• Pete Hahnloser@beehaw.org
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    4 months ago

    Here’s an idea: How about zero days?

    I admittedly don’t get how this is even a thing, having bought unlocked phones for prepaid service going on 14 years now. Wait for a sale on a phone, get a high-end device for like $800 (financing always available), and pay $200 once a year for service.

    It’s appalling to me that people think more than $17/month for cell service is reasonable.

    • Vodulas [they/them]@beehaw.org
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      4 months ago

      $800-$1000 up front is a whole lot of money for a lot of people. Also, where did you find a phone plan for $200 year? Asking for a friend…

      • Pete Hahnloser@beehaw.org
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        4 months ago

        Nobody would put up with buying a car that only runs off gas from ExxonMobil, even with a discount. Nobody would buy a laptop that can only get an internet connection through Comcast. That so many people put up with locked phones are OK with this practice shows a lack of comparative analysis.

          • Pete Hahnloser@beehaw.org
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            4 months ago

            I’m of that particular age where my memories start just after AT&T was broken up into Baby Bells (to the extent that I thought “Ma Bell” was a weird shortening of Mountain Bell). So I know we’ve been here before.

            Tesla’s not a great example, given that their connector is now a standard. Yes, it’ll take year for other charging networks to get built out, but that’s a temporary situation that’s a tech question. Cell service is not.