The Apple Hype Machine has been running like a well-oiled machine for the past few weeks.
Leaked photos and videos. Sneak peaks at new refinements to iOS and the iPhone. Hints at new iPads.
Apple is running into a problem, however.
The prices of smartphones — good smartphones — keeps dropping. The Google/Motorola team wants to push phone prices down. There is a discussion that Amazon might give away their future smartphone to get users plugged in to the Amazon ecosystem.
Yet Apple remains stalwart in charging $649 to $849 for off-contract iPhones depending on the amount of memory provided. That’s why Apple is all announcing something called the iPhone 5C. It’s a — gasp — plastic version of the iPhone. Plastic hasn’t been used since the iPhone 3/3G, and it is one of the things that Apple fans have made fun of Samsung for forever.
But Apple needs to reach the lower end of the market to continue to grow, and plastic is cheaper than the shiny metal used in the premium iPhone devices. Will users bite or will they prefer to get a used premium iPhone on eBay or other marketplaces?
Are you planning to spend hundreds of dollars on a new phone this month? Is that part of your financial plan? These articles will help guide you on your plan:
Forbes | 10 Reasons To Take A 10-Day Vacation
Bible Money Matters | Does Being In Debt Affect Your Judgement?
One Cent at a Time | 10 Things You Should Do Before Buying Your First Home
Money Under 30 | Rolling in the Dough: How to Drive Your Car to 200,000 Miles
Boomer and Echo | Does Your Spending Need Tending?
Being Frugal | How to Save Money: 96 Ways to Cut Your Spending
PT Money | Reduce Your Homeowners Insurance Policy Premium By Several Hundred Dollars
Bargaineering | Do You Have a Digital Executor?
Retire By 40 | Do I Need Long Term Disability Insurance?
Free From Broke was featured in the following carnivals this week:
Festival of Frugality #397 : Multiple Projects Edition
Carnival Of Personal Finance #428 – VMA’s Edition
I just got my notice from Verizon last week that I’m due for an upgrade, but my phone looks and works like it is brand new, so I will stick with my iPhone 4. I’m a photographer and always have my camera, so don’t use the crappy camera on my iPhone. No need to upgrade.
Both of my college-age daughters have broken features on their phones. The oldest cracked her screen over a year ago and has waited for a phone at the right price. We can upgrade her at a decent price and she’s holding out for something that will hold all her music. Hopefully this coming week Apple will help her out a bit. The youngest has a 4S that is perfectly fine except she’s worn out the lock button. She’ll be due for an upgrade around November. She said she plans to stick with the 4S. Basically, we like product announcements from Apple, but when it comes to phones it doesn’t usually mean we’re getting the newest, shiniest toy.
I recently got upgraded to 5 and my wife is still with her 3g. She’ll be due for upgrade early next year, around that time I think iPhone 5 would cost $99 with contract or something.
Thanks for mentioning my article in your round up!
I was never a fanboy and always consider the money/specs ratio. I’d rather get a less expensive tool than pay for a brand. If I was to change my phone (which is 4 years old now), I would probably get a Samsung or something cheap.
Just because there’s something new in the market doesn’t mean you have to get one — unless of course you really need it. Then that’s a different scenario all together. But even then it doesn’t have to be something that throws you off-balance due to exorbitant price tag.