If someone doesn't see the value in something, no amount of explaining on your part or any one else's is going to change their mind. Furthermore, the value of something like a smartphone is going to vary greatly between users. I find great value in everything I can do with my iPhone but to someone who only wants to do the basic tasks (i.e. phone calls, texting, etc.), they will probably find a smartphone an enormous rip off. In a nutshell, if your friend has found no value in smartphones by now, you would be wasting your breath in trying to convince him otherwise.