Why not take a phone from a mobile operator?!

If you are going to sign or renew a contract with a mobile operator to take a phone, first read this text, recalculate and think twice! Although, I'm not going to reveal anything new here, just draw attention if you forgot, or maybe you didn't know.

It is very clear that if you take the phone through a mobile operator, it will be much more expensive than buying the same phone in cash. But here's a specific example.

First Galaxy S8+

You can buy this beautiful piece of hardware from domestic operators for 122,700 RSD, 135,776 RSD, or 130,650 RSD, depending on which operator you choose. These are the prices of Serbian 3 mobile operators and the cheapest variants (more below). You can buy the same beautiful piece of hardware in the store for 87,000 RSD, with a 2-year warranty.

The cheapest option is if you take the smallest package and pay the most in cash, so I calculated the lowest price with all operators. The difference between the smallest and the largest is: 252,000 - 122,700 = 129,300 RSD , 165,576 - 135,776 = 29,800 RSD and 202,860 - 130,650 = 72,210 RSD. So, just for that difference, you can buy another good new phone.

Now, if you would like to take the phone to another store and pay the subscription with the operator, you would have a discount on the package (about 40-50%) and you would save: 22,284 RSD, 24,800 RSD, or 20,850 RSD, depending on which operator you choose.

You can calculate all this yourself, just go to the site of the mobile operator, find a tariff, see the price with the device and the price without the device. Add up the discounted tariff (monthly price * the number of months) and the price of the phone in the store, subtract the tariff with the device with the price you received, and see the difference you pay unnecessarily.

By the way, I found the price of the phone of 87,000 RSD on the website of a company that sells exclusively mobile phones (warranty, etc.). I don't take into account these most famous chains of IT equipment that are shouting at prices as well, and I have never and will never buy a mobile phone from them.

I also don't know how much additional costs mobile operators have (if someone knows how to check, write in the comments), and how much they take for each device, but as soon as one company can sell that device cheaper, it means that they can too. They would not give users a phone without earning 1,000 dinars, that's for sure.

One more thing, keep in mind the bunch of unnecessary applications that you get built into the system from the mobile operator, and that the phone will be locked to the network (I'm not sure if this is still a practice, correct me in the comments if I'm wrong). I wrote about that in this article.

When to pick up the phone from the operator?

But some people need a phone now and now, they don't have the money to pay for everything at once and their only option is through packages or some installments, loans, etc. However, I wouldn't take those packages even then because the bill is clear and I have no reason to throw away money (i.e. I give it to them, but I better throw it away). If I can't collect for a maximum of 4 months for that phone, then it's not for my pocket and I won't buy it, I'll take the cheaper ones I can afford.

In Serbia, the general problem is that for most people, the most important thing is to sit in a cafe and put the most expensive phone on the table to brag (the only reason why you buy an iPhone), even though they have no money to order more than one. then without honey. Such people will pay as much as they need just to buy the best phone right away, and here are the joys for mobile operators, and here are the earnings of airlines from smart people who go as far as possible from this environment.

Summarized

The less money you have at one time in the long run the more you will pay. Therefore, get a 40-50% promotion from a mobile operator on packages (if you already want postpaid) without a mobile device, and buy the mobile device separately from another company that only deals with them. Even better if you buy in another country where it is even cheaper, you will not give VAT to this country, which is an additional plus. And certainly, the best option is to get out of here and live a normal life so buy what you want.

If you have any experience with these packages, bad or good, write in the comments.