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Perhaps they should finance it some other way. I assume credit cards or lines of credit are available in the rest of the world? Many people managed to buy deskt

Perhaps they should finance it some other way. I assume credit cards or lines of credit are available in the rest of the world? Many people managed to buy desktop computers when they cost $2000. I don’t consider the utility of a portable computer/GPS/video player/camera/communicator to be unaffordable at $40 a month.

piyush_soni 8y ago
Yes, of course, installment (EMI) payments are available, but then that's the case for anything (doesn't make that an easy buy). In my part of the world fathers still save for a long time to buy their kids a computer so that they can advance in their studies etc.. But a computer (now mostly laptops) is a necessity, and works for many more years than a phone - especially an iPhone which is mostly still considered a luxury.
- code_duck 8y ago
  So we are talking about the economics of non-western countries? Presently, I use my phone about 8 times as much as my laptop. Maybe 16 times as much.
  - piyush_soni 8y ago
    Yes, I do realize that we use our phones much more than laptops. But again, everything that the iPhone does a cheaper phone does too, may be crappily, but that's all they can afford and it works for their needs. You can't solve every problem with financing because eventually you have to pay that.
    - code_duck 8y ago
      This is somewhat invalidated by the sales of older iPhones. I bought a $40 Kyocera one time. I suffered through a terrible camera, lousy software, slow everything, surely insecure software, lack of updates, and more. Later I realized I could have bought an iPhone 4s for $50 and been much, much better off. Currently I use an iPhone 6 that I purchased with no contract for $180. I suppose you could buy older Android phones too, but I think they stop getting updates sooner than iPhones. I've been impressed with how long Apple supports their old hardware.
harikb 8y ago
Those same folks also do the math of 36*30 and decide that $1000+ is too much to commit to. It is not necessarily a problem of affordability as in, not having $1000 in the bank.
- code_duck 8y ago
  It is a valid point that it does not really do anything at that a phone half the cost doesn’t. My problem with the price is that I don’t want to drop or lose something that costs $1400.

piyush_soni 8y ago

Yes, of course, installment (EMI) payments are available, but then that's the case for anything (doesn't make that an easy buy). In my part of the world fathers still save for a long time to buy their kids a computer so that they can advance in their studies etc.. But a computer (now mostly laptops) is a necessity, and works for many more years than a phone - especially an iPhone which is mostly still considered a luxury.

code_duck 8y ago
So we are talking about the economics of non-western countries? Presently, I use my phone about 8 times as much as my laptop. Maybe 16 times as much.
- piyush_soni 8y ago
  Yes, I do realize that we use our phones much more than laptops. But again, everything that the iPhone does a cheaper phone does too, may be crappily, but that's all they can afford and it works for their needs. You can't solve every problem with financing because eventually you have to pay that.
  - code_duck 8y ago
    This is somewhat invalidated by the sales of older iPhones. I bought a $40 Kyocera one time. I suffered through a terrible camera, lousy software, slow everything, surely insecure software, lack of updates, and more. Later I realized I could have bought an iPhone 4s for $50 and been much, much better off. Currently I use an iPhone 6 that I purchased with no contract for $180. I suppose you could buy older Android phones too, but I think they stop getting updates sooner than iPhones. I've been impressed with how long Apple supports their old hardware.

harikb 8y ago

Those same folks also do the math of 36*30 and decide that $1000+ is too much to commit to. It is not necessarily a problem of affordability as in, not having $1000 in the bank.

code_duck 8y ago
It is a valid point that it does not really do anything at that a phone half the cost doesn’t. My problem with the price is that I don’t want to drop or lose something that costs $1400.