You'd think. Maybe get 15 mo, like with the iPhone 4.
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iPhone user goes to the Samsung Galaxy S3 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Ronald Epstein
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Hanson
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Too much Android competition to wait 15 months.
Hanson
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It's like that because HTC, Motorola, and Samsung are on different release schedules, and then there's usually an end of the year Nexus phone. Now LG is getting into the mix with its Optimus G. Now Samsung has two main lines, the Galaxy S line and the Galaxy Note line. Plus each OEM will put out a spec bumped iteration here and there. So actually, there's a new product launched monthly. But as far as a truly new iteration, it's a year. For each OEM, that is.
Do you think that is a good thing? Again I don't have an Android phone so I'm genuinely curious. As an Android phone user is it frustrating to see newer better phones come out literally a month after you have purchased yours or is it just a simple cost of doing business kind of thing where you realize up front that it is going to happen repeatedly and prepare yourself to not care? Again I know text is hard to interpret so read this as me not being a dick, I'm asking a legit question.
Hanson
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What I do is not pounce on the newest phone. I do a lot of research and tend to pick my phone on specs and reviews. So for instance, I side-stepped the Evo 3D for the Galaxy S2, which was a great choice even if I had to wait another three months. It was the right call for me. The S2 is a great phone and had the specs I was looking for: great camera, removable battery, and SD card slot. Those three elements will make or break my decision to purchase.
This time around, I'm in a bit of a pickle. I would have jumped on the S3, but Sprint has almost zero LTE presence. Verizon has good LTE coverage, but I find their terms onerous, especially the lack of a one year contract option. AT&T and TMo are non-starters. So to go from a Sprint S2 to S3 was actually a huge step down in network speed, since I get WiMax where I work whereas there is not LTE and the 3G is atrociously bad. I flirted with going to Verizon, but I ultimately decided to wait some more before making a decision, hoping that the longer I wait, the greater the chances that Sprint would turn up LTE in NYC soon thereafter. Right now, it's between the S3 and the Note 2. I was looking at the LG Optimus G, but sealed battery is a deal breaker.
Quite frankly, there's been generally one Android phone each generation that was the overall best model, and I think I got it right with the Evo and S2. Even with the number of handsets coming out, that yearly generational upgrade is more important than the spec bumped iterations that are released in between.
Of course, I've been lucky -- like, if I were on AT&T, I would have jumped on the 4.3" S2 rather than the 4.5" version that Sprint & TMo got (which also had the bigger battery). That alone would have upset me -- the release of the SkyRocket, AT&T's 4.5" S2 variant only months later, would have pissed me off even more. So perhaps being on Sprint, which doesn't throw out as many iterations, has been protecting me from making regrettable missteps.
The worst thing you can do is buy a phone because you broke yours and you need something right now. That's probably 90% of the 4S sales in the second quarter, back when they were still $199 on contract.
This time around, I'm in a bit of a pickle. I would have jumped on the S3, but Sprint has almost zero LTE presence. Verizon has good LTE coverage, but I find their terms onerous, especially the lack of a one year contract option. AT&T and TMo are non-starters. So to go from a Sprint S2 to S3 was actually a huge step down in network speed, since I get WiMax where I work whereas there is not LTE and the 3G is atrociously bad. I flirted with going to Verizon, but I ultimately decided to wait some more before making a decision, hoping that the longer I wait, the greater the chances that Sprint would turn up LTE in NYC soon thereafter. Right now, it's between the S3 and the Note 2. I was looking at the LG Optimus G, but sealed battery is a deal breaker.
Quite frankly, there's been generally one Android phone each generation that was the overall best model, and I think I got it right with the Evo and S2. Even with the number of handsets coming out, that yearly generational upgrade is more important than the spec bumped iterations that are released in between.
Of course, I've been lucky -- like, if I were on AT&T, I would have jumped on the 4.3" S2 rather than the 4.5" version that Sprint & TMo got (which also had the bigger battery). That alone would have upset me -- the release of the SkyRocket, AT&T's 4.5" S2 variant only months later, would have pissed me off even more. So perhaps being on Sprint, which doesn't throw out as many iterations, has been protecting me from making regrettable missteps.
