Why do people actually *buy* mobile phones?

[email protected] declared for all the world to hear...
> The thing to remember is that customers don't choose phones, the
> networks choose them, and decide what to offer at subsidised prices.
> They want the extra revenue from picture messaging and the like, even
> if the punters are not keen. So they push handsets with facilities to
> run up big phone bills.

As a consequence of this handset manufacturers plough all of their R&D
into such devices so they can sell more phones to the networks, leaving
"basic" phones high and dry.
--
Regards
Jon

---

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

Ivor Jones wrote:
> "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..?!

There's no point in upgrading a landline, because the technology
doesn't change very much, and they're either crap, or expensive, or
both.

I upgrade my mobile because I can - every 12/18 months I get a new
phone that is significantly better than the last (radio/games/storage
space/camera quality/screen quality/battery life/bluetooth etc etc) and
because it's free. I went from paying £40 or so a month to paying
£23 a month, on a better phone. If this sort of upgrade was available
on a landline then people would upgrade there too. It's just a quirk
of the mobile phone industry business model - really there shouldn't be
any mystery about it.

[email protected] wrote:
> On 23 Apr 2006 14:44:28 -0700, [email protected] wrote:
>
>> If you get a "free" phone with a contract,
>
> You pay for it in the line rental, it's not free.
>
>> it is locked to the network
>
> Not necessarily. As many contract phones are not locked as are.
>
>> to ensure that the subsidised hardware is only used on the contract.
>
> That's utter rubbish. The network don't care whether you use it or
> not. As long as you pay line rental for the minimum contract term.
>
>> It's a breach of the contract to unlock it.
>
> Completely untrue. Read your contract and you'll see.
>
> Why do people make these lies up?



The sad thing is they actually believe the bull**** that they utter. Sad
really.
Irma

Inviato da X-Privat.Org - Registrazione gratuita http://www.x-privat.org/join.php

"Woby Tide" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]
> Ivor Jones wrote:
> > "Irma Troll" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]
> > > Ivor Jones wrote:
> > > > "Irma Troll" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > > > news:[email protected]
> > > > > Ivor Jones wrote:
> > > >
> > > > [snip]
> > > >
> > > > > > Why do people want to change their phones every
> > > > > > 5 minutes anyway..? When did you last "upgrade"
> > > > > > your landline phone..?! Ivor
> > > > > About 4 mins ago :-)
> > > > > Irma
> > > >
> > > > Ok. And the time before that..?
> > > >
> > > > Ivor
> > >
> > > About 1973, I think!
> > > Irma
> >
> > Precisely. So why the need to replace mobiles all the
> > time..?!
> >
> > Ivor
>
> Because most people leave their home phones at home where
> they can come to little damage whilst they carry mobiles
> around and subject them to infintely more usage and
> exposure to potentially damaging situations (i.e. bashed
> around in pockets, dropped, scratched on desks/car
> storage space, knocked around in bags) so their lifespan
> is much shorter hence people need to upgrade/replace as
> it tends to be cheaper than a repair. Daft analogy IMO

Not really. To me (and I suspect a lot of people) a phone is just that, a
phone. I don't expect either my home or mobile phone to double as an MP3
player/video player/camera or whatever, I expect it to be able to make and
receive phone calls.

I keep it in a case in a jacket pocket that doesn't have anything else
like keys, pens or whatever in it, so it doesn't get scratched or knocked
about. On the other hand, some of the normal landline phones in our office
look like they've been in a war zone (they probably were before our firm
bought them..!)

Ivor

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

[snip]

> There's no point in upgrading a landline, because the
> technology doesn't change very much, and they're either
> crap, or expensive, or both.

Hmm. Mine isn't either.

> I upgrade my mobile because I can - every 12/18 months I
> get a new phone that is significantly better than the
> last (radio/games/storage space/camera quality/screen
> quality/battery life/bluetooth etc etc) and because it's
> free. I went from paying £40 or so a month to paying
> £23 a month, on a better phone.

How is £23 a month free..?! That £23 you pay per month I probably pay
every year on my PAYG phone, which I have had for 3 years. I already have
a camera and a radio, I don't need them in a phone. My 6310i already has
bluetooth anyway.

> If this sort of upgrade
> was available on a landline then people would upgrade
> there too.

You think so..? Why..?

> It's just a quirk of the mobile phone
> industry business model - really there shouldn't be any
> mystery about it.

