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> Why do people buy 'prototype' phones?
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I've been wondering this for a while, I'm curious as to why people pay inflated prices for prototype and pre-production phones?
These have no kind of warranty or support, I don't know but bet you can't update the firmware easily to a production version (please correct me if I'm wrong), don't come with all the accessories and I imagine are more unstable and missing features and functions that the final production models would have.
I guess I understand if you're impatient or want to try the latest model out, but why pay hundreds for a phone which in a couple of months will probably be vitually worthless except to a die hard fan or obsessive collector?
I personally would be willing to pay something like £50-£100 for a proto of a high-end phone, but no more, and to be honest I'd probably wait till the phone came out officially and get a production model with final and updatable firmware, all the features and fully working ones at that and the backup you'd get with a non-proto phone. Why would you pay £300+ for a phone that's still not final and be rough around the edges still?
Please enlighten me!
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Posted: 2008-10-26 23:28:06
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Probably for the same reason people review prototype phones on their website... to draw attention to themselves.
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Posted: 2008-10-26 23:59:12
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What annoys me is when people try and pass a prototype off as a full retail model and then turn nasty when the deal falls through because they wern't truthful.
Have experienced this on here before myself.
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Posted: 2008-10-27 00:09:28
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I bet plenty of that goes on on Ebay too Rookwise! Very shady practice, people probably think that you wouldn't notice the difference and play dumb when you do and complain!
But why buy protos in the first place? It seems very very short-term to me, you get the benefit for a couple of months and maybe some bragging rights but then you're left with a pre-production phone that's worthless when they're released? For example, who now would buy a prototype K810i or W890i when the full version is cheap to buy secondhand or even new - you'd only sell it if you sold it for peanuts!
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Posted: 2008-10-27 00:19:18
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Its funny you brought this up. I got scammed the other week. The person never said it was a prototype and it broke on me a couple off days later. Trying too get my money back not looking good tho.
Iv had too report it too SE as it was sold and it shouldn't off been. Someone is now investigating it. Boy is someone gonna get there arse kicked.
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Posted: 2008-10-27 00:52:24
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Very nice topic, still makes me wonder...
Yea, why they bought it?
As a diehard fan, ok
As a reviewer, maybe not, as the phone still lack of certain feature...
Just to be proud that you are one of the first ones to get it (totalgsm), ok
Still wonder, why???
_________________
Madly Modified MistyWhite
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[ This Message was edited by: groovepeppy on 2008-10-27 08:35 ]
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Posted: 2008-10-27 01:21:41
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i wonder the same thing too!!!!
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Posted: 2008-10-27 01:23:12
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Just to be proud that you are one of the first ones to get it
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Posted: 2008-10-27 09:29:45
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Some people (not me) get em free, then they are bought by people who somehow believe that paying twice as much, for something not as good, gives them some kind of kudos
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Posted: 2008-10-27 10:14:41
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I personally don't understand the 'I want it first' mentality, doesn't impress me I'm afraid! I tend to he half a generation behind in general, I wait for the initial 'hype' price of a phone to go down before thinking of buying, and tend to then buy a 'nearly new' rather than brand new phone.
For example, I'd love an X1, but will wait till the price has dropped a bit and I can get a secondhand one for around £200 or so.
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Posted: 2008-10-27 13:01:25
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