Many phones are released to the market every year, and some seem to be unreasonably expensive. With such a large selection of mobile devices, you may be wondering how much you should pay for a phone. In this guide, we will analyse the different factors you should consider when deciding how much to spend on a phone.
Brand
Well-established brands will always have more expensive phones. That is why the iPhone XR is beyond the price range of a good proportion of the population. At the moment, the 256GB iPhone XR costs close to £1000, and the cheaper 64GB version costs slightly over £700. Samsung and Huawei phones are also very expensive because the brands are well established. These phones are worth their prices because the companies can generally guarantee you quality and a long period of use. Also, since the companies have a name to uphold, they can never sell a product with false claims. If you want to enjoy high-quality and still spend a lower amount of money, you can go for their older models. These models still enjoy software updates and are very high in quality.
Specs
Different phones have developed with different specs and features. These features improve every year with advancements in technology, and they determine the value of the device. For example, you should not expect to purchase a phone with a 16GB ROM at more than £300. If you are interested in a good camera, you can get a phone with a back camera of about 40MP at around £250. Make sure you compare the specs, features, and battery lives of the different devices in order to get a good idea of the value of a mobile phone.
Flagship devices
One thing you need to avoid is purchasing flagship products. Most of these devices are overpriced, and that is just because of the novelty of the device. In many cases, the new features of the phone will not be useful to you, and you may not even notice a change from the older version. Flagship products from the larger brands should especially be avoided since they can easily cost you over £1000. If you choose to buy the phones on hire purchase, you can easily end up paying twice the cost of the phone in 24 months. Also, you don’t always have to go for the ‘Plus’ versions, particularly for the high-end models. The regular ones will serve you just as well.
Age
If you are buying a phone for a teenager, you don’t really need to spend a lot of money. Younger people are not known to take good care of their phones, meaning it is likely to be replaced or repaired soon. For a younger person, you should aim at spending about £150 on a phone. The important thing is to make sure the phone has decent performance and specs. It is worth noting that the technology used to make phones is continually improving, and you are likely to find a new budget mobile phone better than a flagship product from years ago.
Conclusion
Mobile phones have become a lot cheaper since the launch of the first iPhone smartphone, but some are still beyond the reach of many people. Before you sign a contract for the hire purchase of a phone, make sure you understand its real value. The most important things to consider are the specs, features, and battery life of your phone. Make sure the features you are looking for will be of use to you. You can further lower the cost of owning a mobile device by shopping for a good mobile phone plan at Compare My Mobile.
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