Over-priced consumer technology?

mammajamma · 09-11-2018 12:06am

Canis Lupus wrote: »

Well android isn't a phone brand just an OS.

So you've Apple which is an expensive product and then the rest spread out across a massive price range from dirt cheap to just as expensive that usually use android.

My issue is that for a fraction of the cost you can buy a rectangle that in real world usage does the same as the Apple rectangle. But then that's the choice people make. I don't lose sleep over it but it confuses me.

Of course I know android isn't a brand per se, just bad phrasing.

Just looking over the thread so far, Im inclined to believe my original point, namely that yes, most of these things are unjustifiably priced.

Frunchy · 09-11-2018 12:07am

This is laughable. Compare the specs of a Mac and a PC, no comparison.
The PC will blow Apple away at the same price point.

PC is far more powerful, versatile, easy to repair and upgrade.

ToddyDoody · 09-11-2018 12:11am

It does happen to be apple stuff though.

I still use an ipod and it's €220 every 2 years as they don't last.

Blazer · 09-11-2018 12:13am

Frunchy wrote: »

This is laughable. Compare the specs of a Mac and a PC, no comparison.
The PC will blow Apple away at the same price point.

PC is far more powerful, versatile, easy to repair and upgrade.

Poor battery life, poor resale value..both things Apple excel at.
But the macbooks are ridiculously priced at this stage.

Frakall ports, getting rid of the magsafe connector was the most ridiculous thing Apple ever did in my opinion.
I've tried the surface books but while technically nice with a lovely screen have absolutely crap battery life. How MS can claim 9hours battery life for a surface with a straight face is beyond me. They barely make 3 hours unless you start turning **** off.
But to the op's original point its not just tech its everything.
Manufacturers are focused on offering you the next biggest thing..look at BMW for christ's sake. Every year they get worse and worse...more money for less and far less reliable.
Just look on the car forum there's a thread there for vehicles over 300,000miles or so and nearly all of them are pre 2005. Basically any car without tech inside it ,just good old fashioned engine parts.

Doctor Jimbob · 09-11-2018 12:14am

Blazer wrote: »

Show me one post where I sneered at Android?
I actually consider Android to be an excellent OS.
Sure there are some flaws like app security, memory management, OS updates but that's to be expected when its the OS for multiple smartphone manufacturers.
Its great that Google are now forcing all OEM manufacturers to support updates for 2 years..its a start at least considering Apple is around 4-5 years.
But ideally I would love the Android front end customization, with some of the apps that can run like torrent download managers and nice widgets etc with the security of ios, apple pay and memory management and preferably on that nice mate 20 pro but obviously using the apple oled screen quality.

You were going on about android fanboys, while coming across as a bit of an apple fanboys yourself - could just be how I read your posts though. I do agree with you - both systems have their pros and cons.

Mookie Blaylock · 09-11-2018 12:24am

McGiver wrote: »

Chinese phone manufactured in a sweatshop (well almost all are but this one definitely is). One Plus phones tend to catch fire by the way

Incorrect

Blazer · 09-11-2018 12:25am

Doctor Jimbob wrote: »

You were going on about android fanboys, while coming across as a bit of an apple fanboys yourself - could just be how I read your posts though. I do agree with you - both systems have their pros and cons.

Actually my very first smart phone was a t mobile g1 , cool as hell I thought.

Raichu · 09-11-2018 12:27am

mammajamma wrote: »

Computers/laptops/operating systems, their utility for the average person peaked like 10 years ago, everything since then has been 1 step forward, 1 step back ad infinitum. A joke to maintain their prices. Now you can load a webpage in 0.001 seconds instead of 0.002 seconds. Wow, let me give you another 600 euro for that life-altering thing! :P An average, capable laptop should be around the hundred euro mark by now, IMO.

Clear to see you haven’t a notion what you’re talking about anyway.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i · 09-11-2018 12:28am

Joey Rapid Numskull wrote: »

The resale value of a few years old Mac or iPhone just shows they last.

Actually, that's just an indicator of how stupid people can be.

You won’t.

You will.

The Floyd p wrote: »

Name me a company who's flagship phone has a removable battery in 2018?

Nobody.

https://www.fairphone.com/en/

Joey Rapid Numskull wrote: »

You are going to have a much lower quality product from a build quality, look and feel if its got a removable battery it also won't be waterproof. I don't really see the need for a removable battery anymore and its the same for all the high end phones not an apple only thing by any means.

