Screw the poor!

I like it, if there's no demand for $1000 phones the phone makers will refocus on making the best possible budget phone.

>>56287263
>poor
>wants an $800 phone

Starting to understand why you might be poor in the first place. You're like people with no money getting an expensive car. Stupid, and undeserving of pity.

>>56287263
>But now, under a false 'pro-consumer' flag, all of the carriers have eliminated these contract subsidized phones. In order to qualify for 2-year monthly pricing on top tier smartphones, you now have to either have excellent credit or put $300-500 down, or even have to buy it outright. Many will be forced onto prepaid.

They eliminated the two year contract option where the subsidy was unclear and replaced it with one where the two years of payments were clearly and separated as a line item on the bill equal to the amount of the subsidy. Before they did this, even when you got a two year contract they DID run your credit and if it wasn't good they rejected you.

Once they lowered the price of plans to eliminate the in-built subsidy for a two year contract on a very expensive phone, they had to make you pay for the phone in some fashion...

>I have a right to a $800 phone
Are you serious?

You can buy a smartphone for 100-200 that can browse the internet, play youtube videos, and whatever stupid app/game you want. Hell you can find even cheaper if you don't care how shitty they get.

>>56287301

You're missing the point-- you wind up basically paying the same amount if not more, but now because you don't have excellent credit or a large down payment, you're stuck with the lower tier phones.

>>56287312
The credit requirements for the $0 down contractless plans with phones now are FAR higher than they were for 2-year contracts. That's what got me going on this whole thing.

>>56287327

It's not a right and I'm not saying it is. It's their companies and they can do whatever they want. However on the same token, I am free to point out their anti-consumer behavior.

>>56287334
The credit requirements for the $0 down contractless plans with phones now are FAR higher than they were for 2-year contracts. That's what got me going on this whole thing.
Before you had a lot of people who finished their two years and were still paying for a subsidy they weren't taking advantage of but weren't upgrading every two years because they didn't want to be tied down to a carrier with an early termination fee. With the new plan, responsible adults only pay for a new phone over time when they get a new phone for the term they choose.

As others have said, if you're poor, then perhaps getting an $800 smartphone with a $50-$100 cell phone plan isn't a good idea, and you should get a cheaper Android/Apple device on a cheaper plan on a prepaid network (or get a dumbphone on prepaid).

>>56287334
>You're missing the point-- you wind up basically paying the same amount if not more, but now because you don't have excellent credit or a large down payment, you're stuck with the lower tier phones.


You're not. You've just been paying for expensive phones even though you're poor. Why?

Just buy a $200 phone off-contract. Why do you need the latest and greatest?

>It's not a right and I'm not saying it is. It's their companies and they can do whatever they want. However on the same token, I am free to point out their anti-consumer behavior.

It's called risk mitigation. Giving expensive things to poor people is risky.


>>56287346
>anti-consumer

They still allow you to buy the phones, dont they, why is it anti-consumer?

>>56287346
They price it at that level because it sells at that level. Blame your fellow consumers for paying ridiculous sums of money for a shitting phone.

I'm not poor, but I just use an xperia z3c and pay 20 bucks for a 5GB 4G plan because I don't feel like paying 100+ bucks a month just to browse 4chan and play music.

>>56287263
I wouldn't get Samsung/iPhone even for free because I would lose my precious neurons due to the anger from using it.

>>56287263
Midrange phones are pretty damn good now. If you spend $800 on a phone you're retarded.

>>56287263
So you're basically telling me that you are unable to somehow amass $600 dollars in TWO FUCKING YEARS?

Hell even if you're on a 1 year update cycle (which is retarded btw) it's still not hard to save up $600-$800 dollars.

>>56287263
"Companies owe me things"

LULZ

>>56287263
HEY GUYS, DID YOU NOTICE HOW THERE ARE BOTH CHEAP AND EXPENSIVE PHONES?? AND POOR PPL ARE BEING SCREWED BECAUSE THEY CANT BUY EXPENSIVE, WHICH ARE SLIGHTLY BETTER! FUCK THE SYSTEM MAN, LENIN WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG

>>56287367
Having a nice phone is one of very few very enjoyable luxuries that are, or at least were, within the reach of someone living paycheck to paycheck.

>>56287429
If I started saving now, maybe, assuming nothing came up.

>>56287438
They don't owe me anything. But I don't owe them silence on their behavior.

>>56287475
Again, beyond the point. The point is they're requiring excellent credit or massive down payments for items that previously required neither. So you wind up paying just as much per month and have a shitter phone than you would have had otherwise.

Focus guys.

>>56287475
And poor people end up spending more due to all them contracts, credits, etc. Capitalism, ho.

>>56287263
>Anyone else see the BS of this regime when trying to shop for a new phone?
>buying phones on contract so you end up paying more than the cost of the phone over the length of the contract
I just buy my phones outright, because I'm not poor.

>>56287499
>$600 dollars
>massive down payment

I'm from fucking Bosnia and that money is pittance on a scale of 2 years.

It took me about 4 months of saving to save up for my new $800 laptop.

File: TheDumbItHurts.jpg (41KB, 728x585px) Image search: [Google]

41KB, 728x585px

>>56287263
>Why do different items have different prices?

>>56287263
theyre doing you a favor

stop complaining and live within your means, then maybe you'd have some decent credit and wont be as poor anymore

>>56287572
>stop complaining
>live within your means
I do not think the tumblr generation understands what those two things are.

>>56287263
Poor people are poor for a reason. If you are not good with money, you have no one to blame but yourself when you are in debt after decades of purchasing what you cannot afford.

I love having cool and new tech that makes my life easier and more fun, but I don't spend money I don't have and I have always budgeted my money

>>56287523

On the scale of 2 years.

No problem paying that on the scale 2 years.

>>56287572

Take 2 years ago; I got 2 high-end smartphones and a mid-range tablet for nothing down and $104 a month.
Now, it's impossible to get 2 high-end smartphones period because I don't have excellent credit or $800 to put down.

They're not really doing me any favors by charging $20 less a month in exchange for not being able to get new phones.

>>56287612
They're doing you a favor by stopping you from being reckless with your money.

>wanting to "upgrade" your facebook terminal every few months

Genuinely, unironically kill yourself OP. I'm scared that this shitbreathing consumer drone mentality will infect my country soon

>>56287620

You're seriously overestimating how much money is being saved. Read the fucking post.
Saving me a trivial sum of $20 per month by no longer offering the option to get 2 new high end phones, is NOT doing me a favor.

>>56287499
No, you're just an entitled pissant. I'm wealthy enough to afford the latest and greatest every couple of years but I settle for discounted "outdated" shit.

Why? Because I'm not a materialistc bitch whose reason to live is to consume gadgets.

>>56287632

>every few months
>talking about 2-year contract terms

0/10

>>56287639

>>56287612
>charging $20 less a month for 2 years
>$20x24 = $480 saved
>enough to actually buy a very good phone
Idiot.

>>56287293
This

>>56287639

But I'm guessing you have SOMETHING in your life that you really use a lot and enjoy, and focus your disposable income there?

>>56287647
Great, if I start saving now in 2 years time I can trade in for a mid-range phone.

I can't tell if people here are trolling or just completely oblivious to the point. No wonder all the carriers are doing this shit, everyone's too stupid to grasp the finer points of what's going on.

>>56287665
>everyone's too stupid
Certainly got that right.

>>56287646
> being an $800 phone to "feel good"

kys now, automaton

>>56287263
>Consumers with shit credit never paid to companies
>Companies start losing money with new expensive high ends

The poor should be outcasted to the desert.

>>56287665
My disposable income is saved to ensure I don't ever have to worry about being poor.

Try it some time.

Sell your old phone and start buying outright. Then save a bit every month in those two year spans. It's not really hard if having the latest and greatest phones mean that much to you.

>>56287672

If you actually do things like have a social life, work, and travel a lot, the amount of time you spend on your phone is a major part of your life.

>>56287690
Try to get it through your head one more time: the tiny or non-existent amount of money being saved is at absolute best $20 a month. That makes jack shit of difference in whether you're poor or not.

..and btw, I don't mean ghetto poor, I mean normal white person poor. It's called living paycheck to paycheck; I'm not struggling to buy food or pay rent, it's just that the necessities take almost all income.

>>56287703
This is a very recent switch by most providers. So no warning. Phone is broken now; can't go without for years.

>Not exclusively buying cheap Xiaomeme phones yearly

Paying more than $250 for a phone is incredibly retarded. Android is Android everywhere, so fuck off and buy the flavor of the year chinkphone if you're poor.

>>56287263
>Many will be forced onto prepaid.
good
they can spend that 300 bucks theyd have to put down on a samsung/iphone on a midrange phone that theyll actually own, and then go on one of the 30-50 dollar plans that offer the same shit as those 100 dollar plans you get on contract and save a nice chunk of money that can be put toward not being poor

>>56287730

um, not having the $300 to put down is the problem.

>>56287714
>$20/month is meaningless if you're poor

This is an excellent attitude to have for any poor person who wishes to remain poor.

>>56287750
$300 buys a phone that will do.everything a "poor" person needs to do. Spending more than this is pure status symbol kikery - the reason why many poor remain poor in the first place.

No, phones are just getting more expensive to make, it isn't some conspiracy.
These companies would fucking love to make the poor poorer by taking their money.

>>56287729

Paying anything more than a studio apartment is stupid, because who needs more than a bed, bathroom, and kitchen in the smallest amount of space possible.

Paying for any car nicer than a $500 40 year old shitbox is incredibly retarded; a car is a car since it gets you from A to B.

Paying for any clothes beyond a ragged t-shirt and ripped up used jeans is incredibly retarded. Clothes are clothes, who gives a fuck about how nice you look.

Or could it be maybe it's perfectly normal to want nice things?

>>56287750
Go on a cheaper plan instead of a contract, and you will easily be able to save the $$$ for a new phone.

>>56287789
It is perfectly normal to work and save for nice things.

I can't believe this thread exists. When contracts still existed they charged extra just to hide the cost of the phone to idiots like OP.

http://www.ibtimes.com/samsung-galaxy-note-4-price-availability-details-where-can-you-buy-phablet-right-now-1707083

Here is one genuine example of the older times when contracts still existed. Note the contract phones not being noticeably cheaper. You aren't saving shit. It's just trickery made for idiots to fall into the trap. Now thanks to T-Mobile telling people to stop being stupid now we don't have to keep paying for increased rates even when we already fulfilled the contract.

>>56287789
Nice strawmen.

>>56287793

and what's the cheapest plan, generally like $35 per line right?

>>56287816
ffs, are you trolling or a complete moron?

