6 ms·

I won’t spend more than $250 on a new smartphone

1101010010 3y ago
Just buy tech used, save money and reduce dependence on slave labor. Swappa has been good for me.
- DoktorDelta 3y ago
  I hoped someone would mention Swappa, I've managed to get some fantastic deals on year-old devices.
- giantrobot 3y ago
  Swappa looks interesting. I used to use Glyde some years ago which looks like the same concept. Then one day Glyde was gone. I bought and sold a bunch of tech stuff on there.
- Noumenon72 3y ago
  I don't even have a case on my phone right now because I know I can just replace it from Swappa for cheap. Thank goodness for people like OP who keep buying brand new phones and giving up most of their value.
  - coffeebeqn 3y ago
    And what I do on my phone is some web browsing, email, chat/messaging, YouTube, navigation etc. which has been a completely great experience for many generations. I don’t have any slowdowns on my iPhone SE 2020 and I only upgraded because the 2016 used SEs had bad long term batteries which would die on me.
avereveard 3y ago
This piece argue in circles, and has no interesting or novel argument to the topic. I wonder on how it scores on an ai detector. The various "reviews" are also unsatisfying. A single photo of a photo, in great light condition on a close, inanimate subject is all we get for supporting the claim of great photography. The rest is lifted straight from the specification page.
bbbbzzz1 3y ago
I buy a flagship I enjoy and replace it every 4-5 years
fouc 3y ago
I picked up a lightly used iPhone SE 2020 (128GB) for $195 USD last year.
cogitoergofutuo 3y ago
The author of this article literally spent ~$500 on a phone.
gnicholas 3y ago
> I bought my first iPhone in 2008, the iPhone 3G, whose 16GB variant cost me $299 on a two-year contract. While the author acknowledges the two year contract, he seems not to actually do a TCO analysis of the phone + monthly service. Given how much cheaper cell service is these days (perhaps 1/3 of what it cost during the early days of the subsidized iPhone), you could spend an extra $500 on a phone and still end up spending less. And if you kept it for 3 years instead of 2 (which is much easier now that the rate of innovation has slowed), you could spend even more upfront.
- ClumsyPilot 3y ago
  As you mentioned - he is not buying cheap phones. The contract basically acts as a loan, where credit repayments are rolled into his monthly cost of telephpne service O dod the math in UK for cost of buy the phone outright, and buying ewuivalent service over two yeats - usually buying outroggt end up cheaper. Sometimesnit doesnt so you can atke the deal. If you dont want to shell out cash, it's an okay option.
  - meragrin_ 3y ago
    > O dod the math in UK for cost of buy the phone outright, and buying ewuivalent service over two yeats - usually buying outroggt end up cheaper. He's on Google Fi. I'm on Google Fi with $20 month plan. You can go a few dollars cheaper if you use very little data and pay by the gig. I'm eligible for the same deal on the Pixel 7a. There is not a company which offers the same service for any where close to $10 a month.
  - j16sdiz 3y ago
    It's an okay option, but telling us this is "$250 phone" is wrong.
- wink 3y ago
  Yeah, that calculation is a bit bonkers, but the 6a is available for ~330 € and I'm pondering to buy one. My problem is usually the lack of security updates with phones in this price band (last year's model or whatever) but according to a quick research it should get security updates through October '26. And yeah, I know that 330€ is one category higher than 250$ - but I still refuse to pay 500+ for a phone that I hardly use. My only problem is that if 2FA and banking require one, I want to have security updates.
runnr_az 3y ago
I feel like we live on a time now where the A-level premium electronics are fantastic while the B-level pieces are 90% as good but a tenth of the price. My $20 wireless earbuds aren’t gonna win any sonic quality awards, but they’re still pretty amazing, work remarkably well.
- nightowl_games 3y ago
  Yeah. I've been buying upper mid-range for everything my whole life.
- theaiquestion 3y ago
  I totally understand the financial benefits of "mid-tier" stuff. We're all familiar with how "low-tier" stuff can cause more trouble then it's worth or even cost more money then if you bought something better. But I've found the quality of life and other benefits of buying the "high-tier" stuff is sometimes incredible. I bought a 1080ti which was effectively the highest consumer GPU and that lasted 5+ years while have more memory then even most modern GPUs (11GB). I've found the noise cancelling quality at the 350$ tier headphones to be miiiiiiiiiiiiles above the 150$ pair and the 75$ tier (I own three tiers of the sony ones from a few years ago). Of course just because it's expensive doesn't mean it's better value, or even better in general, you have to be really strategic and honestly sometimes lucky, and obviously most people can't afford the "high-tier" of everything they want. But somethings I'm just really happy I went with the "high-tier". Obviously if you're just want to watch videos and casually listen to music 20$ earbuds might be all you need. I will say few 20$ earbuds will be rated as "quality audio" even by non-audiophiles, but if that's all you need then that's great! If you need decent quality audio and high quality noise cancelling for your work in an office and plan to use it for years, then you might consider the "high-end" because it really can make a massive difference depending on your needs.
