Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
French Carrier Executive Claims Frugal Customers Hurting iPhone Sales
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
In Austria, you can get 1000 minutes, 1000 texts and unlimited data (throttled after 1GB) for €7.50/month.
http://www.orange.at/Content.Node/tarife/einer-fuer-alle/
How much is that in the states?
Today's smartphones are pretty much all that an average person needs and they even exceed our needs.
This is not surprising.
Now we just need to live life itself instead of waiting for another breakthrough that will make our lives "easier" and less boring (but actually doing the opposite).
This is not surprising.
Now we just need to live life itself instead of waiting for another breakthrough that will make our lives "easier" and less boring (but actually doing the opposite).
Nope. It's just the fact that in Europe they don't do phone subsidies. When this becomes the case in US, situation here will be just the same as in Europe. As it is right now, cheap Andrid phones subsidise more expensive phones and especially iPhone which gets the highest sibsidies. Using Mit Romney terminology, if you have an iPhone, you are one of those in 47%.
----------
Well we don't have that here in USA but the guns are cheap.
Yup. I pay roughly 270 or so a month with AT&T for 5 lines for unlimited voice and text, plus 10 GB of shared data which we don't even get to a third of.
Last edited:
I don't consider the iPhone (or any Apple product really) for "frugal" people. I consider them premium products for people that can see (and afford) the value of high end products.
If you can't afford an subsidized iPhone, how do you expect to pay for the plan?
If you can't afford an subsidized iPhone, how do you expect to pay for the plan?
Around six months ago my OZ telco offered me a free HTC Sensation XL, just to re-sign my $29 plan for two more years. More than good enough for my use.
yeah right
I always get a big kick when it comes to US smart phones market.
The "price" of an iPhone is around $200 with a two-year contract (has been that way for a few years now) and the "frugal" customer is expected to pay about $100 per month (for average usage plans).
The supposed price of iPhone is less than 10% of total cost of your phone bill in those contract bound two years.
Would you really care about the $200 that you paid?
People need to realize that you are really buying a $2400 phone instead of $200 phone.
The cellphone is the biggest rip-off here. The landline and home internet costs have come down but mobile phone cost is still way up there. The data plan alone for cellphone is like $40 and voice is like $45. Do you think this is really a fair price?
If you look at other countries, most consumers would not pay $100 per month for cellphone usage.
I always get a big kick when it comes to US smart phones market.
The "price" of an iPhone is around $200 with a two-year contract (has been that way for a few years now) and the "frugal" customer is expected to pay about $100 per month (for average usage plans).
The supposed price of iPhone is less than 10% of total cost of your phone bill in those contract bound two years.
Would you really care about the $200 that you paid?
People need to realize that you are really buying a $2400 phone instead of $200 phone.
The cellphone is the biggest rip-off here. The landline and home internet costs have come down but mobile phone cost is still way up there. The data plan alone for cellphone is like $40 and voice is like $45. Do you think this is really a fair price?
If you look at other countries, most consumers would not pay $100 per month for cellphone usage.
Well, you have to know France is one the best iPhone consumer. That's why it's always available quickly in France. So, it won't make a big difference but Apple hears about it.
Also, French plans are much cheaper since last year, as a new 3G license has been given to a new carrier which came on the market with really competitive prices : 20 for unlimited bandwidth (slower after 3GB), unlimited calls, text & modem and 15 for customers who own an internet plan.
This means carriers make most of their money from the phones they sell now. If they can't sell phones, they make very few money. That's it.
Not really sure what one has to do with the other. Taxes are government imposed. Cellular service price is private company contract.
Are you trying to imply that having lower individual taxes means companies have to charge more for their products? Because that logic isn't even the slightest logical.
But not everyone is on a family plan, and it's still quite a bit more.
----------
omg
I wasn't asking for a EUR->USD conversion
I meant the price of an equivalent plan in the US.
We don't even seem to have plans like that. Cheapest iPhone plans for an individual run at least $50 and you get a few hundred minutes, no free texts and 300MB of data (from AT&T).
Tmobile will improve the situation but USA is no where near overseas for value.
True, 64GB iPhone 5 is over $1200 here in Italy
I'm an American who moved to Italy at the end of August. I have the 64 GB iPhone 4S. I have always owned the latest of every model of iPhone, but I'm not going to spend over $1200 for a cell phone. When I visit the states in July and August, I will buy the new 5S 64GB for 400+ tax. Even after paying a $329 cancellation penalty, I will still come out way ahead over buying a cell phone here in Italy. Actually, I have heard rumors of 128 GB model, which even if that is $100 extra, this is much better than what I would pay here in Italy.
It cracks me up when Americans think $199 is too much for an iPhone.
I'm an American who moved to Italy at the end of August. I have the 64 GB iPhone 4S. I have always owned the latest of every model of iPhone, but I'm not going to spend over $1200 for a cell phone. When I visit the states in July and August, I will buy the new 5S 64GB for 400+ tax. Even after paying a $329 cancellation penalty, I will still come out way ahead over buying a cell phone here in Italy. Actually, I have heard rumors of 128 GB model, which even if that is $100 extra, this is much better than what I would pay here in Italy.
It cracks me up when Americans think $199 is too much for an iPhone.
In Australia you can get Unlimited calls and text (well over here we only pay to make calls, not receive calls) as well as 6GB of data for $29 per month. Or if you sign up yearly it's like $25 a month.
See for yourself - http://www.kogan.com/au/mobile/
See for yourself - http://www.kogan.com/au/mobile/
I got in Barcelona for 60:
After all i belive is good price
- Fix phone line
- DSL 10mb internet line
- Unlimited fix phone call from fix number
- 100 minutes/month to mobile number from fix number
- Mobile phone line
- 500 min/month from mobile
- unlimited sms
- 1gb data
After all i belive is good price
Not if you count medical biggs that they don't have to pay in Europe. In the US insurance is really a form of tax
. It is a tax that in the US system the government outsources to a for-profit company.
Unlocked iPhone (smartphone) in US does not make any sense. You have 2 different Technology (CDMA and GSM). Of the 4 major telco 2 are GSM and 2 are CDMA. What kind of competition you can expect?? In Europe where everyone uses GSM it is easier to jump from provider one to another.. Here we are used to get a "free" phone with the contract, and a new one every 2 years. How you can expect to fork more than $600 for unlocked one and not be able to carry it from one provider to another!!!