Then you seriously need to brush up on your math... Phones on contract are always heavily discounted.
-
Join the MyBroadband community
South Africa’s biggest forum. Discuss, discover, and connect with thousands of members.
-
Question of the Day: If you were buying a TV today, which brand would you choose?
Camera phone vs P&S
- Thread starter akescpt
- Start date
Then you seriously need to brush up on your math... Phones on contract are always heavily discounted.
nanonyous
Expert Member
You're welcome to prove this.
But you forget that I am getting R350x24 usage thrown in over the term. That is R8400 worth of value in calls in data. Yes, we'd need to compare all the cost per minute and data costs between packages to really nitpick it but then you are only getting R6k to spend on these things. Again ignoring the 75MB "free" data thrown in.
nanonyous
Expert Member
Which is what I have done and which is what has always turned up making the phone cheaper when combined with equivalent individual items to make up the calls/SMS/data components.
You'd also need the R6k cash available up front. Not an option for some. Then you could work out the future value of this R6k as opposed to paying off the same R499 every month for 2 years, at the end of which the R499 would be worth less in real terms... but we are getting far too complicated about this now.
nanonyous
Expert Member
Vodacom is R50 for 100mb data a month and R1.4/minute for voice calls at any time and R0.50 for SMSs at any time.
If we assume you send 100 SMSs to people that don't use smartphones a month, that's R50 there. This leaves you, after the R50 of data (100mb), with R150 to spend on voice, which is ~110 minutes.
These are prepaid rates, not contract or topup. If you know for a fact that you use more than any one of these items on a consistent basis you can get a package that suits your needs.
As I said, if you can't afford to buy it now, what's to say you can afford to buy it in the future?
Do you need a R6k phone for any specific reason? Do you need R250 worth of mobile communications related services per month for any specific reason?
My phone is worth R120. It makes and receives calls and sends and receives SMSs. If I got a R350 value phone I would have one with 3G and the ability to still run some basic chat apps for the sake of using data over SMSs to save some money. It still makes and receives calls.
Do I, specifically, need anything that a Galaxy S3 offers me? No. R12k over 24 months is, to me, in other words, a hell of a waste of my money.
If we assume you send 100 SMSs to people that don't use smartphones a month, that's R50 there. This leaves you, after the R50 of data (100mb), with R150 to spend on voice, which is ~110 minutes.
These are prepaid rates, not contract or topup. If you know for a fact that you use more than any one of these items on a consistent basis you can get a package that suits your needs.
As I said, if you can't afford to buy it now, what's to say you can afford to buy it in the future?
Do you need a R6k phone for any specific reason? Do you need R250 worth of mobile communications related services per month for any specific reason?
My phone is worth R120. It makes and receives calls and sends and receives SMSs. If I got a R350 value phone I would have one with 3G and the ability to still run some basic chat apps for the sake of using data over SMSs to save some money. It still makes and receives calls.
Do I, specifically, need anything that a Galaxy S3 offers me? No. R12k over 24 months is, to me, in other words, a hell of a waste of my money.
Last edited:
I can get a Samsung Champ Deluxe from MTN for R49 a month which includes R50 airtime... move on.
nanonyous
Expert Member
What exactly did you just prove? What's the true rate of that airtime per minute? How much does that airtime really work out to?
If you're not going to break it down, then why are you even bothering to try and 'take part' in this discussion?
Ah, you see this sums it up. You assume everyone has the same needs when it comes to phones. My phone is a business tool. Yes, I could probably get by without the ability to send emails, check websites, receive market updates and navigate to client's without the need for a standalone GPS, but being able to do so keeps me in touch and enhances my ability to perform my job more efficiently.
Heading to an appointment now but this is an interesting discussion and I'll happily continue the dissection later
I think we do need to compare the same two phones though as it is obvious that a R150 phone on prepaid would be cheaper but not really feasible for me.nanonyous
Expert Member
Ah, you see this sums it up. You assume everyone has the same needs when it comes to phones. My phone is a business tool. Yes, I could probably get by without the ability to send emails, check websites, receive market updates and navigate to client's without the need for a standalone GPS, but being able to do so keeps me in touch and enhances my ability to perform my job more efficiently.
Heading to an appointment now but this is an interesting discussion and I'll happily continue the dissection later
Blackberry Curve 8900 does all of that at ~R1.9k. Your point?
akescpt
Honorary Master
Mine suffered a similar fate after hitting the dance floor at a corporate function - it had served me well for a number of years though. I replaced it with the f/1.4.
Speaking of babies mine should be delivered tomorrow morning - at 343mm and weighing in at 3.85kg she's a bit of a beast but I just know I'm going to love her.
congrats! hope u deal with the sleep disruptions easier than me!
I really didn't think it was worth breaking down.
The R50 contract airtime is directly equal to a R50 recharge voucher on pre-paid... the sms's, data and calls are all at the exact same rate. So you get a free phone, no matter how you try and look at it. All phones on contract are subsidised so you pay less... it's the whole perk of being on contract.
nanonyous
Expert Member
So we've got R50/month with what's usually a R250 connection fee and, I believe, no option to change the billing model used. Topping up is limited to that contract type, no?
Also, link to this contract, as I'm not finding it anywhere.
Once you're R50 is up you go to the spar and buy more airtime just like any pre-paid customer... unless you like surprises.
My contract started out as a standard contract, but about 5 months in I change to top-up.. as I don't like surprises.
It's free sim and connection.
Go to the MTN direct website, sort by samsung and I think it's on the first page.
akescpt
Honorary Master
You quickly learn how unimportant sleep is.
nanonyous
Expert Member
Huh. 10mb data for 24 months as well.
This is honestly the first time I have ever seen one of these bundles actually make the phone come out costing you, in essence, nothing, and I've been checking these 'deals' every few months since 2007 now.
I've lost the offer I saw on one of those price comparison sites the other day now... most of the ones still coming up are at R3k or so though.
Last edited:
Exactly... every cellphone on contract is discounted, this was just the easiest to explain. Otherwise what would the point be in getting tied down by a contract.
nanonyous
Expert Member
As I said, though, I have broken down many of the more pricy contracts and the phone or effective 'package' has always worked out being hellishly more expensive than just buying the phone with a lump sum now, even when one was making full use of that contract's contents.
As an example, I kept monitoring the Galaxy S2 contracts available for a while because I know I can run this on it, and I never found a package that was worthwhile - buying the phone loose would've worked out cheaper for every single contract after taking into consideration the 'package' attached.
As I said you must be working something out incorrectly... it's always cheaper.