The new LG G5 will be "unveiled" on Feb 21. I want to know, more importantly, approximately when will I actually be able to go to a carrier and buy one in the U.S. and around how much will it cost?
It's been a couple years since I bought a new phone and so I can't remember what the typical 'lag time' is between when they unveil the device as a big show to when places like AT&T, Verizon, etc actually have the device for sale. Within days? A month?
I've seen some pretty crazy estimates on the U.S. Retail Price, like
$900. Yes the specs are impressive, but I think that would not make the device competetive as people aren't going to spend that much on a phone even on a 30-month payment plan. Technology is suppose to get CHEAPER over time (example: cost of memory chips, SSDs, Flat-panel TVs, etc. etc.)
My own guesstimate is that the phone won't actually be on sale at the carrier until around a month after the unveiling -- although I would think in order to capitalize on the "buzz" from the initial announcement it would be in their best interest to have the phone in carrier stores within a week? Or is it more important to get the announcement out period?
As far as price my guts says all manufacturers are going to not price above an iPhone 6 or 6s. A full price 64GB iPhone 6s at AT&T is $750 right now so I would say the G5 will not be more than that. The G4 is currently $463 at AT&T or basically $263 if you get it at Best Buy with the $200 gift card you get when you buy it. Obviously AT&T/Best Buy are trying to reduce G4 inventory in prep for the G5 release. The G5 has better specs (of course) then the G4, but from a practicaly standpoint, is it worth three times the price? I think not.
My guess is the new G5 from a carrier will be $699 - or $$23.30/month + taxes for a 32GB version. These companies love to capitalize on the idiots that have money to spend and want the very latest device.
It's been a couple years since I bought a new phone and so I can't remember what the typical 'lag time' is between when they unveil the device as a big show to when places like AT&T, Verizon, etc actually have the device for sale. Within days? A month?
I've seen some pretty crazy estimates on the U.S. Retail Price, like
$900. Yes the specs are impressive, but I think that would not make the device competetive as people aren't going to spend that much on a phone even on a 30-month payment plan. Technology is suppose to get CHEAPER over time (example: cost of memory chips, SSDs, Flat-panel TVs, etc. etc.)
My own guesstimate is that the phone won't actually be on sale at the carrier until around a month after the unveiling -- although I would think in order to capitalize on the "buzz" from the initial announcement it would be in their best interest to have the phone in carrier stores within a week? Or is it more important to get the announcement out period?
As far as price my guts says all manufacturers are going to not price above an iPhone 6 or 6s. A full price 64GB iPhone 6s at AT&T is $750 right now so I would say the G5 will not be more than that. The G4 is currently $463 at AT&T or basically $263 if you get it at Best Buy with the $200 gift card you get when you buy it. Obviously AT&T/Best Buy are trying to reduce G4 inventory in prep for the G5 release. The G5 has better specs (of course) then the G4, but from a practicaly standpoint, is it worth three times the price? I think not.
My guess is the new G5 from a carrier will be $699 - or $$23.30/month + taxes for a 32GB version. These companies love to capitalize on the idiots that have money to spend and want the very latest device.