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What Does iPhone/Smartphone Really Cost Monthly?

Robby S said:
:eek:

Cripes... For £25 a month I get 2000 minutes, 5000 texts and unlimited data. If I wanted to switch carriers, I could get 400 minutes with unlimited texts and data for just £15 per month...is it really that much more expensive in the US?!
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Deako said:
Agree, seems steep. Do the US customers pay a lower fee for their phones though, with much more of the subsidised handset costs being spread over the duration of the contract?
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We pay $199/$299 for the phone on contract. I'm not sure in Europe if you guys pay full prices which allows you to have a lower monthly bill.

Me and my girlfriend pay $128 a month with a 20% discount for 500 mintues unlimited text I have unlimited data she has 2GB
 
Robby S said:
:eek:

Cripes... For £25 a month I get 2000 minutes, 5000 texts and unlimited data. If I wanted to switch carriers, I could get 400 minutes with unlimited texts and data for just £15 per month...is it really that much more expensive in the US?!
Click to expand...

Yep, and believe it our not our cell phone companies are not very profitable. It's the hidden costs of regulations and having to deal with thousands of state and local governments on top of a federal government. The idea that our cell phone companies are raking in these massive profits and "raping" the consumer is not true at all.

Take SMS for example. Sure, there's a HUGE profit on SMS but when looking at the big picture they still don't make that much money. If we passed a law that reigned in on the SMS profit carriers would have to increase data/voice prices to make up for it.

That being said about $10 is taxes and fees, so Verizon only gets about $65 from me even though I pay $75. Your £25 is about $40 in US terms so I pay about 35%ish more than you (ballparking without a calculator I maybe wrong in my calculation).
 
acfusion29 said:
$50/month here on Rogers in Canada, and i have everything

btw, the thread title should be "what does a smartphone really cost per month" .. iPhone's aren't more expensive than any other smartphone out there.
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$55 unlimited data/text via MTS in Canada.
 
My contract with Virgin in Canada is about to end and I negotiated a potential plan with them that would be 59 after tax and it would include:

300 anytime minutes
unlimited text (US and Canada)
10 unlimited canada wide numbers
6 gb of data
7pm evenings
and caller id

Reasonable?
 
soxnpats said:
My contract with Virgin in Canada is about to end and I negotiated a potential plan with them that would be 59 after tax and it would include:

300 anytime minutes
unlimited text (US and Canada)
10 unlimited canada wide numbers
6 gb of data
7pm evenings
and caller id

Reasonable?
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In the UK that would be daylight robbery, but I guess that's OK from what I've heard about the US/Canada.
 
Figured I'd chime in and represent Sprint customers as well, since this thread really isn't about the cost of an iPhone as much as it is about the cost of a smartphone month-to-month.

My current Sprint plan:
Unlimited data, texting, and 450 minutes (in reality, my minutes are practically unlimited because calling any mobile network in America is free, only landlines count) $69.99 a month.
$10 "Premium data" fee (applicable to all smartphones)
$8 for phone insurance

I also get a 15% discount (I think it's 15%) that eliminates the taxes and other things assessed monthly. So my bill averages just below $90.00. Now let's hope that after this Sprint iPhone launch my bill STAYS there.
 
Certinfy said:
If I buy the iPhone 5 outright (£500) and put a monthly sim in it (£10) over the 24 months it'll work as £30.80 per month for 250 mins, unlimited texts, and unlimited internet so that's good enough for me. And then the phone will also be unlocked which is even better.

Only chance I'll get the phone on contract is if 3 offer their £35pm deal and £69 for the phone as at least that way I won't have to fork out £500 in one go.
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Exactly what I did, giffgaff ftw ;) Not to mention their flexability, lack of fixed contract and their payback system which often pays the whole monthly bill itself :)
 
THANKS to all who've replied...

Lots of great info posted and have a much better idea now of what to expect for real world monthly cost of 'smartphone' (correcting terminology per other comments....)...also, interesting how many people get healthy company discounts on this service...
 
I have the family plan with 4 lines, unlimited messaging, unlimited data on all 4 iPhones, 1400 minutes on Verizon and a 4G verizon data card for my computer. I pay a total of $375/month.
 
