Is there any point in buying New phones at the moment?
Discussion
I had this over the last few weeks, my OnePlus started slowly falling apart, headphone jack fell in on itself, volume buttons not working.
I prefer to run on 30 day contracts SIM only, and there's no way I'd pay £600-£800 for a phone, so either I buy nearly new or midrange new.
I spent some time looking around at what phones you could get for a few hundred quid, and it needed to be Android so that me and the wife can still use Android apps like Duo. (Windows just doesnt really get a look in, and ioS just isnt where I want to spend time/money)
There's absolutely nothing inspiring in any of the phones that are out at the moment. I looked at the WileyFox, and decided on the g5Plus.
So many phones out now dont have NFC, and I use Android Pay a lot, so it was quite surprising that this was left out on the features tick box. Decent camera, also another thing that didnt seem to figure too highly on designers list of things to sort. Lastly, expandable memory. The S6 was looking good til I found out you cant stick a microSD card in.
I prefer to run on 30 day contracts SIM only, and there's no way I'd pay £600-£800 for a phone, so either I buy nearly new or midrange new.
I spent some time looking around at what phones you could get for a few hundred quid, and it needed to be Android so that me and the wife can still use Android apps like Duo. (Windows just doesnt really get a look in, and ioS just isnt where I want to spend time/money)
There's absolutely nothing inspiring in any of the phones that are out at the moment. I looked at the WileyFox, and decided on the g5Plus.
So many phones out now dont have NFC, and I use Android Pay a lot, so it was quite surprising that this was left out on the features tick box. Decent camera, also another thing that didnt seem to figure too highly on designers list of things to sort. Lastly, expandable memory. The S6 was looking good til I found out you cant stick a microSD card in.
Please don't take this the wrong way but the very question is indicative of just what a good marketing job the major phone manufacturers have done. A mobile phone is a tool in the same way the TV, fridge, boiler etc are. Change it when your current one no longer fulfils your requirements or fails.
Skier said:
Please don't take this the wrong way but the very question is indicative of just what a good marketing job the major phone manufacturers have done. A mobile phone is a tool in the same way the TV, fridge, boiler etc are. Change it when your current one no longer fulfils your requirements or fails.
I agree with you, but treating mobiles in the same way as a fridge/boiler is a relatively recent trendFor most of the life of consumer mobile phones (say late 1990s to 2012-ish) the pace of evolution in mobile technology created a 1-2 year upgrade cycle. New phones were both cheap enough, and were a significant enough step up in functionality that people were willing to pay for them. In the last 4-5 years, the pace has slowed a lot.
In 1997, phones still had stubby little ariels. By 2000, everyone was using Nokia 3310s. By 2002 colour screens and speakerphones were on the market, by 2005 cameras were common features, and the first iPhone was released in 2007. 3G was widespread by 2009, and 4G in 2011.
In 10 years we went from this:
to this:
In the 10 years since then, we've evolved to this:
We are now not seeing yearly releases of materially different phones. The iPhone 5 was released in 2012, and in the 4.5 years since then, a smartphone is still a very similar product. Sure, we've seen some evolution like higher-res screens, better cameras, faster processors, and the odd gimmick like a fingerprint sensor. But it's not sufficiently different for most people to justify spending an increasingly large amount on a new phone every 1-2 years.
Skier said:
Please don't take this the wrong way but the very question is indicative of just what a good marketing job the major phone manufacturers have done. A mobile phone is a tool in the same way the TV, fridge, boiler etc are. Change it when your current one no longer fulfils your requirements or fails.
The problem with that is that on certain phones they won't update the software to the latest version, fine if you just call and text but I can imagine banking apps in the not too distant future demanding the latest Android software in order to run.My phone (Sony Z3C) is not being upgraded so come November I'll be looking for a new phone even though this one does all I want at the moment.
FunkyNige said:
The problem with that is that on certain phones they won't update the software to the latest version, fine if you just call and text but I can imagine banking apps in the not too distant future demanding the latest Android software in order to run.