  - Fatnino 3y ago
    I bought a 5 packs of wired earbuds for 6 bucks and they work just fine. I expected them to crumble to dust in a few weeks but I'm still on my first one several months later. Sound quality is fine for YouTube (main thing I use them for) and my under 300 dollar phone still has a headphone jack.
torgian 3y ago
I don’t get the point of this article other than “buy cheap phones”. I’ve bought cheap phones before. My first was a Samsung galaxy. I think it cost about 400usd at the time. Can’t remember. It was ok. Lasted me for about 2 years before I got an htc phone for about 200usd. The Samsung shattered, so I needed a new one. Decided to go cheap because, why spend the money on glass? Turns out that HTC is as sooooo bad. Could barely type a sentence. Reception was bad, and it was slow just to use Line app. Ended up getting a iPhone 6s. I’m typing this comment now on that very same 6s. My wife is using my iPhone 12 since hers broke. Conclusion? Buy an expensive phone (within reason) and use it for five years. Or longer. Too bad androids don’t receive security updates past two or three years.
- hammyhavoc 3y ago
  The point is that people will click it and be exposed to ads. It's The Verge. Google Pixel gets 5 years of security updates, mate.
  - mattl 3y ago
    Anecdotal but my Pixel 1 got into a boot loop in my pocket draining my battery in about 20 minutes and I’ve never had an Android phone since.
    - hammyhavoc 3y ago
      Modern Pixel phones are made using Google's in-house Tensor chip. They used to just outsource the phones to popular manufacturers. A lot has changed. It's like trying to compare an IBM-manufactured ThinkPad with a modern-day Lenovo-manufactured one. I also had logic board failure in a MacBook Pro and haven't had a MacBook Pro since, and I haven't had an iPhone since the battery became swollen in my last one. Go figure.
      - mattl 3y ago
        If I have a problem with my iPhone under warranty I can just walk into an Apple Store and speak to a person. The lack of similar options as a consumer with a phone by Google is a reason I don’t recommend anyone get one.
WhereIsTheTruth 3y ago
the same website that tells you that a $700 handheld PC console is "cheap" These companies make billions in profit each year, something tells me that the price of their toys is overly inflated https://www.theverge.com/23700094/asus-rog-ally-price-amd-z1-extreme https://www.theverge.com/23700094/asus-rog-ally-price-amd-z1...
- hammyhavoc 3y ago
  Shockingly, two different authors don't need to share the same groupthink just because they write for x publication. It is possible to have conflicting viewpoints under the same brand to maximize readership and alleviate biases by showing a broad selection of content. Don't think too hard, the business model is showing you ads with clickbait.
MongoTheMad 3y ago
I Buy HMD Global (Nokia) phones. They last me 2-3 years (parts wear out), but I like how fast they feel and the new sustainability direction they are going.
synergy20 3y ago
meanwhile a few cookies and brownies to donate to teachers,some flower for mother's day and a few apples adding up to $150 for me, it's not even weekly shopping yet I consider e-devices the cheapest thing on earth
toastercat 3y ago
Still rocking my Pixel 5 from 2020, so coming on almost 3 years now, and still running like a champ. I do keep my app usage low, and tend to only install native Kotlin/Java-based apps from F-Droid. Hoping this guy can last me past 2025.
benatkin 3y ago
Might be OK with the processor and the camera, but what about the touchscreen? I noticed the touchscreen on a 3 year old high end phone is better than a new midrange phone.
searealist 3y ago
No contract iPhone 3G 16GB was $699 or $842 with inflation. The iPhone 14 $799. It's gotten cheaper. The author doesn't understanding loans and inflation.
notorandit 3y ago
... with a mobile contract bundle. Which is the right title to not be confused with usual click baits.
mdasen 3y ago