The entire point isn't that it's cheaper, it's that to get the cost of the phone separated from the plan, you're now required to have excellent credit or place a large down payment- to get the same thing for the same overall amount of money.

My hundred dollar android phone from 2 years ago can call, text, record, access the web, and use mobile data

I just wish retarded people such as yourself didn't browse 4chan. I don't see anything wrong with taking money from fools, but I so see something wrong with having to spend time with fools here, where previously I did not.

lol payment plans for a phone. If you can't just buy out your phone you are simply buying the wrong model.

Waaah waaah complaining about paying $800+ for a Facebook texting device. Just buy one from 1-2 years ago that does the same thing for a fraction of the price.

Poor people making bad monetary choices... Shocking.

Just because you can technically afford something doesn't mean you need it or you should buy it.

Nearly half of Americans have less than $500 in savings. Over 80% of Americans pay for cable TV with a average monthly rate of $100.

Priorities.

I make around 70k a year and I haven't bought a cell phone from a carrier store in at least a decade. People sell year or year and a half old phones for $200 or lower which are in pristine condition.

OP, seriously, kill yourself.

You act like a selfish little impudent brat that feels self-entitled to gibsmedats.

Live in Europe and make about a hundred bucks a day. Guess what I did. I didn't buy an overpriced Samsung trashphone, but a Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro for under $200. Literally took me less than 2 days to earn this device, and I researched every aspect of it before buying.

People like you are poor for a reason, and expensive phones are the least of your concerns.

>>56287789
You sound like Elliot Rodger.

>>56287844

You spend a lot of time with your phone. Work, social life, games, web browsing away from home. There's nothing wrong with wanting a device involved in such a large part of your life to not be the bare cheapest minimum. For the same reason the bare cheapest minimum isn't also acceptable elsewhere just because it technically get the job done.

>>56287789
So has anybody noticed how all of the property agents have colluded to screw poor people and perpetuate class divisions by making so only the well off can get the biggest and most luxurious mansions?


what's up with that? xDDD derpa derpa doo

>>56287889
Oh fuck off, you are really grasping at straws here.

I went from a Galaxy s5 to Moto g after the former was stolen and I was fine.

You are seriously underestimating how much a mid-range phone can do these days.

>>56287816
The real reason contracts are done this way has nothing do with being pro-consumer though. And, in actuality, in many cases it is cheaper to take a 2 year contract.

The actual reason contracts are done this way, is because phone companies are now acting as banks. Rather than giving you a device and asking you to pay it off, they're giving you a loan. These loans are then traded as securities on the stock market.

Also, they have much more legal recourse against you should you fail to keep up payments.

>t. manager in a phone shop

>>56287889
Are you Chinese?

>>56287898

Oh joy, another person missing the point entirely.

Fine let's take houses. Say normally all the companies that sold you houses had them at $1000 for a 4-bedroom. This required no credit or down payment.
Then around the same time, all those companies suddenly required that you have excellent credit or place a large down payment in order to get the same 4-bedroom home, and your only alternative was a $900 home with only 2 bedrooms.

THAT is the point.

>>56287714
Dunno who your provider is but I'll use Verizon Wireless as an example as it's the largest carrier in the US. Take an iPhone 6S 16 GB for instance, total cost = $649.99 + tax (note, gonna throw tax out the window for now). That same phone on a subsidized 2 year contract = $199.99. If we were to consider that you were an existing customer, you have a choice of either paying the subsidized price + a one time upgrade fee of $40 with a line access charge @ $40/mo x 24 months, or putting between $300-$0 down + one time upgrade fee of $20 with a monthly recurring payment at most being $27.08 (is adjusted according to how much money is put down if required) and a line access charge @ $20/mo x 24 months.

Let's say you didn't have to put any money down (even if you did, the long term cost would be the same) up-front cost for that iPhone 6S you want is $239.99 + $20 incurred charge for selecting the subsidized pricing over the monthly payments added to your bill as part of that $40 line charge for 2 years (because, or remember, it's optional to opt into either or). Total cost being $239+$480 = $719.99 total for subsidizing a phone on a 2 year contract via you paying a MAX of $669.99 ($649.99 total cost over the 24 months + $20 upfront cost of upgrade fee) overall for selecting monthly payments.
What people don't pay attention to (and what ultimately matters most) is how much you spend over time vs the immediate cost.

>>56287927
Why are you even buying stuff that you can't afford in the first place?

First answer that.

If you can't afford to buy a phone up front, don't expect any pity here. Generally third world niggers aren't welcome

>>56287940
Because xiaomeme doesn't attract the puss.

This shallow fuck is all about image.

>>56287940

You seem thoroughly unaware of just how few people in the US actually buy their phones up front.

An $600-800 upfront charge is more than most people are willing to spend on a phone.

3rd world niggers aren't even in the discussions of this thread because it's not about $20 of prepaid credit on a boost mobile flip phone.

>>56287965
Asian detected.

>>56287972

White murrican actually.

>>56287263
>DURRR DEY BE SCREWIN' DA POOR N SHIET *smacks lips*
If you can't afford it, don't buy it, you leeching nigger.
If you really want it, though, be less poor.

>>56287975
>>56287965
And you know why they aren't willing to pony up that amount? Because it doesn't represent good value unless you are using the phone as a faggot status symbol.

>>56287997

If I wanted a status symbol I'd buy an iPhone.

>>56288009
Then just get a $300 phone. Spending more than that is self-masturbatory. Don't pretend this isn't about maintaining some pretentious image.

>>56288032
UGH YOURE MISSING THE POINT HE DOESNT HAVE 300 DOLLARS TO PUT DOWN ALL AT ONCE

>>56288051
Then he keeps his current phone until he saves enough. I'm sure you can piss and moan about the plight of the
"poor" on here just as well on any current android phone.

Are you seriously complaining about not being able to buy the latest and greatest status symbol?
I can't even comprehend the argument here.
You're basically saying that the companies should allow you to buy 1000$~ things with credit without a question.

You know, they're doing you a fucking favor by not allowing it.
Long before you're done paying for it, you're going to set your sights to the next best thing.
This is why you idiots are and will remain in a state, where you don't even have an extra 100$ lying around.
There's a time and place to buy quality products, I understand that.
I always aim for the higher end products, so I don't have to upgrade for the foreseeable future and it works fine.
Saves me tons of money in the long run.

But we're talking about phones and some seriously diminishing returns here.
A 350$ mid range phone is more than capable of doing everything the 800$ model can do.
Only reason to get the most expensive thing, is just an useless consumerist ego boost and the novelty is going to be lost the moment a better ego boost hits the market.

>>56288051

Isn't this the point tho? Guy doesn't have enough for a cheaper phone but will buy a more expensive model anyway and complain about how poor keep getting repressed as he makes monthly payments for the next 2 years.

>>56287263
can't they just fucking save for 2 years and get an even better phone with the money they saved up

>>56288051
Oh fucking well, if you can't afford it, don't fucking buy it. I'm rather happy subsidizing phones is no longer a thing, gave people the impression that high end smartphones really were $50-$300. Hell, not just smartphones, just phones in general. Phones have always cost between $400 and $800. People were just too blinded to realize this.

>>56288051

exactly, just what kind of phone are you supposed to get if you don't have good credit or a substantial down payment?
Not one of those nice Xiaimi's everyone is talking about. Shit-tier phone.

>>56288092
My current phone broke. From a 2 foot drop onto a plastic surface.

>>56288098
Couldn't even be bothered to read the thread I see.

The main complaint is companies colluding to change their previous offerings to make things unaffordable that previously were.
For all the other bullshit you're spewing, it's all been replied to many times. They're not doing favors.

>>56288110
Understood the total cost issue just fine. I'd rather make monthly payments for a top end phone than buy a mid or shit tier phone up front for less.

>>56288105

Yes, nobody should ever buy something nicer than they could afford upfront by making monthly payments on it. Just crazy.

>>56288009
only poor people look at phones as a status symbol
get yourself a sports car, a big house with a pool, throw some parties with famous people
those are status symbols, a phone is just the thing you use to call people with, read emails and whatnot
it's like faggots wearing a plastic gold chain

>>56288128
> rather make monthly payments for a top tier phone than saving to buy a cheaper phone outright.

You're not poor. You're retarded.

>>56288158
frankly he seems to be both

>>56288150

Or maybe, just maybe, there's certain use cases that actually benefit from the screen size, processor speed, and storage space.

>>56288158
You're the one who thinks phones are unique among all products, that somehow making payments on something you can't afford upfront is retarded just because it's a phone.
Fucking EVERYONE makes monthly payments on something because they couldn't afford it up front.

>>56287927
here's the thing moron, you can't get cheap zero cost credit(= 'free' phone, no down payment yadiyada) because after the crisis your lender aka the guys you think give away free phones with a contract can't get insurance for your credit(in case you don't pay...) easily and he can't sell of your debt at any decent price therefore now he has to make sure you actually can pay at a later time(= check your credit rating)

>>56288178
>Or maybe, just maybe, there's certain use cases that actually benefit from the screen size, processor speed, and storage space.
is that gonna help you make more money?
poor people stay poor because they're dumb

"I'm too poor to buy a phone without a contract but too retarded to save monthly the amount I would be paying for contract."
-OP

>>56288178
>Fucking EVERYONE makes monthly payments on something because they couldn't afford it up front.
Something like starting a business or buying a house to start a family, etc. is not the same as buying an expensive toy
of course you'll say the phone isn't a toy, but what exactly does a high end phone offer over a lower end phone that's not related to entertainment

Okay OP, you are clearly sophisticated. Could you tell me what have I lost by spending $300 on Motorola/Lenovo Moto X Play with no contracts at all instead of buying new flagship Samsung on quite expensive 2 year contract? List the features, at least try to find some synthetic comparsion of performance.

Now compare it to the difference between flagship and $300 phone from "back then".

>>56288272
something to stare into while ruining your neck and waiting for the next welfare check

>>56288209
That's the problem, you could, now you can't. That's bad for the consumer who doesn't have credit or large amounts for down payment.

>>56288214
No, it's not, but the $0-20 per month I'm saved by not getting it will have zero effect on me too, and I'm stuck with a shitty phone.

There's degrees of poor that nobody seems to be understanding. "can't afford $400 down payment and $80 a month" and can instead afford $100 a month with nothing down isn't "so fucking poor they shouldn't be allowed to own anything that's not the cheapest version there is"

>>56288256
Can't not have a phone for the next 2 years in order to save for a new one. And even if mine wasn't broken, it's still shitty behavior on the part of the company to require that when they didn't before.

>>56288272
Excellent point. Also wholly irrelevant since if $300 was an amount I could lay out up front it wouldn't be an issue.

