Phone pricing has quadrupled in the last 5 years - let's talk about it!

[Vishera]

2015 - when a high end phone cost just $250 (and it has OLED too!):

2020 - when a high end phone costs a whole grand.

 

We became peasants,let us build our phones as we build our PCs!

[Radium_Angel]

3 minutes ago, Vishera said:

let us build our phones as we build our PCs!

It's been tried, but the current trend/rage of "thin is in" killed that idea off.

 

[Mad153]

1 minute ago, Radium_Angel said:

It's been tried, but the current trend/rage of "thin is in" killed that idea off.

fairphone is sort of there, in a way...

[Vishera]

Just now, Radium_Angel said:

It's been tried, but the current trend/rage of "thin is in" killed that idea off.

 

Throw in some artsy cases and RGB and it will be cool!

[startrek03]

Pricing is kinda ridiculous at this point. And the worst thing is, that barely anybody needs the improvents of newer devices... Heck, they even remove features...

[WereCatf]

3 minutes ago, Vishera said:

We became peasants,let us build our phones as we build our PCs!

That's a stupid idea, simply because there is no way of making modular phones without enormous compromises. I mean, just go and take a look at the couple of semi-modular phones that exist: they are very low-end, tend to be bulky, they are more fragile and they still cost an arm and a leg -- having to include connectors and make the parts discrete, instead of integrated, takes SPACE.

[Vishera]

Just now, WereCatf said:

That's a stupid idea, simply because there is no way of making modular phones without enormous compromises. I mean, just go and take a look at the couple of semi-modular phones that exist: they are very low-end, tend to be bulky, they are more fragile and they still cost an arm and a leg -- having to include connectors and make the parts discrete, instead of integrated, takes SPACE.

I don't care about the space thing,it can be a little bit bulky,

The rest of the problems are a direct result of that being niche market and lack of industry wide support.

[Windows7ge]

When your cellular provider is selling a phone you like for $550 but you find everywhere else selling it for $300.

 

[Grabhanem]

I'm very happy with my $100 Galaxy J7. It runs Cardboard VR flawlessly, has a headphone jack, and supports SDXC cards. I guess USB-C would be nice, but other than that I don't ask much of a phone other than that.

[minibois]

16 minutes ago, Vishera said:

2015 - when a high end phone cost just $250 (and it has OLED too!):

2020 - when a high end phone costs a whole grand.

Um, no.. OnePlus' business model has changed. They went from "flagship specs for a budget price" to "yeah, we're basically one of the top dogs now". That has been the case since the 5th one I think.

 

Let's do a comparison with two other copanies:

2015:

Galaxy S6: 685 - 785 - 885 USD (32GB - 64GB - 128GB) 

iPhone 6: 649 - 749 - 849 USD (16GB - 64GB - 128GB). 

2019:

Galaxy S20: 1000 USD (128GB) +13% (885->1000

iPhone 11: 699 - 749 - 849 USD (64GB - 128GB - 256GB) +7.7% on the base model, +0% on the others

 

Prices have increased, but not quadrapled all over the market. Adjusted for inflation, they haven't changed too much either.

Of course they have increased more in one company than another, whose business model has changed.

 

Sources:

Spoiler

S6: https://www.phonearena.com/news/Samsung-Galaxy-S6-and-S6-edge-release-date-and-price-overview_id68003

S20: https://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/galaxy-s20-5g/

 

iPhone 6: https://www.cnet.com/news/what-itll-cost-you-to-get-a-no-contract-apple-iphone-6/

iPhone 11:https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-iphone/iphone-11

 

[Helpful Tech Witch]

18 minutes ago, Vishera said:

 

We became peasants,let us build our phones as we build our PCs!

Or build a pc instad of upgrading your phone for a couplle years. a 3000 pc would be cool.

[dizmo]

Other than the fact that your title is completely nonfactual, we didn't become peasants, and other than a very, very small handful of people, no one wants a phone you can piecemeal together like a PC.

 

Other than the things @WereCatf already pointed out, phones that can be pieced together like that are going to have massive problems when it comes to support for cameras etc. They're simply not going to be as good as what we have now. There's a reason Apple is so well optimized, and it's the same reason phones should stay the way they are.

@minibois already nailed the other thing I was going to comment on. Pricing in the high end has absolutely not quadrupled, and frankly, for a 5 year period with the advances that they've had, I think a couple hundred dollars isn't that much of an ask. I'll add that the 6S Plus was as high as $949.

 

The most important thing to consider? They wouldn't keep raising their prices if the sales were falling drastically. So, clearly there's enough people that are willing to pay those prices, and find it worth it to them, that they'll keep doing it. There will be a cap, and I think it'll likely be around $1,500 for a flagship and maybe $2k for the experimental-new-tech phones.

