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Is the iPhone 5S worth $650?

I'm an Android guy but I have to admit that the camera of the iPhone is very consistent. You can rely on it and that's why people who have to take lots of photos with their smartphone will still buy the iPhone. The same could be applied to the browser. It's fast and smooth on the iPhone even the screen size is ..too small for my taste.

You really can't justify the cost in some cases because there isn't any alternative that you WANT. If you enjoy and like to use something everyday then it worths more than something much cheaper but you barely use. So don't feel bad when you buy something expensive....feel bad when you buy something and don't use it.
 
scaredpoet said:
I saw it at the T-Mobile store when I was researching plans for my iPad, and yes, I held it in my hands.



So is yours, and you're completely ignoring all the other points in my and other's posts.
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When I held the nexus 5 it felt better then s4 and not cheap at all.
Biased towards what?
I have used iPhones ever since they came out. Only android phone I have ever used is the nexus 4 and it is a pretty solid phone for the price. So is nexus 5 .

If android had apps as good as iOS has in terms of quality I might consider using android. So In my opinion the only thing cheap about nexus 5 is android and it's price. The phone has good specs, good display,doesn't look bad,yeah the camera is above average but then it's just 350 bucks. If someone asks me if a 5s is worth 650/750/850. Hmm no especially a similarly specd phone is available at almost half the price. Would I buy an iPhone 5s at 649? Yup.I don't really like android and I don't mind paying 650 for using iOS on a phone.

If someone asks me for an advice I would just ask him to get an iPad mini and a nexus 5 and enjoy both for price of one 5s. :)
 
thehustleman said:
Lol people are still saying Google subsidizes it?

They don't, they just sell it at a very thin profit margin is all
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Thin margin or a loss, it's irrelevant as we can agree google isn't looking to make money off of the hardware sale rather the data or whatever else they gain from the user. Googles not in the hardware market like like apple, Samsung , etc are.
 
gpat said:
It's Kia vs Mercedes not $10000 vs $100000...

Huh?

It's a decision on price first of all, and then on the platform.
If the OP is OK with android, there is no reason to pay twice as much for an iPhone.
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$90000 difference vs $350 difference.
....
 
Not worth it IMO. I recently sold my iPhone 5S 64GB Grey after 3 weeks of use. Before that, I had the HTC One which I bought after using the iPhone 5/4s/3GS. I simply packed the HTC One and thought I will give that to my mom to use while I got back into Apple's ecosystem. But truth be told, I realized that I am paying top dollar for an ecosystem which is not worth its price.

Few years ago, maybe the iPhone was worth it compared to the competition in the market but if you ask me today, the iPhone definitely does not deserve the very high premium it asks for. You have very able phones available for far less..e.g, the HTC One, Nexus 5.

If it is a smartphone you are after for email sync, contact sync, calendars, todos...then these phones will easily fill that requirement and then some.

The only aspect I miss in the Android's ecosystem is the supremely easy media management offered by Apple. But I am sure this will improve.

Final note: Apple is one greedy company :) I know shareholders will be happy but as a consumer, I am not. It is getting more expensive to buy their laptops, desktops etc. Their new MBPs prices are off the roof now given that the competition is coming out with better specced machines with almost the same build quality at lesser cost. I know that my next machine will not be a MBP. Hell, I might even install Windows 8 on my MBP :)

The tablets are the same. I had a look at a demo unit of the iPad Air and it was full of low memory errors! Turns out, Apple has put in just a GB of RAM in there!

So putting all eggs in Apple's ecosystem, I have realized is expensive and defies common sense. It is not about affordability, it is about whether you are getting your money's worth. I am trying to get my money's worth outside of Apple's ecosystem and this has gotten easier off late.
 
Mrbobb said:
You guys have to throw in the resell value, the quality blah-blah. That sound more like justification for you than for OP.

What if OP's entire concern is bang-for-the-buck? NOW!, not what he can get tomorrow or cares if people make fun of this plastic phone. He just want to DO more with less$ TODAY and he's not tied to he ecosystem.
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Quality and resell-value is all "bang-for-the-buck". Someone who is just tied to the now without considering the future consequences will never achieve anything. If he only considers today, I'll lend an iPhone 5s to him for one day for $100. He should be happy with that, right?

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scaredpoet said:
If price is the single, sole factor in the decision, then sure, the Nexus 5 wins out. But in my opinion that's being penny wise and pound foolish, so good luck with that.
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If price is the single, sole factor in the decision, I can get a Nokia 100 for £9.00 without contract.
 
I think the ip5s is very much overpriced. The 32gb version cost about the same price as the note3.

