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I'm a techy, on a bill plan (Ireland) and have moved from the SI to the SII not so long ago. I don't get the 'cheap' feel from the SII at all. It's considerably

I'm a techy, on a bill plan (Ireland) and have moved from the SI to the SII not so long ago. I don't get the 'cheap' feel from the SII at all. It's considerably better than the SI from a look/feel point of view, and genuinely feels good to me. I've never really understood the fascination with build materials though. If it feels good in my hand, I'm happy. If it doesn't, I'm not. And the SII is definitely a winner in my book. Also, I am looking forward to seeing what the SIII is like in person - I'll upgrade to that if I have the option. (note: I haven't paid outright for a device in a few years. Not a single one of them represents good value to me, when paid for in a lump sum)

Tichy 14y ago
How does upgrading work in Ireland? You probably pay for it even if you upgrade, right? As an example, I am currently shopping around for a new operator in Germany, and one I looked at offered the Galaxy Nexus. However, summing the base fee over 24 months it would cost >540€, whereas the Galaxy Nexus is already available for 360€ on Amazon. So the operators might not always offer the best deal. (In Germany you can actually find operators with a monthly fee of zero, obviously no phone included).
- danielhunt 14y ago
  Upgrading usually means you pay some fee (around the 100e mark, maybe 150e if the device is highly desirable), and then you renew your contract with your carrier for another 12/18/24 months (again, depending on your own situation) Adding up the total cost of the bill is, in my eyes, the wrong calculation to make. A phone (particularly a smartphone), by itself, really isn't worth all that much. You need a data plan, and to a lesser extent, a call/text(sms) plan too. If you pay the (say) 360e for the Nexus on Amazon, how will you use it to receive calls while walking through Dublin city centre? How will you check your emails on it while on the bus? You'll need to take that 360e, and add the cost of a plan that will suit your needs. Lets say it's 20e per month (a common pre-pay plan in Ireland). That's 20 * 12 (yes, I know, no obligation to stay for 12 months), which is 240e. Added to the 360e, you're looking at 600e for 12 months usage. Please, don't use the bill amount as the main part of an argument here - it really shouldn't be. There's a massive draw to specifically not spending 5-600e up front on a device.
  - dagw 14y ago
    I don't know what it's like in Ireland, but in Sweden you generally pay a lot less pr month for the same plan if you bring your own phone, compared to if you accept their 'free' phone. So a 30 euro plan with a free phone, might only cost 8-10 euros if you bring your own phone.
    - danielhunt 14y ago
      Ah, I see what you mean now. In Ireland, it's only 5e less. So a 30e plan becomes 25e
  - Tichy 14y ago
    The way I do it is to compare the costs of the no phone plan to the phone plan. The difference times 24 is the cost of the phone. I've heard that in other countries (like the US) there is not much difference between phone and no-phone plans, which I find rather puzzling.
    - danielhunt 14y ago
      It's important to remember the difference between an upfront cost/purchase, and an ongoing (considerably cheaper) cost/subscription. edit not an argument, just a statement!
      - Tichy 14y ago
        Ok, I did not usually include that calculation, as inflation/interest is usually around 2% - probably wouldn't amount to much? Personally I tend to avoid subscriptions because they make my finances less tractable, and all the little costs add up. Good idea to do that calculation for "actual worth of the money" (don't know what to call it in English). Goes to my TODO list :-)
tluyben2 14y ago
It is a winner and I will get the SIII, but as app builder (and, consequently, tester) I DO pay for them and it simply does not feel $300-500 'better' than some of the lightinthebox or aliexpress Androids I have. Better, but not that much.

Tichy 14y ago

How does upgrading work in Ireland? You probably pay for it even if you upgrade, right? As an example, I am currently shopping around for a new operator in Germany, and one I looked at offered the Galaxy Nexus. However, summing the base fee over 24 months it would cost >540€, whereas the Galaxy Nexus is already available for 360€ on Amazon. So the operators might not always offer the best deal. (In Germany you can actually find operators with a monthly fee of zero, obviously no phone included).

danielhunt 14y ago
Upgrading usually means you pay some fee (around the 100e mark, maybe 150e if the device is highly desirable), and then you renew your contract with your carrier for another 12/18/24 months (again, depending on your own situation) Adding up the total cost of the bill is, in my eyes, the wrong calculation to make. A phone (particularly a smartphone), by itself, really isn't worth all that much. You need a data plan, and to a lesser extent, a call/text(sms) plan too. If you pay the (say) 360e for the Nexus on Amazon, how will you use it to receive calls while walking through Dublin city centre? How will you check your emails on it while on the bus? You'll need to take that 360e, and add the cost of a plan that will suit your needs. Lets say it's 20e per month (a common pre-pay plan in Ireland). That's 20 * 12 (yes, I know, no obligation to stay for 12 months), which is 240e. Added to the 360e, you're looking at 600e for 12 months usage. Please, don't use the bill amount as the main part of an argument here - it really shouldn't be. There's a massive draw to specifically not spending 5-600e up front on a device.
- dagw 14y ago
  I don't know what it's like in Ireland, but in Sweden you generally pay a lot less pr month for the same plan if you bring your own phone, compared to if you accept their 'free' phone. So a 30 euro plan with a free phone, might only cost 8-10 euros if you bring your own phone.
  - danielhunt 14y ago
    Ah, I see what you mean now. In Ireland, it's only 5e less. So a 30e plan becomes 25e
- Tichy 14y ago
  The way I do it is to compare the costs of the no phone plan to the phone plan. The difference times 24 is the cost of the phone. I've heard that in other countries (like the US) there is not much difference between phone and no-phone plans, which I find rather puzzling.
  - danielhunt 14y ago
    It's important to remember the difference between an upfront cost/purchase, and an ongoing (considerably cheaper) cost/subscription. edit not an argument, just a statement!
    - Tichy 14y ago
      Ok, I did not usually include that calculation, as inflation/interest is usually around 2% - probably wouldn't amount to much? Personally I tend to avoid subscriptions because they make my finances less tractable, and all the little costs add up. Good idea to do that calculation for "actual worth of the money" (don't know what to call it in English). Goes to my TODO list :-)

tluyben2 14y ago

It is a winner and I will get the SIII, but as app builder (and, consequently, tester) I DO pay for them and it simply does not feel $300-500 'better' than some of the lightinthebox or aliexpress Androids I have. Better, but not that much.