 

If you're whole argument is based on the OnePlus X? The $250 phone? Well, the OnePlus Nord is $399. So. Again. Not a quadrupling. It's 1.6x as expensive.

You're off by a fair bit.

[startrek03]

I think we should just buy used phones, replace the battery if necessary and there we go: nearly perfect phones for the cheap.

[Vishera]

5 minutes ago, minibois said:

Um, no.. OnePlus' business model has changed. They went from "flagship specs for a budget price" to "yeah, we're basically one of the top dogs now". That has been the case since the 5th one I think.

 

Let's do a comparison with two other copanies:

2015:

Galaxy S6: 685 - 785 - 885 USD (32GB - 64GB - 128GB) https://www.phonearena.com/news/Samsung-Galaxy-S6-and-S6-edge-release-date-and-price-overview_id68003

iPhone 6: 649 - 749 - 849 USD (16GB - 64GB - 128GB). https://www.cnet.com/news/what-itll-cost-you-to-get-a-no-contract-apple-iphone-6/

2019:

Samsung Galaxy S20

iPhone 11: 699 - 749 - 849 USD (64GB - 128GB - 256GB) https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-iphone/iphone-11

Galaxy S20: 1000 USD (128GB) https://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/galaxy-s20-5g/

 

Prices have increased, but not quadrapled all over the market. Adjusted for inflation, they haven't changed too much either.

Of course they have increased more in one company than another, whose business model has changed.

Can you buy a decent phone today for $250 with high end specs? -  I don't think so.

[Vishera]

Just now, dizmo said:

If you're whole argument is based on the OnePlus X? The $250 phone? Well, the OnePlus Nord is $399. So. Again. Not a quadrupling. It's 1.6x as expensive.

You're off by a fair bit.

Comparing a phone with high end specs (OnePlus X) with a mid-range specs one (OnePlus Nord) is not a good comparison.

The Snapdragon 800 series are high end,and the OnePlus Nord has a Snapdragon from the 700 series...

[Blademaster91]

The smaller companies that make modular phones aren't going to pay for high end chipsets when they don't have millions of sales or the marketing that the more popular brands do.

I wouldn't mind a chunkier phone if I could remove the back cover and replace the battery or something like being able to upgrade the camera sensor, which I feel like plenty of people would do instead of throwing their phone away for one with a better camera.

[Vishera]

Just now, Blademaster91 said:

I wouldn't mind a chunkier phone if I could remove the back cover and replace the battery or something like being able to upgrade the camera sensor, which I feel like plenty of people would do instead of throwing their phone away for one with a better camera.

Smartphones nowdays are designed to be disposable,that's why manufacturers seal them shut with glue.

[minibois]

Just now, Vishera said:

Can you buy a decent phone today for $250 with high end specs? -  I don't think so.

The Moto G Power and the Alcatal TCL 10L come somewhat close to high end specs.

But great job ignoring the rest of my post for the sake of your argument.

Phones approached the 1000 USD in 2015 too, especially if you count for inflation and look at the high-end options from the brand (the Samsung Edge models, the iPhone Plus models, etc.)

 

OnePlus in 2015 was the exception, not the rule.

9 minutes ago, dizmo said:

I'll add that the 6S Plus was as high as $949.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge 128GB was 1015 USD in 2015, so together with the iPhone 6(S) Plus at  949 USD it isn't a new thing to see phones in that price range.

 

I think this thread is less of "Phone pricing has quadrupled in the last 5 years - let's talk about it!" and more of "OnePlus' business model changed and no one took over the 'high end specs for a low end price' thing".

[PlayStation 2]

6 minutes ago, Vishera said:

Smartphones nowdays are designed to be disposable,that's why manufacturers seal them shut with glue.

Or perhaps it's because screws aren't exactly useful for that task, especially when phones are gunning for being water-resistant as a feature?

[dizmo]

16 minutes ago, Vishera said:

Can you buy a decent phone today for $250 with high end specs? -  I don't think so.

So are you going to ignore the fact that phones now are far more advanced?

Let's take a look at the Nord vs the X, since they're spiritually related.

• Screen
  Nord: 6.44" 90hz
  X: 5" 60hz
• RAM
  Nord: 12GB
  X: 3GB
• Storage
  Nord: 256GB
  X: 16GB
• Cameras
  Nord: 64MP F1.8, as well as additional
  X: 13MP F2.2
  
  Nord: 32MP, as well as additional
  X: 8MP
• Battery
  Nord: 4115mah
  X: 2525mah
• On top of that, the Nord gains NFC, fast charging with included charger, significantly better storage and a fingerprint reader.