>>56288296
>Also wholly irrelevant since if $300 was an amount I could lay out up front it wouldn't be an issue.
The whole phone costs $300.

>>56288128
Phone providers moved away from subsidized pricing because the avg consumer is an idiot and thought flagship phones really only cost $200. The subsidy went along with contract terms.

Now the cost of the phone isn't hidden and users have more freedom to hop carrier to carrier. If you don't buy a new phone simply because you paid off your old - you would see a substantial decrease on your monthly bill. On the old subsidized pricing your monthly rate would be the same no matter what.

As a consumer I pay roughly the same amount but have more choice. The companies are able to use payment plans to trick poor customers into paying for things they otherwise would never buy so this ends up a big win for them.

Under either model I'd never buy a new phone from the carrier store.

The last time I needed a phone I just bought an lg g3 from eBay. $150 about a year ago: 1440p, removable battery, sd card slot, 3gb memory. I'll probably use this for another year or two.

>>56288128

>The main complaint is companies colluding to change their previous offerings to make things unaffordable that previously were.

They were never affordable for you.
If you're poor, you sure as hell shouldn't look at a 1k entertainment gadget and go
>Hmm, now I can buy that fancy product with credit!
>Therefore it's affordable.

It's not.
It's way out of your price range, especially considering what you're paying for with a higher end phone.
You're paying for little extra processing power and maybe a better camera and a slightly better screen, that's it.
You're not buying some future proof thing that's going to end up saving you a hell of a lot of money.
Constantly paying for some expensive product that was made available to you through credit, is the reason why poor people aren't able to save as little as 500$ for a down payment.
Companies saying that this shit is a no go, are doing you a very real favor.
Just get the 350$ phone and get the exact same experience.
That's what I did.
Instead of getting the latest Galaxy whatever, I got the Z3C.
I saw zero sense in buying the 800$ model, because they offer nothing that my 50% cheaper phone doesn't already give me.
All of the features are there at lower price points.

>>56288301

Don't have $300 for a phone means don't have $300 for a phone.
Being able to pay $80 instead of $100 a month by buying outright a $300 isn't an option.

>>56288296
>There's degrees of poor that nobody seems to be understanding. "can't afford $400 down payment and $80 a month" and can instead afford $100 a month with nothing down isn't "so fucking poor they shouldn't be allowed to own anything that's not the cheapest version there is"
no, that's so fucking dumb they shouldn't be allowed to own anything that's not the cheapest version there is
if you can afford 100 dollars a month you can save for 4 months, pay the down payment and then 80 dollars a month. since you're now paying 80 dollars each month for (e.g.) 12 months you save 240 dollars, and can afford a new phone for the same price only 14 months after your first purchase.
also you get 40 dollars to eat more healthy food

>>56288333

Dude what the fuck, get it through your fuckings heads, the $350 buying a phone outright instead of using it as a down payment doesn't fucking make $350 materialize.

>>56288369

I can afford $100 a month for the cell phone bill, I can't afford $100 a month for the cell phone bill and ANOTHER $100 a month for saving up for a new phone.

File: 1471896063125.png (106KB, 600x450px) Image search: [Google]

106KB, 600x450px

>>56287263

Over 100 years old, nothing new.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence

The Lightbulb Conspiracy

>>56288296
try this: imagine it has nothing to do with companies colluding but simply they have to make you pay for what you get because the credit bubble is over

>>56288143
Loans make sense for a house. Arguably for a car. Not for a luxury phone device that will lose half its value in the first year when there are other cheaper options that provide the same functionality.


These are the types of choices that keep poor people poor.

>>56288388
then how the fuck would getting another $100 a month contract be affordable?

>>56288408
fucking this

It's not just the poor everyone suffers now

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3759081/Why-families-earning-50-000-broke-end-month-figures-say-couldn-t-pay-unexpected-bill-500-four-explain-money-goes.html

>>56288408

Depends on what you prioritize.

>>56288410
what are you talking about? i pay $100 a month now and could afford to continue to do so; i can't afford to lay out $400+ then pay $80-90 a month

Are there really people bitching about not being able to get a contract? Why would you ever want one? If you have one and your company isn't paying for it you are retarded.

>>56288373

If there's no credit available to you in any of the price categories, then go and buy a 35$ Nokia and use it until you're able to have the 350$ saved.
According to >>56288388, it shouldn't be longer than few months anyways.

Why are you so hell bent on spending 800$ on something, when even 350$ seems like an impossible task to pay?
Don't get expensive useless gadgets as a constant financial burden, when they're clearly out of your league.
I swear most people have themselves to blame for their shit financial situation.
What if you have this expensive phone there as a burden and then you happen to lose few of your teeth or something?
Good luck trying to scrape couple of thousand to pay for the medical stuff, when you're already at your financial limit due to this high end toy you just had to have.

If you can get a Moto E and phone service, that means you have access to the entire Internet and a hunk of plastic that can call anyone in the world.

You can talk to Japanese people from your front porch with a small plastic square in your pocket. You can read any classic work of literature by simply downloading a file. You have an advanced calculator, a flashlight, a contact book. And it's powered by a compact, cool, reusable battery. There are no filaments burning up. No diesel generators. It's silent.

Anyone from 1980 back to the Dawn of Humanity would have literally killed someone for a Moto E.

>>56288431
what are you paying $100 for?
and why do you need a new phone if you're still paying for one? unless you're on a 10 year contract or something for the ultra-poor

>>56288447

Before: Paid $100 a month on a 2 year contract, came with 2 top tier new smartphones and a tablet.

Now: Have to buy cheap <$100 phone, then pay $80 a month.

>>56288469
I'm the working poor. Have health insurance and dental coverage. See the payment scenarios I've been posting over and over. With nothing available up front, over a 2 year period there's really not much difference between $15 and $30 a month for a phone that's twice as much.

>>56288488
My 2-year contract is up and my phone is broken. So I need a new plan and phone. $100 is the current monthly bill that included 2 new top tier smart phones and a tablet when i got it.

>>56288534
So how much can you afford paying monthly for a new phone (in addition to what you have to pay already)

>>56288570

The same, maybe another $10-15 more at most.

>>56288595

See that's the deal...

The way things used to be, I'd sign another 2-year contract, get 2 new top end phones, and keep paying the $100 a month

But since they eliminated that option, but didn't lower plans as far as would have made sense, I'd still have to pay $70-80 a month for the plan, but I'm shit out of luck on getting a new phone because that phone payment now requires excellent credit or a large down payment, or buying a shit-tier phone outright.

>>56287263
What the fuck are you talking about? You can buy phones that have the same specs as whatever flagship Samsung or HTC shits out for $400 bucks and go even lower if you buy stuff like Xiaomi, there's never been a better time to be a poorfag shopping for a new phone.

>>56288595
so you can afford to pay another 100-115 dollars in addition to paying your current debt? that's 200-215 dollars a month. and you also just said you couldn't afford saving $100 a month for 4 months, which, if what you're saying is true, you can

>>56288662
Then change your current contract, you've fullfilled the two years so you now own your two phones and tablet or whatever it is. Goto your carrier and get a new contract which is only the phone usage/data. Use the money saved to save up for a new phone, or keep using whatever you have now into oblivion for saving money, if you had a good phone from two years ago what's stopping it from being good now? (you said you had two, I know you mentioned one is broken)

>>56288693

no i mean total; it has to stay the same total.

>>56288676
Oh yeah, I forgot that if my intention is to buy a $400 phone outright instead of use it as a down payment on an $800 phone, it will magically materialize in my bank account!

I've noticed that Uber jacks up the prices for Galaxy S7 edge users

lmao

>only the well off can get the latest and greatest ""
that's literally how it's always been. since when have poor people been able to afford the best/newest/greatest anything?

>>56288710
>no i mean total; it has to stay the same total.
All right, so saving up for 4 months would not come in addition to your 2 year contract since it ended, right?

>>56288710
Why do you spend $800 on a phone in the first place? Have you ever heard of diminishing returns?

This entire thread comes down to people buying things based on total cost or perceived cost.

The idiot will know the total cost is out of budget/reasonableness but will still pay it in small increments.

The smart person will either buy it out because they can afford it. Or get a different model that is more reasonable. Maybe even save for a little bit then buy a phone.

The way people talk about phones you make it sound like there are flip phones or iPhone 8 se+++ as only options. Has texting, email, facebook changed so much that only the latest and greatest can do it?

The funny thing in all of this is how poor people will make a bad choice and blame it on the system. I'm a working professional with no kids and would never buy a flagship. Not gonna get pity from me that your fucking toys cost money.

It all comes down to priorities.

Probably why the mean US household credit card debt is close to $6k.

>>56288745

The exact number was an example; but as we've been over, I scrimp by with a lot of things, but given the amount of time I use my phone for work, socializing, gaming, mobile internet/video, it's the one item in my life where I want to get the nicest one I can afford.

>>56288742
right, i don't have any money to start saving. and my phone is broken, so i can't just keep using it and save the $20-30 a month.

>>56288732
that's how it always was until the past couple years when all the cell phone providers one after another all dropped 2 year contracts that included the phone

>>56288772

Some see cost as a necessity, others purchases as a means of expression, it all boils down to freedom essentially

Information and tools are available to any man, lest one becomes a slave to one or learns how to use it to stay on top of their usage within an environment.

..and again I should clarify that by poor I don't mean nigger on welfare, I mean lower middle class white with no savings living paycheck to paycheck. everyone seems hung up on the idea that poor in this context must mean living on ramen with no job and buying a fancy phone instead of pet food

>>56288427
>MORTGAGE: £500
Gee, seems like they shouldn't have taken that mortgage considering they payments alone represent 13% of their monthly icome.

They also have car costs and public transport costs? Gee if you're travelling on bus anyway, why keep the fucking car?

But the most egregious is:

>UTILITY BILLS (including gas, electric, home phone, mobile phones, broadband, insurance and council tax): £1,180.

Average for energy bill is £125 on the UK, the fuck are they doing, what kind of night club are they running

This is a shit article bro.

>>56288783
>right, i don't have any money to start saving. and my phone is broken, so i can't just keep using it and save the $20-30 a month.
if you don't have at least $100 a month, how could you possibly pay for a new $100/m contract?
and all right, make it 5 months, first month's $100 goes to buying a cheap phone and a prepaid card, and the rest goes as previously described.
I just don't see the problem here unless you just want it now

>>56288850
Paying for Sky was a corker

>>56288851

the old contract is up. i signed a 2 year contract 2 years ago. i'm not going to keep paying the old one. i need a new phone and plan, the total cost of which must not exceed the current $100 i was paying under my now-expired plan.
i can't go 5 months without a phone, no. can't even go 1 month.