Considering the note3 has so much more in terms of hardware like 3gb ram, more expensive and bigger amoled screen, wacom spen digitizer , more sensors like temperature, humidity, ir blaster, better front and back camera etc
 
mib1800 said:
I think the ip5s is very much overpriced. The 32gb version cost about the same price as the note3.

Considering the note3 has so much more in terms of hardware like 3gb ram, more expensive and bigger amoled screen, wacom spen digitizer , more sensors like temperature, humidity, ir blaster, better front and back camera etc
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iPhone 5s > note 3 . Note 3 runs android pfft. Amoleds suck. Talking about ram iPhone doesn't need it. It's still cheap ass plastic. iPhone 5s has a better camera and I don't need humidity sensor on my phone. Note 3 has few good things but no. I won't pay that much for a Samsung phone.
 
Abs_p said:
iPhone 5s > note 3 . Note 3 runs android pfft. Amoleds suck. Talking about ram iPhone doesn't need it. It's still cheap ass plastic. iPhone 5s has a better camera and I don't need humidity sensor on my phone. Note 3 has few good things but no. I won't pay that much for a Samsung phone.
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If you put note3 and ip5s screen side by side i bet 85% would still prefer the amoled. Ip5s screen looks do dull and washout next to the amoled.
In US home turf maybe people still see value in iPhone but in the rest of the world, the story is the opposite. There are no patriotic or emotional factors and a lot can see that iPhone is just not attractive. 80% of people I know who were using iphones before are now using note2/3 and s3/4 or xperia.
 
Personally, I think the $650 is overpriced for it; however, I feel as if the iPhone 5S is the best smartphone out right now.
 
mib1800 said:
If you put note3 and ip5s screen side by side i bet 85% would still prefer the amoled. Ip5s screen looks do dull and washout next to the amoled.
In US home turf maybe people still see value in iPhone but in the rest of the world, the story is the opposite. There are no patriotic or emotional factors and a lot can see that iPhone is just not attractive. 80% of people I know who were using iphones before are now using note2/3 and s3/4 or xperia.
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Amoleds are over saturated . iPhones have full srgb gamut and I have never heard the washed out word since the iPhone 5. About the 80% you said, We both know that's not true. Hardly anyone I know has switched from iOS to android . The few who have still miss iOS but the bigger display is what makes them keep those devices. Infact there was a survey which showed a 91% retention rate for iPhones vs 76% for android.
I won't ever pay 650 for an android device especially one made by Samsung.
Nexus devices are the only android phones I have used apart from a brief affair with s2 .

The resell value of iPhone is far better then the Samsung phones anyways.
 
What would happen if other carriers follow T-Mobile and drop smartphone subsidy?

That would be interesting.
 
Would iphone users like it if Apple only charge $50 for each storage upgrade?

i.e. from 16GB to 32GB cost $50 instead of $100 extra?


Google is charging just $20 extra from 8GB to 16GB

http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/13/5096680/motorola-moto-g-announced-price-availability

Moto G

8GB for $179 off contract / unlocked
16GB for $199 off contract/ unlocked

original.jpg


Specs:

4.5″ LCD 1,280 x 720 display
1.2GHz Qualcomn quad-core processor
1GB of RAM
8GB of flash storage
5MP rear-facing camera
1.3MP front-facing camera
2070mAh battery
Dimensions: 129.9 x 65.9 x 6-11.6mm
Weight: 143g
 
BeeGood said:
I agree with the poster above. If you are not already invested in the ecosystem, ie you have lots of apps/accessories (like me) or your family has lots of iDevices (like mine) it's a coin toss to go android vs iOS. I would probably go android.

If you are looking mainly at cost then definitely go android. Although, iPhones hold their value very well and resell easily.

I like the aesthetics of the iPhone more than any other phone on the market, so that's also something to consider. Most android phones don't look all that great to me, even though some are better overall devices than the iPhone.
Click to expand...

Nexus phones actually hold their value exceptionally well compared to other android phones as well.
 
It will be interesting in the next few months to see if Verizon and Sprint will follow AT&T and drop subsidy.

T-Mobile started it all.

It will look something like this

http://www.o2.co.uk/refresh
With O2 Refresh, your monthly bill is split into 2 parts:

Phone Plan
the cost of the phone

Airtime Plan
all your data, minutes and texts

So when you want a shiny new phone, just pay off your Phone Plan. Choose which phone you want next, and then start again.

Paid off your Phone Plan, but don’t want a new phone just yet? Carry on paying just your Airtime Plan and have a lower monthly bill.
Click to expand...

