300 dollar price point: might it change your mind?

Price changing your mind?


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tekhna

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I know it's making me wonder, when you can get the Atrix for 130. Yeah I know they're not comparable in some ways, AT&T sucks, etc. But 300 is a chunk of change for hardware that most people recognize will be dated fast.
 

TBolt2011

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If they had released it on the 11th like I was promised, or the 14th, I'd be fine. But 2 weeks is an eternity in the tech world, and I've obligated those funds else where at this point. I was expecting to only have to drop another $200 after my preorder, and my budget shows that.
 

VideoEngineerAJS

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It depends on if this is Best Buy's price or Verizon's. If it's Verizon's I'll probably suck it up and pay it, but I'll have to end up using my mother's upgrade if there is another phone I'll want later in the year or early next year because the most I was willing to spend on a 1 year contract was $320. Now that the phone is $300 on a 2 year, I won't be getting a 1 year contract.
 

ShaggyKids

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Remember, what you're buying is a mini-computer. Computers date fast too, but people shell out for them. So, what's the difference? It's kinda like your car depreciating in value the minute you drive it off the lot.
 

Maksimus54

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My big question is what will the Droid Bionic cost and when will it be released in relation to the TBolt. I've waited longer than I wanted to already and I hate my BB, but for $300 I'll probably wait at least a week until after the release to see how the TBolt actually performs and weight that against other phones.
 

FatalErrorz

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I'd pay $400.00 but not any more; not because of budgeting concerns, but because of bang for the buck.

If $50.00 makes people alter their budgets, they don't need this smartphone. Actually, nobody "needs" a smart phone, they're just fun. Don't get mad, I'm just being real and any accountant would tell you the same thing.
 
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FatalErrorz

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Remember, what you're buying is a mini-computer. Computers date fast too, but people shell out for them. So, what's the difference? It's kinda like your car depreciating in value the minute you drive it off the lot.

Hell, nowadays your house depreciates the moment you get the warranty deed.
 

VideoEngineerAJS

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My big question is what will the Droid Bionic cost and when will it be released in relation to the TBolt. I've waited longer than I wanted to already and I hate my BB, but for $300 I'll probably wait at least a week until after the release to see how the TBolt actually performs and weight that against other phones.

The Bionic won't be out for awhile. The Verizon rep for our corporation said May at the earliest and possibly June. I was going to wait for the Bionic, but my Storm can't hold on that long. That's why I was going to get the Thunderbolt on a 1 year contract, but not if it's $300 on a 2 year.

The phone bill is in my name so it doesn't really matter, but my mom was cool with me getting the Thunderbolt and then giving it to her if there is another phone that I want when her upgrade comes in October.
 

Ricom1

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What other options are available? None...the bionic, but when is that being released. I can't really say until it's time to pull the trigger. If the bionic is there (even with Blur), I may go that route...depends on a few things but again...until it's actually time to pull the trigger, I can't say for sure.
 

tekhna

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Remember, what you're buying is a mini-computer. Computers date fast too, but people shell out for them. So, what's the difference? It's kinda like your car depreciating in value the minute you drive it off the lot.

I'd say the analogy is off, that's the difference. Something like the Atrix is cheaper, relatively more future-proof, depending on when dual-core support is being launched. It'll be sometime in the 2-year contract window though, no doubt. Probably in 2011. So the point isn't whether it depreciates on its own, but whether it depreciates relatively. The value of a Honda holds up better as compared to, say, a Chevy. Not to mention if the Thunderbolt has the same battery as the Inspire, we're in a lot of trouble.
 

VideoEngineerAJS

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I'd pay $400.00 but not any more; not because of budgeting concerns, but because of bang for the buck.

If $50.00 makes people alter their budgets, they don't need this smartphone. Actually, nobody "needs" a smart phone, they're just fun. Don't get mad, I'm just being real and any accountant would tell you the same thing.

Well and that's why I said I would still pay it. I just don't think I want to pay the 1 year contract price.
 

VideoEngineerAJS

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I'd say the analogy is off, that's the difference. Something like the Atrix is cheaper, relatively more future-proof, depending on when dual-core support is being launched. It'll be sometime in the 2-year contract window though, no doubt. Probably in 2011. So the point isn't whether it depreciates on its own, but whether it depreciates relatively. The value of a Honda holds up better as compared to, say, a Chevy. Not to mention if the Thunderbolt has the same battery as the Inspire, we're in a lot of trouble.

With the Thunderbolt you are getting more than double the storage space as well as LTE. LTE makes the Thunderbolt a lot more future-proof than you think. I had the same thought about the Bionic, but with the Bionic there is at least some truth to that thought because the Bionic has LTE.

Like I said in an earlier thread, unless AT&T is scrapping their LTE plans or pushing them back, the Atrix may be outdated even before the Thunderbolt.
 

AmousmosesMW

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Too soon to tell for me, but not based on how much longer I need to wait. Rather, it will depend on my NE2 discount, any possible rebate offered, and on whether I can find the $50 gift card I got from when I upgraded my daughter's phone. :)
 

anon(149276)

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I'd pay $400.00 but not any more; not because of budgeting concerns, but because of bang for the buck.

If $50.00 makes people alter their budgets, they don't need this smartphone. Actually, nobody "needs" a smart phone, they're just fun. Don't get mad, I'm just being real and any accountant would tell you the same thing.
While I agree if there isn't $50 in your budget to spare, a several hundred dollar phone shouldn't be on your shopping list. But that isn't what we're arguing. Its the 20% increase on what we thought. That's a huge jump. Especially when the advertised price last week was 249..not sourced from a rumor
 
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DolfanCole

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A selling price of $300 would be way too much for me. I didn't like the $250 price point either. Sure it's only another $50, and in the grand sense of one's total budget, that might not mean much. But, when looking at the cost of the phone itself, going from $250 to $300 is almost a 20% hike. That's huge. And I just don't think it's worth it, particularly when compared to other newly released phones.
 

qzic

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Overpriced != Overbudget

If $50.00 makes people alter their budgets, they don't need this smartphone. Actually, nobody "needs" a smart phone, they're just fun. Don't get mad, I'm just being real and any accountant would tell you the same thing.

There is a world of difference between something being overpriced and something being beyond your budget. Would you pay $50 for a can of soda? If you can't afford a $50 soda, then how can you afford a $300 phone? That logic is flawed.

Is $300 a reasonable price for this phone? I don't think so. Can I afford it? Sure, but that's not the point. Compared to the other options: Atrix, Inspire, Evo 4G, etc., why is Thunderbolt, which isn't even available yet, worth more than $200 more (the similarly spec'ed Inspire is only $70 on Amazon)? On a cost-benefit comparative analysis, the TB fails at $300.

My prediction is that if Verizon launches the TB in March at $300, sales will be poor and it will soon be heavily discounted, even buy-one-get-one-free or near free at 3rd party retailers by April.

Since I planned on buying 2 TB's, I'm willing to wait a few extra weeks and save $300-$600 or I'll just stay with AT&T.
 
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