PM Phones...

[Barryere]

Hi, I'm wondering if PM will offer phones of any sort in the future.

I know that the service is here to save you money and part of that is why PM doesn't offer this kind of service, however, other carriers such as Chatr and Lucky offer phones.

To be clear, I have a phone and believe me when I say that no matter what phone I buy to try to replace what I have, I'm never satisfied. I just think it would be nice if PM offered phones especially for those of us that don't have one (no phone in this world...? imagine that). I don't intend to leave PM for the foreseeable future.

If at all curious; I have a Galaxy Note 3 running android Pie. What I find very difficult about replacing it, is the simple fact that despite its sluggishness it gets what I do on it done* and it has a 1080p display (1080p displays with a 16:9 aspect ratio is hard to find on new phones).

* Calls/texts/light browsing/YouTube

[BEER]

---

@TheOldVR wrote:

Considering the target market and price point for PM, I would suggest that they stay away from the hardware business.

Why bother? Peeps will ask for discounts, will want to call in to complain and ask for more discounts, and then the support issues..... not worth the effort for a plan that is $8 a month after autopay.

Just my 2 cents.... but then again, I have a hard time spending over $ used iPhones with fu1000 for a phone that has a one year warranty.

---

Yes - especially when one can buy a Macbook air for around $1200 - Have been buying used iPhones that still have Apple care warranty remaining.   Apple has super good customer service - twice now I have bought used iPhones with apple care and have visited an Apple store complaining that the battery is not as good as it used to be and twice without any further questions they just replaced the phone with a brand new one --- 

[GinYVR]

@Anonymous The same thing with tabs.. it is a leasing business at about ~6%+ It is all about revenue stream. PM basically crowd source the call centre business so we can save a buck or two every month!

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

@Barryere wrote:

---

@liuxinbing wrote:

I think PM is doing and going the right way. Carriers only sell plans, leave phones to retailers.

Think about if Rogers & Bell sell TVs locked to themselves; sell computers locked to their internet.

---

Your speculation may very well be the future. At the rate that things change and how restricted things become and all the clauses.

One of the reasons I came back to PM from Fido is because Fido has introduced fees for calling into the call center even though I was paying over $60/mo for my service. That's greed and there is not a **bleep** thing anyone can tell me that'll change my view on that.

---

Well...that is their raison d'être. Make. Money. There's no other reason for their existence.

Same here at this place. This place doesn't spend money on people sitting around waiting in a call centre. Some people feel they just gotta have someone to talk to about their service problems. So, like you from Fido, they would choose to go elsewhere.

---

[JackQuint]

---

@TheOldVR wrote:

---

@JackQuint wrote:

Back to the OP, I haven't bought a phone on a plan or a "tab" for years. Rather pay the carrier for the plan and pick my phone (and change it) when and how I see fit.

However, when you ask why doesn't PM offer phones like Chatr or Lucky? Why would anyone buy any of those phones, especially for the price? Better to get a better phone refurbished than to buy something like one of those.

---

100% agreed!!!!

My latest thing is just buying phones 6-12 months after they are released, by that time you are saving close to 50% off the launch price (which is crazy... and does not apply to iPhones).

Rrrrrraaaaaaaappptttttooooorrrrrrrssssssss!!!!!

---

I'm in a bit of a unique position in that my employer provides me with a perq account that must be used for "work-related" technology. As a result, I've been treating myself to a new phone every year (last three have been a Moto Z, S8+, and now a Pixel 3). Those phones are not on PM as it does not meet my needs.

The phone I have on PM is simply a CarPlay device and I paid >$100 for it on craigslist (iPhone 5s). 

[Anonymous]

---

@Barryere wrote:

The one I might be getting is $200, perhaps a touch of irony but about a year ago I got my Note 3 for $200. I've kinda bought and sold a bunch of Note 3's throughout the last 5 years.

I wouldn't mind a repair shop repairing a device only because the warranty is for a lifetime.

---

Oh ok...that's about what I paid.

[Barryere]

The one I might be getting is $200, perhaps a touch of irony but about a year ago I got my Note 3 for $200. I've kinda bought and sold a bunch of Note 3's throughout the last 5 years.

I wouldn't mind a repair shop repairing a device only because the warranty is for a lifetime.

[Anonymous]

---

@Barryere wrote:

Funny you should mention the S7... I may be getting one today and hopefully it's worth it.

---

I got mine used from a repair store. Probably paid too much for it but at least there was a bit of a warranty and not some unknown off kijiji. But it wasn't 1500 bucks!

[TheOldVR]

Cool - how much do they go for now days?

[Barryere]

Funny you should mention the S7... I may be getting one today and hopefully it's worth it.

[Anonymous]

---

@Barryere wrote:

Well, I already stated that I have a Galaxy Note 3 and for those that are unaware... it's a flagship of 2013.

