Smartphones have almost become all the rage these days, with every company involved in making mobile phones, coming up with a phone aimed at the business customer. In fact, several companies are making cheap smartphones even targeting teenagers. No wonder even a first-time mobile phone buyer sports a smartphone these days.
New smartphones, regardless of whether they are BlackBerry phones, Apple iPhones or Android phones, are often expensive compared to the normal cell phone. Not only is the bundled hardware more expensive, but you’re also likely to pay a lot more for the rate plan. Many carriers offer unlimited plans with a smartphone, but are more likely to add a “data” premium of at least $10 each month, per connection, to the bill.
If you intend to buy a smartphone without paying an arm or a leg, then there are two options for you. Nowadays, various carriers offer extreme deals on their phones like free android phone or cheap mobile phone. These are mostly bundled deals. They know they can lock him up for at least a couple of years once he signs on the dotted lines. Discounts for upgrading a phone after the first year would be minimal, and the cost would rarely exceed a few hundred for buying a new budget smartphone with the latest features. Even after two years, you’ll likely find that you’re still paying a premium for the hardware. Even in a cheap smartphone, it is the hardware that is still expensive. Several carriers even threaten to charge exorbitant fees for early termination of a contract. It is widely touted that Sprint would charge upwards of $300 for the same thing.
If you have a carrier that uses a SIM card like AT&T, you can opt for an unlocked smartphone and use it on your plan, no problem. You just have to insert the SIM into the new phone. However, an unlocked smartphone can also be expensive. You’re unlikely to get a deal on phones that come with the latest technology, but older phones might be cheaper. Demand is high in the market for the best smartphones. Sellers are aware of this. Your benefit lies in switching to newer technology, regardless of your carrier’s plans. That would surely lead to some unlock value.
The latest technology is the moot point here. Every month, if not every day, a newer phone with incredible features like new capacity, new cameras, slimmer body, faster performance, etc. is introduced in the market. Manufacturers, especially on the Android platform, constantly update features and release new and improved hardware. Owning the same phone for over a year, a couple at most, is a complete bummer. Buyers, therefore, are constantly looking for cheap smartphones, as they do not want to invest in an expensive phone that will be out of date in two years. Cheap smartphones could be the order of the day as manufacturers try to outdo each other in an increasingly competitive market.
