753
Looking at you Verizon
(lemmy.world)
A friendly reminder that isps do NOT care about you or your digital rights. Always best to buy directly from the OEM rather than from the telecommunications (unless you can't afford it). Do proper research before buying a phone!
I don't know what Verizons deal is with it honestly, but T-Mobile hasn't gotten in the way of it, they've even carrier unlocked phones for me that were still on a fresh payment plan for it.
Not everyone can afford that you know, and I find those budget/mid range phones insufferable. I'd buy one as a matter of last resort only.
When have you last used a mid range phone? It used to make a huge difference, but over the years, as phones matured, I feel it's shrunken down more and more. I used to always use flagships, but these days, I don't see what value they provide over 400-600€ phones in daily usage.
That's like the price of the most expensive phone I ever owned, my old OnePlus 8T. I find budget phones insufferable these days, but midrange is generally fine provided you know what you're looking for.
400 might have been a bit much. You can get a refurbished Pixel 7a for a bit over 300€ around here, and that should last you for quite some years.
I'm currently on a four year old phone that was 400€ back then, though I fear the USB Port might not be long for this world, which would force me to upgrade - it's soldered and rather hard to replace.
part of me wants to understand why someone would pay $300 for a older out of date flagship model when they can spend $100 for a brand new one with the latest software.
I mean, I dunno how things are on your side of the pond, but here this would preclude a contract that is more expensive for otherwise equal condition, usually meaning a higher total cost of ownership.
I also tend to throw on a custom rom anyway - my four year old midranger is on the current version of Android. More and more devices also tend to get supported for longer, so that's worth considering.
Also, out of date and brand new have gotten more and more meaningless for smartphones. I've got a processor fast enough to run everything I do seamlessly, a nice and sharp display, and a battery that lasts me a day. That's about the same I'd have with a current flagship.
I mean, it's your call, and I don't really care what kind of phone you use, I just don't think it's quite as black and white as you paint it.