>>56287263
because people don't pay up
i do not want to call names but

dindus

>>56288872
bum an old phone off a friend and put it on prepaid while you save the rest of that $100 budget every month to put toward the new shiny thing you want

that or suck some dick for quick cash, your choice

>>56288872
no, that's why i'm telling you, cancel the old contract, buy a cheap phone and a prepaid card for the first 100 dollars. that should last you for the next 4 months it will take to save up 400 dollars.
at that point you can stow away your cheap phone in case this happens again, pay the saved up 400 dollars for a new phone with an 80 dollars a month contract.

There is nothing wrong with prepaid, it's typically cheaper when you are just one person.

>>56288872
Expired plans should continue at the same rate - you just don't get a subsidized new phone without resigning.

I've been out of contract with my carrier for close to a decade.

Buy a cheap phone from eBay that works with your carrier - maybe even see if a friend has an old one. Swap the sim card out and you have a cheap immediate solution.

Then start saving and shopping around.

In this day of wifi everywhere who ever needs minutes or texts or even calling credit.

A data only sim is the contract of the life OP.

Fucking hell OP, grow up.
I have a nexus 4 that I literally bought 2 months ago as my phone, I buy shit that outdated because it can do EVERYTHING a more expensive phone can at a fraction of the price. Buying an 800 dollar phone is like buying blueray discs for use on a standard definition TV.

>>56287665
How ignorant are you? Carriers run a business, not a non-profit charity. In any case the end customer would pay for the phone and an expensive plan, as one cant quit it till its paid. Usually end users end up paying far more for the actual device in the span of the 2 year contract AND cant change carriers or phones, thus locking the faggot into their services.

I've always paid my phones unlocked from the start because I'm not poor.

Smart people don't waste a credit pull on fucking phone service, spend $800 on a samshit phone, and sign into a contract that accumulates to $3000 after two years.

>>56288921

a cheap phone and 4 months worth of prepaid for 2 lines is going to cost a lot more than $100. can you even port your number to prepaid?

>>56288945
yes my phone broke and i need a new one, and they don't do subsized 2 year contracts anymore

>>56288961
well good for you, go jump off a bridge

>>56288956
for the 100th time, if i want to buy a $300 phone instead of an $800 phone, $300 doesn't magically appear in my bank account because i've made the wise decision to buy outright instead

>>56288783
Again, do you know what diminishing returns is? Maybe you'll not have to scimp by if you stop spending $800 on something that's worth $400. Get a Oneplus 3 or ZTE Axon 7 if you're going to use it for gaming and watching videos.

>>56287263
Considering how only a small portion of the population is rich that would be a stupid business plan.

The smart phone industry can't afford to operate like Rolex.

>>56289003
2 lines for what?
4 months worth of prepaid doesn't need to cost much, just don't be wasteful.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/BLU-Z3-Z090X-GSM-Smartphone-Unlocked-Black-Red/51756151
here's a 15 dollar phone

>>56287263
So has anybody noticed how all of the car dealerships have colluded to screw poor people and perpetuate class divisions by making so only the well off can get the latest and greatest automobiles?

It used to be that just about anyone could sign up for a 10-year contract and get top of the line cars subsidized over the length of that contract.

But now, under a false 'pro-consumer' flag, all of the dealerships have eliminated these contract subsidized cars. In order to qualify for 10-year monthly pricing on top tier cars, you now have to either have excellent credit or put $3000-5000 down, or even have to buy it outright. Many will be forced onto leases.

This has the end result of preventing countless millions of people from being able to get the high end cars that people used to be able to afford through 10-year contracts. If this was a purely pro-consumer move, the new contractless options would be optional-- it's telling that those are now the only things on offer from all dealerships.

Anyone else see the BS of this regime when trying to shop for a new car?

Alternatively, replace with "home", "AC unit", or any other expensive purchase that requires a down payment and good credit.

Also
>Not buying Mi chinkphones
>Not using local carriers
Retard

>>56289003
No, get a cheaper device if you can't afford a "better" one. My oneplus one cost $299 and even over two years later its awesome. I want the new note a lot, and I could afford it easily, but its really priced too high. Similar specc'ed phones, sans the meme retina scanner and asspen, cost hundreds of dollaroos less. I'll might buy it used in 6 months time if it ends up being a good phone and not slow down like s6 and other touchjizz shit.

>>56289003
>buy a $300 phone
That's still way too fucking much, you can get all the phone you need for $150, hell you'll probably get better battery like than on an $800 samshit phone anyway.

>$300 doesn't magically appear in my bank account because i've made the wise decision to buy outright instead

Well mate, maybe if you stopped signing up for overpriced contracts (all are) and saved up for a little over a month you would have that 300 dollars in your bank account ay?

>>56287263
On the contrary, getting a cell phone plan w/ a phone and having to drop $400 on a phone is a great way to start getting credit. I did that last year and after months of consistent payments my credit score is great now. When I moved for a job getting an apartment was pretty easy due to my credit.

Like all things, there is a push and a pull. Having to put down $300-$500 means other doors open.

Daily reminder the iphone SE is only $200, Why are you still using a poor droid?

>>56289003
>yes my phone broke and i need a new one, and they don't do subsized 2 year contracts anymore

Your plan will continue at the same rate you have been paying. Your carrier will not drop you as a customer unless you cancel. Buy a cheap replacement phone from ebay and put your sim card into it from the broken phone. Then you have plenty of time to shop around and even switch carriers since you will not be under contract.

What the fuck is so hard to understand.

You don't NEED to be in contract with a carrier to have cell service people holy fuck.

Your phone broke - get a new phone. Not rocket science. If your carrier won't give you one cheap buy it from the internet. Do you have any friends? Most people have boxes of old phones these days...

This is why poor people stay poor.

>>56289136
Because I enjoy using my phone for more than Facebook and Instagram

>$300 doesn't magically appear in my bank account because i've made the wise decision to buy outright instead

No, it really fucking doesnt. You have to earn the money or save it otherwise.

Fucking millenials.

>>56289151
So do I, that's why I bought a phone where the GPS, Camera, and software actually works.

>>56289136
is it really? maybe its time i upgrade my 5s
>>56289151
lel like what? dont tell me youre one of those faggots that watches movies and shit on his phone.

>>56289151
What exactly do you use it for that you cant do on iPhone?

>>56289151
>for more than Facebook and Instagram

So you bought a phone just for clover? kek

>>56289172
Animated wallpaper

>>56289180
Parallax is better tbqh

>>56289169
>>56289172
Root, Xposed, custom ROMs, actually having a file manager and torrenting app, being able to do basic stuff like connecting a USB drive to it so I don't have to use iTunes and shit if I want to move a file between two devices that sit right next to each other...

>>56289147

Shop around for a new phone/plan WITH WHAT MONEY? I buy a dirt cheap flip phone, ok, now I just have to pay for the plan. After paying for the plan, I've got an extra $20-30 per month. So I'd be using a shitty flip phone for a fucking year dipshit. All of the carriers are doing this shit now. There are no more 2-year contracts with subsized high end phones.

>>56289121
$150 is well into shit-tier territory for a smart phone.

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>>56289180
>Animated wallpaper

ahaha, I know this is just a joke but even the thought is fucking retarded.

>>56289169
>>56289172
Oh yeah, it's the 2016 and iPhones still don't even have quick charging, lel

>>56289207
Don't forget being able to download more than 100MB over mobile which is BANNED ON EVERY IPHONE.

These expensive flagship phones are fucking gay. There is literally no reason to buy them. Why pay 800 dollars for an iPhone where I can't do shit with it and it will be abandoned in half a year or a Samsung GalaxyShitWiz which will also be abandoned and is filled with bloatware. My $279 Nexus has better battery and no bloat. And I can do whatever I want on it. Anyone who buys those shit phones are cucks.

>>56289207
it's not a computer m8, it's a phone..

>>56289242
it is a computer

>>56289242
Tell that to Apple then, I just sold my iPad even though Apple tried to convince me over and over that it's a computer. A computer I can't even connect a USB drive to.

>>56289207
>Root, Xposed, custom ROMs
That is not a use. What do you use those for?
>actually having a file manager
Same. What do you use a file manager for?
>and torrenting app
You should be torrenting on your computer. Why would you do it on a phone?
>connecting a USB drive to it so I don't have to use iTunes
Why are you even connecting your phone to the computer anymore? Internet existis.

None of those seem like a good excuse for having a phone that literally lags and gets no software updates.

>>56289268
>You should be torrenting on your computer.
You should be commuting on a horse.

>>56289223
>Shop around for a new phone/plan WITH WHAT MONEY? I buy a dirt cheap flip phone, ok, now I just have to pay for the plan. After paying for the plan, I've got an extra $20-30 per month. So I'd be using a shitty flip phone for a fucking year dipshit. All of the carriers are doing this shit now. There are no more 2-year contracts with subsized high end phones.

lol this exactly. You can buy 5.5 inch 1440p phones for $150 or less. You are upset at the idea of saving a few months for something you want because you can't have it now? Even though you can have a temporary replacement in the mean time. No wonder so many people end up paying for phone loans they can't afford looooooool. If your budget is that tight you really should be on prepaid. Waaay more cost effective and same functionality. But you've been told that before.

>>56289237
>REE FLAGSHIPS ARE DUMB

Nexus is Google's flagship retard. EVen if you bought an old one, it was still a flagship you retard.

>>56289147
>This is why poor people stay poor.
Part of the reason why poor people stay poor is because they can't afford quality products for themselves. Instead they have to keep bying cheaper and less reliable stuff more often because it wears off and breaks faster. Ultimately making them pay more. Which is, by the way, what you're suggesting. So, you basically support the class discrimination OP is rambling against.

>>56289322
He was complaining about expensive flagships tho.

>>56289268
not that guy but here we go
>That is not a use. What do you use those for?
those just open for more use cases
>Same. What do you use a file manager for?
exactly the same as you do on a computer, moving files, opening files, copying files, deleting files
>You should be torrenting on your computer. Why would you do it on a phone?
if you don't currently have access to a desktop/laptop computer and you want the data now
>Why are you even connecting your phone to the computer anymore? Internet existis.
i do because it's faster, but sometimes i also use rsync or sftp from my phone. which you can't even do on an iphone anyway since it has no accessible file system

>None of those seem like a good excuse for having a phone that literally lags and gets no software updates.
my phone never lags, is two years old, and receives lots of updates. i just choose not to update / rarely update because i couldn't care less

>>56289223
>$150 is well into shit-tier territory for a smart phone.
By what metric?
You can second hand Nexus' and shit for $150 easy, are you telling me there's something you can't do on one of those? Come on dude, you're just trying to justify your shitty choices.

