MSE News: iPhone 5C price plans launched: Is it worth it for you?

mummyroysof3

I've ordered one and not sure I got the best deal but its better value than my last contract was

[Deleted User]

For the folks looking for the total cost of ownership I've put together a spreadsheet (as I did for last years 4S launch).

http:// goo . gl /Vo6kDI

(Sorry can't post full link, mod: feel free to edit)

As people have mentioned before the cheapest way is still either to negotiate a cheap contract or go for a sim only deal. I've tried my hardest to make this accurate but I can't guarantee it'll cover all everything!

A few caveats -
- Where possible I've selected 4G tariffs
- For O2 refresh I've gone for the upfront phone cost nearest to £100. the refresh thing makes it a pain to calculate all options.

I'll update it with 5S when available.

ruggedtoast

A few years ago I could have seen the point in paying these inflated costs for iPhones, these days they just seem absurdly overpriced. £600 for a 24 month contract for a non flagship phone whose capabilities you can get for half that price on a SIM free Android phone.

No thanks.

tell_it_how_it_is

As mentioned earlier, MSE DO regularly 'advertise' the iPhone, through news stories and their 'tool', yet if they adhered to their principles they wouldn't be doing this, or, at the very least, their comparison tables within such articles would also show example alternative similar phones and tariffs to highlight where savings could, inevitably, be made.

minislim

Earthworm wrote: »

Anyone think it is a little weird O2 pitching the Refresh handset cost of the 5C as £600? The way they do this is by selling the handset as a credit agreement stating the up-front cost with 0% interest for 24 months. Someone with a bit more knowledge in this will have to help but are they allowed to inflate the cost by 30%? To me it just looks like they have added the interest into the total cost at a large rate and positioned it as 0%. What happens when they then start selling the PAYG model side by side for under £500?

i've been saying the same thing since the refresh tarrifs came out.

even a manager at o2 i spoke to assured me the iphone 5 cost £600 and that on one of their refresh deals i would be getting it for the equivalent of £530.

but it retails for £500 normally?

im sure that there is a case for false advertising as they say its 0% and also the rrp being £600 and not £500.

Treevo

minislim wrote: »

i've been saying the same thing since the refresh tarrifs came out.

even a manager at o2 i spoke to assured me the iphone 5 cost £600 and that on one of their refresh deals i would be getting it for the equivalent of £530.

but it retails for £500 normally?

im sure that there is a case for false advertising as they say its 0% and also the rrp being £600 and not £500.

What you're missing is the fact that on some tariffs the iPhone costs less than it would if you were to buy it from Apple. £679.99 for the 64GB model if I recall correctly.

Treevo

Porcupine wrote: »

And don't get me started on the US folks '$99 phone' (small print: $70/month contract required).

I'm not sure where you're getting this from because I haven't seen that at all.

Phone contracts work in a very different way in the US to what we're used to.

For example, T-Mobile is giving the iPhone 5C away on its two year, $22 a month contracts for nothing. Making the entire cost cheaper than buying the phone outright.

AT&T go a bit better by having 20 month contracts at $22 a month, with no upfront payment.

NFH

minislim wrote: »

even a manager at o2 i spoke to assured me the iphone 5 cost £600 and that on one of their refresh deals i would be getting it for the equivalent of £530.

but it retails for £500 normally?

No, the iPhone 5 was £529 and the iPhone 5S will be £549, both for the basic 16GB version.

Angel77

This is currently the best deal on the Samsung S4 Galaxy...

Samsung Galaxy S4 16GB Sim Free Unlocked Mobile Phone (Black) - only £369.99
http://www.play.com/Mobiles/Mobile/-/530/687/-/46246698/Samsung-Galaxy-S4-16GB-Sim-Free-Unlocked-Mobile-Phone/Product.html

Samsung Galaxy S4 16GB Sim Free Unlocked Mobile Phone (White) - only £369.99
http://www.play.com/Mobiles/Mobile/4-/46246700/-/Product.html

macutmore

The business models of the 'tech giants' dictate different ways of 'making money'. They all make good profits in different ways. As far as Microsoft is concerned, it's main money is (or was) generated via licence sales. Because of rife software piracy though, more & more software became free anyway, thus making the cash cow of licence sales dry. The answer (which proved to work with movies, music & apps) is the subscription model.

Google's business model is different, it makes it's money by advertising (as does Facebook). The other Business model is to simply make your money at 'point of sale'. Simply sell your 'product' (usually hardware but can be software with it) at a premium price (not short of extortion in comparison). Some people will always prefer to pay through the nose, (of course). So all of the different business models do generate income. All work for them, but there are steps that have to be taken in order for them to make money via whatever method is employed for their businesses.