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November 08, 2011

Why Two Years is Too Long for a Mobile Contract

By Stefanie Mosca, TMCnet Managing Editor

A lot can happen in two years time. Think about it – that’s 730 days filled with long hours in the office, never-ending work events, vacations and day trips – two years of 17,000+ hours full of different seasons and holidays and countless advancements in growth.



So the fact that the Mobile Gods think it’s realistic for a consumer to be able to maintain the same mobile device over a period of two years is sort of…well…unrealistic.

You probably recall about a decade ago when feature phones hit the scene and consumers made the decision regarding what wireless carrier would provide them with their first two year contract. Who has the best service? Plans? Who carries the coolest phones? 

Two years seems fair right? Well, it did back then when cell phones served the sole purpose of providing a line of communication for users on-the-go- and while that still stands true, the functions of cellphones have certainly changed since then.

That’s when cell phones started getting smart. Now there are so many different factors that qualify as the “communication” a smartphone provides, and subsequently, these new features have also changed the way we use our devices, further reiterating the reasons why two years is an unrealistic time frame to maintain them. Here are a few:

New devices. With the frequency of updated versions and new releases of smartphones, it’s unfair to expect a consumer to take advantage of the same features of the same device for two years. As technology advances at such a rapid speed, it’s hard to keep up with having the most up-to-date device when the minute one hits the shelves, the next best thing isn’t too far behind. The features and technology on a device over two years is practically obsolete by the time a contract is finally up.

Different form factor. While the latest and greatest smartphones are certainly better than archaic flip phones, let’s be honest, the same reliable durability just isn’t there. Ever drop your Android phone in a puddle, never to power on again? Or watch your iPhone (News - Alert) screen shatter after dropping it down a flight of stairs? With touchscreen models making up the majority of new smartphones manufactured, the likeliness of something happening to your device before your contract is up, or a glitch in the latest technology, is high.

Frequency/changes in usage. With the ability to do just about any task with your smartphone, the amount of time spent using a mobile device has increased significantly. Consumers can utilize their device not only to talk but also to send text and picture messages, browse the Web, check and send emails, update and view calendars and scroll through favorite social feeds. With all these capabilities at hand, it’s clear that the frequency of usage of a cell phone has changed so drastically that one can’t expect a device to withhold two years of use. 

Sure, there are ways around sticking to a two year contract, including paying the outrageous retail price for a phone (the iPhone 4S currently goes for $649 without a contact) or taking advantage of an early upgrade that provides a lesser discount with the promise of locking you in for another two years. Or, as a last resort, you could always just cancel your contract and switch to a new provider, but that will still run you a couple hundred, depending on the carrier.

So what’s it going to take to get the major carriers to see that two years is just too long? Unfortunately with the frequency consumers upgrade their devices, contract or not, it doesn’t look like providers like Verizon or AT&T (News - Alert) are going to budge anytime soon. In the meantime, take care of your smartphone, or it's going to cost ya!



Stefanie Mosca is a Managing Editor for TMCnet, with a particular focus in wireless technologies as well as mobile and IP communications. She holds a master's degree in journalism from Quinnipiac University and a bachelor's degree in communication from the University of New Haven. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page or follow her on Twitter (News - Alert) @stefaniemosca.



Edited by Jennifer Russell
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