>>56289333
My Moto G3 opens twitter 0.8 seconds slower than my richfag friend's iPhone 6S plus so I'm doomed to be poor forever

>>56289318

Make/model of $150 5.5" 1440p phone? Would definitely be interested in the other specs-my guess is 'not good' but would like to be wrong.

>>56289333
everything is wrong here
trips of truth failed me

>>56289268
>That is not a use. What do you use those for?
Customization, adblocking, taking control over the phone I bought with my money.

>Same. What do you use a file manager for?
...browsing files?

>You should be torrenting on your computer. Why would you do it on a phone?
Because unlike you I have a job and girlfriend and don't sit at my PC 24/7

>Why are you even connecting your phone to the computer anymore? Internet existis.
Okay, so I shouldn't be using a solution that's faster and simpler because Internet exists? Then please tell me how I'm supposed to move files between my Android phone and iPad if I don't have Wifi? Have to use up all my mobile data to first upload it to Dropbox and then download it on my iPad via internet hotspot? That sure sounds like an easier solution than just connecting a USB drive to it and moving the files over.

>Buying a phone that gets custom ROM support for years is not a good excuse for having a phone that gets no software updates

You're not very bright, are you?

>>56289268
You're a fucking idiot. I'm not the person you were responding to but are you really that stupid? Custom Roms and Xposed enable you to completely customize your device to your liking and allow you to pick whether you favor battery or performance. File manager is for moving and modifying files. Downloaded some Roms for your emulator? Open up the file manager and move them to a Roms folder. Too bad iCucks don't even have emulators without waiting for their knight in shining armor to find a new exploit that Apple will inevitably patch :( awww. Torrent client is for downloading stuff like movies. The fact you cant comprehend why someone would want to download torrents without having to boot up a computer is just sad and makes you look ignorant. By your logic: WHY IS THERE A YOUTUBE APP YOU CAN DO IT ON PC! WAHHHHH!!!! Explain to me why YouTube is allowed to have an app while a torrent client isn't. You can't give me a legitimate reason. I know you can't. What it all boils down to is that you are just jealous of the benefits of Android and are trying to justify your purchase of an iPhone.

>>56287263
So now it's like it has always been here in Brazil?
wow sooo unfair anon how did i live years without sucking my carrier titties

>>56289322
I said EXPENSIVE flagships. Learn to read.

>>56289333
This is just consumerist bullshit.

I'm a home owner with disposable income and do exactly what I was advising.

Buying a phone that's a year or two old is no more or less likely to break than buying a brand new flagship.

I buy a new phone every 2 years or so. I never pay more than $200.

Phones depreciate in value even faster than cars. The idea that anyone needs that latest top of the line processor etc for handling email or texting/calls is laughable.

>>56289373
You can find LG G3's kicking around at less than 150, they have well and truly decent enough specs to go along with the screen size and res unless you're going to be a total fag about it.

>>56289373
This is what I've been using - picked up last November:

https://swappa.com/buy/lg-g3-verizon

Removable battery, sd card, 3gb memory, quad core 2.5

>being poor and stupid
this thread is gud

>>56289435
>The idea that anyone needs that latest top of the line processor etc for handling email or texting/calls is laughable.
The idea that pretty much anyone could afford the latest top of the line smartphone a few years ago and now they can't is what's laughable to me.

>>56289520
>The idea that pretty much anyone could afford the latest top of the line smartphone a few years ago and now they can't is what's laughable to me.

What I don't understand is why you're convinced that they should be.

The price of the highest tier smartphones have risen way above inflation over the last 5 years, obviously they're too expensive for carriers to take the risk of putting them out on plans to poor retards like you.

Believe me, if they COULD plan them out to retards like you who happily pay excessive amounts of money for features they do not need they WOULD. It's not like they've got some conspiracy going to 'keep the good phones out of the hands of the goys'.

>>56289520
They couldn't a few years ago. The carrier charged only a fraction and subsidized the rest because of being forced into a 2 year contract period. Now you are free to change carriers and the rates aren't hidden.

Customers who pay off their phone under the current system pay significantly lower monthly rates. Under subsidized pricing you always had to pay as if you were paying off your phone - even if it was already paid off.

I think it's laughable people want to be locked into contracts at higher prices. I love consumerism.

>>56289559
>poor retards like you.
Are you capable of having an ad rem discussion?

>>56289520
The fuck? I've saved 1000s by buying outright phones no more than 300 with a prepaid SIM. There is no value in two year contacts costing thousands to anyone other than posing faggots.

If you can't find an way to obtain 300 on credit from someone other than a carrier then you're a cunt.

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>>56287263
Just get a mid range smartphone, like the Galaxy A3/5/7. It costs half as much as the flagship, looks really nice, has a fantastic display and decent hardware. less tech savvy people might think it is actually a high end device.
Sure, you wont get the most ridiculously overpowered handset on the market, but let's be honest, there is very little a top of the line smartphone can do, that a middle of the line smartphone can't.

>>56287263
>Waaah why won't they give me an $800 phone I can't afford waaaa

Grow up.

>>56287263
>get the latest and greatest smartphones?
why would poor people want the very best? you are poor, you don't deserve the best.

>>56287367
>It's called risk mitigation. Giving expensive things to poor people is risky.

Thread should have ended here. And if you're poor you can still have great credit - this is literally used to assess the chance you won't pay for the phone.

Not that truly 'poor' people should be keeping up with the fucking Joneses with phone technology. Stop complaining that you can "only afford" fast food instead and get a used phone for $100.

>>56289628
>Just get a mid range smartphone, like the Galaxy A3/5/7.
Fuck that, though. Buying a mid-range phone from a renowned brand is as retarded as it gets. Go with a flagship killer alternative like what OnePlus offers. Costs the same, has better specs, looks and performs way better too.

>too poor to buy $600 phone

>sign contract that makes you pay $1000 for the same phone.

No wonder you are poor.

>>56289520
So it isn't allowed to raise the bar on what's the "best"? We have to keep the best phone not too far from the cheapest phone in order to make you feel better? If all cars were between $10k and $40k some manufacturer would still come out with a $100k car just so it can be better. What sort of conspiracy do you think is going on with phones?

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>>56287263
>falling for the $800 phone jew
Nah senpai, this; >>56287293

>>56289677
>So it isn't allowed to raise the bar on what's the "best"?
You seem obsessed with the idea that more expensive equals better. Which is not really true.

>>56287367
>It's called risk mitigation. Giving expensive things to poor people is risky.

Higher risks also means higher profits.

If you can sell a $500 phone for $2000 you will make a huge profit even if half the people end up defaulting on their loan.

>>56287263
Off-contract cost of the flagship phones has increased significantly.

Remember, the original iPhone, which cost only $600 to buy outright, was considered laughably expensive back in 2006.

Now, flagships start at $700 and go up from there.

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>>56287263
What the fuck are you bitching about? I'm not rich but I'm not so poor that I can't afford a good phone. Why you ask? Because I'm not a cock gobbling aspie crying over electronics. I know how to manage my money and buy within my means. This means the latest Nexus phone every 2 years. I pay $400-500 outright and go with Consumer Cellular (which I can do with and unlocked phone). I only pay for calls/texts. $30 a month. I do everything else over wifi. Fuck you retard.

>>56287346
>Not offering credit to people very unlikely to be able to afford payments is now anti consumer
I know I'm late to the party but holy shit you've misunderstood what that term means. Debt collectors are fucking scary and anything that restricts the sub prime loan industry is a good thing and great for consumers.

>>56288402
Ding ding ding, we have a winner.
Once bitten, twice shy.
Companies are done getting fucked by people who buy shit they can't afford. Cars rapidly depreciate but they still have some value. Used smartphones lose a lot of value and are a lot easier to hide/harder to take then cars are.

Smartphone companies aren't interested in risky consumers.

>>56288296
>Also wholly irrelevant since if $300 was an amount I could lay out up front it wouldn't be an issue.
You shouldn't own a smartphone on or off contract if you cannot save up $300 and then purchase a phone.

>>56289709
Okay. Then go pick out a cheaper, better phone you entitled fuck.

>>56288431
There is no reason for you to pay $100 a month when Straight Talk will give you $45/mo unlimited talk/text/5GB of high speed data and T-Mobile will give you 100 minutes/unlimited text/5GB high speed data for $30/month, both prepaid.

>>56289711
>>56289789
The "housing crisis" of the year 2035 will be everyone scrambling to pay off the phone they "deserve" yet replace every 6 months.

>buying into the "latest flagship" meme
No wonder you're poor
You wait two years until they're $400 at the very most then you cop

I completely agree, this fucking system creating lamborginis and maseratis and I can't buy one.

Really no wonder you can't afford a phone, this is beyond retardation.

>>56288178
>Or maybe, just maybe, there's certain use cases that actually benefit from the screen size, processor speed, and storage space.

Rather than waste time ranting about stupid shit on 4chan, you could actually research phones and realize that there are at least a handful of offerings in the $400 range that literally do everything an $800 phone does, they even have the same damn processors in them. The ZTE Axon 7 and huawei Honor 8 come to mind and are both at Best Buy for $400 AND can both be had on a monthly payment plan through Best Buy. Combine that with a $45/month prepaid plan from any of the large GSM carriers and you'll be all set. You might even be able to start saving some money month-to-month. I can't fathom what your use case is that absolutely NEEDS an $800 phone. This whole entire thread reeks of subtle trolling.

>>56287263
Guess all the payment dodgers finally got to them

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>>56287263
>Having a mobile phone
I use a landline. If people want to talk to me when im not home, tough fucking tits, suck my dick.
Im 22 and never owned a mobile. Fuck that shit.

just buy a used flagship that's 1-2 years old

literally no point in buying the latest phones. there's not much my galaxy s5 can't do tbqh

>>56287263

You /can/ spread it out over payments. Verizon does this. I also got a decent phone without paying a ton of cash anyway, because I bought last year's phone. Because I'm not a consumer whore.

Droid Turbo - decent phone. VZN was almost throwing them out the door.

Also - I haven't paid for a computer in ... oh fuck... ten years. Because I'm not a consumer whore.

>not realizing that these are just growing pains as phone manufacturers are forced to realize that without contract subsidies, they can't sell their shit for $600+ anymore

This is a fucking good thing, you short-sighted twat.

>>56287263
but dont the monthly payment plans cut down on your bill. I noticed that my bill is still the same even though my note 4 is on my payment plan?

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>>56290225

>>56290373
/thread

>>56290373
>Implying people won't take out payday loans secured against their house just to buy the latest phone so they can keep up appearances

You grossly overestimate the intelligence of the average consumer.

