# Amazon smart phone for free ?



## ruffneck23 (Sep 8, 2013)

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tech/news/a513583/amazon-wants-to-offer-its-smartphone-for-free.html

Sounds like a good idea


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## RedDragon (Sep 8, 2013)

No such thing as a free lunch, _razor_ and _blades_ business _model blah, blah _


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## weltweit (Sep 8, 2013)

There was an article on the BBC site about this.

I suppose someone has to do it.

But what is the cost, because nothing is for free, iyswim!


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## ruffneck23 (Sep 8, 2013)

It says in the article that they hope that people using amazon for shopping on it will cover the costs... to begin with no doubt


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## tommers (Sep 8, 2013)

weltweit said:


> There was an article on the BBC site about this.
> 
> I suppose someone has to do it.
> 
> But what is the cost, because nothing is for free, iyswim!



You have to buy gems to fuel it and you can only make 3 phone calls a week.


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## weltweit (Sep 8, 2013)

However, many phones are free if you are prepared to sign up to a contract no?


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## Jon-of-arc (Sep 8, 2013)

free on payg?  Bullshit.  I'll take 5 to start off with, and I'll be wanting the same every week until you stop this madness.

Say they gave out 10 million, in this country?  They'd need to make £2 billion, taking a % from app sales, to break even.  I just don't see it.

If this does happen, I'll be having a few though.


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## Badgers (Sep 8, 2013)

weltweit said:
			
		

> However, many phones are free if you are prepared to sign up to a contract no?



Not free. Just no upfront cost. Pay £30 for 24 months on a decent handset contract = £720 

I have a rolling monthly deal and pay £15 a month for unlimited calls/texts/data as I own the handset.


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## editor (Sep 8, 2013)

Bit vague that article.


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## tommers (Sep 8, 2013)

Badgers said:


> Not free. Just no upfront cost. Pay £30 for 24 months on a decent handset contract = £720
> 
> I have a rolling monthly deal and pay £15 a month for unlimited calls/texts/data as I own the handset.



Yeah, you pay for it over the contract.  I've got 7 quid a month with virgin.


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## Badgers (Sep 8, 2013)

editor said:
			
		

> Bit vague that article.



Yeah. It sounds like an 'idea' to me. I can maybe see in working in an ideal world with adverts and Amazon book reader, music player and stuff built in but it sounds just that.... A nice idea.


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## editor (Sep 9, 2013)

So that's that then:
Amazon: no smartphone this year, no plans to offer it for free in the future


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## RedDragon (Sep 9, 2013)

This year only has three/four months left to run, perhaps they were testing the water.


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## ruffneck23 (Sep 9, 2013)

gutted, think its a great idea, give it for free, get locked into their eco system, spend money in thier shop for physical items rather than digital apps and music, but of course offer them at the same time..


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## Badgers (Sep 9, 2013)

Even if they did this some techy type would have a way of rooting or such within a week


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## ruffneck23 (Sep 9, 2013)

thats what im banking on


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## Kid_Eternity (Sep 9, 2013)

Good to have another big player in the smartphone market (lord we could do with one given the utter failure of Microsoft) but will they really be doing anything different? Not a big fan of their Kindle Fires (although LOVE the Kindle as an ereader) either...


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## Badgers (Sep 9, 2013)

Kid_Eternity said:
			
		

> Good to have another big player in the smartphone market (lord we could do with one given the utter failure of Microsoft) but will they really be doing anything different? Not a big fan of their Kindle Fires (although LOVE the Kindle as an ereader) either...



Dunno. Microsoft and Facebook made a bit of a pigs ear...


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## FaradayCaged (Sep 12, 2013)

Badgers said:


> Not free. Just no upfront cost. Pay £30 for 24 months on a decent handset contract = £720
> 
> I have a rolling monthly deal and pay £15 a month for unlimited calls/texts/data as I own the handset.



On most contracts though the phone is technically free, as the contracted amount you pay for is for line-rental and your minutes etc; you could legally sell the phone straight after getting the contract, keeping the sim and then put into a different phone, nobody does that though as its rather stupid as you would then need to buy another phone upfront to put the new sim in.


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## Badgers (Sep 12, 2013)

FaradayCaged said:
			
		

> On most contracts though the phone is technically free, as the contracted amount you pay for is for line-rental and your minutes etc; you could legally sell the phone straight after getting the contract, keeping the sim and then put into a different phone, nobody does that though as its rather stupid as you would then need to buy another phone upfront to put the new sim in.



My phone is 'free' for £34 a month over 24 months. 

I have the same plan (data/minutes/texts) for less than £15 a month with no contractual obligation. 

The phone is not free, the payments are just spread.


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## FaradayCaged (Sep 12, 2013)

Badgers said:


> My phone is 'free' for £34 a month over 24 months.
> 
> I have the same plan (data/minutes/texts) for less than £15 a month with no contractual obligation.
> 
> The phone is not free, the payments are just spread.



Sorry I'm just being pedantic, because the phone is kind of like a free gift. You pay the £34 a month for the sim card and plan basically, not the phone.

It is different to other forms of contracts like hire purchase where the goods are still technically the companies until the contract has expired and the money all settled; you can get done for selling a item that is on hire purchase and if you don't keep up repayments they can repossess those items. Mobile companies cannot repossess your handsets if you do not keep up the payments on the contract.


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## Badgers (Sep 12, 2013)

FaradayCaged said:
			
		

> Sorry I'm just being pedantic, because the phone is kind of like a free gift. You pay the £34 a month for the sim card and plan basically, not the phone.
> 
> It is different to other forms of contracts like hire purchase where the goods are still technically the companies until the contract has expired and the money all settled; you can get done for selling a item that is on hire purchase and if you don't keep up repayments they can repossess those items. Mobile companies cannot repossess your handsets if you do not keep up the payments on the contract.



They can't collect the handset but will send debt collectors to get all the money. Same difference?


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## FaradayCaged (Sep 12, 2013)

Badgers said:


> They can't collect the handset but will send debt collectors to get all the money. Same difference?



Yeah true. Again, I was just being pedantic, I can't help it.


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## Badgers (Sep 12, 2013)

FaradayCaged said:
			
		

> Yeah true. Again, I was just being pedantic, I can't help it.



We can keep this going all night


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