yes.. it's another what smarthpone thread!

[MrJamie]

I used to do this and I can tell you why.

The lifespan of phones is getting shorter, yet contract length's are getting longer, so the lifespan of the phone is often pretty much over by that point (most of my phones in the past years have been exhibiting either detrimented performance, usability or all but bricked by this point). Or, after a few weeks or months you realise you don't actually like the phone and have just tolerated it until the contract run's out. Both of these have been quite evident in my experience.

However my last and current phone, HTC Desire has not only outlived it's contract length of 18 month's, it has outlived a second 12 month contract and I still enjoy using it! Shame it is now having issues and will need to be replaced because IMO it is the best smartphone I have ever seen or used. I will replace it with a Nexus 4.

I had the similar Desire HD as my first smartphone, it was tanklike, heavy full aluminium shell rather than plastic, loved it. I sent it off to HTC when my contract ended to get the volume button replaced and they ended up giving me a new HTC Sensation, so i cant really justify trading it in.

I get what you mean about the lifespan being short. Its just I cant imagine people buying PCs and laptops and replacing them every 18-24 months, but the phone companies have done an awesome job of continuously selling people high tech short lifespan gadgets under contract

 

[Linford]

I've got one of these Optimus L3 phones in a box at home. My Motorola Defy developed a fault in warrantee and the phone co couldn't mend it. They palmed me off with this LG phone for the last 6 weeks of my contract. I ended up after about 3 weeks going back to the Defy, and then getting them to upgrade me early to my now S3 which is an awesome bit of kit.

the L3 is very slow, Install 3 or 4 apps and it grinds to a halt.

 

[marinyork]

I get what you mean about the lifespan being short. Its just I cant imagine people buying PCs and laptops and replacing them every 18-24 months, but the phone companies have done an awesome job of continuously selling people high tech short lifespan gadgets under contract

I think lifespans are lengthening again, but I agree with Rob3rt has said. There were a few years of smaller buttons, joysticks and a few other things that did seem to have an alarming breakability in the right hands. Also a lot of people have got so used to 12 month contracts and upgrading I'm finding a few friends get 'bored' of their phones in their 2nd year.I do find how long contracts are these days as concerning.

I had my samsung S5620 for two and a half years and it's the only phone since 2007 that's not been quite fragile. Unfortunately it didn't have android on it. Then again I've just got a phone second hand cast off and very happy with it.

 

[totallyfixed]

Apologies MV, don't want to hijack your thread but rather than start yet another I too am looking at upgrading to a smartphone on a 24 month contract and don't want to spend more than £15 per month. I have possibly narrowed it down to the HTC Desire C or the Samsung Galaxy Ace, any views / experience of either?

 

[4F]

Apologies MV, don't want to hijack your thread but rather than start yet another I too am looking at upgrading to a smartphone on a 24 month contract and don't want to spend more than £15 per month. I have possibly narrowed it down to the HTC Desire C or the Samsung Galaxy Ace, any views / experience of either?

Carphone warehouse are doing the Samsung Galaxy Ace for £ 7.50 a month / 24 months / 175 minutes / 5000 texts / 250 mb
I just got one for my lad and he is well chuffed.

mbhttp://www.carphonewarehouse.com/buy/SAMSUNG_GALAXY_ACE_KM041_FCON

 

[totallyfixed]

Carphone warehouse do seem to be offering the best deals, we are currently with O2, what I guess I don't understand is how do CpW make their money when the phone is free? Do they take a cut from the network provider? Do you have a choice of network provider if you take out a contract with CpW?
I think descending in the wet on steel rims is easier than sorting out a new phone, could somebody please write a sticky explaining the tangled world of smartphones.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Tesco can be good

http://shop.tescomobile.com/mobile-phones/samsung/galaxy+ace?deal=7181

Galaxy Ace, 500 mins, 5000 texts, 500 mb £10

 

[Moodyman]

Carphone warehouse do seem to be offering the best deals, we are currently with O2, what I guess I don't understand is how do CpW make their money when the phone is free? Do they take a cut from the network provider? Do you have a choice of network provider if you take out a contract with CpW?
I think descending in the wet on steel rims is easier than sorting out a new phone, could somebody please write a sticky explaining the tangled world of smartphones.

Retailers get commission from the networks based on the tariff and contract length they sign you up to.

You take out a contract for £40 for 2 years. That's worth £960 to the network. They will pay the retailer enough to cover the cost of the phone and some more.

 

[totallyfixed]

Retailers get commission from the networks based on the tariff and contract length they sign you up to.

You take out a contract for £40 for 2 years. That's worth £960 to the network. They will pay the retailer enough to cover the cost of the phone and some more.

Many thanks, I guessed it had to be something like that, makes you wonder what the retailers pay for the phones.

 

[Moodyman]

Many thanks, I guessed it had to be something like that, makes you wonder what the retailers pay for the phones.

An iPhone retails at £500+. A network or large retailer like the CPW will buy for £275-£300 - economies of scale.

The network gets a customer but then uses you to extract additional income by selling you add ons like broadband

 

[albion]

Phones are personal things and any Android phone may seem the bees knees compared to an old standard phone.
The Ace is better for a long contract.

 

[albion]

An iPhone retails at £500+. A network or large retailer like the CPW will buy for £275-£300 - economies of scale

That is how it works with other stuff.
Not the iPhone or a few CPW special offer phones which only get profits via network commission.

When the iPhone 3 came out, whilst the RRP was something like £400, Apple got something like £750 from the networks for it.

They both cut out the middle man and got to play the middle man too. Invented manufacturers commission.?

 

[Piemaster]

In the US some of the original iPhones are still knocking around, much to the annoyance of some mobile phone networks (who want to turn off 2G there in a few years time i.e. rendering them 'not phones'). Apart from that it's quite difficult to assess how old a lot of the old phones are apart from people occasionally mentioning nokias even older than yours.

I hung onto one of the last analog phones till the death.Used to get the phone co regularly ringing me up and offering me an 'upgrade' which I kept refusing until just before the analog signals were turned off. The analog phone could hang onto a signal for a long time after colleagues digital ones had given up, a handy feature when disappearing off into the North Sea on a boat.

 

[Peteaud]

I am in the same boat as the OP,

I have a Nokia 5110 on PAYG with Tesco and spend about £10 a quarter. I would like something a bit better / newer, but what?

What does 250mb a month get you?

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

I am in the same boat as the OP,

I have a Nokia 5110 on PAYG with Tesco and spend about £10 a quarter. I would like something a bit better / newer, but what?

What does 250mb a month get you?

You could probably casually browse the net in your lunch break and not really trouble 250mb. I upload,download,watch youtube, stream videos/radio/facebook/twitter/internet browse/email and some months run over 2GB