Quote Originally Posted by henners88
I have to say Captain this is probably why I haven't been able to see your point for much of this thread. The iPhone is expensive where ever you buy it in comparison to budget models, but its always been within range of competitors flagship models, at least here. I've openly admitted several times I have no idea how the pricing works abroad with regard to the iPhone. I know when I upgraded in October, the Samsung Galaxy S3 was very similar in price to the iPhone 5, hence the confusion when I've seen it stated the iPhone is an extortionate price.
Glad the confusion has lessened somewhat. About a year or so ago, a sim free unlocked iPhone 4S was around £150 more expensive than the Galaxy S3, and hence the outrage by consumers and review websites. If you buy it locked on contract however, you won't see much of a difference. Phone companies also make more money by selling Android flagships at around the same price, as they get them for cheaper.

Quote Originally Posted by henners88
Another beauty about the UK mobile market is the ability to negotiate a contract. I never accept the pricing on a website or what a phone operator offers me. The market is so saturated and they are all desperate for your business. They will bend over backwards to get your custom and you often get money off handset prices and free bolt on's added if you haggle in the right way. I understand abroad in some countries they are very much fixed on what they offer. I know people who approached their carriers when the iPhone 5 came out and managed to get 50 quid knocked off the handset price. It all depends who you speak to and the way in which you do it. When I am due to upgrade and say for example I want to iPhone 6 or 7, whatever it'll be called. If they offer me an upgrade price of £250 for the handset, I'll try my luck and get it for closer to £200. It can be done. At the end of the day these sales advisor's work in call centres and have targets to meet. As long as the sales sheets are balanced between customers they have figures to play around with. the iPhone doesn't have to be a silly price if you buy it in the right way.
That is one HUGE advantage. And I know it first hand, because I did a short stint as a TL at tech support for 3 UK a couple of years ago. So, chances are that around 2004 if you were an angry 3 customer and wanted to talk to a supervisor, I would have been telling you to calm the F down over the phone. Not proud of that job, but I was in transition and needed some quick cash. Anyway, the girl I was dating at that time used to work in the customer retention department (female with a nice voice, go figure), and together with the sales department they had some CRAZY offers to give, but ONLY if it was difficult to retain an existing customer or acquire a new customer. In fact, with permission from their respective supervisors, they gave some crazy deals to lucky UK customers.

Try doing that in India or Romania, and you will be told to either get the contract at its set price or F*** off.