Free Runner price vs iphone 3G price

Carsten Haitzler (The Rasterman) raster at openmoko.org
Wed Jun 11 02:48:32 CEST 2008


On Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:57:04 -0700 Robert Taylor <subscribers at tinsputnik.com>
babbled:

> ian douglas wrote:
> >
> > Exactly.
> >
> > Whether you get the iPhone, a Freerunner, a Nokia, a Samsung, 
> > whatever... you still need to pay for the cellular service.
> >
> > Yes, it's cheaper if you buy pay-as-you-go service, and yes, if you buy 
> > the 'locked' iPhone (retail box from AT&T) you *must* buy into a contract.
> >   
> Sorry, to clarify.
> 
> To clear up my previous post you are comparing to different things:
> 
> A $600 SUBSIDIZED phone on a 2 year contract ($200 up front cost to 
> subscriber) VS a $200 moko UNSUBSIDIZED phone PLUS a 2 year contract.
> 
> Of course they are bloody the same price up front, THE MOKO ISN'T 
> SUBSIDIZED.
> 
> Please, compare equal things.
> 
> If you want to compare a subsidized iPhone then compare a subsidized 
> moko which will be free with any reasonable access plan.

slight catch. a subsidised neo likely wouldn't be open. subsidies are given to
phones because they get locked down to:

only work on that operators network
disable features so people must use the operator to send/get data
only allow software bought from your operator to run
etc. etc.

i'm not saying these are specifically happening on specific phones, but this
kind of thing is what gets a phone subsidised down to $0. a freerunner
subsidised would now cramp your style (freedom). do you REALLY want that? :) so
in the end the only thing you can do is compare it to a full-priced iphone or
any other competition that is not locked down in any way by/to a carrier. then
you can compare. :)

> The moko is cheaper PERIOD and you won't be getting the new iPhones on 
> ebay for 200 quid because YOU CAN'T BUY THEM WITHOUT A CONTRACT.
> 
> If you want to buy a $600 dollar subsidized phone, fine go ahead.  Why 
> are you posting nonsense here?
> 
> Goddamn.  You guys make it really hard not to flame everyone on such 
> simple calculations.
> 
> Rob
> 
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-- 
Carsten Haitzler (The Rasterman) <raster at openmoko.org>




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