Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
Sounds as though prices are pretty similar - that's more or less what we'd pay for a comparable plan here.
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The thing is that in the UK, you can also get a Pay as you go plan from any of the carriers and switch to a new one when a better offer comes about as long as you buy an unlocked version.
From what I understand, even if you buy a unsubsidised model you have to choose one carrier and are stuck to that carrier for the life of the device. Personally if I'm paying full price I like the flexibility to switch, or use a local SIM when travelling
Quote:
Originally Posted by tubemonkey
Prices definitely need to come down. Tablets should be treated like netbooks, and not smart phones. Forced contracts and/or data plans coupled with high prices are a deal breaker for me.
I'm watching the show to see how things shake out, but in the meantime, I'm very much enjoying my $250 Nook Color with free unlimited data.  |
I guess I'm biased, but always having bought unsubsidised phones, the ticket price while high is not a complete shock to me. I do however agree that if you pay full price for a device, you should not have to get a contract, something US carriers seem loath to do.
As for comparison to netbooks and smartphones, I think it would be difficult to do so as most tablets in the market are running Mobile OS's and have 3G connection, so the comparison to smart phones is going to happen. In case of the Tab, The Internals are virtually identical to the Galaxy S series of Smartphones except for screen size and battery life so it does make sense.
Also, if youve ever bought a Laptop or Netbook with built in 3G, you'll see that requiring contracts is pretty common. While I believe that has not been too popular in the US, I remember seeing a lot of such offers in the UK.