My phone (Sony Z3C) is not being upgraded so come November I'll be looking for a new phone even though this one does all I want at the moment.
I see that happening too but for the moment, my LG G4 continues to do everything I need. The battery was starting to deteriorate but I just bought a new one for £11. Because of the way battery tech has advanced, it actually has around 15% more capacity than the old one, too.My phone (Sony Z3C) is not being upgraded so come November I'll be looking for a new phone even though this one does all I want at the moment.
My phone's been dropped a few times and the plastic screen surround has broken, so I've also ordered a complete new screen for £50. The result is that the phone looks and performs as new. I haven't upgraded the software because the phone specs weren't designed around 2017 Android.
Tycho said:
I was listening to a tech podcast a few weeks ago and they were saying that the biggest issue with Windows running on a phone (full fat x86 rather than arm) was the battery life. Intel can't get the duration needed to make the chips viable for use. Hopefully this is solved as I think MS would clean up in the corp sector with a surface phone and dock it this issue was sorted. I looked at the dex and it seems to be viable for probably 90% of peoples needs as most only need a good email client, music player and office quote. Office on android is pretty good for most tasks.
Microsoft already has Windows running on ARM anyway for their Surface laptop/netbook. They are also shortly to be releasing an x86 emulator built in to the ARM version of the OS so you can run x86 desktop programmes. Edited by budgie smuggler on Thursday 27th April 15:59
I bought my Wileyfox Swift last June for around £120. It's on a sim only rolling monthly deal which costs me £10.00.
I see no reason to go for anything more expensive as the Swift does everything I need and more. Personally, I can't see why anyone would spend £100's and £100's on a phone. Each to their own though.
I see no reason to go for anything more expensive as the Swift does everything I need and more. Personally, I can't see why anyone would spend £100's and £100's on a phone. Each to their own though.
budgie smuggler said:
Tycho said:
I was listening to a tech podcast a few weeks ago and they were saying that the biggest issue with Windows running on a phone (full fat x86 rather than arm) was the battery life. Intel can't get the duration needed to make the chips viable for use. Hopefully this is solved as I think MS would clean up in the corp sector with a surface phone and dock it this issue was sorted. I looked at the dex and it seems to be viable for probably 90% of peoples needs as most only need a good email client, music player and office quote. Office on android is pretty good for most tasks.
Microsoft already has Windows running on ARM anyway for their Surface laptop/netbook. They are also shortly to be releasing an x86 emulator built in to the ARM version of the OS so you can run x86 desktop programmes. Edited by budgie smuggler on Thursday 27th April 15:59
funkyrobot said:
I bought my Wileyfox Swift last June for around £120. It's on a sim only rolling monthly deal which costs me £10.00.
I see no reason to go for anything more expensive as the Swift does everything I need and more. Personally, I can't see why anyone would spend £100's and £100's on a phone. Each to their own though.
Just had a look at the specs of it's successor. A bit more expensive but does look like a lot of phone for the money.I see no reason to go for anything more expensive as the Swift does everything I need and more. Personally, I can't see why anyone would spend £100's and £100's on a phone. Each to their own though.
Tycho said:
budgie smuggler said:
Tycho said:
I was listening to a tech podcast a few weeks ago and they were saying that the biggest issue with Windows running on a phone (full fat x86 rather than arm) was the battery life. Intel can't get the duration needed to make the chips viable for use. Hopefully this is solved as I think MS would clean up in the corp sector with a surface phone and dock it this issue was sorted. I looked at the dex and it seems to be viable for probably 90% of peoples needs as most only need a good email client, music player and office quote. Office on android is pretty good for most tasks.
Microsoft already has Windows running on ARM anyway for their Surface laptop/netbook. They are also shortly to be releasing an x86 emulator built in to the ARM version of the OS so you can run x86 desktop programmes. Edited by budgie smuggler on Thursday 27th April 15:59
Mothersruin said:
I've a Note 4, it hasn't slowed or had any battery degradation since new.
I can't see any need to change up for a long time.
+1I can't see any need to change up for a long time.
I've had a Note 4 this past couple of years - fantastic phone. I've the S-View cover and its all so neat.
