Why are phones so expensive?

[AndyCr15]

99% of people wouldnt be able to tell the difference. So it effectively would do the same job.

Yes, this is my point. Effectively the same job for most people (I wouldn't go as high as 99%, maybe 80%) but not actually the same in what they are capable of.

I just bought my daughter a Xaomi Mi9 SE. £225 and it has NFC, 48MP sony camera, Samsung Screen,, 6GB memory, 128GB rom. Doesn't have wireless charging but easily on a par with say a Galaxy S9 which is still a £500 phone today.

Agreed. Another great example. I just ordered the K20 Pro, to see how close that can get to the flagships for £410.

 

[IvanDobskey]

There will always be a market for luxury items. Look at champagne, you can buy a reasonable bottle for £20, yet you can pay hundreds if you want. And people do.

 

[mattyfez]

There will always be a market for luxury items. Look at champagne, you can buy a reasonable bottle for £20, yet you can pay hundreds if you want. And people do.

A better analogy would be a 5 series BMW costing Ford fiesta money.
Yes you could get more luxury with a Bentley or something but you're not really getting much more for your money .

 

[MartinPrince]

I don't understand why people would shell out so much for a phone. I always buy phones from my mates after they have upgraded. Currently have a Nokia 8, it has 64GB storage, a 1440P screen, 8 cores, 4GB of RAM, and the last Android update was just last week. My mate gave it to me for free.

If we only all had mates like you. That phone should last you a good few years as well.

 

[Akagi]

If we only all had mates like you. That phone should last you a good few years as well.

My point is even if your mates aren't like mine you could still buy one for £100 off a mate or buy a slightly older one on eBay etc.

And I doubt it, I will probably break it somehow before it has lasted me "a few years"

 

[MartinPrince]

My point is even if your mates aren't like mine you could still buy one for £100 off a mate or buy a slightly older one on eBay etc.

And I doubt it, I will probably break it somehow before it has lasted me "a few years"

You're not wrong. I just picked up a Xiaomi Redmi 7A for £71 brand new for my young brother-in-law.

 

[Top_gun]

It is also worth noting the poor performing sterling in the currency market since Brexit.

Basically you are paying 25 per cent more for your phone than you really need to pre-Brexit. Thanks Brexiteers.

 

[Squink]

Thanks Brexiteers.

Yawn.

 

[Top_gun]

Yawn.

A comforting thought to those who hate paying more for their phones and services.

Moving on, I suspect phones will go up even more after we left the EU on a no-deal with all the currency fluctuations and custom duties. Would people afford the latest flagship models once we become a true low wage economy?

 

[here2018]

It is also worth noting the poor performing sterling in the currency market since Brexit.

Basically you are paying 25 per cent more for your phone than you really need to pre-Brexit. Thanks Brexiteers.

How can this be so, we haven't left the eu yet? Brexit hasn't happened, so how can you blame something that hasn't happened.

 

[Top_gun]

How can this be so, we haven't left the eu yet? Brexit hasn't happened, so how can you blame something that hasn't happened.

Obviously you haven't watched the pound slide since the day of the referendum and technology companies raising the price for their products soon afterwards. Keep up!

 

[Squink]

Obviously you haven't watched the pound slide since the day of the referendum and technology companies raising the price for their products soon afterwards. Keep up!

You're making it up! Apple has been raising their prices since long before Brexit and everyone else has followed suit. But get this...the price rises are in every country, not just the UK! Fancy that! Maybe it's not Brexit that's to blame at all? Do you think? Maybe it's big companies pushing price rises simply because they can and because people are paying.

But I can tell already you're one of those people who pops up everywhere - maybe in threads discussing the price of fruit or the appearance of a shop you don't like on a high street in a town you've never visited, and somehow manage to say it's down to Brexit.

Moving on...

 

[Mr Badger]

You're making it up! Apple has been raising their prices since long before Brexit and everyone else has followed suit. But get this...the price rises are in every country, not just the UK! Fancy that! Maybe it's not Brexit that's to blame at all? Do you think? Maybe it's big companies pushing price rises simply because they can and because people are paying.

But I can tell already you're one of those people who pops up everywhere - maybe in threads discussing the price of fruit or the appearance of a shop you don't like on a high street in a town you've never visited, and somehow manage to say it's down to Brexit.

Moving on...

Hold on. Are you pretending that Sterling didn't drop significantly against the Euro on the result of the Brexit referendum and that it isn't still sliding whenever the possibility of a No Deal Brexit seems more likely?

 

[james.miller]

Theres a difference between Brexit affecting the economy and blaming everything on Brexit. A very big difference.

 

[Top_gun]

Hold on. Are you pretending that Sterling didn't drop significantly against the Euro on the result of the Brexit referendum and that it isn't still sliding whenever the possibility of a No Deal Brexit seems more likely?

The currency of choice for technology companies is the US Dollar. But yes, even the Pound against the Euro has fallen significantly since the EU referendum.

 

[Top_gun]

Further note, looks like I'm about to take on a bunch of Brexit supporters who have no idea on how to understand currency charts.

 

[james.miller]

Then I would suggest you discuss this in a more appropriate thread instead.

 

[Top_gun]

Then I would suggest you discuss this in a more appropriate thread instead.

It is actually more relevant to discuss it here so that people can understand why technology, in particular mobile phones, is a lot more expensive since the EU referendum. Highly appropriate.

 

[james.miller]

It's really not. This is a technical sub forum, not a political one and you laying blame at the feet of Brexit for the ever increasing cost of technology around the globe does not contribute to the discussion in any meaningful way; it's a mis representation of the facts. If you want to talk about Brexit and its affect on the GBP then discuss it in the GD forum instead because it will only cause arguments, here (not that it wont, there) and you have already shown your hand with the 'oh no the pro brexiters are coming' trolling. Making a blanket statement like that about brexit and going on to presume people who disagree with you are brexiters who don't understand economy leaves very little room to have any decent discussion.

So yeah...its better off in GD.

 

[Top_gun]

James, the facts are clear. The UK imports nearly all of its technology from abroad and currency fluctuations plays a huge part in the the final valuation of a device. The original poster asked why phones are more expensive. Therefore it is totally relevant to explain how the referendum have affected mobile phone prices. It is clearly simple economics - if the pound goes down then you are going to pay more for imported goods.