Are older mobiles cheaper in March/April?

gracie83
gracie83 Posts: 301 Forumite
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in Mobiles
Just wondering if anyone had any ideas about the trends of phones over the year.

My mobile is about 5 years old so I am well out of the mobile phone club. It is starting to lose charge now so it is spending more time plugged into the wall than it should.

I am not looking for a contract as I have a good rolling monthly contract of £10 a month for 5gb and unlimited calls and texts. Looking at contracts I would be paying a lot more for a phone contract.

Anyway I think I have settled on a samsung A5 2017 (based on absolutely nothing other than looking at what other phones people seem to be using (iphone/samsung) and then picking one which is affordable. I found the samsung A5 on sale for around £260 (or even £220 from some really dodgey looking websites) which is around my budget. Reading reviews I discover that late February is when Samsung tend to releasing the new versions of their mobile phones. Hence I am wondering if/when the price of the phone I am going to get will drop in value when the new edition is released. However I have been unable to find out if the A5 2018 is even being released later this month (it may be becoming the A8 2018).

Basically if I hold off for a month can I save any cash as the A5 2017 gets shoved down the phone list by newer models?
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Comments

  • JJ_Egan
    JJ_Egan Posts: 20,281 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    No reason for older mobiles to be cheaper in March/ April .
    New model arrives and eventually the older model gets discounted depending upon stock and sales .
  • AndyPK
    AndyPK Posts: 4,241 Forumite
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    hey, you have done all the research. why not wait a month.

    You will either get an older trusted proven model for less.

    or a flashly new model (maybe extra features) for the current price, which is unpoveen

    I know which I would rather have!
  • pmduk
    pmduk Posts: 10,655 Forumite
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    If you're happy with your current handset, why not consider just getting a new battery?
  • AndyPK
    AndyPK Posts: 4,241 Forumite
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    with a 5 year old phone, it maybe better to put the money towards a new phone.


    depends how expensive the battery is, and how attached you are to it
  • Atasas
    Atasas Posts: 753 Forumite
    (Just my $0.02ct)
    Samsung A5 is absolutely worse case of underperforming , over-priced phone.
  • d123
    d123 Posts: 8,621 Forumite
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    Atasas wrote: »
    (Just my $0.02ct)
    Samsung A5 is absolutely worse case of underperforming , over-priced phone.

    You must have pretty high standards if you think a phone with a 1.9GHz octa-core Exynos 7880 processor, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage is underperforming.

    I won’t ask what you think of all the cheap rubbish no-name brand Chinese phones with Mediatek processors and 1-2GB of RAM are then...
    ====
  • Atasas
    Atasas Posts: 753 Forumite
    d123 wrote: »
    You must have pretty high standards if you think a phone with a 1.9GHz octa-core Exynos 7880 processor, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage is underperforming.

    I won’t ask what you think of all the cheap rubbish no-name brand Chinese phones with Mediatek processors and 1-2GB of RAM are then...
    (5" screen only)

    All of my 3 phones all as one, that are in use are great phones, at a cost under £130 when new.

    ALL phones are made in China (at best), some are are made in Thailand or India.

    All are running anDroid, leaving differences to be in the hardware specs ever so minor and production quality almost identical, apart from few flagship models whereas specs vs price = mental image of quality of the brand.

    newer, even less known branded phones are finally got over (in majority) band incompatibility issues, hence for the hardware in A5 alternatives are about half its price (but no major label)

    https://gadgets.ndtv.com/samsung-galaxy-a5-2017-3944-vs-lenovo-z2-plus-3790-vs-xiaomi-mi-5-3344

    https://www.phonearena.com/phones/compare/Samsung-Galaxy-A5,Lenovo-A7000,Xiaomi-Redmi-5-Plus/phones/8944,9268,10754

    https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=8776&idPhone2=7789&idPhone3=8319

    https://www.gadgetsnow.com/compare-mobile-phones/Lenovo-K8-Plus-vs-Samsung-Galaxy-A5-2017-vs-Xiaomi-Mi-A1-vs-ZTE-Axon-Pro

    my current favorite cost me under £80 (1/3 of A5) specs
    https://www.cubot.net/smartphones/cheetah2/spec.html
    3gb RAM, OK cameras, great 5.5" screen, dual SIM, 32gb internal memory, expandable 256GB slot SD, nly "let downs" are 3000mha battery, "only" 1.3 cpu...

    My recommendation to OP is to try to avoid "high street brand fever" and find better real value represented phone In (lesser) big brand models of Huawey, Lenovo, Xiaomi, Asus etc
  • d123
    d123 Posts: 8,621 Forumite
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    edited 13 February 2018 at 5:23PM
    Atasas wrote: »
    (5" screen only)

    Yes, and how does that make it underperforming? it is designed with a screen size many people want, there is nothing wrong with a 5 inch screen.

    Atasas wrote: »
    All of my 3 phones all as one, that are in use are great phones, at a cost under £130 when new.

    ALL phones are made in China (at best), some are are made in Thailand or India.

    All are running anDroid, leaving differences to be in the hardware specs ever so minor and production quality almost identical, apart from few flagship models whereas specs vs price = mental image of quality of the brand.

    newer, even less known branded phones are finally got over (in majority) band incompatibility issues, hence for the hardware in A5 alternatives are about half its price (but no major label)


    my current favorite cost me under £80 (1/3 of A5) specs
    https://www.cubot.net/smartphones/cheetah2/spec.html
    3gb RAM, OK cameras, great 5.5" screen, dual SIM, 32gb internal memory, expandable 256GB slot SD, nly "let downs" are 3000mha battery, "only" 1.3 cpu...

    You really do like cheap [STRIKE]crap[/STRIKE] tat, I suppose you would be driving a 1980s Lada or Trabant if they still built them....
    ====
  • Mister_G
    Mister_G Posts: 1,925 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post Combo Breaker
    d123 wrote: »
    Yes, and how does that make it underperforming? it’s designed with a screen size many people want, there is nothing wrong with a 5” screen

    Indeed, my Sony Xperia Compact has a 4.5" screen, which I find more than adequate. We don't all want to carry a portable TV around in our pockets!
  • Atasas
    Atasas Posts: 753 Forumite
    edited 13 February 2018 at 6:00PM
    d123 wrote: »
    Yes, and how does that make it underperforming? it is designed with a screen size many people want, there is nothing wrong with a 5 inch screen.
    beyond obvious 5" is cheaper than 5.5", price should reflect that
    d123 wrote: »
    You really do like cheap [STRIKE]crap[/STRIKE] tat, I suppose you would be driving a 1980s Lada or Trabant if they still built them....
    almost right, love my Citroen, hate my BMW, not sure, if would want to drive Trabant on a motorway

    Point of it is- yes, I am "tight as a duck's bum", but I never waste money on something that is image/brand premium.

    About my Cubot as cr*p, shows you talking... but lacking any sense of what are you saying.
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