>>56290266
Same with my Xperia Z3. Obky cost me 200. New in the box too.

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>>56290389
? I dont get what you mean. Its not like everyone needs a mobile. Its 2016 and we don't all live out in bumfuck nowhere with no other forms of communication.

>>56290266
>just buy a used flagship that's 1-2 years old

NOS (new old stock) also works quite well. You know, in case you don't one one covered in dried cum.

>>56287263
You think prohibitive pricing will stop retards from buying shit they can't afford?

2008 would like a word with you, my man.

>>56290406
I would disagree with you there. They still have options to get the latest and greatest, options far less damaging and easier to make use of than payday loans.

The issue is no matter how they get that money, because these phones are now being listed for their actual price, and just seeing the $200 w/ 2 year contract change to $200 down and $16/month for 24 months is enough to change how they look at what they're buying.

Better to buy a sub $400 phone for keep for a few years than to buy an $800 phone for 12 - 14 months until its next iteration.

>poor people complain about being poor while doing the exact things that make them poor

lol

>>56289733
>$30 a month just for calls and texts
Sounds like you're the retard mate.

>>56287346
>anti-consumer
If you can't afford to buy the product.

You probably shouldn't be allowed to buy the product.

>>56290225

what the fuck is a landline, grandpa?

>>56287714
>$25-30 a month on a flagship phone is too much cause phones are expensive and poor people are poor
>$20 a month on a non-flagship phone is nothing cause it's just $20 a month

You're a fucking moron. $20 a month is still $480 for a phone when you can get a fucking cheap decent moto for $50 flat that does literally everything, its just not fast as fuck or has a huge HD screen.

>>56290637

I bet I'd think some of the stuff you spend your money on is stupid too.

>>56289667
so, what exactly can you do with a flagship or "flag ship killer" that you cannot do with a less expensive phone?
only gimmicks that no one uses anyway come to mind.

>>56287263
>I need 8 hundred dollar phone that will be upgrade in 2 every two years.

Why the fuck not just get 200 dollar unlocked then pick the best carrier, and spend 600 dollars with the best data plan instead?

You people have brainwash to think that being frugal is the same thing as being poor.

Tbh if the phone costs more than $400, no contract, I won't buy it.

OP, I'm by no means rich, per se, but I have a portfolio of private and public stocks worth about $150k. I'm 30 so I haven't saved much yet and in fact I have loans on my and my company's name for over a million. What I'm saying is that I could buy any phone every 6 months and it wouldnt matter, but I choose not to. Instead I buy off contract and even second hand phones from friends, because it doesnt matter. A year old phone is at the moment just about as good as a new one. Really.

For example oneplus three is a solid choice. Or a used galaxy s7, if you want a samsung. Even a generation old note is absolutely a good choice.

>>56287263
my provider was vodafone, and i recently renewed my contract. Right now, a high end device, like the S7 will cost you 50€ a month, with all flat rates and 5gb of high speed internet.
a mid range device like the nexus 5x costs 20 bucks less, SIM-only costs 20 bucks. you can decrease all but the latter by making a down payment between 100 and 300 bucks.
my previous contract has been running for 2 years, and included a Galaxy S5 for pretty much the same terms.

>>56290669
Probably. I spend a lot of money on bicycles and bicycle parts. Just bought a powermeter for $1.5k. My bikes are worth much more than my car.

The difference is that I'm not living paycheck to paycheck, invest quite a bit monthly and buy nice things to myself only with the money that I've got left over after all the expenses. And even though I buy all of these things on a credit card I never carry balance on that card.

The fact is, a few years ago, the time OP is referencing there was the flagship and there was total dogshit. Those were your two choices.

Just look at Apple. They sell 5 iphones now. 5! Three of them current gen. There was a time when Apple just sold 1, and if you wanted an iphone that was your only choice and networks and companies alike were more than willing to subsidize that a little to get you onto that contract.

The mid range android smartphone didn't exist. I had a galaxy S2, and it was literally the only non shit android phone available. Fucking hell people have forgotten just how fucking shit Android phones were before everyone else fixed their game and started making better flagships and this is key, mid range smartphones.

The fact is if you lined up those consumers OP, besides the cock gobbling applefags most would be fine with a mid range phone on a cheaper contract than a bleeding edge flagship with retarded costs attached. And midrange phones really have been the saving grace to these poor people, except for the retards still buying 16GB iphones -an iphone apple only keeps around for these poor idiots.

Markets change OP. Products change, consumers needs change and their desires change. Flagships are truly luxury items these days, not the phone you need to buy just to make sure the thing turns on every day and will actually last a year like they used to be 5 years ago. These days any $200 phone can do that.

The smartphone industry in fact is at a crossroads where most users desires are being met with the phones they already have. They need to figure out more ways to entice them to purchase these flagships, and even Apple is struggling with this now.

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>>56291547
unifag here, Vodafone is cancer.
We did some joint crap assignment with them and my god, are those faggots full of themselves. They don't give a fuck about their customers because they think their the only provider that matters. Just giving you a headsup. They even discouraged us from ever applying for internship or a job with them because we're considered shit to them.

>>56291927
they are, but as long as you keep an eye out for scams, and avoid interacting with them as much as possible, they are still a pretty good provider as far as pricing and coverage goes.
all of them are cancer, you just gotta pick the poison that you can survive.

>tfw poor
Used phone my parents got me in high school galaxy s 2

Havent got a new phone been saving up for a motorcycle got the new note instead

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>>56287263
Look at this faggot. I bet you post in "wagecuck" threads talking shit about how big of losers we are as you thank us for the measly 300 neetbux month you get from our tax dollars. Now maybe you understand the importance of a job, loser.

Phones do not divide people into classes. Not having the highest end phone never excluded anyone from finding a job or getting a loan. They're just toys.

>>56291927
I hate Vodafone too anon.

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>>56287263
>wealth represented by phone model
>thinks truly rich actually care

>>56287392
T. Grandpa

>>56287263
> Affordable phones
Poor people don't need expensive phones.

>>56287263
"High end" phones aren't even special.

You can get a great phone for $125. People spending upwards of $600 for a phone are cucks.

>>56287263
You're tech illiterate. Get off /g/. I'm using a 3GB LG G3 that I got for $100. If you're not a nigger wearing bling you don't need an iPhone 6.

>>56287334
>You're missing the point-- you wind up basically paying the same amount if not more, but now because you don't have excellent credit or a large down payment, you're stuck with the lower tier phones.
No. You can buy a Verizon or Sprint phone and activate it on the network. Only idiots buy from the Verizon store itself. You're asking to get Jew'd.

>>56287499
>Having a nice phone is one of very few very enjoyable luxuries that are, or at least were, within the reach of someone living paycheck to paycheck.
You are fucking retarded. You're treating the phone like a Gucci handbag.

>>56287600
>I do not think the tumblr generation understands what those two things are.
The one and only based tripfag.

>>56287665
>I can't tell if people here are trolling or just completely oblivious to the point
Again, you're fucking retarded. Let me spell this out for you: YOU ARE THE INDIVIDUAL WHO IS MISSING THE POINT.

>>56287789
Do you need a top-of-the-line car (Aston Martin, Lambo, you name it)? No? Guess what, you don't need a top of the line phone either. Mid-range will do more than you even need it to do at decent price to performance ratio.

>>56297180
>You're tech illiterate. Get off /g/. I'm using a 3GB LG G3 that I got for $100. If you're not a nigger wearing bling you don't need an iPhone 6.

Ugh. Maybe something you'd understand better... you know how when building a gaming rig you look a video cards? Do you just get the bare minimum required to play games at minimal settings, or do you try to get the best performance you can afford? You don't NEED a higher framerate, but if gaming is something you enjoy, you get the nicest one you can. Same for the case... you don't NEED anything more than a $40 beige box, you get something that looks nicer.

>No. You can buy a Verizon or Sprint phone and activate it on the network. Only idiots buy from the Verizon store itself. You're asking to get Jew'd.
Only if you're putting up the cash to buy a phone outright. Not wanting a used older phone goes back to the point above, and fact the entire point of this thread is that all the phone companies have substantially raised the bar to affordability, yet none of you fuckers can get past criticizing the merits of wanting to exercise the option to get a new, high end phone.

>You are fucking retarded. You're treating the phone like a Gucci handbag.
There's no room for aesthetics and performance when it comes to a device you spend hours a day using?

>Again, you're fucking retarded. Let me spell this out for you: YOU ARE THE INDIVIDUAL WHO IS MISSING THE POINT.
No, you're missing the point. This is about companies taking away options that made high end phones within reach for those without excellent credit or hundreds of dollars of cash to put up for it. And you're just fucking obsessed about whether a cheaper phone is a better thing to get. Not. The. Point.

>>56297180

>Do you need a top-of-the-line car (Aston Martin, Lambo, you name it)? No? Guess what, you don't need a top of the line phone either. Mid-range will do more than you even need it to do at decent price to performance ratio.

A galaxy isn't a Vertu dipshit. And no, a mid-range phone doesn't offer identical performance or a sufficient screen. But even that's beyond the point. Because fine, ok, say I want a $350 phone instead. That's still inaccessible because of this policy, so fucking what if the payment would be lower, you still need excellent credit to get it, and I'm not in a situation where I can just put away $20 a month and wait a year to get it.

>>56287263
>how dare they not give away top-of-the-line phones to people who might end up not being able to pay for them

I have never rented a phone, but if you say they changed this just now, I guess they had enough bad experiences to learn from it

What do poor people need a thousand dollar phone for anyway

>>56298306

It took them decades to act on an unacceptable repayment rate? I don't think so.

>>56298219
>mid-range phone doesn't offer identical performance or a sufficient screen
My $100 G3 has a 1440p screen, retard. Performance difference between it and this year's flagships: Negligible. Do you actually believe that the S7 will open Google Maps noticeably faster?

>>56298193
>There's no room for aesthetics and performance when it comes to a device you spend hours a day using?
YOU. FUCKING. MORON. Phones look almost identical unless you're talking about the Apple logo. Again, do you actually believe that the S7 will open Google Maps noticeably faster?

>you're just fucking obsessed about whether a cheaper phone is a better thing to get. Not. The. Point.
Yeah, it is the point. You're a fucking retard if you don't understand why your "keeping the poor down" "point" is non-existent. Other posters have already pointed out that companies like Best Buy have payment plans.

>poor people arguing in a thread about how they get fucked

Why the fuck do you need a $800 iphone? Just buy a regular phone, or if you want a smartphone, anything in the $400 range will be a perfectly viable substitute. Will it be inferior? absolutely. But 90% of the performance for 50% of the price makes it worth it.