By that logic, I get new iPhones for free. Even if you include the value of the iPhone I trade in, it's still only $250-300. Yes, they're right that you don't need to spend more than $250 to get a really capable smartphone - because the cost of the phone is put into your service plan. You can trade in any Samsung Galaxy S and get a brand new Galaxy S23 for free. AT&T will even give you a Pixel 7a for $2/mo, $72 in total - no trade in required. Tomorrow's headline: I won't spend more than $72 on a new smartphone! And if you want to blast holes in my argument, you certainly can. Plan prices matter. Of course, Visible from Verizon $25/mo unlimited compared to Google Fi's $50/mo unlimited. Visible has a $35/mo plan that has 50GB of premium data and then unlimited deprioritized data after that - which is a lot better than 50GB of premium data from Google Fi and then getting throttled to 256kbps (yea, kilo-bits) - and Google Fi wants to charge $65/mo for that, 86% more than Visible. Why not buy a $500 Pixel 7a and get $25-35/mo Visible service instead of spending $50-65/mo on Google Fi? The savings are a lot more than the $10.42/mo rebate the author is getting. Plus, Visible has taxes and fees included while Google Fi will mean paying taxes and fees - which could be another $10/mo, eliminating your rebate. If the author likes Google Fi, I'm more than happy for them. However, the premise that they're getting the Pixel 7a for $250 is just ridiculous.
- meragrin_ 3y ago
  > Why not buy a $500 Pixel 7a and get $25-35/mo Visible service instead of spending $50-65/mo on Google Fi? Because you have 4 or more lines so it is only $20/mo per line on Fi?
ge96 3y ago
I couldn't see owning a $2K phone... maybe I'm just poor (I am lol), I drop it and it's f'd? I have gone for cheaper alternatives eg. $400 mid grade phone no contract, and PPP (which is not that great but cheaper way to get towards samsung dex). I know you can buy older samsungs and get dex that way. One day when folding phones aren't 4 figures I would like to try one.
esalman 3y ago
Like several other comments suggest, the author is actually spending way more than $250 on each phone. I have been buying 1-2 generation older but still brand new phones last few years- such as OnePlus 7T, OnePlus 8 and Galaxy S10e. All of them were fantastic, capable phones and cost less than $300.
chasil 3y ago
Why would you spend $200 on a phone? I prefer something really nice for under $100. 5g? Oh, look!... https://www.dealnews.com/products/Google/Pixel-4-a-128-GB-Android-Smartphone/175960.html https://www.dealnews.com/products/Google/Pixel-4-a-128-GB-An... (I think I want a Pixel 6 pro; I'll stick with my 3a xl for now.)
throwaway743 3y ago
Just learned of shoppre which apparently allows people outside of India to buy products off flipkart and some other Indian retailers. Also learned that Samsung has released an Indian specific line of Galaxy phones (Galaxy F series) that are a fraction of the price (as in ~$180 for imo really solid specs), but appear to have just as good specs. Only issue I've been seeing is that some with stickers that say "India sim only" require an Indian sim card to be inside of it for at least 10 minutes, then any sim can be used afterwards. Anyone know of this or any other potential issues should someone outside of India purchase one of these Galaxies?
hinkley 3y ago
Inflation calculator says a $300 phone would now cost $425 today. 2009 was a really fucking long time ago, people. Don't be the old man complaining about the cost of a Snickers bar.
sfmike 3y ago
and amazon refurbished can be remarkably good nearly new someone opened it and sent it back and there's insane deals on there. Google 6 pros a year old for like 350usd.
nbittich 3y ago
Next article should be: I won't replace a $250 working smartphone every year
TheChaplain 3y ago
I usually buy the high end Samsung S, because it's usually fast, good build quality and have an wickedly good camera. I want good photos of my cat.
Havoc 3y ago
I don’t actually mind the 1k price tags. If I use it daily for years that’s fair play. I do try to not drop it on day one though…
thefz 3y ago
> A trip to the Apple Store was rewarded with the suggestion that I not carry the phone in my front pocket… Ah, a wild variant of "you are holding it wrong"
drbig 3y ago
My own experience in the Android land, after making that jump from Nokia N900 to Nexus 4, is that you can get a new $CURRENT_GEN-1 (or -2) device for much much less while still having most of the performance/features . As such, I have never bought a then-current flagship. I have always kept my mobile plans (yes, multiple) separate from devices - I prefer the flexibility. With my story being: (N900 [USB port fell off!] ->) Nexus 4 [battery died] -> Nexus 5X [dropped it] -> Pixel [battery died on warranty, sent in] -> Pixel 2 [got as warranty replacement!] _and_ Pixel 3A [bought it]... I'm still very fine with the 3A thank you very much. In fact the only reasonable argument I've read for replacing a perfectly functional Android device is "when Google stops doing sec patches". Anyone here has any other good arguments for "replace before it's not functional"? (P.S. For "fun" I later replaced the battery and antenna in Nexus 4 - it still works today! And I keep Pixel 2 in the drawer as a hot backup. And yes, for both phones I do periodically turn them on, update and charge the battery.)
taylodl 3y ago
That's why I'm a big fan of the iPhone SE. It's not as cheap as your phone, but it's a great value in the iPhone lineup. It's smallness also contributes to its sturdiness - it's less likely to break when dropped and it's less likely to be dropped because it's smaller. I would say you have your priorities straight!
threeboy 3y ago
"cost me $299 on a two-year contract" The rest of the cost was in the monthly payments.

