The truth about cheap smartphones
Smartphones have almost become all the rage these days, with every mobile phone manufacturing company coming out with a phone aimed at the business customer. In fact, several companies are making cheap smartphones even aimed at teenagers. No wonder even a first-time mobile phone buyer sports a smartphone these days.
New smartphones, regardless of whether they are BlackBerry, Apple iPhone, or Android phones, are often expensive compared to the regular cell phone. The bundled hardware is not only more expensive, but you’re also likely to pay a lot more for the rate plan. Many carriers offer unlimited plans with a smartphone, but are more likely to add a “data” premium of at least $10 each month, per connection, to the account.
If you intend to buy a smartphone without shelling out an arm or a leg, then there are two options for you. Nowadays, various carriers offer extreme deals on their phones like free Android phone or cheap mobile phone. These are mostly bundled deals. They know they can lock him up for at least a couple of years once he signs on the dotted lines. Discounts for upgrading a phone after the first year would be minimal, and the cost would rarely exceed a few hundred for buying a new cheap smartphone with the latest features. Even after two years, you’ll likely find you’re still paying a premium for hardware. Even on a cheap smartphone, it’s the hardware that’s still expensive. Several carriers even threaten to charge exorbitant fees for early termination of a contract. It’s widely touted that Sprint would charge upwards of $300 for the same thing.
If you have a carrier that uses a SIM card like AT&T, you can opt for an unlocked smartphone and use it on your plan, no problem. You just have to insert the SIM into the new phone. However, an unlocked smartphone can also be expensive. You’re unlikely to get a deal on phones that come with the latest technology, but older phones might be cheaper. The demand is high in the market for the best smartphones. Sellers are aware of this. Your benefit lies in switching to newer technology, regardless of your carrier’s plans. That would surely lead to some unlock value.
The latest technology is the moot point here. Every month if not every day a newer phone is introduced in the market with amazing features like new capacity, new cameras, slimmer body, faster performance etc. Manufacturers, especially on the Android platform, are constantly updating features and releasing new and improved hardware. Owning the same phone for over a year, a couple at most, is a complete bummer. Buyers are therefore constantly looking for cheap smartphones as they do not want to invest in an expensive phone that will be out of date within two years. Cheap smartphones could be the order of the day as manufacturers try to outdo each other in an increasingly competitive market.