At the end of the day, poor people always get fucked, the phone is just the tip of the iceberg.

Why?

Because poor people are objectively inferior in terms of economic value.
Because the word of the poor person is worth less than the fart of a rich person.
Because money talks, and bullshit walks.

And so, to compensate for they fact they don't have jack shit, they all hoard around the latest trendy thing.

Poor people are the ones that are signing those ridiculous 3 year contracts on the latest iphone,
Poor people are the ones going to those payday loan places and getting loan sharked, so they can have whatever shiny thing they saw some famous person wear.
Poor people have always been the ones driving escalades on a 10 year finance, this is no different.

In very minor defense of the OP's desire for contracts... when shopping intelligently(???), they often were significantly cheaper when combined with the subsidized cost of the phone compared to the "cheaper" contractless plans. There was always some kind of a promotion from somewhere that would give you the latest and greatest for around 100 USD new that would compete with the newer style plans price-wise... and a big one is that your often hefty employee discounts took a percent off the entire bill, as opposed to the data allotment (or service allotment) only (and, in some cases nowadays, these discounts are unable to be combined with promotions or even are just non-existent).

Companies make more with contractless plans. They wouldn't have changed to them otherwise. It's false savings.

At the same time, OP is a dumbass for wanting a contract for one reason only - that MVNOs and prepaid destroy them price-wise while still letting you use the best phone out there.

Honestly, you can get a Note 7 bought outright immediately and plop it onto a free RingPlus plan. Congrats, you have the newest high-end phone out now, are paying nothing monthly for service, and can use the 70 USD/month you'd save over a year (not even 2 years with a contract) to buy the latest and greatest yet again and recoup even more with a quick sale of your old device before it loses too much value. Being poor has nothing to do with it.

>>56299072
>Companies make more with contractless plans. They wouldn't have changed to them otherwise. It's false savings.
In general, I agree with your sentiment/economic principle, but you're comparing two different periods in the mobile industry. Contract subsidies were necessary investments in a customer base. The profit motive reaped benefits years down the line, not immediately as you suppose.

http://www.phonearena.com/phones/compare/LG-G5,LG-G3/phones/9819,8347

>sameshit note 7

>$350 WITH a 2 year contract!

bought a used mint cond 6p 128 for $400 on ebay

,unlocked flagship for $50 more than carrier locked phone with 2yr contract
WEW

>waahhh i cant save up money

Ya ok good luck with that OP if you wnat a nice phone buy it out right from amazon and just get a sim card

>>56298623

Best Buy's payment plan requires fucking good credit to you blithering idiot.

And drop the fucking $800 phone shit because it's not the fucking point.
I don't want an $800 phone I want a $300 mid range phone ok?
FUCKING GET OFF THE POINT ABOUT WHICH PHONE. $800, $300, DOESN'T FUCKING MATTER YOU FUCKING IDIOT.

>>56287263
Did you ever think that it's probably because those people weren't good for the contracts? It could've been a response to people not paying their bills.

Either way the poor will find a way. They'll find a way to get those expensive ass phones.

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>>56289683
>posts chink phone

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iPhone Upgrade Program model.

http://www.apple.com/shop/iphone/iphone-upgrade-program

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>>56287263
This is true of every manufactured product on earth.

Take cars, for instance.

If your poor you don't need a god damned smart phone. Constantly buying dumb shit beyond your means is why you are fucking poor.

>>56299585

Yes take cars. Should I buy a shitbox for $500 cash because that's all I could afford at once, or should I make monthly payments on a nicer car at what I can reasonably budget per month?

The more I come to /g/, the more I've come to realize that this is just a place filled with baby fucking whiners. Man fucking stop being so selfish. So what if you can't afford a phone targeted at middle class to upper middle class hard working people. Man fuck off. Go make another wangblows thread.

>muh linux
>muh high end electronics aren't free

You can get an iphone 5s for $149. I'm with the elites now /g/.

>>56299639
depends, do you want to be in dept?

>>56299670
I think linens would be the best dept.

>>56299666
Welcome to the club satanic trips.

>>56299670

So now we're stooping to even claiming it's better to drive around in a beat up old junker than finance a more reasonable car?

>>56299694
false dichotomy

>>56299783

Not really. It's the same concept, making monthly payments for a large purchase you can't afford to buy outright.

>>56299800
if you can't afford any car but a junker, you cant afford to finance one either.

>>56299813

That's ridiculous. Hardly anyone lays out $10-30k cash for a new car.

>>56299694
>are you telling me that immediate ownership of an affordable item is superior to paying an increased price for something more expensive over an extended period of time, of which you may lose possession entirely if you fail to meet the payments as laid out, which is a possible outcome since you're trying to buy things you don't actually have the funds for

There are people who would tell you that, yes

>>56299826
you can get a fine car for 2-10k
if you really need to go as low as 500 bucks to afford a car, you cant afford a car

>>56299829

Well that's basically how everyone besides the upper middle class or the rich operate.

There's also a big difference between responsible financing and overextending yourself. You can reasonably make a certain amount of a monthly payment. The problem comes when you take on a monthly payment that doesn't fit into you budget.

>>56299853
But that requires time to save that much money up. If you don't have any savings, but need a car immediately and have a $2000 per month income, there's absolutely nothing wrong with budgeting a $200 per month car payment.

>>56287263
>Poor people can't afford toptier smartphones
>'Carriers' realise this
>Stop locking people into contracts who can't afford it

>"Lets blame the Illuminati and the patriarchy, muh wage gap. Row row, fight the power. We do not forgive, we do not forget. How dare they deny us unnecessary luxury items! How are we supposed to hop out of our miserable bourgeois lives if we cant spend all our money on pocket pieces instead of education, or property?!"

>>56299899
You should only ever finance:

home
car sometimes

that's about it. it's idiotic to go into dept to buy shit like phones and dumb shit you can get for 100 bucks. if you dont have savings, you're doing something wrong already

>>56299899
>everyone does it and I must too

Credit cards truly are the jew's greatest achievement.

If you, with full non-ironic honesty, believe that spending money you do not yet own is not irresponsible spending, I have no interest in furthering this discussion.

>>56299946

As long as all your other living expenses are covered, there's absolutely nothing wrong with spending $15-30 per month extra for a mid-tier or top-tier phone (that's the difference in the plan cost from what it was with a subsidized phone to what it is now if i bought a $50-shit tier phone outright and only paid for access).

And yeah, I fucked up big time by not dying. I had medical expenses that wiped out my savings; insurance doesn't come close to covering everything.

>>56299994
yeah you're clearly a nutjob, so please don't

>>56300050
shouldve financed that medical care

>>56299260

That's understandable; I can also understand the sentiment about being able to get more with a wireless contract as I got into the smartphone fad around the time contractless was the next big thing.

Assuming US: It's just that anyone who actually crunched the numbers at that time realized that contracts ended up being cheaper explicitly because the company would eat the cost of the phone - call it assumation or prejudice, but I feel as if most people here who are spewing the "contracts are more expensive" stuff ate up too much Legere propoganda. It's even only relevant now since contracts are legacy and aren't designed to be aggressively sold.

>>56299899
You do what is most economically feasible - which means you calculate and consider all costs involved and make the educated decision.

It would likely be wiser to buy the 500 dollar junker, save up and ride that shit out for a few months, and then get a good enough 3k car instead while selling the old for 400 or 300. It's unlikely that the value of your junker would depreciate anymore if it's already that low, so you can recoup that cost easily. It's unlikely your repair costs on the 3k car would actually exceed the costs of your 200 USD a month financed car, which would leave you ahead of the money curve.

Just because people do that doesn't mean it is necessarily wise.

As I stated before, you can have a Note 7 and actually pay less in the long run. Don't pay more than 20 dollars a month for phone service and you'll have plenty of money for whatever phone you damn well desire every year; the big carrier's financial manipulations aren't an excuse. If you don't have enough, change your habits now so you WILL have enough in every future scenario.

>>56300050
Thanks for proving my point.

>>56300093

Did the best I could get with it, but couldn't get a long enough term to keep the cost below what I could pay without hitting savings.

>>56300117
>You do what is most economically feasible - which means you calculate and consider all costs involved and make the educated decision.

As discussed earlier, the current cell phone bill is $100 per month. Back with the 2 year contracts, I could have renewed for 2 more years, continued to pay $100 per month, and gotten 2 new mid- or top- tier phones with it.
That's entirely feasible.
Now with contracts eliminated, since I don't have excellent credit or enough money to place a large down payment or buy a mid tier phone outright, I'd have to buy an absolutely shit tier phone (like <$80), and even after that, the monthly bill for just the plan would still be $70-$80 for the two lines.
That fucking sucks. It's an entirely educated and responsible decision that that extra $20 was worth it to have very nice mid to top tier phones instead of dirt cheap shit phones.

>>56299899
>If you don't have any savings, but need a car immediately and have a $2000 per month income,
This never happened.

>>56300362

Not to me specifically but things like that do happen for a wide variety of reasons.
I am however in the position that my phone broke so I need a new one immediately and not in months when I can save up a few hundred dollars.

>perpetuate class division
That implies that the quality of your phone determines your rank in society, and also that class division still exists in a meaningful way in modern 1st world countries.
The only thing happening here is you're trying to live outside of your means. Just buy whatever phone you can afford. There are more important things.

>>56300362
Not him but that literally happened to me last month. College student.

>>56300228
>As discussed earlier, the current cell phone bill is $100 per month

I explicitly mentioned not to pay more than 20 dollars a month for service. This is your fault. Treat this as per line.

If you went with RingPlus, you would have 800 dollars after 8 to 9 months to buy whatever phone you damn well please after an initial, say, 50 dollar payment for two line activations. This will loop and you can sell your Note 7 when you buy a Note 8 and recoup even more money.

If you desperate needed Verizon and went with two Red Pocket 1 year plans for 199 USD each line, you'd be pocketing (get it? ahaha xd) over 40 dollars a month that would grant you plenty of cash to buy a top end phone as desired.

You didn't calculate and consider all costs involved and make the educated decision; this is why you don't have a Note 7 or two right now. I'll make it simple: continue this and you'll never have the Note 8. Change now and you'll have a Note 8 easily. This is your decision - not the carriers.

If these carriers aren't giving you what you want and are conspiring against your class, why the hell are you giving the rip-offs your money anyways?

>>56287263
If anything is screwing the poor is phone plan pricing. Fucking hell I'm paying $40/month for unlimited call/text and a whopping 30MB of 3G. Fucking T-Mobile. Inexcusable. I should have at least 1GB of 4G for that price. I don't think that is unreasonable.

