What sort of American buys an Android phone?

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xenocity
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13 Aug 2015, 12:30 pm

Sweetleaf wrote:

xenocity wrote:

You can break anything if you try hard enough or hit the right circumstances.

You literally can get a current Samsung smartphone for under $200, normally with a free current Samsung tablet (same goes for most other Android brands).

Though if you cheap phone, it will quickly become outdated due to software requirements.
Hell my old iPhone 4, should be able to run iOS9 which means it has been able to run 5 versions of iOS.
Most Android phones will be lucky to receive 3 significant updates let alone one new version of Android, before the OEM blocks updating.
This is one of my favorite things about iOS devices or Apple products in general.

I could take a hammer and smash my phone probably, but the point is I can't break it accidentally like by dropping it....if I had an iphone or samsung galaxy or any other popular ones it would likely have a cracked screen and body damage because I drop my phone a lot.

Over 100 bucks is quite a lot for a phone to me I wouldn't spend that and I've already got an android tablet. And hell if it does get outdated I'll just have to deal with that when the time comes...but seems quite up to date and does what I need it to do without much hassle so for now it works great. In what way would it be outdated though? not run as fast....some apps wouldn't be compatible just wouldn't know quite what that means in terms of phones...

I do have to wonder though why you figure most of us here have the kind of money to buy a 200$ phone and keep up with a monthly contract plan? Not even sure they have samsung galaxy for MetroPCS pre-pay even.

Because being in the U.S. until recently the three major carriers required a contract plan, which they account for 75%+ of the U.S. market.
It is quite rare to find an American who uses a non contract cell career and buys non subsidized phones (even on this site).
Even most people who are Americans on this board are on a contract service getting subsidizes phones (on family plan too).
T-mobile/MetroPCS (yes they are one company now) is still in the #4 spot behind Sprint.

Most people on this board have multiple devices, be it a phone, tablet, desktop PC, laptop, and/or video game system.
Many even have numerous PCs as well.
At least 1/3rd of the board's users are probably going crazy over the Samsung Note 5 announcement today.

You and I tend to fall on the poorer end of this board and site.
Though I am at least willing to pay more for higher specs in order to have my phones and laptops last longer before needing an upgrade.
(Hopefully I'll land a job soon ending it).

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Rudin
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14 Aug 2015, 11:43 am

Not many Americans like Android they are all obsessed with Apple.

If I were to get a phone I would just get a prepaid flip-phone, they're like $50 and they have stronger receivers than smartphones.I found a way to make calls and send text messages using my laptop and it didn't cost a cent but my laptop isn't very portable.

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Sweetleaf
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14 Aug 2015, 11:57 am

xenocity wrote:

Hmm that is so weird...I mean more often than not people I know are doing the pre-pay or they have someone else helping pay their phone bill or are on a family plan with other people. But yeah I guess for a phone durability is really important to me can't say I know much about specs or whatever I mean mine is durable, I can browse the internet, look at facebook, stream music, take pictures and videos not sure what else I need lol...my laptop is a Sony though like my PS3, my T.V is Samsung actually wanted a Sony t.v but they were all far too expensive.

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Sweetleaf
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14 Aug 2015, 12:00 pm

Rudin wrote:

flip phones are...meh though, lol no there are still people who just want a simple phone rather than a pocket computer to make and receive calls nothing wrong with that.

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Rudin
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14 Aug 2015, 12:04 pm

Sweetleaf wrote:

Rudin wrote:

flip phones are...meh though, lol no there are still people who just want a simple phone rather than a pocket computer to make and receive calls nothing wrong with that.

I am satisfied with my laptop, I don't really care for iPhones or Android phones. A flip phone also can pick up a signal easier than smartphones.

They are simple to use and can be used for what I need them for, making and receiving calls. Also I am not used to operating systems
like Android or iOS even though Android is Linux based.

Sweetleaf
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14 Aug 2015, 12:31 pm

Rudin wrote:

Sweetleaf wrote:

Rudin wrote:

flip phones are...meh though, lol no there are still people who just want a simple phone rather than a pocket computer to make and receive calls nothing wrong with that.

