# How much is your mobile phone really costing you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 7, 2018, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-is-your-mobile-phone-really-costing-you/824123 "2018-11-07T10:32:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-is-your-mobile-phone-really-costing-you/824123/1 "2018-11-07T10:32:06Z")
There’s a bit of a clickbait article [here](https://flipsy.com/article/2729/75000-cell-phone-bill-5300-iphone-will-smartphones-rob-retirement). While mobile phones cost a lot, it’s the service package that really costs you. Apparently you Yanks average $80 a month. And over the long term that really adds up. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-is-your-mobile-phone-really-costing-you/824123/2 "2018-11-07T11:49:51Z")
Fuckers at Verizon added a service package to my phone after I specifically declined it. It’s $300 – I’ll buy a new one if I break it. They did refund the charges but I had to waste time calling them. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-is-your-mobile-phone-really-costing-you/824123/3 "2018-11-07T12:17:08Z")
I have a pay-by-minute dumbphone and pay $10-$20 a month. I bought an old iPhone off someone but it only gets WiFi. I’m looking to replace it with a new Android and I will if I can find a relatively cheap one that will fit in my pocket and still have enough hard drive space to store my songs. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-is-your-mobile-phone-really-costing-you/824123/4 "2018-11-07T12:35:42Z")
And people wonder why I’m still using my stupidphone… much cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-is-your-mobile-phone-really-costing-you/824123/5 "2018-11-07T13:01:39Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > And people wonder why I’m still using my stupidphone… much cheaper. Yet, does only a fraction of a percent of what a decent smart phone can do. My phone cost about $1300 and the unlimited 4G LTE connection costs me about $80 a month. I probably average one or two actual cellular phone calls with it per month. On top of that, I might make about 8-10 VOIP (Skype) calls with it to the states. I probably receive a half dozen calls a month. However, the email, share drive access, calendar sync, note taking, GPS, wireless hotspot function, information lookup, web-based entertainment and social media, streaming music in my car, streaming movies and videos, playing games, messaging, etc., all of that is used constantly. The service fee is invaluable to my efficiency at work, and increases my quality of life dramatically. When factoring in the month saved through productivity increases, improvements of efficiency, and stress reduction another good question for many people would be, “What would _not_ having a mobile phone cost you?” ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-is-your-mobile-phone-really-costing-you/824123/6 "2018-11-07T13:05:57Z")
I have a Family Plan with me, my gf, my son, and my daughter. We all have smartphones and the bill is $311 a month. It’s an ok deal. My daughter’s fiancé has a phone as part of _his_ dad’s Family Plan. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-is-your-mobile-phone-really-costing-you/824123/7 "2018-11-07T13:14:45Z")
I have a SIM-less Android phone that I use for anything that can be done over WiFi and a dumbTracFone that I use for SMS and voice that costs me 20 bucks every 3 months. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-is-your-mobile-phone-really-costing-you/824123/8 "2018-11-07T13:46:38Z")
I have a pre-paid plan. I renew once every 15 months\* for less than $70. And I don’t come close to using all the minutes so I’m rolling over a bunch. Regarding the phone: got a close out deal from one carrier for really cheap. Replaced the MB with one from the corresponding unlocked phone from another carrier off eBay. Got the plan from a third carrier which uses the system of a 4th carrier. It’s a Frankenphone. I call it “Abbie Normal”. All told about $50. (Bought 2 spares as well for parts. Which I just recently used when my screen got screwed up.) - The deal is you renew for 3 months, they offer a 12 month extension for cheap. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-is-your-mobile-phone-really-costing-you/824123/9 "2018-11-07T15:04:36Z")
Pay-as-you-go cheapie flip-phone - $100/year. It’s 10¢ per minute or 20¢ per text sent or received. I need to text more because I’m accumulating too much on the account - I have to add to it whether I use it or not each quarter. It’s still cheaper than any other plan I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-is-your-mobile-phone-really-costing-you/824123/10 "2018-11-07T15:08:30Z")
I’m a disabled senior citizen living alone. The government gave me a free phone and I pay nothing for it every month. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-is-your-mobile-phone-really-costing-you/824123/11 "2018-11-07T15:27:24Z")
