Do You Really Need a New Smartphone?

Ask yourself this question; do you really need a new smartphone? Its a question you need to seriously consider for a variety of reasons. There’s a lot happening in the smartphone industry so let’s get you caught up.

Smartphone Sales Declining

Smartphone sales have been steadily declining for the past year and its not looking good for the manufacturers. The decline is in the eight percent range and it’s not expected to improve anytime soon. Apple, on of the biggest, best and most innovative smartphone makers had to admit that slow sales are starting to hurt.

Apple CEO Time Cook said in a letter investors that iPhone sales are declining in part because of customers taking advantage of “significantly reduced pricing for iPhone battery replacement.” In addition Apple revenues took a hit from falling iPhone sales in China. In other words people are holding on to their phone longer.

Apple was caught in December 2017 trying to force consumers into buying new phones by throttling the performance of old iPhones. The company issued an open letter to owners of the iPhones that prices would be reduced from $79 to $29 to replace the old batteries. If you didn’t get it done its too late. That offer ended on December 31st.

Are You a Smartphone Addict?

Now, let’s talk about you and your smartphone addiction. Too many people are hooked on getting their hands on the latest most technologically advanced smartphone. Like clock work, every time a new phone hits the market they wait in line in the freezing cold or sleep on the sidewalk in front of the store to be the first to get it. Really kinda silly isn’t it?

But here is how things are changing and why you need to ask if you really need that new smartphone.

Pricey $martphones

First of all the newest smartphones are expensive as hell! In some cases these new devices are topping $1,000. Two years ago that price was around $650. Still, not exactly cheap. But many carriers were subsidizing the purchase of that new phone to hook you into a long term contract. Smartphone prices have climbed steadily and now a new iPhone XR starts at $750. Google’s Pixel 3 will hit your wallet for $900, LG’s V40 is about $950 and Samsung’s Note 9 is about $1,000. Maybe you can afford that, maybe not.

Most of these phone are very similar in style and capability. But you need to ask yourself how much of that technology do you really need or will make use of? Do you really need that super camera or a terabyte of storage? Are you gonna notice the difference in the screen resolution? Do you need a phone with five cameras? C’mon!

For some professional users these new technologies make sense. For the average user, probably not. It will only satisfy your need to say you have the latest and greatest.

As matter of fact the smartphone you have now is probably just as good the new ones hitting the market. If you really consider the purchase of a new smartphone ask yourself if it is a must have or just a want. If your smartphone did a splash dive into the deep blue waters of the porta-john then you get a pass. But seriously, the newest smartphone are not that much better that your old iPhone 7 which, after two years, is still a pretty awesome device.

Hold onto Your Smartphone

So here is why you should hold on to your old smartphone. First of all smartphone makers have gone above and beyond on the price of smartphones. They have simply priced them beyond the reach of the average consumer. Holding on to your current device insures you get the most value for your money and lets the manufacturers know you just ain’t dishing out that kind of money any more. Smartphone makers have been following along in Apple’s foot steps by jacking up the price and boosting the technology to stay competitive. Of course they want to recoup their investment and thats understandable.

You Have a Choice

But if you absolutely have to have a new phone and want to eat everyday you can save a lot of money by checking out cheaper phones by smaller makers.

The OnePlus 6T is a great device that comes in at just under $575. The Moto G6 is about $250 and has a solid state camera, a gigantic display and super battery life. Yeah, there are a few differences. The bigger makers can boast of better customer service, frequent updates, a few more apps and they are probably better availability than the smaller makers phone. But if you shop smart you can get the best and save a lot of cash.

Another good idea is to shop for last years model on ebay or buy a manufacturer refurbished phone. Just as good and much cheaper.

A few tips to consider; if you buy that high priced super-phone get it insured. Preserve battery life by keeping the screen brightness to an acceptable minimum. And get a good cover to protect it from the harsh reality of the pavement.

Now you know.