The worst thing you can do is buy a phone because you broke yours and you need something right now. That's probably 90% of the 4S sales in the second quarter, back when they were still $199 on contract.
Thanks for the detailed response. You obviously give it plenty of forethought and are up to date on what is on the horizon.
The good news for those 4s buyers is if they have regret they can sell them off and buy an unlocked replacement for not too bad a price... At least not when you look over the whole cost of a contract. It's not cheap but it's manageable because of the demand. I haven't followed the prices on used Android devices but the impression I get is that there really isn't a major secondary market for something more than 3-4 months from launch. Is that accurate?
The good news for those 4s buyers is if they have regret they can sell them off and buy an unlocked replacement for not too bad a price... At least not when you look over the whole cost of a contract. It's not cheap but it's manageable because of the demand. I haven't followed the prices on used Android devices but the impression I get is that there really isn't a major secondary market for something more than 3-4 months from launch. Is that accurate?
Hanson
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I don't sell my phones, but it looks like the going rate for a used Galaxy S3 is still around $500. So it still has value. Ironically, the best value is to trade your iPhone into Samsung or HTC -- they're giving premium trade-in values for even the iPhone 4 to entice you to switch (meanwhile, Verizon is offering $15). The S3 is really the first Android phone to have the kind of impact and sales volume the iPhone has enjoyed, and the marketing campaign has made it a hot commodity. People I didn't even think knew anything about phones (and frankly don't) tell me that "Samsung makes great phones". I was listening to Ihnatko this morning, and when he was reviewing the S3, he stopped to get a burrito at Chipotle when the young girl behind the counter asked him if he was holding the Galaxy S3 and if it was awesome. He said it was awesome, and she said it was her "dream phone" (BTW, Ihnakto's anecdote led him to the same conclusion I arrived at, that the iPhone has become your parent's phone and Android is cooler with the kids).
Apropos of nothing, I could not get through Gruber's fetishistic and masturbatory review of the iPhone 5. I swear he was jerking off while writing it. Typical dad, I guess.
Apropos of nothing, I could not get through Gruber's fetishistic and masturbatory review of the iPhone 5. I swear he was jerking off while writing it. Typical dad, I guess.
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Quote:
[COLOR= rgb(24, 24, 24)]That's good to hear.[/COLOR]
[COLOR= rgb(24, 24, 24)]I am seriously considering upgrading to the Galaxy Note II in November.[/COLOR]
[COLOR= rgb(24, 24, 24)]It will cost me $550 for the phone out of contract (since I just signed a contract for the GS3)[/COLOR]
[COLOR= rgb(24, 24, 24)]So, if I can get a few hundred for this phone it will be a godsend.[/COLOR]
[COLOR= rgb(24, 24, 24)]Just hate dealing with eBay and such. Always afraid of not getting paid for product I ship.[/COLOR]
[COLOR= rgb(24, 24, 24)]That's good to hear.[/COLOR]
[COLOR= rgb(24, 24, 24)]I am seriously considering upgrading to the Galaxy Note II in November.[/COLOR]
[COLOR= rgb(24, 24, 24)]It will cost me $550 for the phone out of contract (since I just signed a contract for the GS3)[/COLOR]
[COLOR= rgb(24, 24, 24)]So, if I can get a few hundred for this phone it will be a godsend.[/COLOR]
[COLOR= rgb(24, 24, 24)]Just hate dealing with eBay and such. Always afraid of not getting paid for product I ship.[/COLOR]
OK, Sure the S3 is the hot phone today, are there any other phones getting more than a fraction of their price is what I was asking.
Hanson
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Probably not, but I haven't really checked. But one of the reasons the iPhones retain value is that there is only one iPhone per year. If you break a 4S, you need a 4S to replace it. With Android, if you break an Evo 3D, you could trade up for a GalaxyS2 or even S3. So the Evo 3D's demand and value will go down until it hits a point where it's worth investing in last year's phone.
Just as an aside, the HTC HD2, a WinMo device, was still selling for $500-$600 well into last year.