$55 plus tax

That gives me:
Call display
Call waiting
Voicemail
1gb data
3 way calling
200 mins
Unlimited texts
Unlimited nationwide calling and text to 10 numbers in Canada.
Unlimited evenings and weekends (evenings start at 6pm - 7 am)

I have yet to exceed any of my limits on this plan.
 
saberahul said:
I have the family plan with 4 lines, unlimited messaging, unlimited data on all 4 iPhones, 1400 minutes on Verizon and a 4G verizon data card for my computer. I pay a total of $375/month.
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Sorry to get off topic, OP. Quick question.
How much does an individual iPhone on your account cost?

I'm trying to switch over to my moms Verizon account. She has 3 non-smartphones on her account. How much do you think it would cost to add an iPhone with 2GB data? 40 bucks or so right?
 
39$ but supposed to be 53$

i pay 39 bucks for family plan

175 minutes w/ unlimited call to cellphones (900 minutes split between 4 people)
unlimited 3g (did the unlimited data trick (only use 1,500 mb a month-lol)
unlimited text

i should be paying 53 dollars though... at&t still think im using an iphone 2g phone so they are charging me unlimited 2g for some reason.....

get a family plan guys if you can.... i dont get alot of minutes but i just use talk at one app for iphone when im calling land lines or business.

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saberahul said:
I have the family plan with 4 lines, unlimited messaging, unlimited data on all 4 iPhones, 1400 minutes on Verizon and a 4G verizon data card for my computer. I pay a total of $375/month.
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ah dude.... speechless...

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Anyone in south Korea can fill me in on cellphone prices???? im going to be teaching english there soon and i would like to know... what ill by spending each month... thx
 
I think your bill will just be $15 or $25 higher than what it is now when you add the data plan
 
I made this chart when I was thinking what carrier to go with. It reflects a company discount for the post paid plans but still is a good ballpark for most. I want Verizon but damn they are expensive.

spreadsheet.png
 
Robby S said:
Er, simply put...

(up-front cost + (monthly tariff x contract length) + optional extras) / contract length = total monthly cost

The up-front cost and monthly tariff will vary massively based on how many minutes/data/texts you want and the length of the contract. Can't you just get those costs yourself and put them into a spreadsheet to see which provider and tariff you would be better off using? :confused:
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The trouble is, in North America, the price they advertise is quite often not the price you actually pay.

The advertised up-front cost may not include local electronics recycling program surcharges. It may not include sales tax, and the sales tax will vary depending on what town you live in. The sales tax may apply only to the advertised price after adjusting for the contract subsidy you received from the carrier, or you may have to pay sales tax as though you were being charged the full retail price.

The advertised monthly tariff may not include sales tax, and the sales tax may vary from one town to another. Some jurisdictions may tag on mandatory, but unadvertised, monthly surcharges for various additional extras, such as fees to help cover the ongoing operating expenses of the local 9-1-1 emergency call centre.

The OP's question is quite legitimate, and asking for anecdotal stories from others who live in the same area can yield quite useful information.
 
On AT&T with:

450 min w/ 5000 night & weekend mins = $39
unlimited data = $30
1500 texts = $15

comes to ~ $84/month but after taxes/fees and 22% discount I receive through my employer I pay ~ $75/month.
 
MaxBurn said:
I made this chart when I was thinking what carrier to go with. It reflects a company discount for the post paid plans but still is a good ballpark for most. I want Verizon but damn they are expensive.

Image
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Great, thanks for sharing...

goosnarrggh said:
The trouble is, in North America, the price they advertise is quite often not the price you actually pay.

The advertised up-front cost may not include local electronics recycling program surcharges. It may not include sales tax, and the sales tax will vary depending on what town you live in. The sales tax may apply only to the advertised price after adjusting for the contract subsidy you received from the carrier, or you may have to pay sales tax as though you were being charged the full retail price.

The advertised monthly tariff may not include sales tax, and the sales tax may vary from one town to another. Some jurisdictions may tag on mandatory, but unadvertised, monthly surcharges for various additional extras, such as fees to help cover the ongoing operating expenses of the local 9-1-1 emergency call centre.

The OP's question is quite legitimate, and asking for anecdotal stories from others who live in the same area can yield quite useful information.
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THANKS for your support....thought it was a fair question for the reasons you mention.....

TWD98j said:
On AT&T with:

450 min w/ 5000 night & weekend mins = $39
unlimited data = $30
1500 texts = $15

comes to ~ $84/month but after taxes/fees and 22% discount I receive through my employer I pay ~ $75/month.
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Boy, another healthy company discount....gotta check that....thanks.
 
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