I was thinking about it and its one of 2 things imo. I think they are using the extra bucks for the future LTE expansion, building towers and whatnot. But most likely they are a bunch of grubby pricks that want to nickel and dime us
Sent from my HTC Sensation using XDA
I've read through a lot of the huge thread, and a lot of people were saying that t-mobile tends to offer the new, hip device for an outrageous cost for the first few weeks.
If you are a current customer you might have luck calling customer service and passively threatening to switch carriers. Many people here have had luck getting $200 off the phone and a few other perks. The last 10 pages of so of the big thread are full of those stories.
I bought the phone outright. The value plan I'm on is sweet- I'm saving $450 over 2 years.
Lets hope for the first and realize this phone is actually a phone that I might keep for the 2 years for a 1st haha. There is no real reason I don't think except the fact that T-Mobile has the cheaper of the plans when it comes to the competing 3, so the 80$ more that I have to spend to get the phone compared to the 25-50$ a month I save (comparing to my friends who have Verizon and At&t I'm okay with the difference... But still wish it wasn't the case.
I'm rocking the Motorola Cliq. This phone is going to seem so amazingly quick. If I can get 2 1/2 years out of a pos phone like the Cliq I can get 2 years out of this sexy phone.
I'm just happy that I am still out of contract.
mhuckins said:
I'm rocking the Motorola Cliq. This phone is going to seem so amazingly quick. If I can get 2 1/2 years out of a pos phone like the Cliq I can get 2 years out of this sexy phone.
I'm just happy that I am still out of contract.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GOOOooo should've went to the G1 haha.
mt3g said:
GOOOooo should've went to the G1 haha.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I almost did! I didn't want to move away from the qwerty keyboard. I've spent so much time on the computer in the last year I couldn't justify another partial upgrade. I was so close to buying an iPhone (they get upgrades, my cliq is like 1.8 or some lousy shiat) and then the SGSIII came along. I haven't slept in weeks. It's like the raspberry pi all over again.
MacTheRipperr said:
I was thinking about it and its one of 2 things imo. I think they are using the extra bucks for the future LTE expansion, building towers and whatnot. But most likely they are a bunch of grubby pricks that want to nickel and dime us
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Spit-balling...
T-Mobile's Value plan is supposed to encourage customer's to avoid the recent spate of aggressive phone upgrades, and they are realizing that smartphone users are unaffected by the economic argument as the situation stands.
The phones actually are more expensive than we tend to think, and even "no-commitment" pricing has been subsidized.
The worldwide currency shifts have affected the cost of phones, and most carriers have been reluctant to reflect reality in a highly competitive market.
High demand and low supply resulted in either a money-grab or an attempt to prevent people from buying up the limited supply and selling on eBay (the latter being, admittedly, unlikely given the nature of the mobile market).
Executives have started to notice that the "free phone" weekends have been eating into profits and T-Mobile is attempting to capitalize on eager buyers that clearly aren't willing to wait until the inevitable deal comes along.
The unusual modem and/or overall lower volume of T-Mobile's sales meant that they weren't able to negotiate a deal as aggressive as the larger players.
T-Mobile has an interest in seeing HTC succeed and are attempting to subtly curb the Goliath that is Samsung in an attempt to keep their leverage going.
Pricing is not related to anything other than an attempt to place devices into tiers (with the S2 at $550, the One S at $600, and the S3 as the perceived-best phone), and they didn't expect a backlash against the better phones costing more money.
T-Mobile is attempting to expand its image as the "value" service by leaving room for negotiation so that bargain-conscious customers talk them up.
Don't take any of the above too seriously. It is kind of late, I haven't put much thought into it, and I've had a lot to drink.
In any case, relative value is relative value. I don't care that Redbox is losing money renting to me for $0.70, it makes me unwilling to pay for Blockbuster Express at $3. I don't care that an album costs $7 at my preferred service of Amazon MP3, I am unwilling to buy because Google Music has it $4. At the end of the day, the (vocal) minority of us that hang it forums like this will sweat the price difference because we spend all of our time comparing like items.
It isn't even remotely fair to T-Mobile (or whomever), but it is human.
Voltage Spike said:
Spit-balling...
T-Mobile's Value plan is supposed to encourage customer's to avoid the recent spate of aggressive phone upgrades, and they are realizing that smartphone users are unaffected by the economic argument as the situation stands.
The phones actually are more expensive than we tend to think, and even "no-commitment" pricing has been subsidized.
The worldwide currency shifts have affected the cost of phones, and most carriers have been reluctant to reflect reality in a highly competitive market.
High demand and low supply resulted in either a money-grab or an attempt to prevent people from buying up the limited supply and selling on eBay (the latter being, admittedly, unlikely given the nature of the mobile market).
Executives have started to notice that the "free phone" weekends have been eating into profits and T-Mobile is attempting to capitalize on eager buyers that clearly aren't willing to wait until the inevitable deal comes along.
The unusual modem and/or overall lower volume of T-Mobile's sales meant that they weren't able to negotiate a deal as aggressive as the larger players.
T-Mobile has an interest in seeing HTC succeed and are attempting to subtly curb the Goliath that is Samsung in an attempt to keep their leverage going.
Pricing is not related to anything other than an attempt to place devices into tiers (with the S2 at $550, the One S at $600, and the S3 as the perceived-best phone), and they didn't expect a backlash against the better phones costing more money.
T-Mobile is attempting to expand its image as the "value" service by leaving room for negotiation so that bargain-conscious customers talk them up.
Don't take any of the above too seriously. It is kind of late, I haven't put much thought into it, and I've had a lot to drink.
In any case, relative value is relative value. I don't care that Redbox is losing money renting to me for $0.70, it makes me unwilling to pay for Blockbuster Express at $3. I don't care that an album costs $7 at my preferred service of Amazon MP3, I am unwilling to buy because Google Music has it $4. At the end of the day, the (vocal) minority of us that hang it forums like this will sweat the price difference because we spend all of our time comparing like items.
It isn't even remotely fair to T-Mobile (or whomever), but it is human.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wish I could write so eloquently when drunk. What's your fark handle?
It's sort of amazing to see people complaining about the "high" price without factoring in the total price of the contract or looking at the ETF. Worrisome.
Last year the GS2 and Amaze 4G were priced in the mid $200s so this seems pretty normal for T-mobile. T-mobile has also mused about contract pricing and how it is affecting their competitiveness and bottomline. Since the phone is untouched mostly there were probably other concessions that T-mobile wanted with Samsung on pricing. Then of course this phone is even more feature packed than the last, and you can't remove components once you place it in your previous flagship model (the GS2) so they are getting more and more expensive.
I don't think ETF factors much, unless you are some crazy person who likes to break contracts all the time and can't wait out the 2 years. T-mobile contract prices are lower, sure, but not by much.
Why doesn't anyone incorporate how much the plans cost prior to complaining about the cost of the phone?
I remember reading somewhere that stated studies show customers are more prone to sign with a carrier based on the price of the phone instead of the rate plan.