So you're telling me, that with all those additions, you expect the same price? They can certainly make a phone for $250. But not one that anyone would want.

OnePlus made phones for next for nothing when they first started. That was their whole plan. Gain a following with cheap phones, expand from there.

That was never meant to be sustainable. That's why you see price increases.

 

11 minutes ago, Vishera said:

Comparing a phone with high end specs (OnePlus X) with a mid-range specs one (OnePlus Nord) is not a good comparison.

The Snapdragon 800 series are high end,and the OnePlus Nord has a Snapdragon from the 700 series...

You do realize that the 801 was 2 years old when they put it in the OnePlus X right?

They could have done the same thing with the Nord, but it makes more sense to use the 765G, since it has both 5G support, and similar performance to a 2 year old processor.

8 minutes ago, Vishera said:

Smartphones nowdays are designed to be disposable,that's why manufacturers seal them shut with glue.

Yeah that wouldn't be for water resistance or anything...

8 minutes ago, minibois said:

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge 128GB was 1015 USD in 2015, so together with the iPhone 6(S) Plus at  949 USD it isn't a new thing to see phones in that price range.

 

I think this thread is less of "Phone pricing has quadrupled in the last 5 years - let's talk about it!" and more of "OnePlus' business model changed and no one took over the 'high end specs for a low end price' thing".

Good God, was it really? Makes sense. IIRC that was one of the first Edge phones, and that's insane storage for 5 years ago.

 

[Blademaster91]

8 minutes ago, Vishera said:

Smartphones nowdays are designed to be disposable,that's why manufacturers seal them shut with glue.

Yeah, and gluing in the battery is even worse, also dangerous to remove if the battery gets flexed.

The whole "but water resistance" isn't much of an argument either because the Samsung Galaxy S5 had a removable back cover and still had an IP rating.

And IMO water resistance is kinda overrated, adding in a few silicone seals is a few cents on build cost but companies still use it as a feature, and because people take water resistant as "water proof" and go swimming in the ocean with their $1000+ phone then wonder why it doesn't charge or completely dies.

[Vishera]

Just now, minibois said:

OnePlus in 2015 was the exception, not the rule.

 

That's no exception,I bought a mid-range phone back than for $150 from LG.

Just now, minibois said:

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge 128GB was 1015 USD in 2015, so together with the iPhone 6(S) Plus at  949 USD it isn't a new thing to see phones in that price range.

 

Like you said:

1 minute ago, minibois said:

in 2015 was the exception, not the rule.

Flagships in 2015: LG G5,Sony Xperia Z3+,Samsung Galaxy Note 4,check their MSRP prices and see that i am right...

[PlayStation 2]

Just now, Vishera said:

 

That's no exception,I bought a mid-range phone back than for $150 from LG.

Yeah, you can still buy a fairly decent mid-range Android phone in the $150-200 range. Motorola makes some damn good devices in that ballpark.

[Vishera]

Just now, handymanshandle said:

Yeah, you can still buy a fairly decent mid-range Android phone in the $150-200 range. Motorola makes some damn good devices in that ballpark.

With good quality display and good specs? - I don't think so...

[dizmo]

4 minutes ago, Blademaster91 said:

Yeah, and gluing in the battery is even worse, also dangerous to remove if the battery gets flexed.

The whole "but water resistance" isn't much of an argument either because the Samsung Galaxy S5 had a removable back cover and still had an IP rating.

And IMO water resistance is kinda overrated, adding in a few silicone seals is a few cents on build cost but companies still use it as a feature, and because people take water resistant as "water proof" and go swimming in the ocean with their $1000+ phone then wonder why it doesn't charge or completely dies.

I'm pretty sure there aren't tons of people diving into the ocean with their phone.

The waterproof feature is nice, especially for places that get excessive amounts of rain.

It also costs around $15 to get a phone IP rated.

1 minute ago, Vishera said:

 

That's no exception,I bought a mid-range phone back than for $150 from LG.

Like you said:

Flagships in 2015: LG G5,Sony Xperia Z3+,Samsung Galaxy Note 4,check their MSRP prices and see that i am right...

What phone?

 

Hate to break it to you, the Note 4 was from 2014. It also wasn't that much cheaper than the other phones that were mentioned as comparisons.

The Z3+? Was $750. So. Again. Not much less than what you can get one for today.

 

2 minutes ago, handymanshandle said:

Yeah, you can still buy a fairly decent mid-range Android phone in the $150-200 range. Motorola makes some damn good devices in that ballpark.

I picked up the...Z3 Play for a ridiculously discounted price on Black Friday.