---

Yeah...and I still use the Blackberry OS10 flagship Z30 from 2013. But it's close to being retired. I also have an S7 that is a whole other world that I will likely be moving in to. Vastly better than my old LG 2.3 something or other that I used to have.

[Barryere]

Well, I already stated that I have a Galaxy Note 3 and for those that are unaware... it's a flagship of 2013.

[TheOldVR]

---

@JackQuint wrote:

Back to the OP, I haven't bought a phone on a plan or a "tab" for years. Rather pay the carrier for the plan and pick my phone (and change it) when and how I see fit.

However, when you ask why doesn't PM offer phones like Chatr or Lucky? Why would anyone buy any of those phones, especially for the price? Better to get a better phone refurbished than to buy something like one of those.

---

100% agreed!!!!

My latest thing is just buying phones 6-12 months after they are released, by that time you are saving close to 50% off the launch price (which is crazy... and does not apply to iPhones).

Rrrrrraaaaaaaappptttttooooorrrrrrrssssssss!!!!!

[JackQuint]

Back to the OP, I haven't bought a phone on a plan or a "tab" for years. Rather pay the carrier for the plan and pick my phone (and change it) when and how I see fit.

However, when you ask why doesn't PM offer phones like Chatr or Lucky? Why would anyone buy any of those phones, especially for the price? Better to get a better phone refurbished than to buy something like one of those.

[TheOldVR]

Considering the target market and price point for PM, I would suggest that they stay away from the hardware business.

Why bother? Peeps will ask for discounts, will want to call in to complain and ask for more discounts, and then the support issues..... not worth the effort for a plan that is $8 a month after autopay.

Just my 2 cents.... but then again, I have a hard time spending over $1000 for a phone that has a one year warranty.

[Barryere]

---

@BEER wrote:

---

@Barryere wrote:

---

@liuxinbing wrote:

I think PM is doing and going the right way. Carriers only sell plans, leave phones to retailers.

Think about if Rogers & Bell sell TVs locked to themselves; sell computers locked to their internet.

---

Your speculation may very well be the future. At the rate that things change and how restricted things become and all the clauses.

One of the reasons I came back to PM from Fido is because Fido has introduced fees for calling into the call center even though I was paying over $60/mo for my service. That's greed and there is not a **bleep** thing anyone can tell me that'll change my view on that.

---

Just perhaps PM with their "self Help" set-up is way ahead of the rest. Fido introducing fees for speaking to live persons is the beginings of eliminating paid persons and going to self help. Notice that just about all retailers are trying to eliminate personel and encouraging "self Help" systems ---- such as for example, Walmart, Ikea, and other chains encouraging self check out.

---

I'm aware of that.

We are slowly transitioning to a society wherein help is an automated machine and to speak with a real person costs money. Businesses only want technicians that can fix machines and leave the rest to the machines.

I see the world as a giant conveyer belt; present and future.

[BEER]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

@Triguy wrote:

If PM sold phone

---

Well of course. You can bring your own phone to other providers too and pay less per month.

It's the insatiable desire of some to have the latest gadget and to keep up with the joneses that drives the monthly cost. These new phones are insanely expensive to think of buying up front. So people are basically getting 2 year loans added on to the service cost to get the latest doodad because they don't have the available cash to buy it up front. And it used to be 3 years. People complained. Well duh. If you're buying the phone, it has to be paid for somehow. So now it's 2 years and so that same phone cost is higher now because it's divided out to a shorter term.

---

Also to be considered - Committing to a 2 or 3 year payment plan in order to have the latest at the time features  is very short lived.  The reason being that within at most 6 months newer phone models will be introduced and then sadly  one will be stuck with an older model worth less then 1/2 the value of the balance owed for the rest of the term.

[BEER]

---

@Barryere wrote:

---

@liuxinbing wrote:

I think PM is doing and going the right way. Carriers only sell plans, leave phones to retailers.

Think about if Rogers & Bell sell TVs locked to themselves; sell computers locked to their internet.

---

Your speculation may very well be the future. At the rate that things change and how restricted things become and all the clauses.

One of the reasons I came back to PM from Fido is because Fido has introduced fees for calling into the call center even though I was paying over $60/mo for my service. That's greed and there is not a **bleep** thing anyone can tell me that'll change my view on that.

---

Just perhaps PM with their "self Help" set-up is way ahead of the rest. Fido introducing fees for speaking to live persons is the beginings of eliminating paid persons and going to self help. Notice that just about all retailers are trying to eliminate personel and encouraging "self Help" systems ---- such as for example, Walmart, Ikea, and other chains encouraging self check out.

