Facebook says 66% of Android phones it sees have iPhone 4 era specs...

[nj1266]

Facebook says 66% of Android phones it sees have iPhone 4 era specs...

Yeah, depreciation is the key here. IPhone's typically sell for more used, but they are 'usually' more money to buy (in the past). Now, phones like the LG G3, S5, Note 4, Motorola Moto X, etc cost about the same as an iPhone 6,but will depreciate more over time. (Historically speaking, that is.)



BTW, the Nexus 4 actually did have LTE capability, but the radios were shut off in the US. A user could turn them on via root access. Not hard, but most people wouldn't have bothered to do this. On ATT at the time HSPA+ ended up being just as fast as their LTE.

As I said before this is a poor comparison. You need to compare the two best selling smartphones of 2012. This will give you a better picture of value. The two biggest sellers were the iPhone 5 and the GS3. These are the phone that people bought in massive numbers. Both were LTE equipped, both were rated the best at that time.

If you compare these two you will find that the Verizon iPhone 5 lost 62% of its value and the GS3 lost 75% of its value as of November 2014 on Swappa.

The N4 was produced by Google at a loss. It was a developer phone that was not available on the big networks. Comparing market leader phones of similar price (iPhone 5 $650, GS3 $550) would give a different picture about depreciation.

Now that Google stopped producing phones at a loss (N5 still continues) and will sell the N6 on all networks we will see how it depreciates compared to the iPhone 6 Plus.

 

[Oletros]

As I said before this is a poor comparison. You need to compare the two best selling smartphones of 2012. This will give you a better picture of value. The two biggest sellers were the iPhone 5 and the GS3. These are the phone that people bought in massive numbers. Both were LTE equipped, both were rated the best at that time.

If you compare these two you will find that the Verizon iPhone 5 lost 62% of its value and the GS3 lost 75% of its value as of November 2014 on Swappa.

The N4 was produced by Google at a loss. It was a developer phone that was not available on the big networks. Comparing market leader phones of similar price (iPhone 5 $650, GS3 $550) would give a different picture about depreciation.

Now that Google stopped producing phones at a loss (N5 still continues) and will sell the N6 on all networks we will see how it depreciates compared to the iPhone 6 Plus.

Do you have a source about Google selling those phones at a loss?

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I don't think Google operated at a loss on the N4 but I did read a couple of years ago that the margin was extremely small. It was almost a break even situation. It is not as bad as Sony with the PS3 where they were making a £30 loss per console for the first 36 months they went into production lol. The profit was covered from games development there much like Google would have recovered revenue from advertising and data outreach with the N4.

 

[nj1266]

Facebook says 66% of Android phones it sees have iPhone 4 era specs...

Do you have a source about Google selling those phones at a loss?

http://www.knowyourmobile.com/google/18895/how-and-why-google-nexus-4-so-cheap

This one says that they are either losing money or breaking even.

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Google-could-be-subsidizing-almost-400-of-the-Nexus-4-cost_id36305

This one says that Google is barely breaking even given that T-Mobile was selling the phone for $500 with no contract.

Regardless if Google was selling them at a loss or break even, my main point is that this phone is not a market leader and sold in very small quantities to compare its price structure and depreciation to an iPhone 5. The GS3 makes a better comparison.

 

[I7guy]

I own both an iPhone 6 on the latest iOS8 build and a Nexus 5 running the Android 5.0 Lollipop developer preview.

Not sure what phones your friends are using, but Android has been a joy to use since about 2 years ago with Jelly Bean. Now with Google's push into a fluid and intuitive material design aesthetic in Lollipop, I would easily put the UI on par with iOS. This is an assessment devoid of emotional bias as the iPhone is my primary device.

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Laggy bugfest? Mine has had a few force closures and there are a few UI glitches I have noticed (like the keyboard being out of view when you open it for posting on this very forum!) but that is far from being a 'laggy bugfest'.

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My Nexus 4 is now worth more than I bought it for. It has actually appreciated in value over time. Kind of puts things in perspective, huh?

You need to view iPhone's vs Android phones by how much of a percentage you lost in depreciation. You paid $500 for your iPhone 4 in 2010, while an Android phone may have only cost $300 (like say the Galaxy Nexus). You sell for $100 and the Android sells for $50. Who lost more money?

Please share the price you paid for your nexus 4. They were being given away almost for free for a while. Flagship iphones are not given away.

 

[JackieInCo]

Please share the price you paid for your nexus 4. They were being given away almost for free for a while. Flagship iphones are not given away.

I got mine free from T-Mobile. I remember I put an ad on Craigslist a few months after getting it and trying to sell it for $150. I kept getting offers for less than $100 so I just kept it. They really aren't worth much today, it's a two year old phone.

 

[TimelessOne]

I don't think Google operated at a loss on the N4 but I did read a couple of years ago that the margin was extremely small. It was almost a break even situation. It is not as bad as Sony with the PS3 where they were making a £30 loss per console for the first 36 months they went into production lol. The profit was covered from games development there much like Google would have recovered revenue from advertising and data outreach with the N4.