I've replaced the battery for an Anker one but otherwise its been perfect.
I take notions about changing it but i cant find anything "better" that isnt going to cost two fortunes so why bother?
brickwall said:
I agree with you, but treating mobiles in the same way as a fridge/boiler is a relatively recent trend
For most of the life of consumer mobile phones (say late 1990s to 2012-ish) the pace of evolution in mobile technology created a 1-2 year upgrade cycle. New phones were both cheap enough, and were a significant enough step up in functionality that people were willing to pay for them. In the last 4-5 years, the pace has slowed a lot.
In 1997, phones still had stubby little ariels. By 2000, everyone was using Nokia 3310s. By 2002 colour screens and speakerphones were on the market, by 2005 cameras were common features, and the first iPhone was released in 2007. 3G was widespread by 2009, and 4G in 2011.
In 10 years we went from this:
to this:
In the 10 years since then, we've evolved to this:
We are now not seeing yearly releases of materially different phones. The iPhone 5 was released in 2012, and in the 4.5 years since then, a smartphone is still a very similar product. Sure, we've seen some evolution like higher-res screens, better cameras, faster processors, and the odd gimmick like a fingerprint sensor. But it's not sufficiently different for most people to justify spending an increasingly large amount on a new phone every 1-2 years.
It's a bit like saying a car hasn't changed in the last 30 years or a laptop hasn't in the past 20....For most of the life of consumer mobile phones (say late 1990s to 2012-ish) the pace of evolution in mobile technology created a 1-2 year upgrade cycle. New phones were both cheap enough, and were a significant enough step up in functionality that people were willing to pay for them. In the last 4-5 years, the pace has slowed a lot.
In 1997, phones still had stubby little ariels. By 2000, everyone was using Nokia 3310s. By 2002 colour screens and speakerphones were on the market, by 2005 cameras were common features, and the first iPhone was released in 2007. 3G was widespread by 2009, and 4G in 2011.
In 10 years we went from this:
to this:
In the 10 years since then, we've evolved to this:
We are now not seeing yearly releases of materially different phones. The iPhone 5 was released in 2012, and in the 4.5 years since then, a smartphone is still a very similar product. Sure, we've seen some evolution like higher-res screens, better cameras, faster processors, and the odd gimmick like a fingerprint sensor. But it's not sufficiently different for most people to justify spending an increasingly large amount on a new phone every 1-2 years.
jamoor said:
It's a bit like saying a car hasn't changed in the last 30 years or a laptop hasn't in the past 20....
Not sure I agree.....much of improvements in the past 5-10 years have been around the apps. As several have said, you, some cpu/memory bumps, but no major game changers. The touchscreen iPhone was a game changer.
To be fair, I upgraded my first Tandy TRS80 computer in order to be able to run the latest Monkey Island (!), and the same is kind of true now for phones - when your X-year old mobile won't run something you need/desire, that is perhaps the upgrade inflexion point!
FunkyNige said:
The problem with that is that on certain phones they won't update the software to the latest version, fine if you just call and text but I can imagine banking apps in the not too distant future demanding the latest Android software in order to run.
My phone (Sony Z3C) is not being upgraded so come November I'll be looking for a new phone even though this one does all I want at the moment.
More people will start to realise what a good platform Windows on Intel actually was. It had its flaws but you can still run almost all 20+ year old software on the most up to date hardware.My phone (Sony Z3C) is not being upgraded so come November I'll be looking for a new phone even though this one does all I want at the moment.
Many people have happily moved to other platforms with little regard to the loss of this key feature. I'm convinced it's the key reason many companies choose to stay on Windows.
alock said:
More people will start to realise what a good platform Windows on Intel actually was. It had its flaws but you can still run almost all 20+ year old software on the most up to date hardware.
Many people have happily moved to other platforms with little regard to the loss of this key feature. I'm convinced it's the key reason many companies choose to stay on Windows.
