The need for expensive phones

[MiffMeister]

With how technology has changed in the phone space. Do people still go for the expensive phones when the cheaper less known alternatives are almost on par for 1/3 the price?

 

[dunkyd]

My plan is to replace my 3 year old S3 for a Redmi Note 3 ?
What will make me dissapointed ?

 

[backstreetboy]

With how technology has changed in the phone space. Do people still go for the expensive phones when the cheaper less known alternatives are almost on par for 1/3 the price?

More like 1/2 the price. 1/3 is pushing it even if you take the cheapest flagship Xiaomi Mi 5 at $300-$320.

For me its better to buy midrange and upgrade every year vs buying a flagship and upgrade every 2-4 years. Things are also changing again with the MS Surface phone later this year where it'll run fun Windows 10 and then when you hook it to a monitor you'll be greeted with the Windows 10 desktop. So although the phone costs say R10 000 you don't need to buy another device. I'm hoping it can replace my phone and a midrange tower pc. Interesting times ahead.

 

[Dairyfarmer]

For me its better to buy midrange and upgrade every year vs buying a flagship and upgrade every 2-4 years.

Very right. I change my phone regularly as I'm pretty hard on them. Mine seldom last more than 12 months, and I buy ruggerised phones! I normally order mine in the 11th month. It gets delivered in the 12th month (I'm cheap, I take the free shipping as I'm willing to wait 6 weeks). As it is I just ordered a new phone and promptly cracked the glass on my old one. If it was a flagship R12K phone i would be peed off. But I only paid R2K for it and the new one is also R2K. I'm quiet happy to spend R4-R5k per year and always have a pretty decent phone.

 

[MiffMeister]

More like 1/2 the price. 1/3 is pushing it even if you take the cheapest flagship Xiaomi Mi 5 at $300-$320.

For me its better to buy midrange and upgrade every year vs buying a flagship and upgrade every 2-4 years. Things are also changing again with the MS Surface phone later this year where it'll run fun Windows 10 and then when you hook it to a monitor you'll be greeted with the Windows 10 desktop. So although the phone costs say R10 000 you don't need to buy another device. I'm hoping it can replace my phone and a midrange tower pc. Interesting times ahead.

The Redmi Note 4 is about 1/3 the price, its not a flagship phone but is capable. As are a few of the other makes. What I have found that lets the cheaper phones down is the camera. But is that worth 2/3 of the money

 

[Dairyfarmer]

What I have found that lets the cheaper phones down is the camera.

I understand that some people rely on their camera a lot, but if you are looking for that good a picture would you not be using a proper camera?

 

[Gendibal]

Do you guys buy locally or overseas? And do you buy when you travel yourself/friend/relative or do you get it delivered?

 

[PhireSide]

I bought my Redmi Note 2 locally via Takealot, but my next phone I'll source from overseas rather and have it expedited.

But that will only happen once I tire of this one which I don't hope will be very soon. Despite the camera being poor in low-light conditions and the less-than-stellar battery life I am still enjoying it very much.

 

[surfs-up]

Apple exploited a marketing strategy for years....and now Samsung and a few others have caught on to this strategy - their strategy is to mark up their top phones beyond what would be considered acceptable.
Millions of non-tech people are attracted to something that is expensive - they feel that the more expensive it is, the better and more capable it is, right ?
Well, Apple was right - their profit on Apple phones was way higher than Samsung....although Samsung sold more phones. So Samsung have now also increased their profit margin on their top phones. This is why they are now asking R 13 000.00 or more for a phone.

After years of paying through my nose for the most expensive phones, I recently bought a Xiaomi Note 4....and I was blown away by the quality of the phone - it really is that good. I see no difference in the build quality of the Xiaomi vs my Samsung NOTE 5 or Apple iPhone 6S.

 

[PhireSide]

I see no difference in the build quality of the Xiaomi vs my Samsung NOTE 5 or Apple iPhone 6S.

The purists and fanboys will certainly disagree with you there.

The Xiaomi devices are built to a price point which is not a bad thing, really. I like a phone with less gimmicks and features that I will rarely use. As long as it can send and receive WhatsApp messages, take decent pictures and make and receive phone calls I am happy.

That said, someone looking for HDR photography or anything niche like 4K video and water resistant phones might be better off looking at the pricier phones. But I think for the majority of users a Xiaomi or any other affordable phone will do just fine.

