What is your total cost of ownership of your phone, over five years?

My phone is still going strong at 6 years, so I was just wondering what YOUR phone hardware total cost of ownership is over the past five years?

We should cover:

  1. Original cost including tax (which could be almost 10% in some states)
  2. Cases (if used - where some all-glass phones literally *require* a case)
  3. Batteries (if required, including those required to maintain CPU speeds)
  4. Useful items (e.g., courageous non-3.5mm earbuds, SD/SIM cards, etc.)
  5. Minus current Ebay/Amazon used resale value (realistic numbers please)

It would interesting to see your total cost of ownership over 5 years.

Reply to
Harold Newton
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Samsung S4 was about $400 new. No additional cost to consider so just divide that by 5. No plans to ever sell it so no reason to factor that nonsense. It will be dead when finally replace.

The one that have astronomical costs are the ones that replace every years just to get the new model.

Not sure what the point of your exercise it.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

to troll.

Reply to
nospam

Thank you for those numbers where your total cost of hardware ownership is about $80 per year.

My Samsung Galaxy S3 from 2012 is also still going strong where the only things I've added are the extra $20 batteries you see below (some of which are 2,300mAh stock sizes with antenna, while others are 7,000mAh with antenna, using $1 rubber backs and no additional expensive & huge case is needed, desired, nor required).

It will be interesting and informative for all to see what we each get by way of average yearly cost of ownership of the hardware, and how long we retain our devices to amortize those initial & maintenance hardware costs.

Reply to
Harold Newton

Hi nospam,

Why don't you stay on topic please, and just give us your truthful numbers? (or just don't post to troll saying everyone but you is a troll)

Thanks!

Reply to
Harold Newton

Well, since someone gave me my current Blackberry Q10, and I also have 3 Z30 , 1 z10, and 1 q10 as spares that I also got for nothing, my total cost so far was $5 on ebay for a case, plus the Sim card from Rogers and my monthly user fees. My wife's cell phone was also free, and I replaced the battery off e-bay for $7. I have 2 spares of hers as well - at no cost.

Beat that!!!

Reply to
Clare Snyder

i didn't say everyone was a troll.

i said *you* are a troll.

Reply to
nospam

My phone is still hooked to the wall and I got it for free back when they were still "illegal". The land line adds about $16 a month to my internet bill.

Reply to
gfretwell

I had a 21-month-old HTC Desire 612 that I had to trash because it had the WPA2 / krack security hole and HTC couldn't be bothered to create a security patch for it.

Guess what brand my new phone is not.  Guess what brand I'll never buy again.

Reply to
Joe Customer

I got a LG clam phone of some kind, I've had it to long to know how long I've it... I was on the 15 dollar/month Net 10 plan actually I still am come March I might switch to a tracphone something like 90 bucks/year with 1000 1200 minutes. My neighbor gave me a smart phone but thus far I've only used it for the "Torque" app and "NavII" I may or may not activate it when my time runs out with Net 10... so

17.50/month was what I was paying for 250 roll over minuets and I have over 4,000 minutes accumulated on that account. Needless to say, I don't use the phone much. Oh yeah I found some ear buds when walking the dog, nice Apple ones, but the Dollar Tree ones work better.
Reply to
My 2 Cents

My 7 1/2 year old Nokia flip phone still has the original battery - still holding a charge just fine ; I've been through ~ 3 cases there's $ 5. or so .. I forget what it cost with my pay-as-you-go cell service, but I think it was ~ $ 79 ? I spend $ 100. per year and use less, for my service - which includes texts & voicemail, no data. John T.

Reply to
hubops

Before you even start, you better define original cost. Most people buy phones from a carrier, so the $200 phone really costs $400 because it's subsidized by the carrier and you're paying the true cost through part of the monthly service charge.

Reply to
trader_4

Costs of two iPhone 7 models 128GB, sales tax, activation fee, 2 Yr. apple care plus service agreement = $1,748.73

AT&T Mobile insurance for both phones = $383.52 for 2 years.

AT&T monthly service charges for both iPhones = $177.00 a month

2 Journal Leather Wallet Cases for iPhone 7 = $140.00 2 Sena Wallet Book Leather Folio cases for iPhone 7 = $157.21 Note: Spare cases 2 Bury iPhone 7 Active Cradles for both of our vehicles = $187.69 Note: interfaces with Bury System 9 Base Plate.

Accessories for iPhones: Lightning Rockstar adapter, earpods with lightning connector (spares), Urbeats earphones, lightning to 3.5mm headphone adapters. $205.00.

Spare accessories were purchased because Apple is notorious for discontinuing products for a particular model when new model iPhones are in the offering. Plus, accessories for older iPhones may or may not be available on eBay.

My motto is: 'ONLY CRY ONCE'. I cry because I had to spend a pretty penny for phones and accessories, but, I don't cry because they are no longer available if and when I need them.

As an asked, my older iPhones and accessories are handed down to my youngest daughter and my step-grandchildren when I upgrade.

Right or wrong: This is how I roll. And, in case you didn't notice, I keep detailed financial records.

Our intent is to keep our current iPhones (purchased in 2017) for at least 4 years -

OP, I hope you can extrapolate my projected five years' worth of cell phone ownership costs from this post.

Reply to
c_mulholland

I have an LG flip Tracfone and last sign-up was $150 for 2 years. I had to replace the old phone once for $20 and they did a 2G to 3G upgrade a about a year ago and gave free replacements. I seldom use it and have over 6,000 accumulated minutes. Like the security of carrying when out and Bluetooth to car for hands free calling when driving.

Reply to
Frank

If I keep mine for 2 years (previous phones) it will be ~$40/year. I'll probably keep it longer unless I discover something that changes my mind

-- like I run out of memory or something goes bad.

I don't think I should subtract the resale value, though; I never get rid of anything :-(

Reply to
The Real Bev

Pictures of the phone in your hand, or it didn't happen.

HINT: You complain about this made-up imaginary phone all the time. Give it a rest. And stay on topic.

What's the cost of hardware ownership of that phone you profess to own?

What's the cost of hardware ownership of that phone you profess to own?

Reply to
Harold Newton

That's hard to beat, but I have two new iPads I received for free, plus a relative received a free used iPhone 6 for free ... so, freebies do abound.

I give a lot of gifts out though, so for example, I just received back 4 Android phones because I bought four of those 32GB octacore $130 LG Stylo 3 Plus phones as stocking stuffers for Christmas.

So when I get that iPhone 6 back (she now has an iPhone 7), I'll have five extra phones, all "free" to me (so to speak) to play with, in addition to my tried and true circa 2012 Samsung Galaxy S3.

My cases were $1 each but I do have a bunch of batteries:

Reply to
Harold Newton

Why don't you just post your numbers. I can't wait to see your completely fabricated resale value numbers.

I can easily guess *why* you don't - and yet you refute the numbers I posted.

It's simply because your belief system isn't supported by facts. In fact, your belief system is *threatened* by facts.

Facts such as true total cost of ownership.

Reply to
Harold Newton

So far we have from free, to about $40/year, to about $80 per year. We need to hear more though.

As for resale value, it's not as high as some people claim (I looked up the numbers already) so for the most part, resale value can be almost completely ignored as a viable differentiator.

But let's see what the numbers turn out to be...

Reply to
Harold Newton

Harold Newton:

Thanks to sound planning and a little bit of luck I don't have to worry about such trivia. I also don't keep phones for five years.

Reply to
Davoud

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