Just buy tech used, save money and reduce dependence on slave labor. Swappa has been good for me.

DoktorDelta 3y ago
I hoped someone would mention Swappa, I've managed to get some fantastic deals on year-old devices.
giantrobot 3y ago
Swappa looks interesting. I used to use Glyde some years ago which looks like the same concept. Then one day Glyde was gone. I bought and sold a bunch of tech stuff on there.
Noumenon72 3y ago
I don't even have a case on my phone right now because I know I can just replace it from Swappa for cheap. Thank goodness for people like OP who keep buying brand new phones and giving up most of their value.
- coffeebeqn 3y ago
  And what I do on my phone is some web browsing, email, chat/messaging, YouTube, navigation etc. which has been a completely great experience for many generations. I don’t have any slowdowns on my iPhone SE 2020 and I only upgraded because the 2016 used SEs had bad long term batteries which would die on me.

This piece argue in circles, and has no interesting or novel argument to the topic. I wonder on how it scores on an ai detector. The various "reviews" are also unsatisfying. A single photo of a photo, in great light condition on a close, inanimate subject is all we get for supporting the claim of great photography. The rest is lifted straight from the specification page.

bbbbzzz1 3y ago

I buy a flagship I enjoy and replace it every 4-5 years

fouc 3y ago

I picked up a lightly used iPhone SE 2020 (128GB) for $195 USD last year.

cogitoergofutuo 3y ago

The author of this article literally spent ~$500 on a phone.

gnicholas 3y ago

> I bought my first iPhone in 2008, the iPhone 3G, whose 16GB variant cost me $299 on a two-year contract. While the author acknowledges the two year contract, he seems not to actually do a TCO analysis of the phone + monthly service. Given how much cheaper cell service is these days (perhaps 1/3 of what it cost during the early days of the subsidized iPhone), you could spend an extra $500 on a phone and still end up spending less. And if you kept it for 3 years instead of 2 (which is much easier now that the rate of innovation has slowed), you could spend even more upfront.

