tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3842357309481615356.post616918572973015659..comments2022-12-02T04:27:53.961-05:00Comments on economITech: Who are the winners and losers when carriers kick the contract habit?Niklas Munckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16082564179609290663noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3842357309481615356.post-43002956049093951082013-04-06T09:32:45.630-04:002013-04-06T09:32:45.630-04:00For the first time ever it feels like, I bought ha...For the first time ever it feels like, I bought handset and contract separately. O2 in UK own a company called Giff Gaff who have monthly plans, I'm on the £10 plan, which is renewed every month with your payment, I have also transferred my old number. On top of this, you have a top up account which takes care of anything outside of your allowance, such as internet outside of my 1GB or international calls and texts. This allowed myself to get exactly the phone I wanted (as cheaply as the best contract offers, but with a more generous contract and no unlocking or unbranding needed! This for me was the HTC one XL which wasn't even available in UK, so I got it on eBay from Singapore or some place like that... <br /><br />That the days of upgrading every two years or less may be over will be painfully evident to Apple unless there is a wow feature as often as there used to be. But a wow feature is easier when technology is young and less likely to occur as the law of diminishing returns set in and we are getting used to the wizardry.<br />Joining their party late from my HTC experience, I am puzzled about all the fuss! I have tested my first iPhone over the last few months, and there are just two things it has over my HTC: that gorgeous, snappy camera, and availability to read company mail. The second is obviously not down to the phone, but all about it being issued by my company to me, but for anything else, I switch back to my real phone where all kinds of manipulation, customizing, text-entry and interface navigation is so much less cumbersome and logical, not to speak of the large lovely screen. The fact is that the latest generation of the iPhone only has its aesthetics and loyal following to thank for its success, and I just cannot imagine how a 5s could be anything but a flop given that it per definition should only have incremental changes(biggest difference of 5 to 4s was the screen and processor, but even this was not enough for many who now are hoping for the 6 instead...Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16173261399098092781noreply@blogger.com