About an hour ago I bought a Google Nexus 5, the 32GB one in black. It was $399… for a phone. I’ve showered and I still dirty and sick about it… but I am pretty sure I’d do it again.
I’ve been rocking a HP Pre 3 running webOS for about 18 months now. It’s the perfect device for me. From the wireless charging, to the Synergy of combining all my email accounts, to the multitasking, notifications, gestures and the slide-out physical keyboard for one-handed use while walking the dog, it’s perfect.
… except for the 2011 technology makes it slow, and the bug that makes it reload every 20 seconds (making you wait another minute for your next 20 second reading window), and the 12 apps that are still supported on the platform, and the way it reboots at random times, and the lack of turn-by-turn navigation software for it, and a camera so bad that I ask other people to take pictures and send them to me.
In short, it was time for a new phone. Most of the world would go to AT&T or Verizon and get an iPhone or a Galaxy for a subsidized price of $199. That’s the kind of money you don’t have to shower yourself over. However, it comes with a catch… signing a contract for two years that can run $80-$100 a month. Over that time, the total cost of the phone comes to around $2200. Alternatively, my StraightTalk plan runs me about $42 a month putting me at a two year price of around $1400.
I’m trying to talk myself into believing it is an $800 savings, but it isn’t working. Why? Because I was already saving that money with my previous phone. I’m trying to talk myself into the fact that I’ll be more productive, but somewhere I get the feeling that it will translate to reading more articles about the Patriots (and for the first time in a dozen years, most of those articles aren’t rosy).
I am able to convince myself that I’ll take more pictures of my son, the one now and the one coming. I’m able to convince myself that I’ll get software set up so that if my websites get taken down, I have a reasonable shot at getting them up without my laptop. I’m able to convince myself that the longer battery use (17 hours of talk time sounds unbelievable) will be a godsend when I travel (which is rare).
I’m able to convince myself that I’ll probably be able to sell my old Pre 3 on Ebay for around $100. Plus when it’s time to upgrade my Nexus 5 in a few years, I’ll probably still get $150 or so for it.
Finally, I’m able to convince myself that while it does seem crazy to spend $400 for a phone, making myself feel sick over it doesn’t make sense… especially with how important technology is to me and my business.
Oh good! I thought I was the only one who endlessly went back and fourth about whether to upgrade a “dumb” phone to a smartphone. I have the same inner monologue — subsidized with contract vs. non-subsidized, etc. Right now I don’t have an internet plan on my phone and my life is just fine. But one day I’ll probably break down and get a smartphone and internet plan and then weep just a little whenever I pay my cell phone bill.
The reality is that you will likely be happier with this phone than your prior phone. It’s okay to give into gadget envy every once in awhile. $300 net is not going to make or break you! Enjoy the phone.
You are right, Poker Meister. My existing phone had a couple of problems yesterday and that certainly helped make me feel better about my decision.
Ah yes, the post-phone-purchase guilt trip. I bought a 16MB N5 the day it was released and am also feeling the same way. But you know what I keep telling myself? It’s still FAR less than the $600-$650 for an unlocked HTC One or Galaxy S4…so that’s what I’ve been telling myself.
The growing number of apps available will make it worth it. Your productivity is not just affected by improvements to what you already have and use, but by the other things you weren’t able to do on the older OS. Palm really made a great line of products at one time, I’ve had two and supported several. This year my teens are being upgraded to iphones because I can control them with a parental control app and we can all share a family calendar. THAT has enormous value with two different age levels of sports, and with scouts and church and school activities. We all have access to the grocery list. I can control the audio content by not allowing a sync with any machines other than my own. They have proven responsibility in using technology and not losing their dumbphones. You won’t have that to deal with for a while but you and your wife being able to share resources can be a huge blessing! (although my husband constantly “forgets” that his phone has a calendar. Enjoy the phone–you really will be more productive when you explore the apps that will make that possible.