ClumsyPilot 3y ago
As you mentioned - he is not buying cheap phones. The contract basically acts as a loan, where credit repayments are rolled into his monthly cost of telephpne service O dod the math in UK for cost of buy the phone outright, and buying ewuivalent service over two yeats - usually buying outroggt end up cheaper. Sometimesnit doesnt so you can atke the deal. If you dont want to shell out cash, it's an okay option.
- meragrin_ 3y ago
  > O dod the math in UK for cost of buy the phone outright, and buying ewuivalent service over two yeats - usually buying outroggt end up cheaper. He's on Google Fi. I'm on Google Fi with $20 month plan. You can go a few dollars cheaper if you use very little data and pay by the gig. I'm eligible for the same deal on the Pixel 7a. There is not a company which offers the same service for any where close to $10 a month.
- j16sdiz 3y ago
  It's an okay option, but telling us this is "$250 phone" is wrong.
wink 3y ago
Yeah, that calculation is a bit bonkers, but the 6a is available for ~330 € and I'm pondering to buy one. My problem is usually the lack of security updates with phones in this price band (last year's model or whatever) but according to a quick research it should get security updates through October '26. And yeah, I know that 330€ is one category higher than 250$ - but I still refuse to pay 500+ for a phone that I hardly use. My only problem is that if 2FA and banking require one, I want to have security updates.

runnr_az 3y ago

I feel like we live on a time now where the A-level premium electronics are fantastic while the B-level pieces are 90% as good but a tenth of the price. My $20 wireless earbuds aren’t gonna win any sonic quality awards, but they’re still pretty amazing, work remarkably well.

nightowl_games 3y ago
Yeah. I've been buying upper mid-range for everything my whole life.
theaiquestion 3y ago
I totally understand the financial benefits of "mid-tier" stuff. We're all familiar with how "low-tier" stuff can cause more trouble then it's worth or even cost more money then if you bought something better. But I've found the quality of life and other benefits of buying the "high-tier" stuff is sometimes incredible. I bought a 1080ti which was effectively the highest consumer GPU and that lasted 5+ years while have more memory then even most modern GPUs (11GB). I've found the noise cancelling quality at the 350$ tier headphones to be miiiiiiiiiiiiles above the 150$ pair and the 75$ tier (I own three tiers of the sony ones from a few years ago). Of course just because it's expensive doesn't mean it's better value, or even better in general, you have to be really strategic and honestly sometimes lucky, and obviously most people can't afford the "high-tier" of everything they want. But somethings I'm just really happy I went with the "high-tier". Obviously if you're just want to watch videos and casually listen to music 20$ earbuds might be all you need. I will say few 20$ earbuds will be rated as "quality audio" even by non-audiophiles, but if that's all you need then that's great! If you need decent quality audio and high quality noise cancelling for your work in an office and plan to use it for years, then you might consider the "high-end" because it really can make a massive difference depending on your needs.
- Fatnino 3y ago
  I bought a 5 packs of wired earbuds for 6 bucks and they work just fine. I expected them to crumble to dust in a few weeks but I'm still on my first one several months later. Sound quality is fine for YouTube (main thing I use them for) and my under 300 dollar phone still has a headphone jack.

torgian 3y ago

I don’t get the point of this article other than “buy cheap phones”. I’ve bought cheap phones before. My first was a Samsung galaxy. I think it cost about 400usd at the time. Can’t remember. It was ok. Lasted me for about 2 years before I got an htc phone for about 200usd. The Samsung shattered, so I needed a new one. Decided to go cheap because, why spend the money on glass? Turns out that HTC is as sooooo bad. Could barely type a sentence. Reception was bad, and it was slow just to use Line app. Ended up getting a iPhone 6s. I’m typing this comment now on that very same 6s. My wife is using my iPhone 12 since hers broke. Conclusion? Buy an expensive phone (within reason) and use it for five years. Or longer. Too bad androids don’t receive security updates past two or three years.

