Paying More for a Prepaid Smartphone

(NYC)

I would pay $200 - $300 for a prepaid smarpthone in order to avoid a contract. I know this sounds like a lot of money, but when you think about it, it's really not. Most postpaid carriers charge between $150 and $250 dollars for their high end smartphones (ex. Android phones and Blackberries). So why wouldn't I pay the same or a little more to avoid a contract? Really, what's the point in paying $200 for a smartphone on a postpaid plan that locks you in for two or three years. It really doesn't seem to make any sense anymore at all. I really don't want my wireless provider to dictate when I can upgrade my phone for an affordable price. It just doesn't make sense!


Also, prepaid unlimited plans are usually cheaper and include most of the same features these days. And a lot of features that used to be available only a postpaid (ex. GPS turn-by-turn navigation) are now available on prepaid whether built into the phone, or available as a download (ex. Google Maps on Android). Not to mention that coverage has become virtually the same across postpaid and prepaid carriers.


I have to admit though that often for the same price on postpaid and prepaid, you're getting a less quality phone on prepaid. But nowadays the features on smartphones are so competitive and similar that the differences aren't often that critical. Maybe it's a cheaper plastic casing, or a slightly lower quality camera, or a slower processor. But all in all, they're really not all that different when it comes down to daily use. And month by month the phones get better and better. What used to be a high end smartphone on postpaid becomes a mid or low end phone on postpaid or prepaid not even 6 months later.


It's really amazing how far prepaid has come, and I can't wait to save money using a prepaid smartphone!