guest post by fdl
HOW SMART IS A SMART PHONE?
FINANCIALLY SPEAKING, OF COURSE
How do you make such life altering decisions?
- Do you decide how much it will cost per month and evaluate how much easier your life would be if you had all those cool features?
- Do you walk into a local electronic shop, fall to your knees and say, “Make my day, damn the cost’?
- Do you decide to take the leap because your phone is at the end of its contract and you have to make a change anyway? You’ve upgraded every other time your contract ended, paying more each time. Why not now?
- Do you need to get the latest in electronic devices-always.
Here I am, still undecided. How much do they really cost per month? According to a 2009 article by Mark Sullivan in PC World, the Apple iPhone is top of the line expensive. The veteran writer examined the two year cost, the average contract length for a wireless device, of eight of the most popular Smartphone’s.
Using a chart, he gives the monthly charge plus the total cost over a two year period of these popular Smartphones. Interestingly, all the phones come in at around $3,800 over the two years or monthly for around $150. Two of the phones were less expensive. The HTC-61 and the Palm-pre come out a bit cheaper overall.
Would I be cool or just a fool?
But, honestly, do you need this extra expense? Will it really make your day better? Will it save valuable time? No doubt you’ll look totally cool. Picture it. There you are. Sitting on the train, or at your desk, or in the break room, glassy eyed, staring into your palm where rests a tiny gadget delivering awesome information.
I know someone who doesn’t even have an email address or ever surfs the web-but that little Smartphone trinket soaks him for $150 bucks a month. I know someone else who uses his Smartphone constantly. He checks his numerous emails, tweets, phones business associates, utilizes the GPS feature and generally ‘stays connected’. It costs him the same $150 bucks a month, minimum.
So, where would you or I fall in our use of this terrific little money sponge? Come on, do you really need that extra expense?
I Don’t Need A Smart-phone
All this discussion and my previous research on the topic convinced me that at this time, I am paying enough for my cell service. I don’t need continuous internet, or GPS, or…well the list goes on. I would look so cool staring intently into my hand, fingers curled, eyes glazed over, not hearing anything going on around me.
But, that will just have to be later on, like next year, when my ship comes in and I have money to throw away.
Not now.
Stay cool,
FDL
FDL writes about clutter and organization at The Fast DECLUTTER Blog
What are your thoughts-are any of you still in the dark ages with just a cell phone?
Tags: can you live without a smartphone, is a smart phone worth the money, smartphones
Timely post. I JUST bought an iPhone 4 after resisting for 2 years. The reason? I wanted to separate my work stuff from my personal and online endeavors. As you know, I have two sites to manage now, so I’d like to keep more up to date with things once or twice during the day.
I think that is the idea-make sure you will need the benefits of the smart phone. Just buying the latest to have the latest, is sooo tempting!
It is so tempting, but i have not been tempted at all b/c until I bought this iPhone I hated gadgets. My brain is gadget allergic.
But now, I’m like WOW! The iPhone rocks! Hallelujah!
I now have a smart phone because of my business and my blog, but I resisted for a long time. I purchased my first smart phone a couple of years ago for $135 and then installed software that helped me earn well over $200, so it was worth it. Then when I recently upgraded, I went to a 3rd party website and got a $150 discount, and a $100 rebate. I also write off the cost of my data plan as a business expense.
If you ever decide to get one, an HTC phone will offer you the most flexibility and options!
I have heard great things about the HTC phone. A friend owns the Droid X and is loving it. Sounds like you made a good decision for you!
My husband and I both have them. We only pay $150 a month for both of us and my grandmother and have a fairly high minutes plan, we have no home phone and we talk a lot. It’s well well worth it for me. I could not keep organized before I was always missing appointments and work meeting and the like. It’s also cheaper than a new digital camera (point and shoot) and I carry it everywhere and take lots of pictures, we’ve had the new iphone 4 for about three months now and I’ve taken over 600 pictures already. additionally it’s much quicker to clear out read and delete emails on my phone faster than on my computer so it free up my home time a bit which is always good. It’s also good for games and movies to entertain fussy toddlers when needed, I have a bible anywhere I want it without having to actually carry a bible (they’re heavy) furthermore I actually can look at 20 different translations at a moments notice, which I appreciate. I also can listen to internet radio and of course I use the med apps to look up unfamiliar drugs!
Oh and it makes phone calls.
That is the secret, making sure it is worth it to you. Thanks for your viewpoint!