Well that's incredibly wrong. Waterproofing is the reasoning behind the move, supposedly. However, it's all down to money. Instead of getting yourself a battery on ebay for 30 or 40 euro, you now have to send your phone off, get it reset and have the company replace the battery for an arm and a leg. It's very naive to think that these companies are making these changes with the consumer in mind. Main reason is always profit.

How do you defend those ear buds, considering you are defending everything else these fella's do.

Overpriced consume technology tends to have "smart" attached to it. 3K for a washing machine? Wifi fridge? Beats headphones? Overpriced rubbish.

TitianGerm · 09-11-2018 12:31am

Blazer wrote: »

Show me one post where I sneered at Android?
I actually consider Android to be an excellent OS.
Sure there are some flaws like app security, memory management, OS updates but that's to be expected when its the OS for multiple smartphone manufacturers.
Its great that Google are now forcing all OEM manufacturers to support updates for 2 years..its a start at least considering Apple is around 4-5 years.
But ideally I would love the Android front end customization, with some of the apps that can run like torrent download managers and nice widgets etc with the security of ios, apple pay and memory management and preferably on that nice mate 20 pro but obviously using the apple oled screen quality.

Is the Apple OLED screen not made by Samsung?

[Deleted User] · 09-11-2018 12:59am

Mia Old Railing wrote: »

How do you defend those ear buds, considering you are defending everything else these fella's do.

.

What’s your issue with the AirPods, just because apple made them I suppose. Wired headphones are a pain I couldn’t go back them.

I don’t currently have AirPods either (though I may pick up a set at some stage) but I have a set of Bluetooth headphones that cost nearly 3 times the price of AirPods.

Blazer · 09-11-2018 12:59am

TitianGerm wrote: »

Is the Apple OLED screen not made by Samsung?

A lot of the stuff in apple phones is made by Samsung.
Hell Apple were Samsung’s biggest supplier for years.
For the memory, storage and screens as you say.

Billy86 · 09-11-2018 1:08am

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

LOL bollocks. At best they're in a nice box, they've had endless issues with design in the last few years. Then they try and make you repair through themselves, that's even if they'll do the repair. They've never been better, just different. Now they're 'different' in all the wrong ways just using off the shelf tech for double the price. And for some reason the fanbois keep trying to defend their anti-consumer nonsense.

It really does mystify me how entrenched sore become in this alright. I get that the casing looks better to some and that others prefer the OS in which case fair enough. For me that doesn't justify the price diff but to each their own.

Claims that the same CPU or gpu etc somehow magically becomes better when plugged into a case with an Apple logo though, just makes absolutely no sense.

Ursus Horribilis · 09-11-2018 1:10am

It's not quite consumer technology but I can't get over how pricey modern day computer games are

Raichu · 09-11-2018 1:22am

Ursus Horribilis wrote: »

It's not quite consumer technology but I can't get over how pricey modern day computer games are

I wonder how you’d feel about knowing how much they cost to make.

Billy86 · 09-11-2018 1:33am

Blazer wrote: »

Unless you owned a galaxy note in which case you went BOOM!!!!!

Only the 7 if I recall. I got a note 3 in 2013 that was still working as good as new up until I lost it about 2mo back.

The Floyd p · 09-11-2018 2:15am

Mia Old Railing wrote: »

https://www.fairphone.com/en/

Snapdragon 801? I did say flagship pal, not a 4 year old chip. That phone is a joke, like that Kickstarter that wanted replaceable parts across the board, living in a fairy tale.

Greyfox · 09-11-2018 2:41am

Ursus Horribilis wrote: »

It's not quite consumer technology but I can't get over how pricey modern day computer games are

I actually find games to be amazing value for money. It's easy to pay €10 -€15 for a brilliant game that will entertain you for 100 hours.

babi-hrse · 09-11-2018 2:44am

Joey Rapid Numskull wrote: »

Absolute and utter nonsense. Apple products are expensive but they are superior. I wouldn’t touch an android phone or a windows laptop.

You obviously havn't watched rossman repair videos. MacBook pros being made with glue and not actually a single aluminium unibody. With heatsink heating the glue making the thing slowly come apart at the seams. Or the iPhone that looses signal when you held it in your hand. Or the one with soft aluminium that bent in your arse pocket. Hardware wise it's on par (in many cases it's got some last generation tech as r and d takes time that latest generation components used during testing would have been replaced newer stuff.
software's got a seamless operating system but anything that was only designed to run on one machine optimized for such configuration of hardware would. As rossman said. Anyone who walks into a repair shop and gets told that such and such was a manufacturing defect and should be covered under warranty they would go that's such a shoddy design flaw I'm never buying one again whereas an iPhone user says nothing and buys another one. In the end it's just personal preference but don't delude yourself on that price tag.

