The Death of E-Readers Is All Your Fault

[Ti-Ron]

Originally Posted by tompe

Well, it depends of how much of that goes towards the cost of the phone.

Using USD I pay $30 for data (up to 10G/Month without restrictions) and $11-15 for voice not using voice very much.

But buying a phone every second or third year is around $700 (so that is $30 per month for 24 months interval). So monthly cost $75.

So depending on what phone you get for the cost I would say that $67 CAD is not expensive.

Sadly, in Canada, there's no difference if you buy the phone by yourself and get a plan or if you take it with the contract. There's a collective action (sorry, my english is not good enough, but when alot of people get together to get a court judgment) about hat as we speak.

[auspex]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

I have the unfortunate habit of window shopping for books with my Kindle, when I'm bored I go to the Kindle shop and most of the time I walk away with a little sumthinsumthin.

And that's why it's a bad idea to have wifi! I process all my books through Calibre, so would just as soon not have the wifi. And, probably like every other person here, I already have more books on my Kobo than I'll ever actually get to, anyway.

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by Ti-Ron

Sadly, in Canada, there's no difference if you buy the phone by yourself and get a plan or if you take it with the contract. There's a collective action (sorry, my english is not good enough, but when alot of people get together to get a court judgment) about hat as we speak.

Off topic:
The phrase you're looking for is probably "class action lawsuit."

[auspex]

Originally Posted by Ankh

I have not found a service provider in Canada that offers a "sim-only" discount. Buying your own phone is rarely used option, mainly for prepaid plans, or when you lose your phone (and are in the middle of contract).

Not really. I've been using Virgin Mobile. I think Koodo has the same system. You buy a phone on "the tab" - and they don't actually make you pay for it up front. They deduct 10% of your bill from the value of the phone every month, and if you need a new phone before the tab reaches zero, you have to pay the difference (I did). The important thing is that you're not locked into a contract. The phones are locked, but I unlocked mine for $15 and took it to Europe and bought a SIM card in Spain. I could have bought a phone outright, but couldn't see it being any cheaper (and most of the available phones are Chinese knockoffs that may, or may not, be as reliable as the phones they've copied).

What would 1GB data cost? $60/mo.

I'm currently paying about $20/month for the phone, $30 /mo for 200MB data (I'll use most of it), unlimited text and 150 minutes talk.

I do put books on the phone, but far prefer to read on my Kobo.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by tompe

I would actually save $10 if I took data with 1G unlimited and then band width restrictions. Funny that the costs was so similar.

I have the smallest data allowance offered (I'm with Vodafone). Given that I've never exceeded about 200MB in a month, it's more than enough for me.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I have the smallest data allowance offered (I'm with Vodafone). Given that I've never exceeded about 200MB in a month, it's more than enough for me.

If I download podcasts using 3G I end up with 1-2 Gig. Otherwise it is much lower. But sometimes my home network breaks during a weekend and then it is good to have a lot of data when you use the phone as an access point.

[Ti-Ron]

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

Off topic:
The phrase you're looking for is probably "class action lawsuit."

Bingo! Thanks for the info!

[Ti-Ron]

Originally Posted by auspex

What would 1GB data cost? $60/mo.

I'm currently paying about $20/month for the phone, $30 /mo for 200MB data (I'll use most of it), unlimited text and 150 minutes talk.

I do put books on the phone, but far prefer to read on my Kobo.

I prefer to read on my Kobo too. I use my data plan when I'm on business trip. I go back and forth between two big cities (Mtl-Qc) almost everyweek via bus. I read, sleep and listen to music, but I have to admit, it's fun to navigate between different forums (MR and many guitars gear related forum) and facebook during the trip!

[Ankh]

Originally Posted by auspex

Not really. I've been using Virgin Mobile. I think Koodo has the same system. You buy a phone on "the tab" - and they don't actually make you pay for it up front. They deduct 10% of your bill from the value of the phone every month, and if you need a new phone before the tab reaches zero, you have to pay the difference (I did).

But, auspex, that "deduction" from the tab, it isn't free. If there was no "tab" system whatsoever, but we had an option of pure "BYO phone", the service should be cheaper, no?

And that is what I said, I found no service where they offer a "sim-only" discount. None of them tells us "it costs X dollars with phone purchase plan, Y dollars if you bring your own phone".

[tompe]

Originally Posted by Ankh

But, auspex, that "deduction" from the tab, it isn't free. If there was no "tab" system whatsoever, but we had an option of pure "BYO phone", the service should be cheaper, no?

And that is what I said, I found no service where they offer a "sim-only" discount. None of them tells us "it costs X dollars with phone purchase plan, Y dollars if you bring your own phone".

Why would the service be cheaper? Usually when you get a phone with your data/void plan the phone is locked to the company so you get it a bit cheaper. If you buy your own phone you have more freedom to change phone company and the data/voice plan is more expansive.

In Sweden the cost is the same or the sim-only option is more expensive.

[Namekuseijin]

I have AB SW and ebooks on the same device. AB SW is used for occasional breaks between reading...

focus is something that comes with age

[Ankh]

Originally Posted by tompe

Why would the service be cheaper?

The service would be cheaper because the cost of phone (however small it is) is eliminated from the picture.

Now, this could happen only in fiercely competitive market where service providers have to fight for each and every customer. From everything that is said it seems to me obvious that neither Sweden, nor Canada, are blessed with that situation.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by Ankh

The service would be cheaper because the cost of phone (however small it is) is eliminated from the picture.

Now, this could happen only in fiercely competitive market where service providers have to fight for each and every customer. From everything that is said it seems to me obvious that neither Sweden, nor Canada, are blessed with that situation.

They fight top get customer and lock them in. So it is cheaper when you become locked in. Why should it be cheaper when there is no lockin?

And of course a sim card without phone does not cost as much as a simcard with a phone. But if you buy the simcard together with a phone the non-phone cost is usually the same or cheaper than buying just a sim card. Which is perfectly reasonable since when you buy a simcard you can change the service provider whenever you want if you have an unlocked phone.

[Ankh]

Originally Posted by tompe

They fight top get customer and lock them in. So it is cheaper when you become locked in. Why should it be cheaper when there is no lockin?

Lock-in of the customer can not be achieved without selling him a locked-in phone. However inexpensive are the phones that service provider can get, they are not free.

So, plans with "0$ phones", tabs, purchase plans, discounts... it all amounts to this: service provider can get away with requirement for "sim only" customer to pay a premium, so that plans with locked-in devices are offered at par or cheaper. If they were pushed by the competition, that desire to force lock-in on customers would go away. Better a customer that is not locked in than no customer at all.

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by Ankh

Lock-in of the customer can not be achieved without selling him a locked-in phone.

Lock-in of customer can be achieved by minimum contract terms.