8 ms·

I don't think there is a market for a phone that is $600+ that is not an iPhone. I think the battle going forward will be for the best $200 and $300 phone (unlo

I don't think there is a market for a phone that is $600+ that is not an iPhone. I think the battle going forward will be for the best $200 and $300 phone (unlocked). If Amazon would have hit either of these price points, the product would be much more compelling.

Gustomaximus 12y ago
The flagship models like Galaxy & Note have a market. Some people always want the best. They also give the company an opportunity to showcase their prowess while they sell more modest models to the mass. That said the way things are going the difference between a $250 and a $600 phone are becoming less meaningful for current feature sets.
Al-Khwarizmi 12y ago
In the US maybe that's true. In my country (Spain), the Samsung flagships outsell the iPhone by a mile, and the S5 was around €650 ($850) at launch.
- 72deluxe 12y ago
  Very interesting, thanks. Here in the UK I see many many iPhones but also many Samsung devices, and few others. Which flagship was it, out of interest?
  - Al-Khwarizmi 12y ago
    Currently the Samsung Galaxy S5. But the S4, S3, and probably the previous ones in the Galaxy S line also outsold the corresponding iPhones here. For example, here is a 2013 list of the top selling phones in Spain (list on the left): http://www.xatakamovil.com/mercado/samsung-copa-la-lista-de-smartphones-mas-vendidos-en-espana-en-2013-iphone-5s-el-mejor-valorado http://www.xatakamovil.com/mercado/samsung-copa-la-lista-de-... As you can see, that year's Samsung flagship (Galaxy S3) makes the top 10, and the iPhone doesn't, although the iPhone is on top of the right list (% buyers who give the phone a 9 or 10 out of 10).
- madoublet 12y ago
  The Samsung Galaxy does appear to be the exception.
  - Al-Khwarizmi 12y ago
    Well I'm more than happy with my HTC One (M8), and the other people I know who own Ones are too, and the same can be said about the Sony XPeria flagships which are very nice too. In contrast, Galaxy owners typically complain about lag and crappy interface, and their phones seem to break all too often... but too many people seem to drink the Samsung kool-aid and just won't look at other brands' offerings.
    - madoublet 12y ago
      I personally have always wanted to own an HTC phone. The One looks really cool.
josteink 12y ago
> I don't think there is a market for a phone that is $600+ that is not an iPhone. Let me guess: You're an iPhone owner, aren't you? Lots of people are willing to pay good money for a good, unlocked phone off contract. Maybe not in San Fransisco, or even in the US where the telecom industry is fucked up beyond repair, but that's still quite a tiny fraction of the real world.
- madoublet 12y ago
  Nope. I own a Windows Phone (Lumia 920). It is a good phone, but I would not pay over $600 for it.
  - hollerith 12y ago
    The Lumia 920 (unlocked) sells for $267 incl shipping at Amazon. (To be precise, it is available for a little less when it is not fulfilled by Amazon.)
    - madoublet 12y ago
      I think I got mine for $50 on contract. But, I have since switched to a cheaper monthly plan that does not subsidize phones. So, my next phone will definitely be unlocked in the $200-400 range. T-mobile is really changing the mobile landscape in the US (for the better, in my opinion). But, this also means that the "real" price of phones will be more apparent.
madoublet 12y ago
Ha, I can't believe I got down-voted for this. To spend $600 on a phone, there has to be some emotional attachment to it given that you can get a really high quality phone for under $400 now (Nexus 5, OnePlus, Motorola X and G). In the US, the only company that holds that sort of attachment is Apple (and maybe Samsung). But, as T-Mobile and others shift to a more European model for phone pricing, I think we are going to see value phones in the $200 - $300 price point be dominant. That is not to say that there won't be a premium market, but it will be smaller. This is how mature markets work.

Gustomaximus 12y ago

The flagship models like Galaxy & Note have a market. Some people always want the best. They also give the company an opportunity to showcase their prowess while they sell more modest models to the mass. That said the way things are going the difference between a $250 and a $600 phone are becoming less meaningful for current feature sets.

Al-Khwarizmi 12y ago

In the US maybe that's true. In my country (Spain), the Samsung flagships outsell the iPhone by a mile, and the S5 was around €650 ($850) at launch.

72deluxe 12y ago
Very interesting, thanks. Here in the UK I see many many iPhones but also many Samsung devices, and few others. Which flagship was it, out of interest?
- Al-Khwarizmi 12y ago
  Currently the Samsung Galaxy S5. But the S4, S3, and probably the previous ones in the Galaxy S line also outsold the corresponding iPhones here. For example, here is a 2013 list of the top selling phones in Spain (list on the left): http://www.xatakamovil.com/mercado/samsung-copa-la-lista-de-smartphones-mas-vendidos-en-espana-en-2013-iphone-5s-el-mejor-valorado http://www.xatakamovil.com/mercado/samsung-copa-la-lista-de-... As you can see, that year's Samsung flagship (Galaxy S3) makes the top 10, and the iPhone doesn't, although the iPhone is on top of the right list (% buyers who give the phone a 9 or 10 out of 10).
madoublet 12y ago
The Samsung Galaxy does appear to be the exception.
- Al-Khwarizmi 12y ago
  Well I'm more than happy with my HTC One (M8), and the other people I know who own Ones are too, and the same can be said about the Sony XPeria flagships which are very nice too. In contrast, Galaxy owners typically complain about lag and crappy interface, and their phones seem to break all too often... but too many people seem to drink the Samsung kool-aid and just won't look at other brands' offerings.
  - madoublet 12y ago
    I personally have always wanted to own an HTC phone. The One looks really cool.

josteink 12y ago

> I don't think there is a market for a phone that is $600+ that is not an iPhone. Let me guess: You're an iPhone owner, aren't you? Lots of people are willing to pay good money for a good, unlocked phone off contract. Maybe not in San Fransisco, or even in the US where the telecom industry is fucked up beyond repair, but that's still quite a tiny fraction of the real world.

madoublet 12y ago
Nope. I own a Windows Phone (Lumia 920). It is a good phone, but I would not pay over $600 for it.
- hollerith 12y ago
  The Lumia 920 (unlocked) sells for $267 incl shipping at Amazon. (To be precise, it is available for a little less when it is not fulfilled by Amazon.)
  - madoublet 12y ago
    I think I got mine for $50 on contract. But, I have since switched to a cheaper monthly plan that does not subsidize phones. So, my next phone will definitely be unlocked in the $200-400 range. T-mobile is really changing the mobile landscape in the US (for the better, in my opinion). But, this also means that the "real" price of phones will be more apparent.

madoublet 12y ago

Ha, I can't believe I got down-voted for this. To spend $600 on a phone, there has to be some emotional attachment to it given that you can get a really high quality phone for under $400 now (Nexus 5, OnePlus, Motorola X and G). In the US, the only company that holds that sort of attachment is Apple (and maybe Samsung). But, as T-Mobile and others shift to a more European model for phone pricing, I think we are going to see value phones in the $200 - $300 price point be dominant. That is not to say that there won't be a premium market, but it will be smaller. This is how mature markets work.