This year, these millions of people (myself likely included) will be paying even more than they did last time. Samsung, Apple, and Google have all increased the prices for their handsets this year. In fact, rumours indicate that when the iPhone 8 is released later this year it may well be the first £1000 phone that isn’t a phablet.
In addition to this, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the S8 Plus retail for £689 and £779 respectively. Bear in mind that this is just for the handset and not for messages, texts and data. Meanwhile, the previous iteration of the Galaxy (the S7) can be purchased for around £480.
Can the additional £200 for the S8 really be justified? Of course Samsung have improved the phone. Better hardware in the form of an improved processor, bigger and better screen and an updated operating system. However, is the improvement in performance for the average phone user worth the additional money? Probably not.
An investigation by IHS determined that the hardware in each Galaxy S8 amounts to approximately £235. A similar investigation for the Galaxy S7 determined that the hardware amounted to approximately £200, meaning that paying the extra £200 for the S8 only gets you an extra £35 of phone.
Now back to the original point. Are we paying too much?
I believe that the answer lies in whether the extra money spend makes an appreciable difference to you. Do you notice the slightly faster processor? The slightly better screen? Or can you get a user experience just as good out of either the previous model or a different brand for a much lower cost?
There are many cheaper alternatives on the market. The OnePlus 3T can be picked up for under than half the expected cost of the iPhone 8. If you don’t know what’s on offer out there, then try our recommendation service and it may well guide you to an excellent and affordable android phone. Surely that money saved could be used for something else?
But what, if like myself, you love iOS?
Well it’s simple. Get an iPhone, but not the latest model. I mean, a saving of £200 can be had just by choosing the iPhone 6S instead of the iPhone 7. Apple supports their iPhones for a long time meaning that a 6S will almost certainly last another 2 or 3 years before the hardware can no longer handle the software updates.
Another alternative is buying a reconditioned iPhone from a reputable dealer. This will cost a lot less than a new one and is an attractive option for many people. However, this is not recommended for Android phones as they are rarely supported with consistent and timely updates (unlike iPhones).
Notwithstanding this, choosing an Android phone gives you far more options for getting an impressive phone with a much smaller price tag. Phones such as the OnePlus 3T, Google Nexus 6P, LG G6 and Motorola G5S all offer excellent performance for less than the same generation iPhone.
So are we paying too much for our phones? Perhaps. But what is clearly evident is that a large saving can be made through finding a phone that is right for your lifestyle and needs. Why pay more for specifications and hardware that you neither want nor need? Instead of you trawling through pages of handset specifications, we have created a recommendation service that will find a phone that is right for your lifestyle.