 

[Tsepz_GP]

Until these new Chinese phone OEMs can offer something similar to Samsung ADH Service plus put a Display and Camera that is as good as what I get in the latest Galaxys, I'll stick to Samsung.

 

[Dairyfarmer]

....and I was blown away by the quality of the phone - it really is that good. I see no difference in the build quality of the Xiaomi vs my Samsung NOTE 5 or Apple iPhone 6S.

This is one of the biggest misconceptions that people have. They think that, if it's not a "brand name", that the quality will be carp just because the phone is a cheap Chinese. There are plenty of cheap phones sold by reputable retailers in this country that have absolute carp build quality. All the phones I have purchased directly from China in the last few years have had very good to excellent build quality.

The Chinese know who their customers are. They have made huge leaps in understanding that it is not always about quantity over quality. Yes they do still make plenty of cheap carp, but there are many, now well known, brand names that stand out.

Most of the internals are made by a handful of Chines companies. The same parts you get in one phone will be found in another, It's how the product is wrapped up and the specs.

For those who are curious, dip your toe. Spend R1k-R2k and buy a cheap phone with free shipping (you may have to wait 4-6 weeks). You will surprised at what you can get at that price point.

 

[mak2000]

Yes, most people still go for the latest. Whether they should or not thats a entirely different question. Its not so much about the price but the "prestige" of owning an apple or the latest android. Its now become more than just a tool.

If however, you need just a tool then a 2 year old phone is perfectly fine. All apps will work.

My 2 cents

 

[dunkyd]

Can I actually see and feel a Note 4 anywhere in Jhb before buying ?

 

[Lupus]

The only reason to keep upgrading is because OEMS stop updating the OS, this is annoying as you've got a perfectly capable phone, but you're stuck on an old version of Android. It's the same as the Chinese phones, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 is still perfect, but it's still running Lollipop.
My son has a little Lenovo tablet laptop combo thing, it's still on Kitkat.

 

[SauRoNZA]

When my company paid for it I got the latest and greatest iPhone every year because why not.

Now that I pay for it I'm rocking an iPhone 5S that literally costs me nothing.

An upgrade from the iPhone 5S I had before.

 

[Hemps]

When my company paid for it I got the latest and greatest iPhone every year because why not.

Now that I pay for it I'm rocking an iPhone 5S that literally costs me nothing.

An upgrade from the iPhone 5S I had before.

Same here still on 5S, it just keeps going and going.
I bought an LG G3, buggy as hell that phone gave me grey hairs but managed to fix 99% of the issues with new rom and special software changes, I use phone just for music on 128gb micro sd.

I need a phone with decent camera though and having kids a camera close by is ideal, just the 5S camera looking bit grainy these days.

 

[Insint]

The only reason to keep upgrading is because OEMS stop updating the OS, this is annoying as you've got a perfectly capable phone, but you're stuck on an old version of Android. It's the same as the Chinese phones, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 is still perfect, but it's still running Lollipop.
My son has a little Lenovo tablet laptop combo thing, it's still on Kitkat.

If you can root and upgrade the OS. There is some amazing builds out in the wild, which is faster and better than the OEM builds. You should be able to unroot again after the OS upgrade if security is a concern.

I kept a HTC wildfire and desire going until the space of google shop became to much for the phone to handle and I could not update it anymore. I did it with a S2 as well but eventually the tech gets to old for the new generation of apps.

 

[catharsis]

My plan is to replace my 3 year old S3 for a Redmi Note 3 ?
What will make me dissapointed ?

Replaced an S3 with a Note 2 and there's nothing to disappoint.

What I don't get is that people will knock these Chinese devices because of battery and camera.

Thing is how much more battery power can you get from a high end device before having to still charge it. And hour, 2 hours?
Does that justify paying triple for it.

Regarding the camera. Will the naked eye perceive such a massive difference in resolution to justify the same.


The same can be said for every other feature. My Note 2 is a fraction of a second slower than a Galaxy S7 Edge at 5 times the price, but people will harp on about the amazing response of top end Apples and Samsung's.

I had a brand new Note 4 which got stolen and was bitterly disappointed.
Feel more secure with these knowing I can just replace them every 6 months.

They do exactly what the others do.

 

[Dairyfarmer]

It's the same as the Chinese phones, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 is still perfect, but it's still running Lollipop.
My son has a little Lenovo tablet laptop combo thing, it's still on Kitkat.

You obviously never heard of www.needrom.com . No need to root your phone either. there are 51 different ROM's listed for the Note 2 btw.