I might get one of those free phones, because of that...might be helpful if I needed to make a call and couldn't get a signal. But so far mine has been pretty reliable for making calls, I've noticed in a couple spots the internet wont work though which is annoying if I am using it to stream music.

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Sweetleaf
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14 Aug 2015, 12:36 pm

What I wonder though is what sort of person would waste their money on a contract plan....I mean even if I could afford to, why? I like the freedom of pre-pay, even if your pre-pay company starts to suck you can just switch to another one and not worry about any early cancellation fees or crap like that. No penalties if you can't afford to make a payment, except then no phone service till you can( I think you can still make 911 calls if there's an emergency and you're so inclined).

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xenocity
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15 Aug 2015, 6:07 pm

Sweetleaf wrote:

Contract(s) are now dead for the most part, as in you can no longer renew.

You typically get better cell service and data plans while being on contract, than you do with prepaid phones.
Many if not most of the U.S. and Canada cannot get prepaid phones and if they can, they have worse monthly prices than contracts.
People also like having newer phones over the cheap prepaid phones.
People also like customer service and refunds which go with contracts.
They also love subsidized phones that you get with contracts allowing you to have the newest phones for $200 or less (some are even free).
Contracts are also much cheaper for families.

Also most phones are not usable with prepaid plans.

To sum up those who are either destitute or cheap use prepaid phones.

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Last edited by xenocity on 15 Aug 2015, 6:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.

xenocity
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15 Aug 2015, 6:10 pm

Rudin wrote:

Actually Android has ~51% (mostly consists of cheap/free phones and flip phones) of the U.S. market share with Apple being at ~48%.

You can buy an Android powered non smartphone.

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Sweetleaf
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15 Aug 2015, 6:29 pm

xenocity wrote:

Sweetleaf wrote:

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Sweetleaf
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15 Aug 2015, 6:33 pm

I figured it was stuff like that...even so even if I could afford such plans, I'd likely still go with the pre-pay, due to cheaper and no hidden fees or anything and well I like the no contract thing. Also seems simpler over-all...If I get a minute card I get that unlimited service till it runs out then I just have to either pay online or purchase a new minute card at the store. Rather than say being late on a payment due to scatterbraindness and having to pay some fee or something...

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eric76
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15 Aug 2015, 6:40 pm

xenocity wrote:

AspE wrote:

Who would buy an android phone? Most people, it turns out. Android is the world's most popular operating system. And my $300 HTC One was not cheap. It also has a really nice camera for low light, and a machined aluminum body that's unbreakable.

But to be fair, majority of Android phones and tablets are dirt cheap low spec products sold at the sub $100 price.
Only a few million high end Android phones and tablets are sold world wide, mainly by Samsung.

There's also the Blackphone. They run a more secure version of Android and are quite popular among the high security crowd.

eric76
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15 Aug 2015, 6:44 pm

Sweetleaf wrote:

Rudin wrote:

flip phones are...meh though, lol no there are still people who just want a simple phone rather than a pocket computer to make and receive calls nothing wrong with that.

About a year ago, I accidentally washed my flip phone while washing clothes. Of course, it no longer works. The phone I have now is like a flip phone without the flip. I hate it.

As for the type of contract, I have a Tracphone. $100 buys me more time than I use in a year.

eric76
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15 Aug 2015, 6:49 pm

xenocity wrote:

To sum up those who are either destitute or cheap use prepaid phones.

Don't forget those of us who don't like to talk on the telephone any more than we have to.

I may be cheap, but that doesn't apply to my cell phone since it is paid for by the company. In the last 7 days, I've used 17.5 minutes on my Tracphone including whatever the minute charge is for text messages and all or nearly all work related.

I don't like text messages, either.

slave
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16 Aug 2015, 8:33 pm

mine cost $11/month. :lol:

50 min per month and I've never gone over. :lol:

not fancy but I don't give a f**k

314pe
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19 Aug 2015, 3:57 am

Here, in Europe, Android devices are a lot more popular than their ios counterparts.

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