Let's wise up, fellas. Don't be a poor consumer.
tmobile is the only company selling the phone at this point, and in limited markets at that. I am wondering if they're selling the phone at such a high price in the beggining because they know they can. Look at the overwhelming demand coupled with such a limited supply. It's an easy cash cow. Im wondering if I should wait out and see if the price will go down in the next few weeks. ATT and Sprint are both selling 32gb at 600 and tmobile is selling them at 670 but like I said before Tmobile is the only one selling them at this point and they're pretty much done in Manhattan (i called a bunch of stores already).
ttngu234 said:
Why doesn't anyone incorporate how much the plans cost prior to complaining about the cost of the phone?
I remember reading somewhere that stated studies show customers are more prone to sign with a carrier based on the price of the phone instead of the rate plan.
Let's wise up, fellas. Don't be a poor consumer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The purchase of the phone is the only time they have to fork out a bunch of money so it makes sense that the cost will drive many consumers. For the most part, the rate plan costs are similar across the market. Yes, Verizon is the most expensive but they have a reputation for offering the best network and that allows them to charge a premium.
Sergent D said:
The purchase of the phone is the only time they have to fork out a bunch of money so it makes sense that the cost will drive many consumers. For the most part, the rate plan costs are similar across the market. Yes, Verizon is the most expensive but they have a reputation for offering the best network and that allows them to charge a premium.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really. AT&T and Verizon are both equally expensive, and while Sprint is a bit cheaper (comparable unlimited talk/text plans closest to T-Mobile's 5GB web/tethering in this case), you're still paying a substantially bigger amount over the 2 years even with a cheaper phone.
Related
After reading all the stories, lots of comments on blogs and forums, I have had enough of the BS about how $530 is over priced and way too much and blah blah blah. You guys want the latest and greatest but aren't willing to pay any more than $5 for it.
Every single phone worth money for years has had an unsubsidized price of at least $550 with a few exceptions of course (G1 is only $400, but it is a generation old hardware). An iPhone 3GS 32gb retails for $699 straight up. The HTC HD2 is $899 on Amazon. Good phones aren't cheap as I am sure a lot of you know. So in this respect, $530 is actually a pretty good deal; especially when you compare it to the HD2 which has the same processor and similar hardware. You are getting a next-gen phone with the best screen to ever be on a phone, double the ram of most high end phones, and double the resolution of most high end phones. You expected the best of the best to be cheap? Pfft...
Also, my current T-Mobile plan is superior to what is going to be offered. It will be cheaper and easier in the long run to just buy the phone straight up.
What I am seeing from people is they see $530 and freak the hell out because they have the $180 to compare it against. Sure, there is a big difference there, but you are locked in to a contract for 2 years. $80 * 24 months + $180 = $2100 over 2 years! AND you only have 500 minutes. If you bought the phone straight up and went with Even More Plus for $80/mo, you get unlimited everything. $80 * 24 months + $530 = $2450. Yes, this is more expensive, HOWEVER, how many times will you go over your 500 minutes in the next 2 years? If this is not a problem for you, by all means, go right ahead and get the contract deal since it suits you. But for me, and I suspect most people, 500 minutes is not enough. For the additional $350 over 2 years, or $14.58 and change every month, it is worth having those unlimited minutes.
Does anybody else agree with me on this? All of my phone junkies I talk to agree that $530 is reasonable. Sure, we all would love a less expensive phone, but lets get real here...
Oh, and if this "leak" turns out to be false, than what an awesome waste of time and all of this is moot! LOL
Agree with you on this. My current plan is dirt cheep for unlimited data and no 2 year contract, so I'll shell out the $530 if that's all official after the 5th!
people are trippin over $530 for a phone like this? I paid $550 for my unlocked fuze last year, $800 for unbranded touch pro 2 in April, unlocked motorola droid(milestone) is $800! Al least this phone has some kind of US 3G support, unlike most unbranded phones that come state side. I think I'm a get it day 1, and then get the Bravo when it come out later this year if Sense UI cant be import on the Nexus.
I agree with you guys wholeheartedly. To be honest though, I think it's most telling to compare plans in an apples to apples manner. I'm a dork with a background in finance, so yes, I created a spreadsheet to calculate all the costs incrementally to see where changes in costs were coming from in my comparison.
After running through the numbers and calculating total costs over a 24 month term, for the 500 minute EM and EM+ plans, with the respective phone costs, the total cost over 24 months if I bought the phone unlocked would be $1970. If I purchased it on contract for $180, the total I'd spend over 24 months would be $2100.
There's NO WAY that you'll spend more over the long term with the EM+ plan UNLESS you're eligible for a corporate discount on the EM plan (which I happily am). With my discount, the total for the EM plan comes to $1811, but that doesn't apply to everyone.
The problem here is that most people are spoiled by the subsidized prices of phones. What they're not realizing is that they're paying for that subsidy in the form of more expensive plans...and then some, as my illustration above clearly proves. If T-mobile allows us to finance unsubsidized phones for 20 months on EM+ plans, then this works out to be more manageable for consumers. Either way, though... people need to consider total cost of ownership (TCO)... not just monthly cost and initial cash outlay for the device.
Exactly! Thanks for doing that. People just don't look for future savings and would rather have instant gratification. They are excited by a cheap up front cost and monthly service fee be damned!
I totally agree with you. it is by far the best phone in terms of specifications and price compared to its competitors (iphone 3gs, HD2).
Thanks for explaining this to people.
T-Mo Unlimited Voice/Web/Text $79.99/mo x 24 months = $1,920
Phone: $530.00
====
Total: $2,450.00
IPhone Plan
AT&T Unlimited Voice/Web/Text $149.99/mo for 24 months = $3,600
Phone: $200.00
====
Total: $3,800.00
-No contract for the T-Mobile plan
-No texts? AT&T without any text message plan still comes to $3,320
I was hoping for unlocked-only availability. It would keep certain... um... people... from buying the phone and then flooding the forums with questions, tacky themes, etc.
Dont really care about the price. It's actually not too bad, but if they only offer a 3g for Tmobile version here in the states then why bother selling it from google? Now...if they offer a few versions that can do 3g on several of the networks, or the final device gives us 3g on AT&T and Tmobile (and perhaps they do a verizon version too!)...that would be an awesome sale.
lordmaxx said:
Dont really care about the price. It's actually not too bad, but if they only offer a 3g for Tmobile version here in the states then why bother selling it from google? Now...if they offer a few versions that can do 3g on several of the networks, or the final device gives us 3g on AT&T and Tmobile (and perhaps they do a verizon version too!)...that would be an awesome sale.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I imagine that Google will be releasing high-end phones for all carriers this year. I think they started with T-mobile for a variety of possible reasons. It's not beyond the realm of possibility that they felt that T-mo should get preference because they were the first carrier to carry the Android torch to market. I also wouldn't be surprised if Google had planned this all along and that T-mobile was promised to get the first "Google phone". Obviously this is all conjecture, but it makes sense from a business perspective.
uansari1 said:
I imagine that Google will be releasing high-end phones for all carriers this year. I think they started with T-mobile for a variety of possible reasons. It's not beyond the realm of possibility that they felt that T-mo should get preference because they were the first carrier to carry the Android torch to market. I also wouldn't be surprised if Google had planned this all along and that T-mobile was promised to get the first "Google phone". Obviously this is all conjecture, but it makes sense from a business perspective.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But the problem with getting the first of anything is it will be ancient by the time other carriers receive their Android devices
Not necessarily. Given the specs of this phone, I can't see it becoming obsolete as quickly as the G1 did. I could be wrong, but how soon would you think a phone would come out with over 1ghz processor and over 512 ram and rom?
uansari1 said:
Not necessarily. Given the specs of this phone, I can't see it becoming obsolete as quickly as the G1 did. I could be wrong, but how soon would you think a phone would come out with over 1ghz processor and over 512 ram and rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aren't there already two other snapdragon devices out? What about the rumors of another iphone being released later this year?
