Samsung Galaxy S8 for £574

redux

d123 wrote: »

The end user benefits go far beyond quicker set up and higher quality voice calls, you're going to be getting an inferior service if your phone can't take advantage of it.

[and subsequent posts]

Could you perhaps clarify that slightly?

Are any networks proposing to withdraw or reduce service for people who don't buy the latest several hundred quid phones?

If not, I'm with the people saying it's possible to get by without spending as much money. I doubt I've spent £600 in 10 years.

At the moment I have a £60 Android phone, and a few old Nokias, all of which still work.

The E51 had VoIP calls over wifi and mobile data 9 years ago, the X6 could install apps to do so, and my 2 Androids likewise since, so I'm not quite sure why you are talking about wifi calling or VoIP over data as new innovations. Yes, that is with a separate provider, but cheaper than the mobile network.

So even a few years ago I was calling home from abroad for a few pence or free while friends were saying their £3 or £5 a day fee (so £100 for 3 weeks) was fairly reasonable, better than a £300 roaming bill a few years earlier, and being snobby about my phone having less ability than theirs. They could probably have saved quite a bit, but weren't interested.

d123

redux wrote: »

[and subsequent posts]

Could you perhaps clarify that slightly?

Are any networks proposing to withdraw or reduce service for people who don't buy the latest several hundred quid phones?

Not so much withdraw service at present, but prevent you using improvements to the service, for example Three has vastly improved their service by rolling out 800MHz coverage (they call it SuperVoice) and without a compatible phone you will be excluded from that part of the network.

In the future you will see a degradation as more 2100MHz is moved to 4G, especially if you have a 3G device, Vodafone is already doing this, so if you have an older device that doesn't support 3G 900Mhz you'll be dumped onto 2G only.

Spectrum is expensive and all the networks need capacity, they're all making plans to move as much spectrum to 4G as quick as is practical.

If not, I'm with the people saying it's possible to get by without spending as much money. I doubt I've spent £600 in 10 years.

No, the £600 figure is a red herring inserted by boatman, many cheap Android phones are never going to be VoLTE capable though. There are £200 phones that are compatible, something like the Lumia 550 is even cheaper and I would expect the next generation of cheaper Samsungs (for example) to be so as well, the A3 is, and it's around £250 iirc.

At the moment I have a £60 Android phone, and a few old Nokias, all of which still work.

They should all still work, at least on 2G in the future (until 2G goes, that is).

The E51 had VoIP calls over wifi and mobile data 9 years ago, the X6 could install apps to do so, and my 2 Androids likewise since, so I'm not quite sure why you are talking about wifi calling or VoIP over data as new innovations. Yes, that is with a separate provider, but cheaper than the mobile network.

Just to clarify the old VOIP over wifi is a different thing to modern WiFiCalling, the phone "sees" wifi as just another cell site with WiFiCalling and it's a seamless use as if you're still on cellular. With VoLTE active you can even start a call on WiFi and walk outside and carry the call over onto LTE.

Guys_Dad

Not sure I want VoLTE at the moment. And by 2021 when the "tip over" is estimated, the bugs may be out and I will not be using a 4 year old mobile (on past experience).

Very glad to let missionaries prove the system for me.

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/06/14/volte_security_problems/

d123

Guys_Dad wrote: »

Not sure I want VoLTE at the moment. And by 2021 when the "tip over" is estimated, the bugs may be out and I will not be using a 4 year old mobile (on past experience).

Very glad to let missionaries prove the system for me.

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/06/14/volte_security_problems/

No one is currently forcing you to use it, just like no one is forcing the Amish out of their horse buggies...

Guys_Dad

d123 wrote: »

No one is currently forcing you to use it, just like no one is forcing the Amish out of their horse buggies...

At least driving a horse buggy in London would not fall foul of Mayor Sadiq Khan's punitive charging routine and would be no slower than the cars in town.

The point is that by the time VoLTE or similar becomes the standard, the price of compatible handsets will have dropped and whatever decision people make in 2017 re handsets, the chances are that they will have upgraded by 2021. Every new technology has an early buyers' premium. Not all of us are willing to pay that supplement.

boatman

d123 wrote: »

No, the £600 figure is a red herring inserted by boatman,

No, the thread is about a £600 phone, I basically questioned the sense in paying that much. You brought up VoLTE but that clearly doesn't justify the extra over the £150 I suggested, or the extra £400 over the £200 of the Nokia 6. I'm still wondering why paying £600 is a good idea, so far there doesn't seem to be one.

I would strongly suggest most people buying the S8 neither know or care about VoLTE, they just know that they have an S7, and the number 8 comes next, no idea what will happen past 10 when they run out of fingers, perhaps they need to start at 1 again.

d123

boatman wrote: »

No, the thread is about a £600 phone, I basically questioned the sense in paying that much. You brought up VoLTE but that clearly doesn't justify the extra over the £150 I suggested, or the extra £400 over the £200 of the Nokia 6. I'm still wondering why paying £600 is a good idea, so far there doesn't seem to be one.

I would strongly suggest most people buying the S8 neither know or care about VoLTE, they just know that they have an S7, and the number 8 comes next, no idea what will happen past 10 when they run out of fingers, perhaps they need to start at 1 again.

The £200 Nokia 6 that I was the first to mention

d123

boatman wrote: »

No, the thread is about a £600 phone, I basically questioned the sense in paying that much. You brought up VoLTE but that clearly doesn't justify the extra over the £150 I suggested, or the extra £400 over the £200 of the Nokia 6. I'm still wondering why paying £600 is a good idea, so far there doesn't seem to be one.

I would strongly suggest most people buying the S8 neither know or care about VoLTE, they just know that they have an S7, and the number 8 comes next, no idea what will happen past 10 when they run out of fingers, perhaps they need to start at 1 again.

Just to add, remember, I never said it was wrong to get a bargain basement phone, if the service offered by having one is good enough for you, it's for no one else to say otherwise.

My first post did make that point.

d123 wrote: »

As long as you're happy with a second class service you'll be fine

tomthered

d123 wrote: »

It isn't only £600 phones, I've already made that point.

The problem is the fact that the standards for VoLTE on Android haven't been standardised sufficiently and many makers aren't using the same protocols as the networks (hence why a phone might work on EE but not Three or Vodafone and vice versa). This is escpecially true of the cheaper Chinese makes who tend to use old or cheaper (more obscure) parts which mean they'll never be compatible.

If you look at the EE list (who seem to be the only network to give a list, even though it is missing a few phones like the Nokia 6, which does work) you'll see there are midrange handsets listed:



A Samsung A5 or Lumia 550 don't cost £600...

But all the listed phones have to be purchased from EE to benefit from this service according to my reading. I am aware that Three offer a WiFi calling app, which makes life easier if you bought your phone from china, as you can simply load the app.

boatman

d123 wrote: »

The £200 Nokia 6 that I was the first to mention

Yes you did, but you still haven't explained why you appear to refuse to say paying £600 for a phone is a daft idea, I can only assume you think it's fine.