Ursus Horribilis · 09-11-2018 3:26am

Greyfox wrote: »

I actually find games to be amazing value for money. It's easy to pay €10 -€15 for a brilliant game that will entertain you for 100 hours.

I'm not talking about games that cost €10-€15. It's the ones that are €60-€70. They'd want to be brilliant at that sort of money.

Billy86 · 09-11-2018 4:13am

Ursus Horribilis wrote: »

I'm not talking about games that cost €10-€15. It's the ones that are €60-€70. They'd want to be brilliant at that sort of money.

Those ones can usually be had for 10-20 after a few months to be fair.

Canis Lupus · 09-11-2018 6:01am

babi-hrse wrote: »

You obviously havn't watched rossman repair videos. MacBook pros being made with glue and not actually a single aluminium unibody. With heatsink heating the glue making the thing slowly come apart at the seams. Or the iPhone that looses signal when you held it in your hand. Or the one with soft aluminium that bent in your arse pocket. Hardware wise it's on par (in many cases it's got some last generation tech as r and d takes time that latest generation components used during testing would have been replaced newer stuff.
software's got a seamless operating system but anything that was only designed to run on one machine optimized for such configuration of hardware would. As rossman said. Anyone who walks into a repair shop and gets told that such and such was a manufacturing defect and should be covered under warranty they would go that's such a shoddy design flaw I'm never buying one again whereas an iPhone user says nothing and buys another one. In the end it's just personal preference but don't delude yourself on that price tag.

The most recent Macbook pro throttles performance because of overheating as well.

mfceiling · 09-11-2018 7:35am

Joey Rapid Numskull wrote: »

if its got a removable battery it also won't be waterproof

I have a Samsung Galaxy S5 that has a removable battery and is waterproof.

xi5yvm0owc1s2b · 09-11-2018 7:52am

Chromebook. You can get one starting around €200, very durable (especially the Dell models aimed at students), zero problems with viruses, great security, battery life is incredible (over 12 hours on some models).

I've seen people pay ten times that for an Apple laptop to surf the internet and send emails.

OldMrBrennan83 · 09-11-2018 8:39am

It's currently 3-3 in the big Android v Apple match and there's been some crowd trouble.

tritriagain · 09-11-2018 8:46am

Love setting up and pushing gadgets to the limit but can honestly say I'd never buy an Apple product . As a marketing company they are exceptional. They're products are designed so that when something goes wrong you upgrade to next model. I know most co.s have this to a degree but Apple are pretty much top of the pile. Also what tech do we really need. After damaging numerous "good" phones I purchased a 100 euro smart phone and can honestly say I notice very little differences in performance from my old phone. And it can certainly do everything the old phone did.

OldMrBrennan83 · 09-11-2018 8:50am

tritriagain wrote: »

Love setting up and pushing gadgets to the limit but can honestly say I'd never buy an Apple product . As a marketing company they are exceptional. They're products are designed so that when something goes wrong you upgrade to next model. I know most co.s have this to a degree but Apple are pretty much top of the pile. Also what tech do we really need. After damaging numerous "good" phones I purchased a 100 euro smart phone and can honestly say I notice very little differences in performance from my old phone. And it can certainly do everything the old phone did.

It can do everything to a certain level, but it definitely couldn't be claimed it's the same. If that works for you then that's the only thing that's important though.

tritriagain · 09-11-2018 8:57am

Oh I agree totally not the same. But I would argue that for say 400 euro more what you're getting does not justify the money.

murpho999 · 09-11-2018 10:25am

limnam wrote: »

Yeah to make use of the abundance of 4k sources...

oh wait

X Box One X games are 4k.

Also, Netflix originals, of which I watch plenty, are 4k and some are HDR. You need to have Netflix Premium.

Sky broadcast 4k Premiership and programmes too.

xi5yvm0owc1s2b · 09-11-2018 10:30am

Patww79 wrote: »

It can do everything to a certain level, but it definitely couldn't be claimed it's the same. If that works for you then that's the only thing that's important though.

It used to be that budget phones ran outdated and bloated versions of Android, and had cheap plastic builds, bad screens, terrible cameras, and minimal internal storage. But now you can get the 64 GB Motorala G6 unlocked for a fraction of the price of the latest iPhone, and it's a "good enough" phone for most people. It even takes dual SIMs.

IMO, many people buy iPhones not because they need all the features that an iPhone offers (which many iPhone owners would struggle to list) but because of they perceive owning an iPhone to be a status symbol.

Over-priced consumer technology?

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