I think the g1 may have been just as big when it came out. Times change, so does technology. The N1 may seem like the hottest new device, but it's the Nexus ONE just as the Dream was the Gee ONE. Look at where we are now. With at least half a dozen android capable devices out in about a year and 50+ rumored by 2012.
andythefan said:
Aren't there already two other snapdragon devices out? What about the rumors of another iphone being released later this year?
I think the g1 may have been just as big when it came out. Times change, so does technology. The N1 may seem like the hottest new device, but it's the Nexus ONE just as the Dream was the Gee ONE. Look at where we are now. With at least half a dozen android capable devices out in about a year and 50+ rumored by 2012.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your points are well taken. No one's saying that this is THE ultimate phone of all time. It's simply the greatest Android phone to be released yet, and based on its specs, it seems to be a very significant advance forward in hardware as compared to other devices, aside from Droid.
uansari1 said:
Your points are well taken. No one's saying that this is THE ultimate phone of all time. It's simply the greatest Android phone to be released yet, and based on its specs, it seems to be a very significant advance forward in hardware as compared to other devices, aside from Droid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Before the Droid all the Android devices were mostly similar (form factor, screen resolution/size, cpu, etc). This is just like the Droid. It was supposed to be the greatest Android device until the next phone showed up a few months later. How do we know a device with similar or better specs won't show up soon? HTC's leaked roadmap has a lot of impressive devices scheduled for this year.
The marketplace is only going to fragment even more Developers aren't happy coding for all these different devices.
IDK if you all are missing the point or if maybe im just redirecting it but here goes
This does not fit into how google normally does things. Correct me if im wrong but the formula usually goes
Take good service/software and make it better + dirt cheap or free+data mining = profit$$
If they aren't subsidizing any of the cost, why should we let them have our data?
esincho said:
people are trippin over $530 for a phone like this? I paid $550 for my unlocked fuze last year, $800 for unbranded touch pro 2 in April, unlocked motorola droid(milestone) is $800! Al least this phone has some kind of US 3G support, unlike most unbranded phones that come state side. I think I'm a get it day 1, and then get the Bravo when it come out later this year if Sense UI cant be import on the Nexus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am fully agree with your statement that at least this phone has some sort of US 3G support which many unlocked phones lacked or manufacturers are too slow to release the US 3G version (read: Nokia N95 NAM edition).
I think this angry attitude is a manifestation of our credit-driven lifestyle. Many people don't realize that paying cheaper price for a phone alongside mandatory 2 years contract (and ETFs if we decided to cancel) is more expensive. Even if they do, the fact that they can OWN the product NOW (regardless whether you can afford the whole price or not) is what makes it desirable in this part of the world.
Regarding the fact that it doesn't support AT&T 3G bands, well suck it up because iPhone didn't support T-Mobile 3G either and I'm sure there are many Tmob subscribers are interested to get that capabilities too. Until US cleared up these 3G band fragmentation (which probably won't happen), we are at the mercy of these manufacturers to step up their game and put in Quad Band UMTS as opposed to cherry picking 3 UMTS bands to be put into their phones.
Only thing making me think twice is when will a keyboard version of the hardware come out.
burton14e7 said:
Only thing making me think twice is when will a keyboard version of the hardware come out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The keyboard phone with these specs would be the next G1, most likely to come out just in time for the early G1 adopters to renew their contracts.
uansari1 said:
I agree with you guys wholeheartedly. To be honest though, I think it's most telling to compare plans in an apples to apples manner. I'm a dork with a background in finance, so yes, I created a spreadsheet to calculate all the costs incrementally to see where changes in costs were coming from in my comparison.
After running through the numbers and calculating total costs over a 24 month term, for the 500 minute EM and EM+ plans, with the respective phone costs, the total cost over 24 months if I bought the phone unlocked would be $1970. If I purchased it on contract for $180, the total I'd spend over 24 months would be $2100.
There's NO WAY that you'll spend more over the long term with the EM+ plan UNLESS you're eligible for a corporate discount on the EM plan (which I happily am). With my discount, the total for the EM plan comes to $1811, but that doesn't apply to everyone.
The problem here is that most people are spoiled by the subsidized prices of phones. What they're not realizing is that they're paying for that subsidy in the form of more expensive plans...and then some, as my illustration above clearly proves. If T-mobile allows us to finance unsubsidized phones for 20 months on EM+ plans, then this works out to be more manageable for consumers. Either way, though... people need to consider total cost of ownership (TCO)... not just monthly cost and initial cash outlay for the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Expanding on this and assuming no discounts...
Option A) Buy the phone for $180 subsidized and the 500-minute plan for $80/mo, signing a contract to pay $2100 total over 24 mos.
Option B) Buy the phone for $530 unsubsidized and unlocked and choose the comparable 500-minute plus unlimited text/data Even More Plus plan for $60/mo for a total cost of $1970 over 24 mos with no contract.
So over two years of the phone and contract, you save $130 by going with option B.
But will you really last two years? Let's see what happens if you want to change phones after one year, which is entirely possible given the rate at which mobile technology is moving.
Option A) Early reports indicate a $350 early termination fee imposed by T-Mobile during the first 120 days, but no details have been learned about the fee past that window. Let's assume it reduces linearly to zero over the remaining life of the contract, meaning your fee for leaving early would be $210 at the one year mark. This puts you at $1350 to get out free and clear from the phone and contract.
Option B) You have no ETF, so you'll have paid $1250 at the end of one year.
So, even after just a year you still spend $100 less buying unsubsidized. Further, your phone will already be unlocked and unbranded, ready for quick sale on E-bay.
Pretty simple choice for me. Less money & easy to move on = no-brainer.
Having read the the "leaked" info the last few weeks, I wasn't completely surprised when I spoke with a TMo rep and confirmed that in order to use this phone, I'd essentially have to double my current rate plan due to the fact that I am on a Family Plan. I am, however, finding myself to be surprisingly angered by this fact.
That Google is stipulating which rate plan a customer can use on a particular device is absurd at best and insulting at worst. Am I not intelligent enough to know which rate plan suits my needs? Thank you, Google, for showing me the light. I'm glad to know that it's better for me to spend $80/month on myself PLUS the extra $80/month on my wife instead of the $100/month we spend for both right now.
Screw you, Google. And screw your phone.
nspbass
Whats the problem?
Buy it "unlocked".
if you buy the phone from tmob then you need to get a "plan" just for this phone, and the purchase price of the nexus is 180.00? or so
but if you buy it from google direct, unlocked, you just pop in your sim and your good to go...no rate plan increase or changes...however...you will pay the 530.00 asking price for the phone....
so you do have "some" optiions...
quit being a broke ass and buy the unsubsodized version and you can use your current plan. these days nice things cost money and you gotta pay to play.
wow... there are other options man. icon57 stated already...