That or Google was selling the N4 at whole sell cost. AKA a small market up what they paid for them. Carrier put near a 100% market up on them.

 

[Lloydbm41]

Post replicated. Delete.

 

[Lloydbm41]

Please share the price you paid for your nexus 4. They were being given away almost for free for a while. Flagship iphones are not given away.

I paid $169 for mine, unlocked and contract free. That was that sale right as the Nexus 5 came out to get rid of whatever stock they had left.

Please tell us where you ever saw the Nexus 4 being sold for free or 'almost free'.
As for iphones "not given away"... well, here you go. A nice WalMart add from back in August while the 5S was still Apple's flagship. Care to explain?

 

[JackieInCo]

I paid $169 for mine, unlocked and contract free. That was that sale right as the Nexus 5 came out to get rid of whatever stock they had left.

Please tell us where you ever saw the Nexus 4 being sold for free or 'almost free'.
As for iphones "not given away"... well, here you go. A nice WalMart add from back in August while the 5S was still Apple's flagship. Care to explain?

I got mine for free from T-Mobile. One week they had it for $49 with $49 mail in rebate. The next week it was free. I got mine for free. Unlocked as Nexus 4s are.

 

[I7guy]

I paid $169 for mine, unlocked and contract free. That was that sale right as the Nexus 5 came out to get rid of whatever stock they had left.

Please tell us where you ever saw the Nexus 4 being sold for free or 'almost free'.
As for iphones "not given away"... well, here you go. A nice WalMart add from back in August while the 5S was still Apple's flagship. Care to explain?

Google nexus 4 prices. As far as that ad the iPhone 6 was being released in 3 minutes this happens every year 30 seconds before the next model release. Show me the same ad from September 2013 And you gain some credibility.

 

[Johnick]

Guess majority of Android's market share comes largely from the cheap/low-end market. That and/or people are simply refusing to upgrade despite the wealth of options available.

My daily drivers are a Moto G 4G (8GB with a 32MB SDCard), and a 16GB 5th Gen iPod Touch. The Moto G is easily the best bang for buck smart phone from a reputable manufacturer you can get right now, it comes with Kit Kat and is guaranteed Lollipop before the end of the year.

The 5th Gen iPod Touch is basically iPhone 5 with an iPhone 4s processor that cant make calls, but still runs the latest version of iOS, and I tether it from my Moto G when I'm not at home.

8 GB Moto G 4G = $199 - $180 if you shop around
16GB iPod Touch = $199 - $170 for the old no rear camera version

For $350 - $399 you get the best of both worlds, Android and iOS, compared to

8GB iPhone 5C = $450

For up to $100 more you get a better rear camera, and ..... that's about it, no brainer for me really.

 

[Lloydbm41]

Google nexus 4 prices. As far as that ad the iPhone 6 was being released in 3 minutes this happens every year 30 seconds before the next model release. Show me the same ad from September 2013 And you gain some credibility.

the ad is from August. I bought one of the first iPhone 6's in mid-Sept. A month and a few minutes a very different time frames in this reality.

Of course this is getting tiresome. I give evidence to show someone is wrong and then they come up with another excuse and tap dance around their previous statement.

If you want to live in la-la land, fine. Enjoy.

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I got mine for free from T-Mobile. One week they had it for $49 with $49 mail in rebate. The next week it was free. I got mine for free. Unlocked as Nexus 4s are.

Good deal. I would have snapped that up, but never saw that sort of deal where I live.

 

[I7guy]

the ad is from August. I bought one of the first iPhone 6's in mid-Sept. A month and a few minutes a very different time frames in this reality.

Of course this is getting tiresome. I give evidence to show someone is wrong and then they come up with another excuse and tap dance around their previous statement.

If you want to live in la-la land, fine. Enjoy.

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Good deal. I would have snapped that up, but never saw that sort of deal where I live.

It is tiresome, you pick a timeframe when the iPhone 6 was on the horizon: show me where the iPhone 6 flagship is discounted a major amount and you win some points.

Next August the iPhone 6 will be steeply discounted as well as the hubris over the 6s starts. Do you really need a crystal ball for that?

 

[Oletros]

It is tiresome, you pick a timeframe when the iPhone 6 was on the horizon: show me where the iPhone 6 flagship is discounted a major amount and you win some points.

Next August the iPhone 6 will be steeply discounted as well as the hubris over the 6s starts. Do you really need a crystal ball for that?

Can you say where the heck as the Nexus 4 free or almost free or not?

Do you need a crystall ball for that or it is just that it was a wrong claim?

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I got mine for free from T-Mobile. One week they had it for $49 with $49 mail in rebate. The next week it was free. I got mine for free. Unlocked as Nexus 4s are.

Free without contract?

 

[I7guy]

Can you say where the heck as the Nexus 4 free or almost free or not?

Do you need a crystall ball for that or it is just that it was a wrong claim?

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Free without contract?

Maybe it was a bogo? Retailers dont give away phones without something.