[Anonymous]

---

@Triguy wrote:

If PM sold phones then the cost would get added to your bill.  The price advantage over other providers would be gone.  Nowadays there are many retailers and online website sites that sell unlocked phones so it is easier to purchase them.  I believe in Europe most providers allow you to purchase a sim and you can use an unlocked phone so you can choose which provider you want.

---

Well of course. You can bring your own phone to other providers too and pay less per month.

It's the insatiable desire of some to have the latest gadget and to keep up with the joneses that drives the monthly cost. These new phones are insanely expensive to think of buying up front. So people are basically getting 2 year loans added on to the service cost to get the latest doodad because they don't have the available cash to buy it up front. And it used to be 3 years. People complained. Well duh. If you're buying the phone, it has to be paid for somehow. So now it's 2 years and so that same phone cost is higher now because it's divided out to a shorter term.

[Triguy]

If PM sold phones then the cost would get added to your bill.  The price advantage over other providers would be gone.  Nowadays there are many retailers and online website sites that sell unlocked phones so it is easier to purchase them.  I believe in Europe most providers allow you to purchase a sim and you can use an unlocked phone so you can choose which provider you want.

[Barryere]

$1,898 (S9, medium tab, $100 upfront), $2,440 (S10e, large tab)

These are the examples I'm using as these are the phones I was looking at, at the time.

[Anonymous]

 @Barryere 

As this is descending into a philosophical discussion I suppose I should stop. But I like engaging. 🙂

I only think of us as the money supply to a business. Our activities and information are the commodities.

I'm not sure how you come to your annual math. $2400/year is $200 per month. I don't think anyone is paying that anywhere. Your example would be $1080 per year. Maybe you meant over the course of the 2 years and a little rough rounding up.

[Barryere]

I understand that at the end of the day it is all business and business is all about making money, I and everyone else are commodities.

I hardly use my phone so I'm alright paying almost nothing a month for a phone plan, I can't bring myself to pay $60 for something I hardly use - I use the data mostly.

Even if I made lots of calls, I would like to think that $60 is still quite a bit... I mean, putting myself aside, many people pay more than $60/mo, lets say $80-90 because they have a phone on a tab for 2 years. That's roughly $2200-$2400/yr. It is at that point where you aren't just paying for a way to contact people, you are paying for a computer that fits in your pocket and is designed for convenience and advertising.

Just yesterday I was going to pay $80/mo to get an S9 on a term and I ended up cancelling and switching over to PM. My brother said "I'm glad you came to your senses."

[Anonymous]

---

@Barryere wrote:

---

@liuxinbing wrote:

I think PM is doing and going the right way. Carriers only sell plans, leave phones to retailers.

Think about if Rogers & Bell sell TVs locked to themselves; sell computers locked to their internet.

---

Your speculation may very well be the future. At the rate that things change and how restricted things become and all the clauses.

One of the reasons I came back to PM from Fido is because Fido has introduced fees for calling into the call center even though I was paying over $60/mo for my service. That's greed and there is not a **bleep** thing anyone can tell me that'll change my view on that.

---

Well...that is their raison d'être. Make. Money. There's no other reason for their existence.

Same here at this place. This place doesn't spend money on people sitting around waiting in a call centre. Some people feel they just gotta have someone to talk to about their service problems. So, like you from Fido, they would choose to go elsewhere.

[Barryere]

---

@liuxinbing wrote:

I think PM is doing and going the right way. Carriers only sell plans, leave phones to retailers.

Think about if Rogers & Bell sell TVs locked to themselves; sell computers locked to their internet.

---

Your speculation may very well be the future. At the rate that things change and how restricted things become and all the clauses.

One of the reasons I came back to PM from Fido is because Fido has introduced fees for calling into the call center even though I was paying over $60/mo for my service. That's greed and there is not a **bleep** thing anyone can tell me that'll change my view on that.

[liuxinbing]

I think PM is doing and going the right way. Carriers only sell plans, leave phones to retailers.

Think about if Rogers & Bell sell TVs locked to themselves; sell computers locked to their internet.

[Barryere]

---

@Dunkman wrote:

@Barryere 

Public mobile did offer phone in the begining from my understanding.  But, PM has not offered phone for the last while.  I guess to lower costs of the plans.  I doubt that in the future PM will offer plans, but I have no inside information  

If you are looking for a cheaper phone, some communtiy members here can offer advice on that if you want.  

---

I'm quite tech savvy, I've been looking and looking for years. No matter what I find, my Note 3 just gets the job done and never falls short.

[Dunkman]

@Barryere 

Public mobile did offer phone in the begining from my understanding.  But, PM has not offered phone for the last while.  I guess to lower costs of the plans.  I doubt that in the future PM will offer plans, but I have no inside information  

If you are looking for a cheaper phone, some communtiy members here can offer advice on that if you want.