Hi-Mobile.net sent us in the Sony Ericsson P990i for our monthly phone review. This popular smartphone was released last summer, but a new firmware of Symbian's UIQ 3.0 was released just 15 days ago and this is with what we mainly tested. The P990i sells for just $340 these days, fully unlocked, and it has a barrage of high-end features.
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Member since:2005-06-28
Sorry, but "great" phones cost money to be built. Even the cheapest phone in the world is been calculated to cost about $35 to be built. You are thinking too much of subsidized locked phones by carriers. Personally, I hate such phones. If it's not unlocked, then it's not for me. I prefer to pay the premium (the "real" price that is) for some freedom, rather than pay homage to a carrier.
When the P990i came out last year, it could be found for $899. So yeah, at $340 is cheap.
Member since:2005-08-26
The problem with that, is that weather you're getting a subsidized phone or not, the carrier charges you the same rate.
So -- what you're doing is buying a phone, then paying for rate plans that expect you to get subsidies on a phone. You're basically giving money away, unless you get the subsidized phone.
And this, is why I won't buy an iPhone. If I'm getting locked into a contract, I expect a subsidy. If I'm paying the same rate as someone with a subsidized phone, then I'll be damned if I'm not getting -some- of the price of the phone knocked off by the carrier, who is already expecting me to get a subsidized phone.
It makes no sense to me to pay the crazy rates without getting the free phone.
Granted, I might get the free phone and then ebay the damn thing... but you get the idea.
Member since:
2006-06-18
$340 huh ? To buy a phone. Great. Sign me up. A great phone should cost $50 max. And while we're talking, get off my damn lawn.