How do people afford the iPhone???

bloss0m

They not fools are Apple they suck people into buying there over priced products and then next model upgrade just enough so some go out and buy that, its a never ending circle

Derivative

Jmarles wrote: »

I was looking into getting myself an iPhone as a wee Christmas treat, but the tariffs are ridiculous!!
I am a Pay and Go user and have been since the dawn of mobile phones, but I was considering going contract if it meant getting a nice shiney iphone. However, after a bit of research I was shocked at what I found. The monthly payments are seriously high and the minutes / texts are very low AND on top of that you need to give money upfront as well.

So my question is simple, how am I looking in the wrong places or are all iPhone users getting ripped off?

The iPhone is a bloody expensive piece of kit. You could find home computers within the last decade (so post-2002) that were less powerful - most if not all in the early part of that time period would have been.

Is it a rip off? Just depends where you want to spend your money I guess.
£600 would have been something I'd throw at shiny toys a few years ago, but I was rather !!!!less then.

Nowadays I get my cellphone service for under £60 a year. Halifax reward account pays for that. MSE has basically given me free cellphone service.

At the end of the day, I'd just think of the functions. Is having a good web browser and a few games worth £600 to you?

People spend >£600 on holidays. I can't figure that one out either.

When these things become <1% of my wealth, then I'll probably change my mind. Until then, it seems a bit daft chasing an extra 1% on my savings interest, while simultaneously spending significant percentages of it on toys.

dizzie

Hubby has the new Iphone 4S (I think) on contract. He likes the latest gadgets ! I've answered it from the passenger seat of the car on three occasions whilst he's been driving....and somehow always seem to press the mute button on the screen (possibly with my ear). Then I've wondered why the person on the other end was not responding!

Oh dear, new fangled technology is great when it's working and you know how to use it. As for me, I won't bother thankyou.....the brick in my handbag does all I need it to do and I've saved my money for another purpose!:)

gjchester

dizzie wrote: »

Oh dear, new fangled technology is great when it's working and you know how to use it. As for me, I won't bother thankyou.....the brick in my handbag does all I need it to do and I've saved my money for another purpose!:)

Thats entirely it.

People "afford" it because they want io for the percieved status of a thing.

Why buy a Jaguar over a Ford, why buy from Waitrose over Aldi. I don't often buy brand shiorts and trainers, but I do buy gadgets, thats just what I like to spend on.

My wife loves what my iPhone does but doesn't want to pay for one. Most of the times we are out and she has mine to use, but on the few times we are not she wishes she had one, but can't justify the outlay for the few occasaions it would been needed.


What works for one person may not for another, but at the ned of the day it's down to personal choice what you spend your money on.

2bFrank

sammyvine wrote: »

Is it true that the 4S has terrible battery life. I am planning to get it on a 24 month contract but i have seen a 608 page thread on the Apple website with people complaining about the poor battery life.
Have you encountered any problems?

Not really had any problems with battery life, however my boss, who has the exact same phone (4s 16gb) does, however this has improved with a software update from apple. My battery lasts me a full day usually, and this is with play Football Manager for two hours and general browsing and facebook.

2bFrank

bazzab wrote: »

This is the classic Apple situation for me.

People get tied into a brand as it is perceived to give a certain status. The poster here has every right to buy the new i-Phone if they want it, but from the moment they receive the current model they are already planning and saving for the next model despite not knowing anything at all about the possible specification, features or functions it will have.

People will also get very protective over their brand of choice and feel the need to justify the cost to how the phone fulfills their needs on an internet forum.

As someone else in this thread said, overpaying to own a status symbol is a major reason nobody has any money at the moment as many spend beyond their means. Unfortunately, the world is now becoming a place where image is everything, and when selecting a new phone rarely do people choose to spend within means over choosing a phone that is marketed as giving a certain perception about them as a person.

I guess you are correct in a fashion. A couple of people I know have done some strange things to get a iphone, for example, get a new contract for the new iphone whilst still in contract for the old iphone, effectivly paying two contracts at the same time.

For me it isnt a status symbol, its simply a phone that I love, I am always open to new technology, but I love my iphone. I save for it every year, I dont get into any debt for it, nor do I take daft contracts, I simply get wallet raped for a great phone, I know its expensive and a slight rip off, but I feel no buyers remorse when I get it.

With regards to the future model, I am always reading the apple rumour sites with interest, if the iphone 5 was a disappointment, then I proberbly would not buy it and save my money. However if I dont save now, I wont be able to afford the 5 when it is released, if it is worth it, if it is not, ill just treat myself to an ipad lol.:)

Derivative

Is it true that the 4S has terrible battery life.

I recently went from having a smartphone (BlackBerry) to a normal brick phone.
Absolutely astounded at the difference in battery life.

The BlackBerry would last around 2 days max if I didn't use it other than to text message etc.

My £10 samsung lasts weeks. I charged it at the beginning of last week, it's still displaying the maximum.

It's great as if I go on a week holiday, I don't need to bring a charger!

gjchester

EdgEy wrote: »

I recently went from having a smartphone (BlackBerry) to a normal brick phone.
Absolutely astounded at the difference in battery life.

When I go on holiday I swap from my iPhone to a old Motorola, partly for the same battery life reasons partly as the motorola won't do web so no chance of a big bill.

However the Motorola won't do mapping, or email or semi decent photo's, that the choce I make.

Like anything it's personal choice and picking the right tool for the job.

Derivative

gjchester wrote: »

Like anything it's personal choice and picking the right tool for the job.

Indeed. The latest smartphones are bloody good pieces of kit, but even as quite a techie, I find them more a distraction than anything.

Answering my e-mails at the beginning and end of each day brings me relief from constantly worrying about things. And I know I really don't need to know what the FTSE is by the minute, however much I might like to.

I have a £10 phone and a £100 camera - none of the other features of smartphones really appeal to me.