hammyhavoc 3y ago
The point is that people will click it and be exposed to ads. It's The Verge. Google Pixel gets 5 years of security updates, mate.
- mattl 3y ago
  Anecdotal but my Pixel 1 got into a boot loop in my pocket draining my battery in about 20 minutes and I’ve never had an Android phone since.
  - hammyhavoc 3y ago
    Modern Pixel phones are made using Google's in-house Tensor chip. They used to just outsource the phones to popular manufacturers. A lot has changed. It's like trying to compare an IBM-manufactured ThinkPad with a modern-day Lenovo-manufactured one. I also had logic board failure in a MacBook Pro and haven't had a MacBook Pro since, and I haven't had an iPhone since the battery became swollen in my last one. Go figure.
    - mattl 3y ago
      If I have a problem with my iPhone under warranty I can just walk into an Apple Store and speak to a person. The lack of similar options as a consumer with a phone by Google is a reason I don’t recommend anyone get one.

WhereIsTheTruth 3y ago

the same website that tells you that a $700 handheld PC console is "cheap" These companies make billions in profit each year, something tells me that the price of their toys is overly inflated https://www.theverge.com/23700094/asus-rog-ally-price-amd-z1-extreme https://www.theverge.com/23700094/asus-rog-ally-price-amd-z1...

hammyhavoc 3y ago
Shockingly, two different authors don't need to share the same groupthink just because they write for x publication. It is possible to have conflicting viewpoints under the same brand to maximize readership and alleviate biases by showing a broad selection of content. Don't think too hard, the business model is showing you ads with clickbait.

MongoTheMad 3y ago

I Buy HMD Global (Nokia) phones. They last me 2-3 years (parts wear out), but I like how fast they feel and the new sustainability direction they are going.

synergy20 3y ago

meanwhile a few cookies and brownies to donate to teachers,some flower for mother's day and a few apples adding up to $150 for me, it's not even weekly shopping yet I consider e-devices the cheapest thing on earth

toastercat 3y ago

Still rocking my Pixel 5 from 2020, so coming on almost 3 years now, and still running like a champ. I do keep my app usage low, and tend to only install native Kotlin/Java-based apps from F-Droid. Hoping this guy can last me past 2025.

benatkin 3y ago

Might be OK with the processor and the camera, but what about the touchscreen? I noticed the touchscreen on a 3 year old high end phone is better than a new midrange phone.

searealist 3y ago

No contract iPhone 3G 16GB was $699 or $842 with inflation. The iPhone 14 $799. It's gotten cheaper. The author doesn't understanding loans and inflation.

notorandit 3y ago

... with a mobile contract bundle. Which is the right title to not be confused with usual click baits.

mdasen 3y ago

By that logic, I get new iPhones for free. Even if you include the value of the iPhone I trade in, it's still only $250-300. Yes, they're right that you don't need to spend more than $250 to get a really capable smartphone - because the cost of the phone is put into your service plan. You can trade in any Samsung Galaxy S and get a brand new Galaxy S23 for free. AT&T will even give you a Pixel 7a for $2/mo, $72 in total - no trade in required. Tomorrow's headline: I won't spend more than $72 on a new smartphone! And if you want to blast holes in my argument, you certainly can. Plan prices matter. Of course, Visible from Verizon $25/mo unlimited compared to Google Fi's $50/mo unlimited. Visible has a $35/mo plan that has 50GB of premium data and then unlimited deprioritized data after that - which is a lot better than 50GB of premium data from Google Fi and then getting throttled to 256kbps (yea, kilo-bits) - and Google Fi wants to charge $65/mo for that, 86% more than Visible. Why not buy a $500 Pixel 7a and get $25-35/mo Visible service instead of spending $50-65/mo on Google Fi? The savings are a lot more than the $10.42/mo rebate the author is getting. Plus, Visible has taxes and fees included while Google Fi will mean paying taxes and fees - which could be another $10/mo, eliminating your rebate. If the author likes Google Fi, I'm more than happy for them. However, the premise that they're getting the Pixel 7a for $250 is just ridiculous.

