New phone - hate spending the money

[posiepurrs]

My old cell was dying a slow painful death. It had to be charged every couple of hours, it would send random nonsense texts (my son actually called me to see if I was having a stroke after getting one of these texts), it would get to hot to keep in my pocket, and emails and texts were not all being posted. Not good if you are communicating with doctors via on line portals! I finally gave in and replaced it. Set it up last night and so far so good. The only thing I don't like so far is that it seems huge compared to my old one - that will take getting used to. My question is why are they so darned expensive? Since they are manufactured overseas I highly doubt the overhead warrants the prices they charge. Let's face it, I am cheap!

 

[NY cat man]

My old cell was dying a slow painful death. It had to be charged every couple of hours, it would send random nonsense texts (my son actually called me to see if I was having a stroke after getting one of these texts), it would get to hot to keep in my pocket, and emails and texts were not all being posted. Not good if you are communicating with doctors via on line portals! I finally gave in and replaced it. Set it up last night and so far so good. The only thing I don't like so far is that it seems huge compared to my old one - that will take getting used to. My question is why are they so darned expensive? Since they are manufactured overseas I highly doubt the overhead warrants the prices they charge. Let's face it, I am cheap!

They charge so much because people will pay that much. Do you remember when Apple introduced the first iPhone that cost over $1000? And people lined up to prepay for it before it was even in the stores? That's why the companies charge what they do. If the demand dropped off, so would the prices, but as long as there are those who just have to have the latest and greatest, that isn't going to happen.
By the way, I'm cheap too, which is why I'm still using my 20-some year old flip phone, which uses a replaceable battery, and I have spares.

 

[Jem]

HA! I'm cheap too! So cheap in fact, that I don't even have a cell phone. I simply refuse to spent that kind of money on something I don't need. I have my landline at home, with an answering machine and a receptionist at my work to take calls...If I'm not available leave a message and I'll get back to you. And when it comes to emergencies, and I'm not at home or at work...I don't stray too far where I can't be found quickly.
I'm sure a time will come that I will need to get one...but so far, it's a waste of money for me.

 

[neely]

I have my landline at home, with an answering machine

So do we, I like using my landline when I'm at home and check the answering machine when I'm not. But there's been whispers that they might be going away because they no longer have the parts to repair them. Since we have a two floor house I jokingly told my husband I'd need two cell phones then, one for upstairs and one for downstairs. I'll be damned if I'm going to carry a cell phone with me around the house.

 

[JamesCalifornia]

~ There are good deals on older "new" smartphones - one or two years old. Never pay ridiculous retail price ! LG in S Korea has some good pricing right now as they will no longer be manufacturing phones.
If you can replace the battery in your old phone and reset it to factory settings ( clean reset ) it may work like new again .

 

[Jem]

But there's been whispers that they might be going away because they no longer have the parts to repair them.

I guess I should clarify...It's more an answering "service" where my messages are part of my phone plan thru my provider. We do have an answering machine built into my actual telephone...but it's not set up to receive them...messages go right to the service plan thing...

It's funny because that's one of the reasons I have 3 VCRs...I still have VHS tapes that are in great shape and I want to be able to use them but am afraid that if my VCR goes...I'm sol, so I never got rid of any of them as new technology came out. So I know I have a couple backups, just in case. I also still have a rotary phone where the little plastic tab part broke so it wouldn't stay connected to the jack in the wall. I couldn't just switch out the line because it was built into the phone...not just clicked into the side that like newer phones. I called around to a few repair shops and none of them said they could fix it. Thankfully I know a guy who's good with stuff like that, and he took my phone apart and was able to replace the line. It works perfectly...and if the power goes out...we still have a phone to use, as our portable phones won't work in an outage.

 

[posiepurrs]

We did away with our landline years ago. My husband wanted me to have the cell then because I was traveling (by myself) to the cat shows. He wanted me to be able to call at any time. I usually buy a model a couple of years old so it isn't as expensive (($200-$250) but this time hubby talked me into an I phone 11. We are replacing my HP with an Apple computer sometime soon and he wanted everything to be able to integrate.

 

[denice]

I had to get a new phone last summer. The company I work for started using Duo for a secondary security check beyond the password and my old one wouldn't load the app. I still had a Galaxy S4, I keep a phone until I have no choice. I think they are up to an S20 now and they are well over a thousand dollars. Thankfully they are also now making a cheaper line of phones and I got one of those, it was $179.00. I am sure it doesn't have all the bells and whistles that the S20 has but I wouldn't use those anyway. I use it for calls, texts, occasionally get on the internet and the Duo security check for work. The much cheaper phone I got does all those things.

 

[susanm9006]

I was that way as well, felt stupid spending so much money on a phone. So when my flip phone died I bought the cheapest android phone I could find, maybe $100. But I just hated it it and couldn’t get used to Android after using IOS on my IPad for so long. Eventually I broke down and bought an IPhone 7, which I am still using because it was small and relatively cheap. I will keep it as long as I can. If you look at the range of IPhones available they come in all sizes from little to quite large so if I have to replace at some time I will choose a model that is about the same size as my current one.

 

[Winchester]

Last December, I bought what may be my last phone. Apple 12 ProMax. I am retired and don’t see the need for a new phone for quite a while. However, I don’t feel badly about buying it. It’s what I wanted. And I am not sorry.

I had a SS Galaxy 9+ before I went to Apple. I was the absolute last non-Apple holdout in my family.

 

[EmersonandEvie]

My Samsung Galaxy s7 died earlier this year. I got it new in 2015, so I'd say 6 years for a cell phone that is being constantly used is great.

