How much do you/did you spend on a mobile phone

[siimo]

Just wondering how much people spend on handsets or do they get theirs free on plans.

[Paqman]

do they get theirs free on plans.

Always. Never paid for a phone in my life. Don't really like spending more than about £25/month on the contract either. You can usually bargain them down a fair bit if you've been with one provider for a while.

[Bachstelze]

I use my sister's old one, so zero for me as well. My contract must be arount 10 euros/mo., can't remember exactly.

[amitabhishek]

I paid INR 22,000($478 ) for my HTC Magic when I bought it in Oct. Which is kinda steep.

In my country operators normally don't sell phones+service combo. So you are free to change operator whenever you want; flip side is you gotta pay from your a$s upfront. Whether that’s a good thing or bad thing probably depends on your take.

[Grenage]

I used to get a free phone with a contract, the total price in the long run wasn't any different. I've recently re-evaluated things and go for a cheap sim-only contract instead; all I use a phone for in synchronising contacts/mail/calendar and... making calls.

The other half dropped her iphone 3G into a glass of orange, and bought the new one. I repaired it and now use that instead of my n96 - it's a pretty good phone, but the battery life it atrocious.

[MindSz]

I get the free one with the plan as well.

[Lucradia]

I didn't spend much, just 80 USD after contract (Would have been over 120 USD for the phone, it was a Motorola razr.)

I also had to spend 30 USD a month for phone service and texting (not unlimited, and each text had a separate charge, that would be over 60 USD for unlimited.)

Now I no longer have a cell phone, and it makes me happy.

[RiceMonster]

Mine was about $60 Canadian.

[LowSky]

$200 for my HTC Incredible. I think it was worth it.

[donkyhotay]

I currently don't even own a mobile phone so I guess $0 would be my answer. I used to buy the really expensive phones with all the bells and whistles years ago when I did have a mobile phone however I found that I didn't like being "reachable" all the time so I just got a regular landline and ditched the mobile.

[Queue29]

I go for the discounted smart phones by extending my contract every 2 years. Then you only have to pay a fraction of the actual cost (at the expense of being tied to the carrier).

[dragos240]

I have a dumbphone, it was a gift, so I honestly have no clue.

[MCVenom]

Two hundred. It was more than worth it. :P

[gnomeuser]

I currently have the Nokia N900 which cost me 3995 DKK (677 USD). I had to buy it unlocked since no company offered a plan with this phone. I also already had bought an HTC Hero on a plan so I had to go unlocked to use my existing subscription. The Hero was 220$ with a 70$ a month plan (unlimited data being the most expensive bit). I recently sold the Hero for 205$ which I felt was a very fair price.

[standingwave]

Just wondering how much people spend on handsets or do they get theirs free on plans.Free with a $50 rebate and a two year plan.


http://dynamic24.cellphoneforums.net/phonedb/images/Samsung_M330_1.jpg

[Mine's Ultimate R]

yay! I also bought the Nokia N900 for 460 US. I couldn't resist, I mean come on it's linux on a phone (or should I say mobile computer...)!

[Giant Speck]

January 2008 - Samsung Blackjack II - $199.00
Water damage killed the microphone. Also, Windows Mobile 6.1 was not as good as I was anticipating.
February 2009 - Apple iPhone 3G (refurbished) - $199.00
The phone stopped recognizing WiFi, even after resetting it several times.
August 2009 - Apple iPhone 3G (refurbished) -$49.00
Stolen. :(
April 2010 - Apple iPhone 3G (new) - $299.99
Because I bought this one, I will be stuck with it for a while, because I cannot upgrade to any other phone without paying the no-commitment price (e.g. $599 for an Apple iPhone 4). :( :(

[Åtta]

I've had my dumbphone for... I don't know. 3-4 years maybe? I got it as part of my plan, which in the end cost me roughly $2*24, so it was pretty darn expensive for a regular dumbphone. Still, the build quality is freaking excellent! I've dropped it, exposed it to water, and hit it and there's still not a scratch on it.

I would very much like to get my hands on an Android phone, since I'm very interested in getting into mobile development, but my budget doesn't quite allow for it - since buying a new computer has a higher priority right now.

[WRDN]

A few years ago, I got for my birthday, a Sony Ericsson K750i. It was around £100, and has served its purpose (texts and phone calls) fine, with the added bonus of a radio. Unlike a number of my friends, I have no desire to live in an "app" world with the smart phones, but each to their own.

[RiceMonster]

Free with a $50 rebate and a two year plan.

<snip>


That's the exact phone I have. Different provider, though.

[avatable]

The most expensive phone I owned was worth about US$500. But it was a gift so I didn't spend for it. Right now I don't think I'll spend that much of my own money for a phone - I don't really use a mobile phone that much anyway except for calling and texting and most of my work is done on my laptop.

[Ozor Mox]

I spent £430 on a HTC Desire a few months ago, as my contract phone (Nokia 5800) was stolen and I didn't have insurance for it. The HTC Desire was a bit on the expensive side, but so far it's been worth it as I use it all the time for just about everything. Plus I bought it SIM-free, so it isn't loaded with crappy branded software like my previous phones.