meragrin_ 3y ago
> Why not buy a $500 Pixel 7a and get $25-35/mo Visible service instead of spending $50-65/mo on Google Fi? Because you have 4 or more lines so it is only $20/mo per line on Fi?

ge96 3y ago

I couldn't see owning a $2K phone... maybe I'm just poor (I am lol), I drop it and it's f'd? I have gone for cheaper alternatives eg. $400 mid grade phone no contract, and PPP (which is not that great but cheaper way to get towards samsung dex). I know you can buy older samsungs and get dex that way. One day when folding phones aren't 4 figures I would like to try one.

esalman 3y ago

Like several other comments suggest, the author is actually spending way more than $250 on each phone. I have been buying 1-2 generation older but still brand new phones last few years- such as OnePlus 7T, OnePlus 8 and Galaxy S10e. All of them were fantastic, capable phones and cost less than $300.

chasil 3y ago

Why would you spend $200 on a phone? I prefer something really nice for under $100. 5g? Oh, look!... https://www.dealnews.com/products/Google/Pixel-4-a-128-GB-Android-Smartphone/175960.html https://www.dealnews.com/products/Google/Pixel-4-a-128-GB-An... (I think I want a Pixel 6 pro; I'll stick with my 3a xl for now.)

throwaway743 3y ago

Just learned of shoppre which apparently allows people outside of India to buy products off flipkart and some other Indian retailers. Also learned that Samsung has released an Indian specific line of Galaxy phones (Galaxy F series) that are a fraction of the price (as in ~$180 for imo really solid specs), but appear to have just as good specs. Only issue I've been seeing is that some with stickers that say "India sim only" require an Indian sim card to be inside of it for at least 10 minutes, then any sim can be used afterwards. Anyone know of this or any other potential issues should someone outside of India purchase one of these Galaxies?

hinkley 3y ago

Inflation calculator says a $300 phone would now cost $425 today. 2009 was a really fucking long time ago, people. Don't be the old man complaining about the cost of a Snickers bar.

sfmike 3y ago

and amazon refurbished can be remarkably good nearly new someone opened it and sent it back and there's insane deals on there. Google 6 pros a year old for like 350usd.

nbittich 3y ago

Next article should be: I won't replace a $250 working smartphone every year

TheChaplain 3y ago

I usually buy the high end Samsung S, because it's usually fast, good build quality and have an wickedly good camera. I want good photos of my cat.

Havoc 3y ago

I don’t actually mind the 1k price tags. If I use it daily for years that’s fair play. I do try to not drop it on day one though…

thefz 3y ago

> A trip to the Apple Store was rewarded with the suggestion that I not carry the phone in my front pocket… Ah, a wild variant of "you are holding it wrong"

drbig 3y ago

My own experience in the Android land, after making that jump from Nokia N900 to Nexus 4, is that you can get a new $CURRENT_GEN-1 (or -2) device for much much less while still having most of the performance/features . As such, I have never bought a then-current flagship. I have always kept my mobile plans (yes, multiple) separate from devices - I prefer the flexibility. With my story being: (N900 [USB port fell off!] ->) Nexus 4 [battery died] -> Nexus 5X [dropped it] -> Pixel [battery died on warranty, sent in] -> Pixel 2 [got as warranty replacement!] _and_ Pixel 3A [bought it]... I'm still very fine with the 3A thank you very much. In fact the only reasonable argument I've read for replacing a perfectly functional Android device is "when Google stops doing sec patches". Anyone here has any other good arguments for "replace before it's not functional"? (P.S. For "fun" I later replaced the battery and antenna in Nexus 4 - it still works today! And I keep Pixel 2 in the drawer as a hot backup. And yes, for both phones I do periodically turn them on, update and charge the battery.)

taylodl 3y ago

That's why I'm a big fan of the iPhone SE. It's not as cheap as your phone, but it's a great value in the iPhone lineup. It's smallness also contributes to its sturdiness - it's less likely to break when dropped and it's less likely to be dropped because it's smaller. I would say you have your priorities straight!

threeboy 3y ago

"cost me $299 on a two-year contract" The rest of the cost was in the monthly payments.