Whatever it costs, it’s worth it. I’m constantly blown away by what my iPhone can accomplish. My kid need $50 while in on vacation is Lisbon? Done. Need an Uber in D.C.? Done. Who was Baltimore’s fourth 20 game winner that year? Done. I can take and send a photo to anyone anywhere. Plus email, texting, and GPS. And it can do all kinds of things I’m not even using, like music, games, and Facebook. My phone is probably more useful to me than my car. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-is-your-mobile-phone-really-costing-you/824123/12 "2018-11-07T15:41:03Z")
My wife and I use Pixel 2’s on the Google Fi network. Our average bill for both phones has been $50 ($25/month/phone). You only pay for the data you use and we use them almost entirely on wifi. The only time this changes is when we travel. We took a week-long trip and our bill jumped to $80. So, if you don’t use much mobile data, Fi is a great deal. ---
**Author:** ![EscAlaMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/escalamike/32/4177_2.png) [@EscAlaMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EscAlaMike)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-is-your-mobile-phone-really-costing-you/824123/13 "2018-11-07T15:48:05Z")
I use Tracfone. $100 for a year of service. There is a limit on data, calls, and texts, but I’ve never hit it. ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-is-your-mobile-phone-really-costing-you/824123/14 "2018-11-07T15:54:05Z")
UK user here. I have an unlocked smartphone i got without contract and pay £7.50 (roughly $10) a month for 2GB data, 250 minutes and unlimited SMS. I can cancel/upgrade/downgrade any time I want. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-is-your-mobile-phone-really-costing-you/824123/15 "2018-11-07T15:59:45Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Pay-as-you-go cheapie flip-phone - $100/year. It’s 10¢ per minute or 20¢ per text sent or received. I need to text more because I’m accumulating too much on the account - I have to add to it whether I use it or not each quarter. It’s still cheaper than any other plan I’ve ever seen. Pretty much the same deal here. I used to have to pay extra when I was texting the Firebug’s babysitters frequently, but my usage has settled down since he aged out of having babysitters. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-is-your-mobile-phone-really-costing-you/824123/16 "2018-11-07T16:03:10Z")
> [@ticker](#): > > UK user here. I have an unlocked smartphone i got without contract and pay £7.50 (roughly $10) a month for 2GB data, 250 minutes and unlimited SMS. I can cancel/upgrade/downgrade any time I want. UK here as well, I bought a moto G6 play for £160 unlocked and pay £11 a month for unlimited calls, unlimited texts and 4gb of data. I confess the USA costs I hear about sound very expensive. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-is-your-mobile-phone-really-costing-you/824123/17 "2018-11-07T16:04:56Z")
$26 a month for me, unlimited text and talk, 2 GB data. I don’t finance phones, when I’m ready for an upgrade I buy whatever used but excellent condition Android is good on eBay for $125 or so. So far I’ve had a Moto Photon, Galaxy S4, Galaxy S5, and Galaxy Note 4. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-is-your-mobile-phone-really-costing-you/824123/18 "2018-11-07T16:26:06Z")
Unlimited talk, texts, and 4G LTE data, two lines for $60 a month total. Her phone cost about $250, mine was $300. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-is-your-mobile-phone-really-costing-you/824123/19 "2018-11-07T16:47:18Z")
Yep, I’m in the group that paid more for my phone than I’ll pay for service over the next decade. New iPhone 10s Max with a cheap pay-as-you-go plan. With wi-fi darned near everywhere now and the Rise of Texting there’s little reason to pay for a phone plan (I’ve talked on it once since the phone came out). ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-is-your-mobile-phone-really-costing-you/824123/20 "2018-11-07T17:29:42Z")
I bought my phone when I switched providers. $125 or so. Then I pay $35 a month after taxes and fees. Whenever someone says switch, I ask if they can charge me less. The slink away. The best deals are: 1. Buy your own phone. “Free” phones are more expensive, since basically you took out a loan on them and have to pay interest. 2. Phone services is a commodity. Buy whatever costs less and still covers your calling area. 3. Most cheap smart phones are not appreciably worse than the expensive ones. I have an LG. It makes calls, connects to the Internet, takes pictures and does everything that a phone that costs five times as much does – just with fewer bells and whistles I’d never use anyway. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-is-your-mobile-phone-really-costing-you/824123.md?page=2)