Transparency to allow consumers to make an informed decision.
 
I'd say it's worth it. The build quality on my gold 5S is fantastic. It feels and looks expensive.
 
I believe the Nexus 5 is sold at cost or slight loss (since the cost does not include R&D cost). The iPhone components cost about ~$200 and the rest is gross profit. Remember that when Best Buy started carrying the Nexus 5, they wanted to charge $600+ for the device until people started complaining. Then they dropped it down to match other retailers. Google is not making money on the phone. Instead they make money from selling you ads on their Android platform.

Edit: changed profit to gross profit
 
Last edited:
Don't forget resale value. iPhones/iPads can go for unbelievable prices a year after release.

I have a 16GB 4S unlocked for sale on CL. Meeting with a buyer in a few hours for $300.

I sold my iPad Mini this morning for $300 on CL.

I have a 16GB Nexus 4 that has been for sale on CL for two months now and I can't get one person interested. I have the price now at $175.

I also have a Nexus 7, 32GB Cellular for sale at $200 and can't get one person interested. The ad has been renewed daily for the past two months just as the Nexus 4 ad has been.
 
If you were to end carrier subsidies today Apple would only sale a fraction of iPhones. They would be forced to price drop across the board to battle the Nexus 5 and motorola G or die because their too stubborn to realize that better phones exist at a cheaper cost.
Just ask yourself this; would you pay $650 plus tax right now? I would expect a good number of you to answer yes only because your not the average Apple customer if you upgrade on a yearly basis. It's the average consumer that would just hang onto their old model or drop Apple all together. To tell you the truth most Apple folks hang onto their devices longer because Apple supports the hardware longer than Android OEM's. I don't plan on upgrading my wife's iPhone 5 for at least another 2 years; she is not a person worried about spec's.

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IpadSC400 said:
I wouldn't get payed $200 for the Nexus. Apple diehard. :cool:
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I think the question is would you pay $650 for an iPhone 5S. Not if you think Nexus 5 is worth $350. Stay on topic.
We pretty much know that diehards wouldn't mind paying $650. It's the average Joe that might be looking at switching from a different platform. Or the previous customer that might have to pay unsubsidized pricing in the future. Apple knows that it has an extreme loyal following and will sale to you at any cost.
If your running a restaurant don't you want new customers to eat there as well? Trying to entice your new customers with a $20 hamburger that taste no different than a $12 hamburger is not the answer. And soon those loyal customers are going to save $8 on that hamburger if you don't do something different.
 
JackieInCo said:
Don't forget resale value. iPhones/iPads can go for unbelievable prices a year after release.

I have a 16GB 4S unlocked for sale on CL. Meeting with a buyer in a few hours for $300.

I sold my iPad Mini this morning for $300 on CL.

I have a 16GB Nexus 4 that has been for sale on CL for two months now and I can't get one person interested. I have the price now at $175.

I also have a Nexus 7, 32GB Cellular for sale at $200 and can't get one person interested. The ad has been renewed daily for the past two months just as the Nexus 4 ad has been.
Click to expand...


I agree on iPhone resell value. I was able to do an even trade for my 2 month old 16gig iPhone 5s for a new 32gig Note 3 with a $25 case. On paper the Note 3 is $100 more. And come next year my Note 3 might only be worth $250 if I want a quick sale. But technically you don't buy Android phones for resell; we pretty much know it sucks. Having to pay only $35 for a 64gig memory card is what makes up that difference; that 96 gig's total space.

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Abs_p said:
iPhone 5s > note 3 . Note 3 runs android pfft. Amoleds suck. Talking about ram iPhone doesn't need it. It's still cheap ass plastic. iPhone 5s has a better camera and I don't need humidity sensor on my phone. Note 3 has few good things but no. I won't pay that much for a Samsung phone.
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The only thing I miss from the 5S display is how bright it can get. But I love the deep blacks and color saturation better of the Note 3. The HTC One has the best display if your just talking about displays. I just don't like the button layout. And as long as Samsung stays with sd cards and removable batteries I will not knock the use of plastics in their phones. I'm someone who will always use cases and once you cover it up it truly does not matter if the phone is metal or plastic. I covered my iPhone 5s with a speck case and never got to feel the metal on a daily basis.
 
UBS28 said:
I'm looking to buy a new phone off contract, however I can't help noticing the huge price difference between the latest Nexus 5 ($350) and the iPhone 5S ($650) despite the Nexus 5 being better hardware wise. Where is the $300 difference coming from?

If I didn't have a lot of apps already, I think the Nexus 5 would be a no-brainer to me?
Click to expand...

No way it is worth $650.
 
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