Uhh, I am pretty sure T-Mobile decides what rates are required for the phone in order for them to fork over all that money to pay for it for you
Get the unlocked one if you aren't happy with that
These people don't do their research first do they?
Maybe I should have stated that I've been a huge fan of Google for years and of the Android OS from the first day I heard of it. I've had my G1 for quite a while now and have enjoyed it very much. When I heard of the Nexus One, I was happy to hear that I could experience Android on a much faster, much more capable phone.
Maybe I also should have stated that I'm in the military and don't make a lot of money. I've also got a wife and child I'm supporting on only my income. So, I'm not being just some broke-ass. I'm being a broke-ass soldier serving my country protecting your moron asses on a daily basis and trying to take care of my family. That's the problem with changing my rate plan or shelling out $530.
So how about this: instead of jumping on me for being displeased with this product, you shove your heads up your respective asses.
nspbass
nspbass said:
Screw you, Google. And screw your phone.
nspbass
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"I'm a stupid teenage girl who wants pity." is all I heard.
If you don't want a specified rate plan, buy it un-subsidized. If you have read any of the threads in this forum, you would know it is cheaper in the long run anyway for that exact reason.
You know if you wanted an iPhone used to (Not sure anymore, I don't keep up with that stuff) have to have a certain rate plan as well.
Is it a right to own a high-end phone? No, it's a privilege.. reserved for those willing to pay. If it's out of your price range, then too bad.
Being in the military does not make you holier than any of us. I am a strong supporter of the armed forces. The trouble is you have to wait till the press conference is over. Don't assume anything. By assuming you are making an ASS of U and ME and less of me I guess.
Also, all americans should expect to pay 500+ for a good decent phone. You have been in the past. You just don't realize it.
nspbass said:
Maybe I should have stated that I've been a huge fan of Google for years and of the Android OS from the first day I heard of it. I've had my G1 for quite a while now and have enjoyed it very much. When I heard of the Nexus One, I was happy to hear that I could experience Android on a much faster, much more capable phone.
Maybe I also should have stated that I'm in the military and don't make a lot of money. I've also got a wife and child I'm supporting on only my income. So, I'm not being just some broke-ass. I'm being a broke-ass soldier serving my country protecting your moron asses on a daily basis and trying to take care of my family. That's the problem with changing my rate plan or shelling out $530.
So how about this: instead of jumping on me for being displeased with this product, you shove your heads up your respective asses.
nspbass
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like you're in the wrong line of work then. Sorry, but as others have said, you have to pay to play... and you can't pay, so you can't play. Thanks for serving though...
seraph1024 said:
Being in the military does not make you holier than any of us. I am a strong supporter of the armed forces. The trouble is you have to wait till the press conference is over. Don't assume anything. By assuming you are making an ASS of U and ME and less of me I guess.
Also, all americans should expect to pay 500+ for a good decent phone. You have been in the past. You just don't realize it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well put. I still can't believe how many people can't figure out that the subsidy is ALWAYS recovered in the form of higher plan costs. T-mobile is the only one showing this though, as they're the only carrier with a subsidized and unsubsidized pricing structure.
@nspbass
I also use a tmo plan that costs less than the one required for the Nexus One and am planning to get on a family plan with my new wifey soon. If you quickly do the math, its cheaper in the long run to buy the phone unlocked and chose your own tmo plan. Especially if you take advantage of Google Voice and Skype.
One other thing is that the Nexus One's frequency works across most continents unlike any other US carrier. I would think someone in the military would see that as an advantage.
@nspbass
Yup. But get that through the moronic heads of those fanboys on here.
In their eyes HTC, Google and TMUS can't do anything wrong!
coolVariable said:
@nspbass
Yup. But get that through the moronic heads of those fanboys on here.
In their eyes HTC, Google and TMUS can't do anything wrong!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or, you can't do anything wrong yet the rest of the entire forum is wrong!
Yep, everyone is stupid and you are the truth here.
coolVariable said:
@nspbass
Yup. But get that through the moronic heads of those fanboys on here.
In their eyes HTC, Google and TMUS can't do anything wrong!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What did they do wrong? Act like a business that is interested in income?
Just the fact that Google/HTC is selling this for only 530 dollars is amazing in itself. Compare other phones with similar hardware (HD2) and you will see a huge price difference. Stop crying.
Will someone shut the 11-B up? Terribly sorry you're an E-2, but the military does not owe you a living and Google does not owe you a phone. Now shut that whining hole and get back to doing something marginally useful, like KP.
Duckies
(Decidedly NOT an E-2.)
to the OP:
look, it's true that the phone carrier plans cost too much and phones are expensive. the fact is, the phone companies have us by the balls and Google couldn't do anything about that by releasing one phone even if thy wanted to.
your complaints about the nexus would apply to any new phone you wanted to get. the only reason you expected more is because people on the internet hyped it so much without knowing what they were talking about, and apparently you believed them
nspbass said:
Having read the the "leaked" info the last few weeks, I wasn't completely surprised when I spoke with a TMo rep and confirmed that in order to use this phone, I'd essentially have to double my current rate plan due to the fact that I am on a Family Plan. I am, however, finding myself to be surprisingly angered by this fact.
That Google is stipulating which rate plan a customer can use on a particular device is absurd at best and insulting at worst. Am I not intelligent enough to know which rate plan suits my needs? Thank you, Google, for showing me the light. I'm glad to know that it's better for me to spend $80/month on myself PLUS the extra $80/month on my wife instead of the $100/month we spend for both right now.
Screw you, Google. And screw your phone.
nspbass
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WOW! - Junior member...stop crying and be sensible.
I called T-Mobile (yes...being proactive).
You can not "Downgrade or cancel" your plan (i.e. you can't remove internet, or go below 500 mins a month)
But the rep stated you are allowed to take two individual plans and merge them to a family plan. AS LONG AS YOU KEEP THE DATA AND MESSAGING plans and the MINUTES FOR EACH PLAN are higher than your current plan.
So to put it simply - YES YOU CAN GET A FAMILY PLAN, but after you have both phones activated.
Ind plans are $39.99 + Data + Messaging
Family Unlimited is $99.99 + Data + Messaging
If you are paying more, and getting more minutes - is that an Upgrade or Downgrade?
http://explainthefee.com/2010/10/22/do-you-really-need-premium-data/
Sums up everything so far. I fully believe that the fee really is for nothing that Sprint can actually back - it's like he says, just "smoke and mirrors".
Flame away. ¡
Another one of these? If you dont like it switch companies or get another phone. I can't wait until all these other companies put out and start charging for 4G so everyone can stop complaining.
Sent from my Evo beeesshh
DirtyShroomz said:
Another one of these? If you dont like it switch companies or get another phone.
Sent from my Evo beeesshh
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Okay, well since you're pretty close to being the number one guy on these forums defending this fee, explain it yourself. You work for Sprint, if I recall correctly.
yea like we need another one of these post lol last one was crazy
I don't defend the fee nor agree with it but I also speak with my money and don't pay or buy things I don't agree with. There are plenty other options out there, G2 is one of them.
Sent from my Evo beeesshh
Go to T-Mobile.
It's pretty obvious what the fee is for. It's for 4G. If you don't have 4G in your area then it's 1) to have access to it at all because you still can get 4G service if you go to a 4G covered area, and 2) it's to cover the ongoing expansion so that'll eventually reach your area. They don't say this because people expect instant gratification; don't like it? Well, then don't get a EVO or Epic.
