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Internet requirements?

Snow_Fox

Android Expert
Mar 31, 2010
1,498
131
35
Do you think it is fair to require internet with all smartphones?

I ask because I doubt we will see an android phone without a data package. I have seen a number of posters (on other forums) who firmly believe a smartphone is completely useless without a data package. I believe this holds true for one or two phones. (Cliq and backflip) and ones similar to them. I can't object to saying those particular phones having data packages is a requirement. However, I am around wifi 24/7 be it at home or school so pretty much any other phone out there I could use wifi for.

I have come to find it quite annoying with no justifiable logic. I mean yeah, with android especially its based on google which revolves around the internet and I can understand that line of logic. However, if wifi is going to offer a faster connection and I am around it nearly 100% of the time.. why pay 30$ on something I won't use at all?
 
It has nothing to do with "subsidized price" because, if that were the case, they would do like they did to begin with. Offer the phone for 150$ without the data package or 100$ with the data package.

Ontop of that if the phone itself is branded at all, you will be charged even if you pay full price. So assuming I pay 325$ for the backflip (random example), I will still have to pay 30$ a month for the data package.

Also.. I do understand that they don't get the phones for free.. however, 720$ is the cost of one data plan for two years. Even at a rate of 500$ for the phone.. (which I doubt they are paying to begin with) they still make 220$ profit if I don't use the data package at all.. this is not counting the 30$ texting package my family has so even at a rate of about 2000 text a person between 5 people thats 20$ a month over two years.

Believe me.. the company makes its money regardless of how much I pay for the phone. I suppose its stupid to pay full price for a subsidized phone to begin with.. I am unsure if unsubsidized phones are forced to have data as well.

If I could get a nexus 1 without a data package that would be probably 200$ I save in the long run >.<.
 
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The cell phone company is a business and out to make money. That said, I also fall into the "could easily get by on wifi only" category and they would have gotten me to buy a smart phone a lot earlier in life had that option been easier to do (I know, I could do the bait and switch but my brother got slammed by AT&T when he did that with an iPhone last year).
 
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Do you think it is fair to require internet with all smartphones?
Not really but the carriers are looking to increase ARPU. Plus there have been plenty of examples of people who thought they knew what they were doing only to rack up excessive pay-per-use charges. You can thank the lowest common denominators for giving the carriers some semblance of a justification.
 
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I have a "smart" phone on Verizon but I'm not under a contract so I don't have to have to pay for internet. My phone is so old and slow loading that it isn't worthwhile to me and have gotten rid of that feature. I'm sure you could do that with a new phone so long as you pay the unsubsidized price.

Is it fair? Sure. They are offering the phone to you at a lower price with the condition you have a certain plan for 1 or 2 years. You may not like that but you still have the choice of buying a phone outright and not be subject to your carrier's requirements.
 
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Do you think it is fair to require internet with all smartphones?

I ask because I doubt we will see an android phone without a data package. I have seen a number of posters (on other forums) who firmly believe a smartphone is completely useless without a data package. I believe this holds true for one or two phones. (Cliq and backflip) and ones similar to them. I can't object to saying those particular phones having data packages is a requirement. However, I am around wifi 24/7 be it at home or school so pretty much any other phone out there I could use wifi for.

I have come to find it quite annoying with no justifiable logic. I mean yeah, with android especially its based on google which revolves around the internet and I can understand that line of logic. However, if wifi is going to offer a faster connection and I am around it nearly 100% of the time.. why pay 30$ on something I won't use at all?

Not everyone is near wifi 100% of the time. In fact, very few are. The only time im near wifi is at home. well. at home i hace a pc so its a moot point. with android being so data intensive. i can definately say it is more logical just to have the data plan.
 
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maybe you should move to a different country
out here in the civilized world, carriers don't have anything to do with your phone - you get a sim card from your carrier with the kind of plan you want and buy any phone you want from whichever manufacturer you please

:thinking:

In the US most people buy their phone from the carrier at a subsidized price.
 
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maybe you should move to a different country
out here in the civilized world, carriers don't have anything to do with your phone - you get a sim card from your carrier with the kind of plan you want and buy any phone you want from whichever manufacturer you please

That's uncalled for bud. Seriously. I could start up some easy picken discussion on the draconian old world and such, but that's not nice, now is it?
 
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That's uncalled for bud. Seriously. I could start up some easy picken discussion on the draconian old world and such, but that's not nice, now is it?

really? i thought you agreed with me on this a while back? :thinking:

yeah.... bring your own device would be nice... and i think the trend shift has already begun with the unlimited prepaid plans from the mvno's (boost, cricket, virgin mobile etc). all they need is some high end phones on these mvno's and it will take off. i know most of my dumb phone using friends have switched to one of these. it is also sparking competition amongst carriers. you cant deny 25/mo for unlimited talk/text is a great deal. and as 4g rolls around with voip, i think it is really going to take off. contracted business models days are numbered IMO
 
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geez, lighten up, no need to take poking fun so seriously

serious_cat.jpg
 
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Well, I got a Samsung Galaxy without a data plan. I think the phone was 400$ without any plan, and 50$ with a plan that costs at least 50$/month.

I bought it with a student's plan, unlimited texting and such, but with no data. It costs 20$/month.

I couldn't get the phone for 50$, but because I bought a regular plan at the same time, I only had to pay 200$ for it.

I didn't want a data plan because it costs too much and there's a wifi network at home and at school.

For three years, it's gonna cost 920$ (including the 200$ for the phone). With the cheapest data plan it would have cost 1850$ (including the 50$ for the phone).

IMO not getting data can be good if you don't really need it.
 
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Here you can usually buy it unlocked and go with whatever plan suits your needs, or just pick a contract that suits you.
I opted to pay $200 for the handset, and then pay $73 per month for six months. All of the $73 goes towards usage, so it'll include all minutes, texts and data for me

That's a total of $638, which is a pretty good price, imo. At least when you consider I can pretty much use it unlimitedly without hitting the limit.
 
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