Every phone plan I look at wants $60 minimum for that with a fucking contract. I don't want to pay $60 and I don't want to sign up for a new contract.

>>56300424

what kind of service can you get for $20 a month? And you'd still need a phone for it. and $50 more for activations? what kind of service and wheres it available

>>56300467

Exactly the plan pricing didn't go down anywhere near as much as it should have when it stopped including phones.

>>56300467
$40 per month is $10 per week
That's less than one hour of minimum labor work where I live.
One.
Hour.

>>56300497

I admit those are assuming one lives in the US, but I did just state the exact services in that post already...

And yes, you'd still need a phone for it. Buy used Nexus 5 phones for the time being while you save up money for the next big device and start the loop. You'd also need SIM cards, which may add another 10 dollars per activation.

>>56300502
It definitely didn't. The 'uncarrier' company even removed their employee discount program...

MVNOs and prepaids have gotten a lot cheaper, though.

>>56300529
$40/mo isn't the unreasonable part. It's what I'm getting for that $40/mo that is shit.

No 4G and 30 FUCKING MEGABYTES of 3G. IN 2016. This kind of rip off shouldn't be legal.

I literally can't find anything better at the same price that doesn't include signing up for a new contract. And if I lock myself into a new contract to get a better plan I'm not only looking at my bill increasing by $10-20 per month but I don't get a phone upgrade with it either. Mind you I didn't get a phone when I signed up for this plan either, I bought the Moto G out of pocket. I've had my current plan for several years. I'm long since off contract.

>>56300579
>I admit those are assuming one lives in the US, but I did just state the exact services in that post already...
>And yes, you'd still need a phone for it. Buy used Nexus 5 phones for the time being while you save up money for the next big device and start the loop. You'd also need SIM cards, which may add another 10 dollars per activation.

You said nothing of the services. Minutes, coverages, data, all the other small details.
Used nexus 5's? Sounds expensive. Anything more than $50 isn't doable right now.
$10 for SIMs too? By the time they get done nickel and diming you the plan probably winds up costing too much up front and would save so little per month that it would take 6-12 months to save up for a mid tier phone.

>>56300609
You could always do their $30 plan, which has unlimited text, "unlimited" data, and 100 minutes. It's pretty good if you use hangouts to dial over data connections.

>that feel when my birthday is directly correlated with each new iPhone release
>based parents got me new phone ever 2 years (didnt even ask for that shit they just did)

they have stopped getting me new phone :( and im still stuck on the iPhone 5. feels weird man. guess i gotta get a job now.

>>56300621

So you are in the US?

RingPlus literally has no cost after activation. They usually run crazy promos with large allotments if you keep your eyes open, but the current always available thing you'd look at is 750 minutes, 750 texts, and 750MB LTE for an inital 27 dollar topup. No monthly cost. Sprint Network. Sprint SIMs are kinda weird, but you can usually get them for 10 dollars.

Red Pocket 1yr is 1000 minutes,1000 text, and 1000 MB per month for a single 199 USD/yr cost. It provides the SIM. They support multiple networks, but most people use them for Verizon.

Used Nexus 5 phones are around 100 USD right now. If you can't afford it now, afford it in two months; if not, four; if not, twelve. Cut your service if you must for some time; your smartphones work totally fine on WiFi and you can do US calls and texts over WiFi using Google Voice for free.

You can likely transfer your current phones over to SOMETHING, like Ting CDMA/GSM, FreedomPop, Lycamobile, Total Wireless, etc. so you could avoid buying phones for the time being and cancel your current plan after transferring your number over. I don't know what you use at the moment, so I can't really say. There's also the issue that you may need to pay your current phones off.

The longer you stay on your current plan, though, the longer you will not have a top end phone. It's that simple. A few 'nickle and dimes' is nothing compared to pay triple digits a month for service, and stupidly signing up for/staying on such rip-off service is the reason why it's so hard for you to do this to begin with...

Stop feeding money to the carrier fucking you over, at least.

>>56300817

RingPlus actually looks pretty good, but what is this Member+ shit? None of their phones are really cheap enough without it, and I can't find any mention of what exactly it is

>>56300878
Member+ is a premium service you don't need. It's entirely optional. You can safely ignore it.

RingPlus works with any Sprint compatible phone (you can run any used Sprint phones through their ESN/IMEI checker to confirm). You don't necessarily need to buy a phone from them. Ting is selling a Moto E for like 55 dollars that works with RingPlus, if I recall, and is good enough for most use cases. I'd also check Ting anyways, actually...

>>56300935

Do verizon phones work on it since they're CDMA too? if not that's a big problem since not only would i have to buy 2 phones, i'd have to make my girl downgrade to a really shitty $50 phone along with me. the checker says it can't be currently active though so can't just check. and if i had to buy 2 phones $55 each is too much

>>56298193
the PC argument is so dumb. a phone doesn't do anything nearly as impressive or requiring of the best perfomance as playing games like that. many of those games are outright unplayable at very low FPS. even so, you can build an entire PC and get reasonable frames for less than many of these phones. what the hell do people do on these phones that requires that much power? the screen is higher res so that some elements that don't matter are slightly smoother? you can have more useless apps open because no one app is feature-rich enough to actually do shit? the reality is people either don't need the best phone, or they are paying to fight against shit hardware. a $100 phone does 99% of phone stuff just as well as a $1000 phone.
honestly the only intensive thing I can think of doing on a phone that is worthwhile is maybe game emulation of playback of intensive video formats.

>>56301030

while there's very little performance and display size/quality differences between a $300-400 phone and a $600-800 phone, there's a BIG difference when you drop down to phones that cost $100 new or less if you're a heavy user

It's just the first step towards our society finally putting smartphones where they belong -- in the garbage.

>>56301077
So what do you suggest as a replacment?

>>56301092
PDAs with no wireless (roaming) internet connection, lots of storage, completely free OS, stylus as a fucking STANDARD, all that. Basically solving every problem the fucking failass pile of shit anti-technology smartphone is today (tracking device, shit touchscreen, shit OS, shit apps, etc).

>>56299694
If that beat up old junker is actually a gently used, relatively low mile econobox, then absolutely. If you have to take out a very small loan that you can pay off in a year or two for something like that, it is reasonable.
To make it a more accurate analogy, though, it would have to be a brand new cheap car that you have to go into debt for vs a nicer brand new car that you go massively into debt for, neither of which is very smart if you're poor.

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>>56287789
>Or could it be maybe it's perfectly normal to want nice things?
the ironic thing is that people who behave "normally" like that have no reason to buy that expensive stuff, not only because it offers them no new utility, but because they know nothing about it to justify the extra expense. they buying purely because it is expensive in itself, for it's image. they aren't even buying the product when you think about it, they're buying the sizzle, the hype, some kind of "lifestyle". the person who lives in a small apartment and drives a shitbox will enjoy his things much more because it was an informed decision. he knows what he wants and knows his things well. that is what allows him in part to enjoy those things. a thing isn't "nice" unless you know why it is and use it.

>>56300998
Sadly, Verizon uses totally different bands than Sprint, so no.

I know Boom Mobile has a 20 dollar plan that works on Verizon phones. I think it's unlimited talk and text with 250mb data. The previously mentioned Red Pocket is the best Verizon deal, but it does have a big up-front cost, so...

Look up Verizon MVNOs.

I guess at least you know some of your options, though. It's tough when you have no money on hand - I'm looking for work and have 7 dollars in my bank account, currently, so I know the feel - but figuring this kind of thing out is worth it in the long run. I wouldn't be posting here with my Nexus 5 right now if I didn't sacrifice my older, comfier plan for RingPlus, myself...

>>56301147
So no GPS? No phone? No browser that can be used anyplace? You are suggwating a less useful smartphone

>>56301149
just get a chink UMPC or a chink smartphone and run barebones android or something. hell a chink windows tablet would serve too.

>>56287293
This right here.
Apple has been making expensive phones for a while now, they just hide it with the base model having a gimped amount of memory.

I went from a Note 3 to a Note 7, if I spend ~800 every 3 years on a phone I am fine with that.
Or should I just buy some shitty phone and replace it every year ? (Axon or zenfone for example)

I have a very good grandfathered plan so I can only purchase my phone outright.

>>56301197
I think I would prefer a refurbished phone, but I never needed the kind of utility smartphones have when I was poor.

Boom Mobile looks pretty good.. $20 plan with $40 phone for one line and $20 plan with existing phone on the other.
then save the $60 for 6 months to get a real phone

still miles fucking worse than simply getting a new 2 year contract and new phones for the same $100 a month, but probably the best option in this new reality of anti-consumer collusion by all the major players

>>56301200

I'd maybe say that really depends on what manufacturer you prefer. I'm surprised when I try crunching the numbers for iPhones and Galaxy Note phones particularly; upgrading every year by buying the new one and selling the previous is actually viable, really, since they seem to hold value well enough; of course, that means you're stuck using one of those two series each year...

But that's also if you want to ride the high end constantly, which is far less meaningful now. The 5s is only going to crap due to Apple updates, not hardware... Note 3 specs are still very viable today and has a thriving dev scene touting Marshmallow, so is it actually necessary to upgrade? My Nexus 5 is still very functional with similar specs, and it's hard to justify an upgrade for me (although I now want an SD card slot and would actually benefit from a high end DAC/amp) considering this. Diminishing returns are getting more blatant, but you'd have noticed this more starting from a high end device like the Nexus 4/5 or Note 3 to begin with as opposed to a mid end device from 2012.

>>56288713

I doubt it, if you use multiple phones in a location you can see the same level of pricing

>>56299639
Yes. The only thing in life you go to debt for is a house. Everything else you buy is cash up front. Unless you can get a financing deal that's cheaper than the cash up front. But even in that case you have the cash available.

If you don't have the means to pay cash for it you can't afford it. Buying a house is the one and only exception to this rule.

>>56302322

Well 90% of the population doesn't do it that way because of the massive inconvenience. You're either a child or rich if you think that's any way to live.

Before this thread dies, let me say just how disappointed I am in /g/. Most of the people here make /b/ look like erudite scholars. 90% of this thread was just obsessed with trashing a particular phone choice and completely ignoring the fact that the $300-400 phones everyone proclaimed as the vastly superior and indisputable choice didn't change a damn thing since they had the exact same problem.

>>56302670
It's only a massive inconvenience if you're already paying out of your ass for shit you can't afford every single month and can't save up any money.

I'm neither a child nor am I rich and I manage to live by that rule just fine.

>>56302875

If you have any kind of a life sometimes you need things that you don't have the money for right away. If you've always had enough money on hand for everything you need, congrats on your financial success but not everyone is so well off.