Its for uncapped evdo and wimax. Wireless service is a commodity these days so when someone charges more than you want to pay you can shop for a better bargain. Problem is that the others all charge more and cap. Regardless of how poorly they advertise it there really isn't much better a deal out there than sprint if you have coverage. If you don't have coverage then you shouldn't even consider them. Assuming you do then its just capitalism. Companies charge what they need to make a profit as long as people will pay it. If I got a better deal elsewhere I would change carriers. Since I don't I will keep paying for sprint. Whemy do so many people not understand this?
I don't know why Sprint doesn't just tell the truth.. It's to help offset the enormous royalty they surely paid to be the only carrier with the BADDEST phone in the US..
$10/mo is well worth it, imo
I don't defend the fee- I just don't care. It's ten bucks. It's not worth arguing with the theorists like it's not worth arguing with non-tippers. You wont change 'em.
I used to tend bar years ago, and was always amused by people who would complain about the price of a gallon of milk while drinking a three dollar beer.
Even with the fee and insurance, its cheaper than cheapest Verizon plan. No way in hell would I be complaining. Phone is already badass without 4G imo.
Sent from my Evo
Sigh . . . I'm loathe to keep pumping life into a thread like this, but I have to make a couple of points.
1) It's not a 4G fee. It's an extra fee imposed upon users of high-end smartphones that will probably be using a lot more bandwidth than other users. It's basically another tax that can be used to increase infrastructure and expand service, so someday we'll ALL have 4G (or whatever Sprint decides to use in the end). Call it unfair, call it pointless, call it a good thing, whatever . . . just don't call it a 4G fee. You might as well say it's a 4.3" screen fee.
2) When you say something like "$10 is nothing to complain about" you sound like a total douche. To some people, $10 is something. Some people are responsible and keep to a budget. Some people don't have their daddy paying their cell phone bill. Heck, some people are quite well-off but didn't get that way by throwing money around with no thought. I personally switched from T-Mobile to a Sprint family plan and I'm paying almost 40% less for my Evo and my wife's Hero than I was for our two calling-only plans and texting packages at T-Mo. For me, $10 is something, but I'm better off than I was before, so it's worth it. That's not to say I'm making a decision to spend that $10 extra so I can have my Evo, but I understand that it was a choice I made. Maybe $10 is nothing to you, but that's either because you've got plenty of money, have somebody else paying the bill, are on an allowance from your parents (or a trust fund), or you just don't understand how to manage your money - in which case you probably won't have that problem for long.
3) If you have an Evo, pay the fee. If you don't want to pay the fee, don't get an Evo or any other new superphone from Sprint, because they'll all have the fee from here on out. If you want to write something, write to Sprint and petition them to waive the fee in exchange for limited bandwidth or something.
Ah . . . mountain pine.
DirtyShroomz said:
Another one of these? If you dont like it switch companies or get another phone. I can't wait until all these other companies put out and start charging for 4G so everyone can stop complaining.
Sent from my Evo beeesshh
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So instead of Sprint users paying the extra fee, you want everyone else to do also?. "Don't punch me in the stomach, but if everyone else gets punched also, then it's cool." Non thinking selfish tard.
alero said:
I used to tend bar years ago, and was always amused by people who would complain about the price of a gallon of milk while drinking a three dollar beer.
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This is the most quotable phrase I have heard this year. I hope you don't mind if I borrow it.
There is nothing wrong with not wanting to be ripped off, but if your using a 400 dollar phone + 100 dollar service plan and can't afford it, then maybe you should start there instead of *****ing about the price. Its about bang for your buck, and while Sprint isn't exactly cheap, vs. The "Other 3" you certainly get better bang for your buck. I have yet to have anyone show me internet speeds on their phone that are even close to mine. Not to mention they have just upgraded the $7 dollar insurance plan.
SilverZero said:
Sigh . . . I'm loathe to keep pumping life into a thread like this, but I have to make a couple of points.
2) When you say something like "$10 is nothing to complain about" you sound ike a total douche. To some people, $10 is something. Some people are responsible and keep to a budget.
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If $10 is something to you then you shouldn't be buying a high end phone. It like buying a desiel truck and then complaining because desiel is $0.50/gal higher than gas. You should have known that before you bought it.
SilverZero said:
1) It's not a 4G fee. It's an extra fee imposed upon users of high-end smartphones that will probably be using a lot more bandwidth than other users. It's basically another tax that can be used to increase infrastructure and expand service, so someday we'll ALL have 4G (or whatever Sprint decides to use in the end).
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Click to collapse
Oh, so it is a 4G fee because that's exactly what you explained. You have access to 4G, maybe not in your area but in others. And you're also paying for the 51% buyout of Clear and it's pending 4G infrastructure roll out so that 4G will eventually get to your area. How is that not a 4G fee?
..and to your second point, you're not being forced to pay for anything. Just don't get a 4G phone. Don't like the fact that all high end phones are 4G? Then go to another carrier. You see how that works? You're not even forced to use Sprint.
The only point I'll add to this thread is that the fee is NOT for uncapped data (as someone mentioned earlier), the uncapped data is built into the unlimited data plans. The fee just gives you access to the 4g network, not how much data you get on that network.
Sent from my blah blah blah blah
Its a big bull**** fee for sure - these white knight Sprint zealots are mentally incapable of processing some things.
First argument:
Don't like the $10 don't get an Evo.
- Sure this may sound easy and expected but it boils down to more than this. The Evo and the Epic are pretty much the only decent smart phones that Sprint has. We can buy an outdated Pre or Hero but will be limited in our web access and experience. Not only are these phones hardware restricted which will prevent future Android updates, but are also limited in their current capabilities. Correct me if I'm wrong, is the Hero still rocking 2.1? All things considered when Android is open-source, someone is making bank off just supplying PHONES.
Second argument:
Don't like the $10 go with "x" carrier.
- This again is stupid. Sprint is the only carrier that gives service in my area. Need I say more? I had T-mobile prior and was getting 1 bar and constantly dropped calls.
Third argument:
Its for 4G.
- Great. Even removing the fact that MOST of us with Evos don't have 4G and probably won't get 4G - the service itself has proved not to be 4G. You might get lucky but after reviewing Engadgets speed averages Sprints 4G is comparable to ATTs fastest 3G but with a 1mbit upload cap. Nice.
All in all - if the $10 was actually justified aka I could see results from it I would have no problem. So far I have seen a medicre phone with good service and lousy 4G performance. I don't think its justified but seeing as how its Sprint or nothing I don't really have a choice.
Lastly, everyone will say oh well its STILL cheaper. Big deal. Just because America is more ethical than Saudi Arabia does it mean that we do everything ethical? No. I can smell better than a homeless person it does not mean that I don't still smell like ****. The amount of logical fallacies that are present in the arguments of the Sprint white knights is absolutely breath taking. On one hand we have average people asking wtf and getting flamed on the other hand we have people like DirtyShroomz who works for Sprint and pays $0 a month for this crap *****ing about people who actually HAVE to pay for this phone.
Get over it - I'm right you're wrong. Its not a matter of maturity its a matter of education.
werxen said:
Its a big bull**** fee for sure - these white knight Sprint zealots are mentally incapable of processing some things.
