Search results matching tag 'competition'

RE: Verizon Offers High-Use Data Plans, Inadvertently Points Out Enormous Rip-Off

tony4re — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 20:43:55 GMT

I'm happy to still have my grandfathered unlimited data plan. I was scared to see what the cost would actually be based on my family plan actual data usage. Now I know. Yikes! We use around 16 GB between the 3 smartphones in our plan. Under the new structure, I'd pay at least $40 more a month for what I'm using now. Considering my wife and I started with 3G handsets and the two of use used barely 2GB a month for two years, I feel as long as VZW keeps honoring my unlimited data status, I'm happy. If they take that away, they just removed my last incentive to stay with them. I know they have the best coverage but I don't travel all over the USA. The other three major carriers cover the DFW area quite well and now that VZW is requiring me to pay full price for handsets to keep unlimited data, They are walking a fine line to lose the thousands of dollars I pay them each year. I do use a lot of data because of the capabilities of my newer 4G handset. Making me pay forty dollars more to keep what I have would be... undesirable. That's the nicest way I can put it. Especially undesirable because I know that our next smartphones will either cost us full retail or will have to be used phones (likely with no warranty). I just don't like the idea of paying more and getting less...

RE: VIVO 4.3 Smartphone: Killer Specs On A $250 Android Superphone

mhenriday — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 07:11:56 GMT

More detailed specs for the Vivo 4.3 can be found here : http://www.gsmarena.com/blu_vivo_4_3-4901.php....

Henri

RE: VIVO 4.3 Smartphone: Killer Specs On A $250 Android Superphone

mhenriday — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 17:18:36 GMT

To my mind the really interesting thing about this phone is not so much the excellent specs, but the pricing, which - in the event that quality is not a major downside - might just means that users will learn to purchase off-contract devices, rather than allowing themselves to be sucked in by carriers' offers of a «subsidised» phone. This is, I suspect, what Google wanted to do with the Nexus One, but failed - which to my mind is a great pity, as it would have corrected a major market distortion, in which users are forced to accept a lock-in in order to get the phone of their choice at affordable prices. Good for carriers, bad for consumers.....

Henri

RE: VIVO 4.3 Smartphone: Killer Specs On A $250 Android Superphone

mhenriday — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 15:10:25 GMT

Ray, would it be possible for HH to do a full-scale review of one of these phones that «are coming out of nowhere» - why not this VIVO 4.3 ? They seem to be competing on the basis of price and specs, but if quality is also up to snuff, then there'd be little reason not to choose one and avoid being forced into a one-sided relationship with a particular carrier. Competition on price, specs, and quality tends to benefit the consumer, just as «competition by lawyer» tends to do them harm. Of course, we should always keep in mind that flat, rectangular shapes with rounded corners are not part of the human commons, but the exclusive property of Apple - right Ms Koh ?...

Henri

RE: Samsung Blames Galaxy SIII Burns on "External Energy Source"

mhenriday — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 15:02:13 GMT

Just a wee tad too imaginitive - or naive, if you prefer - for an ordinary punter, don't you think ?...

Henri

RE: Samsung Blames Galaxy SIII Burns on "External Energy Source"

mhenriday — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 10:33:32 GMT

Conspirations theorist that I am, I can't help but suspect the hand of you-know-whom behind this farce. Anything to damage the competition !...

Henri

RE: Galaxy Nexus Sales To Resume Next Week

mhenriday — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 10:34:15 GMT

That the patent system in the US, like that country's (in)justice system, is broken is obvious. But I am a bit surprised that more users don't seem to react to the manner in which Apple in particular takes advantage of the system and rather more or less excuse the company by saying that «everybody does it». From what I have seen, not all firms use patents to inhibit competition, as do, to take two salient examples, Apple and Oracle, but instead employ them defensively to guard against being sued themselves. Isn't it about time that we, as users, make known our dissatisfaction with competition by lawyer, rather than competition by means of innovation, product quality, and price ?...

Henri

RE: IDC Predicts China Will Become the Biggest Smartphone Market in 2012

mhenriday — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 08:20:26 GMT

This will hopefully have the effect of bringing more manufacturers into the expanding market - with positive effects, if we are lucky, for both innovation and (lower) prices....

Henri

RE: China Overtakes U.S. As World’s Largest Smartphone Market

mhenriday — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 19:03:31 GMT

Not to worry : the US is stationing - excuse me «rotating» troops through Darwin, Australia, which no doubt will put the fear of God in those atheistic Chinese ! If one can't compete in the market place, one can always play with guns....

Henri