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I think I'm being misunderstood. I understand the need for having a smartphone and a tablet simultaneously. I am stating that tablets are more powerful than smartphone in some cases, while also being cheaper. 7-10 inch Tegra 3, 1gb ram, ips screen tablet $199-399, while 3.5-5 inch phone with same specs, sometimes less powerful specs $499+.

I agree. Therefore, I sold my iPhone and now use my iPad 3 to do texting and voice calls. I have a lame cell phone for emergencies, but will be canceling it once my contract is up. It's currently only costing me $10 a month. My iPad 3 has Verizon data service if needed. I simply decided that I don't make or receive many voice calls and almost always have a wifi connection. Verizon can get their recurring service fees from somebody else.
 
You must be kidding lol, yeah only like 1% of folks pay that, cause the rest get raped on their service fees and pay as much as twice as that during their contract.
I'm sure that as soon as the cheap US pre-paid carriers get better, more people will consider them. But even then, I doubt many people are going to pony $649 up-front for a phone, even if it saves them $45/month.
 
I'm sure that as soon as the cheap US pre-paid carriers get better, more people will consider them. But even then, I doubt many people are going to pony $649 up-front for a phone, even if it saves them $45/month.

Sadly I think this is how the prepaid route is gonna go in the US, altho I was just pointing out that because you only pay 199-399 upfront for the iPhone or any other smartphone with a contract that it doesnt mean thats the true cost for the handset. Me im quite happy (and so is my bank account) with the 25 bucks 250 mins/unlimited texts with att, and bringing my own phone to the mix.
 
You must be kidding lol, yeah only like 1% of folks pay that, cause the rest get raped on their service fees and pay as much as twice as that during their contract.


Whether you pay $200 or $650 your paying the same monthly unless you go with one of the few prepaids who offer it.
 
Whether you pay $200 or $650 your paying the same monthly unless you go with one of the few prepaids who offer it.

True if you decide to get exactly same plan (which pretty much defeats the point of paying full price for the device), but paying retail for the unit opens the possibility to using cheaper prepaid plans on any compatible carrier (even on att network) and saving tons during that 2 year period
 
I think this kind of selling contract for subsidizing phones is the reason why smart phones have such a high profit margin. You can find a cheap android smart phone for around $100 outright easily, which I use to tether ipad when needed.
 
I believe it's more expensive to fit that much power in a small iPhone enclosure than a large iPad, hence the higher iPhone price. I could be wrong of course.
 
The I want to be cool factor, most people who have expensive phones, really have no need for them.:eek:
 
A phone is way more mobile than a tablet. When I carry around a phone, it is tucked away in my holster and I don't really know it's there unless I need to use it. With a tablet, I have to be conciously aware of it because it is bulky to carry around. That is why I pretty much always leave my tablet at home while I always have my phone at hand.
 
The reason I bring this up is because the newest iPhone retails for $499 without contract, but nexus 7 $199. And if the iPad mini or 7.85 inch iPad is real (which I hope not), im assuming it's going to be $199-$299, which is still cheaper than a new iPhone, or galaxy s III, or galaxy nexus. So why are smart phones more expensive than tablets? And why have a $499+ smartphone when tablets are same price or even cheaper, has same specs or higher specs.

I do own a new iPad and a smartphone that I bought on contract for $199, and the nexus 7 or kindle fire can do way more than my $199 Samsung galaxy smartphone.
That's actually a good question and I wonder why people are downvoting your post.

There is actually a good reason behind it. First of all, companies want to make a profit and all tablet makers, including Apple, make less profit on their respective tablets than they wish. The fact is: nowadays people feel like they need smartphones, but they don't (yet) feel like they need tablets. Thus, tablets must be cheaper to be able to sell them. BUT that is not the most important reason why smartphones are more expensive.

Developing a smartphone comes with high costs. There is very little place for the internals. Every component must be as small as possible. Let's say Chip X is used in a smartphone. They could use a chip that's 2 by 2 cm in a tablet. In a smartphone, however, there's little space so the must get a smaller variant of Chip X: 0.5 by 0.5 cm. Same performance. Same functionality. Takes less space, but is more expensive.

In short: there is little space in smartphones so they need to use the newest technology to make everything as small as possible. In tablets, there's enough space: they can settle with older technology which offers the same experience, at the cost of taking up more space and more energy.

Many factors are involved and this is just one of them, but I hope it helps you. ;)
 
That's actually a good question and I wonder why people are downvoting your post.

There is actually a good reason behind it. First of all, companies want to make a profit and all tablet makers, including Apple, make less profit on their respective tablets than they wish. The fact is: nowadays people feel like they need smartphones, but they don't (yet) feel like they need tablets. Thus, tablets must be cheaper to be able to sell them. BUT that is not the most important reason why smartphones are more expensive.

Developing a smartphone comes with high costs. There is very little place for the internals. Every component must be as small as possible. Let's say Chip X is used in a smartphone. They could use a chip that's 2 by 2 cm in a tablet. In a smartphone, however, there's little space so the must get a smaller variant of Chip X: 0.5 by 0.5 cm. Same performance. Same functionality. Takes less space, but is more expensive.

In short: there is little space in smartphones so they need to use the newest technology to make everything as small as possible. In tablets, there's enough space: they can settle with older technology which offers the same experience, at the cost of taking up more space and more energy.

Many factors are involved and this is just one of them, but I hope it helps you. ;)

thanks! no one else has already said this.. 3 times now :rolleyes:
 
I think I'm being misunderstood. I understand the need for having a smartphone and a tablet simultaneously. I am stating that tablets are more powerful than smartphone in some cases, while also being cheaper. 7-10 inch Tegra 3, 1gb ram, ips screen tablet $199-399, while 3.5-5 inch phone with same specs, sometimes less powerful specs $499+.

Take the same computer and make it smaller; the smaller one will be more expensive everytime.
 
thanks! no one else has already said this.. 3 times now :rolleyes:
No one gave as much info as me. Your first post, which answered OP's question, was quite short. It doesn't harm if OP gets more information.

Your other two posts in this topic are... useless.
 
No one gave as much info as me. Your first post, which answered OP's question, was quite short. It doesn't harm if OP gets more information.

Your other two posts in this topic are... useless.

i never said anything about my other two post. i was refering to the one that i said, and someone else said again, and you said yet again. The only thing you did was explain it as if he was dumb. We both said the same thing.
Nothing personal just funny that the this thread as well as others have the same thing said over and over and over again as if no one reads past the first couple of posts.

your first paragraph wasnt redundant, it was quite insightful.
 
I'd rather have something that fits in my pocket instead of having to haul a tablet around in my hand or in a bag of some sort.
 
I see your point. My phone is a basic Nokia that i dont even text via it. Crap phone that i couldnt care less it i lost it and an iPad for everything else.



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Brought a 3D Kindle the other day, its called a book.
 
I think I'm being misunderstood. I understand the need for having a smartphone and a tablet simultaneously. I am stating that tablets are more powerful than smartphone in some cases, while also being cheaper. 7-10 inch Tegra 3, 1gb ram, ips screen tablet $199-399, while 3.5-5 inch phone with same specs, sometimes less powerful specs $499+.

Because of the r&d into squeezing all that magical hardware into a smaller device? Also, if you compare an iPad to an iPhone, the iPad is still more expensive.
 
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