First argument:
Don't like the $10 don't get an Evo.
- Sure this may sound easy and expected but it boils down to more than this. The Evo and the Epic are pretty much the only decent smart phones that Sprint has. We can buy an outdated Pre or Hero but will be limited in our web access and experience. Not only are these phones hardware restricted which will prevent future Android updates, but are also limited in their current capabilities. Correct me if I'm wrong, is the Hero still rocking 2.1? All things considered when Android is open-source, someone is making bank off just supplying PHONES.
Second argument:
Don't like the $10 go with "x" carrier.
- This again is stupid. Sprint is the only carrier that gives service in my area. Need I say more? I had T-mobile prior and was getting 1 bar and constantly dropped calls.
Third argument:
Its for 4G.
- Great. Even removing the fact that MOST of us with Evos don't have 4G and probably won't get 4G - the service itself has proved not to be 4G. You might get lucky but after reviewing Engadgets speed averages Sprints 4G is comparable to ATTs fastest 3G but with a 1mbit upload cap. Nice.
All in all - if the $10 was actually justified aka I could see results from it I would have no problem. So far I have seen a medicre phone with good service and lousy 4G performance. I don't think its justified but seeing as how its Sprint or nothing I don't really have a choice.
Lastly, everyone will say oh well its STILL cheaper. Big deal. Just because America is more ethical than Saudi Arabia does it mean that we do everything ethical? No. I can smell better than a homeless person it does not mean that I don't still smell like ****. The amount of logical fallacies that are present in the arguments of the Sprint white knights is absolutely breath taking. On one hand we have average people asking wtf and getting flamed on the other hand we have people like DirtyShroomz who works for Sprint and pays $0 a month for this crap *****ing about people who actually HAVE to pay for this phone.
Get over it - I'm right you're wrong. Its not a matter of maturity its a matter of education.
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You're points are completely.... I can't even find a word for it.
It's as simple as many have said "you are not forced to Sprint, get another phone or switch carriers". Don't have any other carriers in your area, well then damn, you really are in a ****ty position at this point - deal with it, I'm sure there is a reason you live there (and it's not because of a phone). It's almost like that car commercial said "if your winters are tougher than this, you don't need a new car, you need a new place to live."
Asking questions to be educated is completely acceptable but constantly complaining about something you have complete control over (meaning you have CHOOSE something else) is not - it's just a stupid business decision on your part purchasing something you don't agree with. What you're doing is high-fiving your best friend for sleeping with your wife.
werxen said:
Its a big bull**** fee for sure - these white knight Sprint zealots are mentally incapable of processing some things.
First argument:
Don't like the $10 don't get an Evo.
- Sure this may sound easy and expected but it boils down to more than this. The Evo and the Epic are pretty much the only decent smart phones that Sprint has. We can buy an outdated Pre or Hero but will be limited in our web access and experience. Not only are these phones hardware restricted which will prevent future Android updates, but are also limited in their current capabilities. Correct me if I'm wrong, is the Hero still rocking 2.1? All things considered when Android is open-source, someone is making bank off just supplying PHONES.
Second argument:
Don't like the $10 go with "x" carrier.
- This again is stupid. Sprint is the only carrier that gives service in my area. Need I say more? I had T-mobile prior and was getting 1 bar and constantly dropped calls.
Third argument:
Its for 4G.
- Great. Even removing the fact that MOST of us with Evos don't have 4G and probably won't get 4G - the service itself has proved not to be 4G. You might get lucky but after reviewing Engadgets speed averages Sprints 4G is comparable to ATTs fastest 3G but with a 1mbit upload cap. Nice.
All in all - if the $10 was actually justified aka I could see results from it I would have no problem. So far I have seen a medicre phone with good service and lousy 4G performance. I don't think its justified but seeing as how its Sprint or nothing I don't really have a choice.
Lastly, everyone will say oh well its STILL cheaper. Big deal. Just because America is more ethical than Saudi Arabia does it mean that we do everything ethical? No. I can smell better than a homeless person it does not mean that I don't still smell like ****. The amount of logical fallacies that are present in the arguments of the Sprint white knights is absolutely breath taking. On one hand we have average people asking wtf and getting flamed on the other hand we have people like DirtyShroomz who works for Sprint and pays $0 a month for this crap *****ing about people who actually HAVE to pay for this phone.
Get over it - I'm right you're wrong. Its not a matter of maturity its a matter of education.
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Just because you don't see it, means its not justified? I don't know but, your reaching. Its Sprint and every other's carrier's fault that you chose to live in a place where their cell signals can't penetrate? Every marketing strategy is based off of reaching the most people with the least amount of work. They are not going to cater to every remote hick living in the mountains of Alaska, and to even expect that is ridiculous.
The $10 fee is Sprint's cost of doing business (even if its not, that is how they calculate it). Every company strong arms us helpless consumers, and as it has already been pointed out, speak with your money, its what I do. You could go to Walmart and get a $50 phone plan and save back your Cancellation fee in 4 months, and have Cell/test/data. But you would complain about that too.
I do not think that $10 is chump change, but I want the best bang for my buck and a 500kbps download speed for $35-50 is not what I call bang for my buck.... but then I also live in a 4G area. If you don't live in a 4G area or one that would be getting it soon, then getting a EVO or a EPIC was STUPID. You would have been better off with a DROIDX, BUT GUESS WHAT?!?!? Verizon is more expensive. You could have gotten a G2, AGAIN, MORE EXPENSIVE. Get over it, Sprint is not ripping anyone off, anymore than another carrier. But unfortunately if you bought a EVO or EPIC in hopes of 4G (I hope you read up on this phone), then sorry to disappoint. The smartest thing to do would be cut your losses, sell your phone pay off the ETF and move to a different carrier.
FWIW, My mother, brother, sister in law, aunt, and grandmother are with Verizon. They all have recently bought the Droid (Not the X) and they love it. So if you want to be cutting edge and play with the newest toys. THEN PAY FOR IT AND QUIT CRYING!
http://www.androidpolice.com/2011/0...ps-to-1199-99-but-it-costs-best-buy-just-550/
So this makes me think that the price will be significantly lower than $1200 or $800. If not at Best Buy, someone else who can deal with less than 40% margins will sell this thing in the $6-700 range.
F*** Best Buy and their either 45% or even more obscene 118% markups.
CNET fed Motorolas ego tremendously when they gave the Xoom best of CES award...
legato89 said:
CNET fed Motorolas ego tremendously when they gave the Xoom best of CES award...
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+1 Clearly it did...
They think they can place apple price point/margin(actually even more than apple!) without any track record to proove it... Its ridicules... They clearly want to gouge the first adopters, and a month later i can guarentee they will drop the price by 200$ (especially when ipad 2 is unveiled...)
Its a sad day that im considering and ipad 2 over xoom/other android 3.0 cause of PRICE.
$1,999 is a placeholder price.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/13/motorola-xoom-up-for-pre-order-at-best-buy-for-1-199/
Engadget said:
Update: We've heard rumblings that this is indeed just a place holder -- much like the way other companies price products they don't want to sell at ridiculous levels -- and the final price will indeed be the $800 we've heard most consistently to this point.
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Also, it isn't as if the Xoom will be the only quality Honeycomb device out there. If it cost too much for your taste, wait until cheaper 3.0 tablets arrive. Looking at the trend so far most Honeycomb tablets have almost the exact same specifications anyways.