It's a reason I am always a laggard in the high-tech company I work for! Still use Quicken2000 in a Win7 VM for some accounts, 17 year old software I cannot see any direct replacement for!Many people have happily moved to other platforms with little regard to the loss of this key feature. I'm convinced it's the key reason many companies choose to stay on Windows.
mikeiow said:
Not sure I agree.....much of improvements in the past 5-10 years have been around the apps.
As several have said, you, some cpu/memory bumps, but no major game changers. The touchscreen iPhone was a game changer.
To be fair, I upgraded my first Tandy TRS80 computer in order to be able to run the latest Monkey Island (!), and the same is kind of true now for phones - when your X-year old mobile won't run something you need/desire, that is perhaps the upgrade inflexion point!
I'd say the hardware has improved massively.As several have said, you, some cpu/memory bumps, but no major game changers. The touchscreen iPhone was a game changer.
To be fair, I upgraded my first Tandy TRS80 computer in order to be able to run the latest Monkey Island (!), and the same is kind of true now for phones - when your X-year old mobile won't run something you need/desire, that is perhaps the upgrade inflexion point!
for an iphone
3-d touch
the camera especially.
http://snapsnapsnap.photos/iphone-6s-camera-compar...
charging speed
the connector is smaller
4g lte connectivity.
I'm sure theres more.
Regarding gamechangers, I'm not sure what one is expecting if its a good design it will last.
zippy3x said:
Tycho said:
budgie smuggler said:
Tycho said:
I was listening to a tech podcast a few weeks ago and they were saying that the biggest issue with Windows running on a phone (full fat x86 rather than arm) was the battery life. Intel can't get the duration needed to make the chips viable for use. Hopefully this is solved as I think MS would clean up in the corp sector with a surface phone and dock it this issue was sorted. I looked at the dex and it seems to be viable for probably 90% of peoples needs as most only need a good email client, music player and office quote. Office on android is pretty good for most tasks.
Microsoft already has Windows running on ARM anyway for their Surface laptop/netbook. They are also shortly to be releasing an x86 emulator built in to the ARM version of the OS so you can run x86 desktop programmes. Edited by budgie smuggler on Thursday 27th April 15:59
I'm failing to see the use for full Windows on ARM with x86 emulation - surely their Universal Apps means that such things don't matter. You can have the "same" application running on both ARM and x86 devices.
MS really are clueless with regards direction, heck - they don't even make or sell any ARM based devices at the moment, there are no new Windows Phones available from MS. They just have the HP Elite x3 (overpriced) and the Acer Jade Primo. And those are only available via their store. Some high street stores (CPW, Voda, O2, etc.) may still have some stock of the 950/650/etc in stock, but they're old stock.
MS have basically given up on the consumer mobile market.
jamoor said:
I'd say the hardware has improved massively.
for an iphone
3-d touch
the camera especially.
http://snapsnapsnap.photos/iphone-6s-camera-compar...
charging speed
the connector is smaller
4g lte connectivity.
I'm sure theres more.
Regarding gamechangers, I'm not sure what one is expecting if its a good design it will last.
Camera - yup, agreed that has improved reasonably well.....although even a 3-4 year old iPhone (or similar) isn't bad - heck, I'm told the Lumia (4-5 years old?) had a spectacular camera for an iphone
3-d touch
the camera especially.
http://snapsnapsnap.photos/iphone-6s-camera-compar...
charging speed
the connector is smaller
4g lte connectivity.
I'm sure theres more.
Regarding gamechangers, I'm not sure what one is expecting if its a good design it will last.
.....but things like charging speed, smaller connector - sorry, but I don;t feel those has massively moved the ball forward, & doesn't give me a reason to upgrade!
& that is my point.
Whereas having s/w updates CAN make dramatic changes - authentication for laptop apps to help prevent issues if laptop is nicked, FinTech (finance tech apps - I have a Supercard and now a Monzo card - barely need the card, lowers money cost when abroad!), flight booking apps, train tracker, HUD Widgets to show me my ACTUAL speed and try to avoid speeding......even fun things like Score! Hero or Pokemon GO - they may be reasons for people to upgrade a phone if their old one doesn't support what they want...
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