Verizon had some crazy deal where you could trade in ANY Galaxy phone and the s21 was $200. I was in shock, but they accepted the very broken phone, and now I have a 1k phone for a fraction of the price. The only downside is that I have to pay it off over the course of 2 years and cannot leave Verizon during that time, but oh well.

Husband's mom's ancient iPhone (a 4c) finally bit the dust- it was literally falling apart at the seams. She's had it for almost 11 years. He gave her his old iPhone 8 and got a Google Pixel 4a for $350- he wanted another iPhone, but when he saw the prices for even a refurbished older model, he changed his mind. Pricey, but it's paid for outright and he like it better than his iPhone.

 

[DreamerRose]

I'm in the same boat as the rest of you. I don't want to give up my landline as I have phones in every room of the house and don't want to carry the cell around all day. I only use the cell for long distance or traveling. I got a Samsung for less than $300 and talked Verizon into a $30 per month plan. I'm happy.

 

[bear]

posiepurrs

I try to keep my Iphone 11 either on me or within a couple of steps 24 hours a day, simply for emergency contact.

A couple of things to take advantage of on your Apple Iphone 11.

Look to your manual to confirm.
* In an emergency, like a fall or a stroke, you can press a selected button 5 times in succession to activate a 911 call and also have info sent to those you designate as emergency contacts, including GPS at time of alert.

* You can put a summary of medical problems, blood type and keep all of your current medicines updated. You can also keep your Dr Contact info.

* EMT and most ER depts know how they can activate that info to retrieve the info, should you be unconscious. You may need to set up security so that they can use their override without logging on.

 

[bear]

My family got worried about how my voice sounded on a voice message I left on their phone. I then went to the grocery store. Multiple family members from different cities showed up 45 minutes later, quite concerned. They asked me to have a cell constantly with me. To offset the costs, I had to let the cable land line go as well as the TV cable in order to offset the costs.

Behaviors that changed by not having a land line and relying on cell only.
* I had 1 land line, yet 4 phones in my home, so that I could hear the ring, even if in the yard. With cell, it must be with me to hear the ring.
* I keep cell on me or within steps 24 by 7. I rarely use it, yet it is a medical alert device.
* I had an Apple Rep change my phone too use larger fonts, icons and keyboard buttons to help my old eyes and hands.
* I no longer wear a watch, cell phone is the watch.
* I had to purchase the fast charger supplies at $85, so it can charge while I am logged on and then phone goes with me.
* They can break, so we buy stuff and insurance to protect them.
* If they need repair and it is your only phone, you don't have it for days while being repaired. You lose the emergency contact, ability to set up or change medical or other appointments, and kind of get disconnected from your people.
* I run a free app from the provider to block most spammer calls.
* Any call that does not show a caller id I choose to answer, will not be picked up. If they choose to not leave a message, I immediately block the number for future calls. Basically, if you don't leave a voice message, you are a scammer.
* If someone calls, I pick up the call, and the person does not speak because they called wrong number, they get blocked and reported as a potential scammer with a "Hang Up, No Msg" notation to the scammer app. That app may start blocking calls to their other friends. So just say, "I'm sorry, I dialed the wrong number" and your other calls will less likely be blocked.

 

[misty8723]

~ There are good deals on older "new" smartphones - one or two years old. Never pay ridiculous retail price ! LG in S Korea has some good pricing right now as they will no longer be manufacturing phones.
If you can replace the battery in your old phone and reset it to factory settings ( clean reset ) it may work like new again .

I did that with one of my previous phones and it didn't really help much.

 

[Willowy]

I just got a new Samsung s21, for "only" $500 on a Costco special. My last phone was an s10 and cost around $1000 so I'm glad they've become slightly more reasonable. But I do everything on my phone, absolutely everything. I don't have a landline phone or home internet (rural internet here isn't great, and satellite internet costs way too much). I have my calendar, my shopping list, my checkbook ledger, etc. I also have one of those little sticky silicone pockets on the back for my ID and a credit card, so I can leave my house with just my phone.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

We held out on smartphones for a long time and then we got the iPhone 5c’s right before they stopped using phones as incentive for plans. Those phones lasted us 5 years! I don’t need the biggest and the best; but I do want it to work and last!

When my battery was going on the 5c I knew I wanted to stay with the iPhone. I’ve noticed so many friends replacing their cheaper phones often; so were they really saving money? We ended up with the iPhone 8 on the payment plan. I think we’ve had them for 2 years now and I’m still satisfied.

What I’m dreading is my kids reaching cell phone age. I’m in no hurry and they won’t be getting fancy phones unless they get a deal or help pay!

 

[denice]

It was great when they were giving away phones sometimes free and often for pennies on the dollar when renewing a plan. I know AT&T it was every two years. We had a false idea of how expensive they are, it was definitely a rude awakening.

 

[MonaLyssa33]

I'm in this transition place where I want to get a different phone case and card holder, but my phone is over 3 years old and has a cracked screen and I can get an upgrade, but I don't want to spend the money to do it, so I'm not getting a new phone case either because maybe I will actually decide to get a new phone. I might just look into getting a cheaper option because I really only use my phone for pictures, texts, and emails. Everything else I do on my laptop.

 

[Winchester]

MoochNNoodles Our grandson decided he “needed” a phone. Had to be an iPhone. Had to be. I think that’s what his friends all have. He’s15. He got it, but it wasn’t a 10 or 12. When they were up here, he saw my 12 ProMax. Asked me when I was getting a new phone. When I replied my phone was only a few months old and I wouldn’t be getting another for quite a while, he was very disappointed. He wanted me to give him my phone. That’s not going to happen for a while! Son responded with, “If she gives that phone to anyone, it’s gonna be me!” Again, not going to happen….period. I’m not looking for a phone!

I do most of my posting right now on my iPad. Once my leg heals, I will go back to the computer again.