Botero said:
http://www.androidpolice.com/2011/0...ps-to-1199-99-but-it-costs-best-buy-just-550/
So this makes me think that the price will be significantly lower than $1200 or $800. If not at Best Buy, someone else who can deal with less than 40% margins will sell this thing in the $6-700 range.
F*** Best Buy and their either 45% or even more obscene 118% markups.
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Click to collapse
That's crazy. When I worked at Best Buy a few years back, I found little (if any) markup on almost all laptops. Apparently they've decided that the Xoom is a different story.
I'd like to think that purchasing at a Verizon store will be a different story, but I'm sure there are all kinds of deals in place to keep prices uniform across the industry. It would probably be cheaper getting one shipped from Europe.
Oh well. I'm thinking the Galaxy 10.1 looks better than the Xoom anyway, so maybe I'll stick around to see how it turns out.
Xevilious said:
That's crazy. When I worked at Best Buy a few years back, I found little (if any) markup on almost all laptops. Apparently they've decided that the Xoom is a different story.
I'd like to think that purchasing at a Verizon store will be a different story, but I'm sure there are all kinds of deals in place to keep prices uniform across the industry. It would probably be cheaper getting one shipped from Europe.
Oh well. I'm thinking the Galaxy 10.1 looks better than the Xoom anyway, so maybe I'll stick around to see how it turns out.
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The Galaxy 10.1 doesn't seem to come with a Sd card slot or even Hdmi port...yikes !
Arun01 said:
The Galaxy 10.1 doesn't seem to come with a Sd card slot or even Hdmi port...yikes !
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I hear ya there, SD card slot is a must in my mind for a tablet.
Love the design of the Tab 10.1 though, the backing looks so ergonomic.
If the xoom is locked down to modding like most other motorola stuff, the sd card won't be that big of a draw.
The markup is nuts, hence why I think you may be able to talk bestbuy into doing it out the door for 800, with the mobile service (that you can cancel).
Sent from my EVO using XDA App
Didn't motorola state the SD slot on the Xoom wont work until they patch it at a later date? or am i thinking of another CES tab?
Arun01 said:
The Galaxy 10.1 doesn't seem to come with a Sd card slot or even Hdmi port...yikes !
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Oh... I didn't realize that. Lame. It's a shame, because the device has a nice look to it.
Xevilious said:
That's crazy. When I worked at Best Buy a few years back, I found little (if any) markup on almost all laptops. Apparently they've decided that the Xoom is a different story.
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BB is probably trying to make some margin on the first few suckers (oops, customers). Expect a big price drop in a few months like the Galaxy tab.
jerrykur said:
BB is probably trying to make some margin on the first few suckers (oops, customers). Expect a big price drop in a few months like the Galaxy tab.
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You do realize a tablet like this would be price controlled by Verizon correct? Verizon controls prices of phones, just like ATT, Sprint, and Apple do.
@Xevilious : little margin is still made on laptops
Yeah god forbid companies try and make a profit on the products they make or sell
Old MuckenMire said:
Yeah god forbid companies try and make a profit on the products they make or sell
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Sirchuk said:
If the xoom is locked down to modding like most other motorola stuff, the sd card won't be that big of a draw.
The markup is nuts, hence why I think you may be able to talk bestbuy into doing it out the door for 800, with the mobile service (that you can cancel).
Sent from my EVO using XDA App
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Since when did Best Buy negotiate prices on a product like this?
Old MuckenMire said:
Yeah god forbid companies try and make a profit on the products they make or sell
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I am all for companies making money. But I must say, knowing that the device cost BB 550$.. I am no longer okay with Verizon forcing me to buy unwanted 3g for a month cranking up the already high price an unnecessary, and frankly incredibly expensive 1GB of data.
setite said:
Since when did Best Buy negotiate prices on a product like this?
I am all for companies making money. But I must say, knowing that the device cost BB 550$.. I am no longer okay with Verizon forcing me to buy unwanted 3g for a month cranking up the already high price an unnecessary, and frankly incredibly expensive 1GB of data.
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well you have to take into consideration that BB is probably not going to make a killing on this product. If they were confident that they would sell a lot of Xooms, the price would be less. They would be able to make up for it in volume.
I agree about the mandatory Verizon data but from my understanding you have three days to cancel it and get your money back for that. I myself am going to keep the months worth of data...I've always been with AT&T and am curious about Verizon's service in my area.
setite said:
Since when did Best Buy negotiate prices on a product like this?
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Click to collapse
You might be surprised what they will do if there is still profit to be made. You can negotiate on just about all big ticket items, especially at the end of the quarter when they want to increase revenue numbers. Never hurts to ask for something like 5 or 10 percent off. Worked for me on a digital camera I wanted and a stove. They took another $200 off my stove, even beat the internet prices I found.
Sent from my EVO using XDA App
Old MuckenMire said:
well you have to take into consideration that BB is probably not going to make a killing on this product. If they were confident that they would sell a lot of Xooms, the price would be less. They would be able to make up for it in volume.
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As I said earlier pricing is controlled by Verizon
And that employee cost that you see, is not always the price that Best Buy pays for an item. Tablets that require internet activation are in an entire different realm of pricing structures (especially since this is a Verizon tablet).
Sirchuk said:
You might be surprised what they will do if there is still profit to be made. You can negotiate on just about all big ticket items, especially at the end of the quarter when they want to increase revenue numbers. Never hurts to ask for something like 5 or 10 percent off. Worked for me on a digital camera I wanted and a stove. They took another $200 off my stove, even beat the internet prices I found.
Sent from my EVO using XDA App
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Only way money is coming off the xoom is price matching verizon, which is going to be selling it at the same price
deadpixell said:
As I said earlier pricing is controlled by Verizon
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trust me, BB gives it's opinion to Verizon on what it wants to sell any given item for in their store and Verizon takes that opinion into account when pricing. BB doesn't have to carry any given device.... and Verizon or any other carrier has to work with them on price(as well as many other aspects) if Verizon wants that device in store. You can be sure Verizon's pricing would be different if they anticipated BB would sell tons more of them than they will currently.
All I am saying is this: if this tab was going to sell like the iPad, the price would be less. Verizon nor BB have the luxury of making their profit thru volume with this device.
Old MuckenMire said:
trust me, BB gives it's opinion to Verizon on what it wants to sell any given item for in their store and Verizon takes that opinion into account when pricing. BB doesn't have to carry any given device.... and Verizon or any other carrier has to work with them on price(as well as many other aspects) if Verizon wants that device in store. You can be sure Verizon's pricing would be different if they anticipated BB would sell tons more of them than they will currently.
All I am saying is this: if this tab was going to sell like the iPad, the price would be less. Verizon nor BB have the luxury of making their profit thru volume with this device.
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I know Best buy gives its opinion, but at the end of the day, its out of my hand. There are certain things like I said, that are price controlled regardless of how much Best Buy buys the item from. I'm sure Verizon also wants best buy to sell tons of xooms. During this past holiday I saw more people sold on buying tablets than laptops, sure the initial price is high, relative to what you get, but I'm sure it will come down.
And for what its worth, even though people here are complaining about the high price, this device will be extremely popular.