Just as an aside, the HTC HD2, a WinMo device, was still selling for $500-$600 well into last year.
Hanson
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The guy who's saving his seat is the best part.
not a bad update. Give credit where it's due, they fixed a lot of the major criticisms from the last one. Focused on the perceived strengths and poked fun like the Mac/PC ones did. I disagree agree how much those strengths matter overall but I bet it would convince those who are inclined to believe in them.
Hanson
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Ron, did you do something with Huddler or the forum? I was able to view the above embedded video on my Galaxy S2 with Chrome browser.
I can see it on ipad and Dolphin in gs3.
Hanson
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Transformer Prime can also view embedded YouTube and Vimeo videos via Chrome.
Tapatalk still broken. But hey, something got fixed.
Tapatalk still broken. But hey, something got fixed.
I just checked the favorite YouTube video topic and they all seem to be viewable now.
Most people probably don't really care like we would here. Sure, people like/want something new now-and-then, but most don't obsess about the minutiae of it all like we do here. This is probably an editorial exaggeration of sorts, but this Jimmy Kimmel "first look" illustrates the point quite well me thinks (and someone elsewhere also pointed out they're using an iPhone 4, not 4s, to boot though I wouldn't be able to tell myself)...
_Man_
Hanson
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Man, you are 100% correct. I forget which thread I said it, but most people don't upgrade their OS. While the blogs are filled with nerd rage over Verizon's withholding of JB updates on the Galaxy Nexus, the guy with the ZTE phone running 2.3 won't even bother to upgrade to ICS. Most people simply don't like change. My wife's ipod touch is still running iOS4. She doesn't care about updating the OS -- in fact, she would rather just keep things the way they are so there aren't any unexpected surprises. And most people only know Apple and Samsung as smart phone manufacturers. HTC registers blank stares. So when LG comes out with a Galaxy S3 killer, only a handful of people even know what that means. It doesn't bother the guy with the $99 or free phone. They had no intention of spending $200 on a phone anyway.
Things may change. Right now, the entire cellular industry is shifting away from a voice provider that will also sell you data to a data provider that will also sell you voice. A&T and Verizon's new plans are predicated on you purchasing data first. Voice and texting are add-ons now. So the more people think of their smartphones as mini computers that make calls rather than a cell phone that can get on the internet, the more these things will matter.
Things may change. Right now, the entire cellular industry is shifting away from a voice provider that will also sell you data to a data provider that will also sell you voice. A&T and Verizon's new plans are predicated on you purchasing data first. Voice and texting are add-ons now. So the more people think of their smartphones as mini computers that make calls rather than a cell phone that can get on the internet, the more these things will matter.
http://theamazingios6maps.tumblr.com/
When I still had the old, 2nd-gen iPod Touch, only reasons I wanted to upgrade to iOS 3 were:
1. They finally fixed some problem w/ Apple Lossless playback in iOS 2.x -- IIRC, it used to have random audio dropouts, but I could be remembering wrong now.
2. Too many apps were basically forcing the need to upgrade.
Of course, my kid lost it soon after I went thru the hassle of doing the update...
_Man_
When I still had the old, 2nd-gen iPod Touch, only reasons I wanted to upgrade to iOS 3 were:
1. They finally fixed some problem w/ Apple Lossless playback in iOS 2.x -- IIRC, it used to have random audio dropouts, but I could be remembering wrong now.
2. Too many apps were basically forcing the need to upgrade.
Of course, my kid lost it soon after I went thru the hassle of doing the update...
_Man_
Apple's publicly released numbers counter your belief.Hanson said:
http://hothardware.com/News/Apple-No-Fragmentation-Here-80-Percent-of-365-Million-iOS-Devices-Run-iOS-5/
3rd parties confirm it, and similar numbers for OSX:
http://9to5mac.com/2011/01/17/developer-stats-say-90-of-ios-device-users-run-ios-4-x/
http://david-smith.org/blog/2012/03/10/ios-5-dot-1-upgrade-stats/
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/apple/lion-os-making-gains-in-mac-installed-base/12661
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2407765,00.asp
Make it easy, cheap, and worthwhile and people will upgrade their devices.