Quirks are always mystifying to me, I just wonder why they happen. Call it
natural scientific curiosity if you want..! I just don't understand why
people change something that is working perfectly well. If it breaks or
something, ok, but if it's working, why bother..?!

Ivor

"Marc" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]
> Ivor Jones wrote:
> > I use my mobile to make phone calls. I don't need an
> > MP3 player in it to do that.
>
> Fair enough but there's obviously a demand for these
> integrated devices, but as you've stated, not for
> everybody.

I have an instinctive dislike of putting all my eggs in one basket. If one
component breaks, you lose the lot while it's being repaired or waiting
for a replacement. In years gone past, things were built to last, now
they're throwaway items. I'd rather not throw something away when I've
only had it for less than a few years.

Ivor

Ivor Jones wrote:
> Quirks are always mystifying to me, I just wonder why they happen. Call it
> natural scientific curiosity if you want..! I just don't understand why
> people change something that is working perfectly well. If it breaks or
> something, ok, but if it's working, why bother..?!

To improve their perceived quality of life, I'd say. People do it with
cars, clothes, computers, tvs etc. Clearly they don't need to do it.
"Keeping up with the Joneses" probably explains some of it - probably
the more visible things like cars or extensions to their houses, rather
than broadband connection speed, size of plasma tv etc.

I've got a camera/radio but I don't carry them around with me unless
I'm specifically going to use them, but thanks to my phone I now have
them all the time. I could pretend that it's not useful to be able to
take a picture of anything whenever I feel like it, but it wouldn't be
true - a 2meg camera produces pretty good pictures, and it's a quick
way of taking notes. I'm sure over the years the features on the phone
I'll get for "free" will include TV - no doubt you'll be maintaining
that you have a tv, radio, mp3 player, camera, portable game console,
pda etc etc and don't need that tech on your phone?

"Poldie" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]
> Ivor Jones wrote:
> > Quirks are always mystifying to me, I just wonder why
> > they happen. Call it natural scientific curiosity if
> > you want..! I just don't understand why people change
> > something that is working perfectly well. If it breaks
> > or something, ok, but if it's working, why bother..?!
>
> To improve their perceived quality of life, I'd say.
> People do it with cars, clothes, computers, tvs etc.
> Clearly they don't need to do it. "Keeping up with the
> Joneses" probably explains some of it - probably the more
> visible things like cars or extensions to their houses,
> rather than broadband connection speed, size of plasma tv
> etc.

I note that you didn't answer several of the questions I actually asked..!

Ivor

Ivor Jones wrote:
> "Poldie" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]
> > Ivor Jones wrote:
> > > Quirks are always mystifying to me, I just wonder why
> > > they happen. Call it natural scientific curiosity if
> > > you want..! I just don't understand why people change
> > > something that is working perfectly well. If it breaks
> > > or something, ok, but if it's working, why bother..?!
> >
> > To improve their perceived quality of life, I'd say.
> > People do it with cars, clothes, computers, tvs etc.
> > Clearly they don't need to do it. "Keeping up with the
> > Joneses" probably explains some of it - probably the more
> > visible things like cars or extensions to their houses,
> > rather than broadband connection speed, size of plasma tv
> > etc.
>
> I note that you didn't answer several of the questions I actually asked..!

I think we just use our phones differently.

> > I upgrade my mobile because I can - every 12/18 months I
> > get a new phone that is significantly better than the
> > last (radio/games/storage space/camera quality/screen
> > quality/battery life/bluetooth etc etc) and because it's
> > free. I went from paying £40 or so a month to paying
> > £23 a month, on a better phone.
>
> How is £23 a month free..?! That £23 you pay per month I probably pay
> every year on my PAYG phone, which I have had for 3 years. I already have
> a camera and a radio, I don't need them in a phone. My 6310i already has
> bluetooth anyway.

£23 of phone calls per year, even at 1 pence per minute, is just over
3 hours. I make about that a month (and I'm paying for around 5 hours
per month, if you exclude texts). Also, I doubt your calls only cost
you 1 pence per minute.

> > If this sort of upgrade
> > was available on a landline then people would upgrade
> > there too.
>
> You think so..? Why..?

Why wouldn't people upgrade their landline in the same way they upgrade
their mobile? Not as many people, certainly, but I'm sure it would be
popular. Otherwise, why do people buy new landline phones at all -
presumably they've already got one, and it's hard to imagine they get
stolen/lost/damaged as often and as easily as mobiles.