How much is too much? Are these portable computers we carry around that just happen to be able to make phone calls really worth a small fortune? Would you pay over $2000 for a mobile phone that can fold in half?
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip on sale in Australia April 3 for [AUS]$2199
[...] At the Z Flip's [AUS]$2199 price it's [AUS]$200 more than the Galaxy S20 Ultra we told you was too expensive and too big earlier this month.
The Z Flip may be even more expensive but it is at least smaller, and gets even more so when you fold it in half to stash in your pocket or bag.
The new wave of foldable phones are very expensive, but that's also part of their appeal.
"The Galaxy Z Flip is a statement piece and we can't wait to see what Australians do with it," Samsung vice president of mobile Garry McGregor said.
On the other end of the scale, Huawei has announced its new foldable, the Mate Xs, will also be coming to Australia soon.
[...] The phone, a horizontally folding device that opens up into an 8-inch tablet is described by the company as a "high-end, luxury device," which partly explains its massive price tag.
The Huawei Mate Xs is due to go on sale here April 9 for [AUS]$3999, but is already available for pre-order.
[...] Huawei's local managing director Larking Huang said the phone was "ideal for tech seekers or anyone who craves performance, design and usability".
"Australian consumers will benefit from an unprecedented, immersive experience, all at the touch of their fingertips. Offering large dual displays, ultra-slim foldable form and all-day usage – Australians will be able to do business on the go or watch movies," he said.
What they won't be able to do is use any of Google's mobile services, like the Play Store, Gmail, Drive, Maps, YouTube, and other apps Australians rely on to do business, and indeed watch movies.
Huawei was banned from using those when it was placed on a US list of "banned entities" last year.
What is the most you will pay for a mobile phone?
(Score: 5, Interesting) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday March 18 2020, @05:00PM (7 children)
I don't think I've ever paid more than $299 for a phone - I typically try to get them under $200 when practical. It's not that the concept of "smartphone, portable media center / super computer / camera" isn't "worth" the money, it's that there are such good and capable things on the market under $300, why would you spend more for marginal capability you might never even use? Then there's the fact that they are inherently easy to damage/lose - why set yourself up to accidentally smash/drown/misplace a $2K widget when you can get one basically as functional for 10% of the cost? I used to care a little about obsolescence, but in hindsight that really isn't much of a factor - my phones have always done what I expected when I bought them, and mercifully died of one cause or another before there was some new feature in the new phones that I couldn't live without. Maybe when DJI comes out with a pocket-drone phone which can follow you at +100' altitude while you walk (among other tricks), beaming video footage real-time to the cloud and your fold-out screen watch/vr facemask, that might be interesting, but hardly necessary.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by richtopia on Wednesday March 18 2020, @05:36PM (2 children)
My threshold price is going down, not up. I used to consider 300 acceptable, but now I'm thinking more like 200.
Why? I can buy a laptop for sub-200USD. Phones are no longer exotic hardware and should be competitive with traditional PCs. Maybe I'll consider increasing this threshold for new features, similar to your comment about DJI.
Ultimately I plan on keeping my current phone until it breaks. I'll probably buy a Pine Phone as a toy, but that still fits my sub 200USD rule.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday March 18 2020, @06:48PM (1 child)
You know, the DJI comment was meant to be absurd, but... if you can get an extra 100' of altitude on your end of your cellular tower connection, then do a short hop direct line of sight to your earpiece, that could have VERY practical applications.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 1) by anubi on Thursday March 19 2020, @02:58AM
I bought several of these...
https://www.hsn.com/products/motorola-moto-e5-57-16gb-tracfone-w8mp-camera-and-1500-/9389183 [hsn.com]
$60 or so. Each comes with a years service. So far, they have been decent phones...my only gripe so far is a Miracast issue, which requires rooting the phone so I can flip a bit in a configuration file.
I don't use the phone all that much, but I find it really handy for all the apps I can sideload into it. It takes the SanDisk 128GB TF card too.
I think it's a wonderful thing for all the other things it will do...offline. Maps, mathcad, signal generator, oscilloscope, network diagnostics, pulse oximeter type thingies, and lots of other stuff. Star-Trek tricorder type stuff.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Grishnakh on Thursday March 19 2020, @02:41AM (2 children)
It's worth it to me: I *like* having all the nice features, like multiple camera lenses, a huge screen, etc.
The thing is, I'm not willing to spend $2k (or $1k, or even $500, or even $300) on a high-end flagship phone. So, I get them used on Ebay. You can get a very expensive flagship phone for $100-200 after it's 1-2 years old. The depreciation on these devices is insane (except for iPhones). So buy a phone that's a little used but in great condition, use it for a year, then resell it and buy another used one. You'll always be just a little behind the cutting edge, but you'll have a very nice device and only spend a small fraction of the money.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Thursday March 19 2020, @12:54PM
I got the MotoG6 at its launch date - I forget the details, but it was sub $300 for sure. Coworkers who are into such things spotted the multiple cameras on the back and were all oooohs and aaaahs about it, apparently multiple cameras was the latest hotness that month.
What I'd really like is better local support for "world market" phones like these: https://www.banggood.com/Ulefone-Armor-7-IP68-IP69K-Waterproof-6_3-inch-8GB-128GB-48MP-Triple-Camera-NFC-5500mAh-Wireless-Charge-Helio-P90-Octa-Core-4G-Smartphone-p-1587131.html [banggood.com]
https://www.banggood.com/Ulefone-Armor-X5-5_5-Inch-NFC-IP68-IP69K-Waterproof-3GB-32GB-5000mAh-MT6763-Octa-core-4G-Smartphone-p-1579916.html [banggood.com]
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by sjames on Friday March 20 2020, @01:21AM
That also gives you the ability to find out if a particular model tends to vent with flame or if the screen will shatter if you sneeze too hard before you buy.
(Score: 2) by driverless on Thursday March 19 2020, @05:40AM
$200 is my limit as well. It's a fucking telephone, not a diamond engagement ring or a Caribbean cruise.
Oh, and that's every three years or so, not every time a slightly blingier model comes out.