That being said if I see anything more in best buys system I'll try and post/make note of it
At $300 for 8GB of storage and $350 for 16 GB of storage, the Nexus 4 is an incredible piece of technology for a very reasonable price. Compare this to the unlocked Galaxy S4 at $650 or the HTC One at $600, also available from Google Play. The hardware differences in the more expensive phones are:
- Super AMOLD LCD (vs. IPS LCD on Nexus 4)
- Polycarbonate body (vs. glass on Nexus 4)
- More built in storage (32 GB on S4, 16 GB on HTC One, although you can get a 16 GB N4 for $50 more)
- Better camera on the S4 (13 megapixels while HTC One and N4 have 8)
- MicroSD slot (no MicroSD slot on N4)
- Stereo speakers on the HTC One
- LTE 4G on S4
I don't see how the above list could explain nearly the nearly double price difference from the Nexus 4 to the S4 or the HTC One. Sure, the MicroSD slot, extra memory, and probably the polycarbonate certainly account for some of the price difference, but not double. I'm also skeptical that any custom software/skins on the S4 or HTC One would make up the difference.
Maybe Google is undercutting the others in its own store to drive customers to its own device. Or maybe Samsung and HTC purposely "enforce" a high retail price to work with carriers who offer subsidized phones with two year contracts. Do all S4 and HTC Ones come with radios for both GSM and CDMA? I can see the radios being an expensive piece of hardware, so maybe only including a GSM radio is helping to keep costs low.
I'm pretty sure that the production cost of these phones are quite similar. Probably around the $200 range.
So is Google taking a loss at selling the N4 at $299/$349? Probably not. They're probably not making much profit per device compared to Samsung or HTC though.
Is LG taking a loss by manufacturing the N4? Definitely not. LG has no reason to effectively give Google a phone to sell at a loss. They definitely have some sort of contract in place such that LG profits from this relationship. Besides, outside of Google Play, the price of the N4 is marked up.
How do we justify the cost of the Google edition S4 and HTC1 versus the N4?
Easy. The prices are simply marked up by Samsung and HTC. They happen to want more profit per device than the N4. So at the end of the day, is the S4 or HTC1 $300 better than the N4? Definitely not. It's just a matter of Samsung and HTC wanting more of your money.
HTC One is now $49 from AT&T with 2 year contracts.
lopri said:
HTC One is now $49 from AT&T with 2 year contracts.
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That's a pretty solid deal for the One. However I don't believe it's Google's stock edition. That can only be found on the play store.
It's really do believe that they are selling it close to a loss, if not at a loss. There's just so much hardware there.
The thing you need to ask yourself is why. Why would Google sell such a great phone for SO cheap? Well, for one, it's not doing it solely for the profits like the other guys so the prices aren't insanely inflated. They do it to promote development on Android, to show what pure AOSP looks like (now the Google Edition phones also do this), and also to bring more end users into the Android environment. Make a high-end, affordable smartphone and more people will be willing to switch OS's. Plus, they don't spend millions upon millions promoting this phone like those other competitors do.
There are many reasons why it's cheaper and why Google continues to sell it. I just hope they continue with the Nexus line. Those new Google Edition phones have me worried about the future of the Nexus line. I hope it's not an indicator that they will stop making Nexii (?) in a few generations.
Economic Yourern
Johmama said:
They do it to promote development on Android, to show what pure AOSP looks like (now the Google Edition phones also do this), and also to bring more end users into the Android environment. Make a high-end, affordable smartphone and more people will be willing to switch OS's. Plus, they don't spend millions upon millions promoting this phone like those other competitors do.
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Agreed! This is what I was thinking about this morning as well. The price is compelling enough to even have iOS fan boys and developers to give it a try. And yeah, their advertising is much less. I probably wouldn't have heard of the Nexus 4 if one of my friends hadn't told me all about it. Google probably isn't taking a loss, but the margin can't be all that great either.
I'm just happy there is an affordable unlocked phone on the market with great hardware. I've never been a fan of the subsidized two-year contract. What other service locks you in for two years? With the affordable yet powerful Nexus 4 and T-Mobile (one of the "Big 4" carriers) doing away with contracts, the other carriers will be forced to adapt sooner or later.
Google doesn't need the money from selling Nexus devices. They can make it back from advertising.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
In demand smart phones have historically garnered lots of money from subsidies. It is the main reason why they are a major cash cow for Samsung and Apple. Their other products have no where near the margins of an iPhone or S3/4. As long as people keep paying $100/month cell phone bills in order to get their next to free flagship phone every two years, I doubt this will change.
Kudos to folks like Google, T-Mobile, and a number of MVNO's that are trying to bring more fair pricing to consumers than the AT&T's and Verizon's of the world, but the reality is that most folks are still paying way too much for devices and service.
Solutions Etcetera said:
In demand smart phones have historically garnered lots of money from subsidies. It is the main reason why they are a major cash cow for Samsung and Apple. Their other products have no where near the margins of an iPhone or S3/4. As long as people keep paying $100/month cell phone bills in order to get their next to free flagship phone every two years, I doubt this will change.
Kudos to folks like Google, T-Mobile, and a number of MVNO's that are trying to bring more fair pricing to consumers than the AT&T's and Verizon's of the world, but the reality is that most folks are still paying way too much for devices and service.
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Is $100/month a genuine possibility or an exaggeration? Either way, the US carrier monopoly is extremely messed up. Over here in the UK you won't find very many carrier exclusive/branded phones at all, and the same goes for most other parts of the world. I feel sorry for anyone who has to carry around a device with a Verizon, AT&T or Sprint logo placed anywhere on their devices. The entire idea of it just seems stupid to me.
Nigeldg said:
Is $100/month a genuine possibility or an exaggeration?
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Heh heh... it is not an exaggeration. Most EU member agencies are far more consumer oriented than the US, who pretty much just lets capitalism reign supreme. The FCC is a joke when it comes to Cable and Cell providers (my cable/internet bill is $160/month... I watch three channels, ESPN, ESPN2, and GOLF from their lineup that I can't get OTA, but to have HD I have to sign for a hundred+ channel package).
Solutions Etcetera said:
Heh heh... it is not an exaggeration. Most EU member agencies are far more consumer oriented than the US, who pretty much just lets capitalism reign supreme. The FCC is a joke when it comes to Cable and Cell providers (my cable/internet bill is $160/month... I watch three channels, ESPN, ESPN2, and GOLF from their lineup that I can't get OTA, but to have HD I have to sign for a hundred+ channel package).
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Wow, $100/month for a phone comes out to twice what it would here in the UK. My dad got a GS3 when it was new for free on a £35/month ($50/month) contract, and even that's a bad deal to me. I'm currently paying £10/month ($15) for 250 mins, unlimited texts and 1GB of data which is pretty damn good compared to what you can get in the US. I'd assume the $100/month contracts at least have unlimited everything right?
Oh and OP sorry for the off-topic
Nigeldg said:
I'd assume the $100/month contracts at least have unlimited everything right?
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Minutes yes, data no (unless you have one of the coveted grandfathered data plans from before the point where the big three decided unlimited was a bad idea). Now a days, "unlimited" data plans mean vague "fair use" policies and throttling once you hit their cap. Sure you have "unlimited" data, but what use is it when they throttle it down to 3G or even 2G once you reach a given point.