyone changes their mobile phone every year!

No, some people seem to change them with their underwear..! I wonder why
they don't do the same with their landline phones..?!

Ivor

Jo wrote:
> So why do people buy a phone rather than get a cheap package?

I frequently work abroad, and buy local sims rather than pay for high
roaming costs. That needs an unlocked handset. I can unlock one on an
agreement, but that would be a breach of the conditions I'd put my
signature to, and I won't do that (no matter how unlikely detection
might be).

I have a selection of motorola accessories that fitted my timeport, and
won't fit the nokias and erricsons on offer from most suppliers. I
decided to buy another motorola.

By owning my own handset I can use PAYG agreements, that cost me
nothing while I am not in the UK, or when I am working nights and don't
have the bl**dy thing switched on.

I bought my last motorola with a 3 year warranty, including the
battery, and free theft insurance.

The whole thing suits me very well.

>> > I'm after a "HTC Tornado". I have an existing package.
>> > Now you can buy for ~£290 sim free or get one with a
>> > package for the same annual cost.
>> >
>> > Apparently any lock is dead easy to remove.
>> >
>> > So why do people buy a phone rather than get a cheap
>> > package?
>>
>> I'm surprised that no-one has offered an obvious answer:
>> that you're comparing an *annual* cost with a *once-only*
>> cost. So keeping the phone for two years on contract
>> would cost twice as much as buying it.
>>
>> Not everyone changes their mobile phone every year!
>
> No, some people seem to change them with their underwear..! I wonder why
> they don't do the same with their landline phones..?!

People upgrade frequently because the way mobile phones are marketed is
designed to make us think we need to. Oh and because its "free".

On 22 Apr 2006 06:02:31 -0700, [email protected] wrote:

> I can unlock one on an
>agreement, but that would be a breach of the conditions I'd put my
>signature to,

Can you explain that statement? It makes no sense to me.

--

Iain
the out-of-date hairydog guide to mobile phones
http://www.hairydog.co.uk/cell1.html
Browse now while stocks last!

Jo wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm after a "HTC Tornado". I have an existing package.
> Now you can buy for ~£290 sim free or get one with a package for the same
> annual cost.
>
> Apparently any lock is dead easy to remove.
>
> So why do people buy a phone rather than get a cheap package?
>
> They have the added bonus of a fair few free calls, "immediate" replacement
> if the phone is crocked etc.
>
> Why should I buy rather than just take out another package - even I don't
> use any of the call allocation.
>
> What am I missing?
>
>
>
or alternately, buy them off ebay after the early-adopters have got bored.
if the tornado=spv c500 then you can get a good one for 80 quid off ebay...

Ivor Jones wrote:
> some people seem to change them with their underwear..! I wonder why
> they don't do the same with their landline phones..?!

Mobile phones are still a developing technology, yes the basic features
remain the same, but manufactures are constantly making them smaller,
and adding extras such as MP3 players, cameras and Internet.

There's simply no market for MP3 players as the like on landline phones,
and people use their computers for the Internet. I upgrade my computer
every couple of years, phones are much more like computers in that respect.


--
Marc
See http://www.imarc.co.uk/ for contact information.