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TheTom9

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 26, 2015
79
23
London, UK
Ok, so just a very random thought.

It's been years since I've been buying iPhones from Apple Stores on full price, it was just like an instinct to get it that way with a £15 / $20 internet plan but I haven't really checked the contract prices until my friend told me last week that she was buying an iPhone from EE.

She told me that she'd pay around £50 upfront plus £59 for 24 months.

So I was like YAY! You've got the 128GB 6s plus like me! And then she goes; Hell no, it's 6s 16GB, I just wouldn't believe how ridiculous that is.

I do understand that certain people can't afford to pay £780 for a phone but wouldn't you rather save up for that price instead?

Is this even normal that people spend this amount of cash to carrier companies these days?!
 

aneftp

macrumors 601
Jul 28, 2007
4,362
546
It's all about how carriers (USA or uk or elsewhere) game the numbers contract vs no contract.

What carriers like ATT did was they jacked up mobile share rates when they first introduced them a couple of years ago

Because those of us on tiered voice minutes plans plus a la carte data plans (if we have flip phone) we aren't required to get data plan.

So in the USA. It was cheaper for many of us to remain on older 700 minute voice plans with rollover and still sign a contract. Because our flip phone lines still qualified for same subsidy as our other lines. So I can still get a $199 usd iPhone on line 3. Put my flip phone back on it and only pay $10/month for that line. And resell the iPhone for profit or use it on one of my other lines.

Now getting back to mobile share. Since att had jacked up the original rates. They started reducing the rates and now claim they are a bargain if you do installment plans or pay full price!

Like a game. I following pricing very closely. My main concern if monthly price per line. That is the most important thing.

The average Verizon customer with subsidy monthly pricing per line was steadily going down. And this freaked out stock investors.

So they started devising gimmicks to try to make it look like share everything was saving people money but if you plan on getting new phones every 2 years you will end up pay the same or even more every 2 years especially for those who don't need smartphones.
 

geoff5093

macrumors 68020
Sep 16, 2014
2,251
2,564
Dover, NH
I know in the US iPhones aren't marked up and there is no interest, so you'd pay the same per month at any carrier or Apple itself if you put the same money down, unless a carrier has a promotion for a cheaper price.
 

firedept

macrumors 603
Jul 8, 2011
6,277
1,130
Somewhere!
Same goes in Canada. Phones are not marked up. So if I get it from Apple or carrier, makes no difference. Where they get us in Canada is in our rate plans.
 

TheTom9

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 26, 2015
79
23
London, UK
Same goes in Canada. Phones are not marked up. So if I get it from Apple or carrier, makes no difference. Where they get us in Canada is in our rate plans.



Same goes in Canada. Phones are not marked up. So if I get it from Apple or carrier, makes no difference. Where they get us in Canada is in our rate plans.



That sounds good, the thing is, based on what my friend told me is that she's going to end up paying more then £1100 for the phone after the two years (in case she sticks to her monthly allowance which has only 2GB of data but anyway) for the iPhone 6s 16GB which costs £500 in the Apple Store it's a big difference to £1200. The US and Canada still sounds good comparing to that.
 

firedept

macrumors 603
Jul 8, 2011
6,277
1,130
Somewhere!
That sounds good, the thing is, based on what my friend told me is that she's going to end up paying more then £1100 for the phone after the two years (in case she sticks to her monthly allowance which has only 2GB of data but anyway) for the iPhone 6s 16GB which costs £500 in the Apple Store it's a big difference to £1200. The US and Canada still sounds good comparing to that.

Then I would suggest your friend buy it outright from Apple. No way would I pay more than double the price for an iPhone. Matter of fact I would not pay anymore than it's actual value. It is a shame that a carrier could get away with that, but I am not at all familiar with the UK carriers and how they work things. Some people have no other options though or are too impatient to wait till they have the funds to buy it outright.
 

bushido

Suspended
Mar 26, 2008
8,070
2,755
Germany
just checked T-Mobile Germany and it's 240€ upfront on a 49€ plan (24 months) with utterly ridiculous 500mb a month for the iPhone 6S base model. so that's about 1.600 $ after two years
 

PortableLover

macrumors 6502a
Apr 14, 2012
734
663
england
Three is much cheaper. Additionally on my 5, i paid 35 a month for 64gb, upfront was 179. Total of 1011. So 300 more for unlimited texts, 2000 mins & unlimited data. My 6 was 32 a month no upfront for 128. I did buy both around late january, so maybe thats why they wee cheaper. Additionally a 6s in 16gb is a rip off
 

Pnr2020

macrumors regular
Nov 6, 2015
185
178
Uk
Got mine from carphone warehouse on EE its 5gb data unlimited text and calls. It's only the 6s 16gb model which is fine for me £37.99 a month no up front cost 2 year contract which I think ain't bad
 
Last edited:

takeshi74

macrumors 601
Feb 9, 2011
4,974
68
I do understand that certain people can't afford to pay £780 for a phone but wouldn't you rather save up for that price instead?
It doesn't matter what I'd rather. A lot of people want instant gratification and to purchase what they can't afford.

Is this even normal that people spend this amount of cash to carrier companies these days?!
It has been normal to pay a lot for service in the US. It has only been recently that our carriers have been moving away from the subsidy/contract model.
 
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