Buying a cell phone just because it is "pretty" or "neat"
By vivasuzi
@vivasuzi (4127)
United States
March 10, 2010 11:28am CST
I get drawn in to cell phones based on their looks. Certain phones just look "pretty" to me, if you can call it that :) However, these phones are generally much more expensive and also contain a lot of features I really don't need or use.
I'm up for a discounted cell phone in April and there are "pretty" ones I could get for $60-70 and they require a $10 data plan (which I won't use). On the other hand, there are "ugly" ones that have the features I will use (notepad, calendar, making calls), and these ugly phones I could get for free!
Obviously I know free is better, and obviously I know that looks aren't supposed to matter, it's function that matters, but when it comes to technology the pretty stuff always draws me in. I am going to buy an "ugly" cell phone this time around, b/c I do need a new one, and I know in my head I don't need it to be pretty... but it's going to be a struggle :)
Do you find yourself wanting the pretty cell phones even though you know you won't use most of the features? How do you use self-control or will-power to focus on what is really important about the phone instead of the way it looks? Have you ever bought a "pretty" cell phone and then been disappointed in it?
2 people like this
6 responses
@zed_k4 (17589)
• Singapore
24 Mar 10
Me too. Sometimes, I'm drawn to pretty and neat phones, by their designs and outlook rather than anything else. There are lots of cheap phones out there, but they are not of the latest designs. Sometimes, I think that a phone's functionality is more important than anything else. Good topic here.
1 person likes this
@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
25 Mar 10
Functionality is definitely the most important, but sometimes if you see something that looks so cool it is hard to buy based on functionality alone :) Everyone has to have the latest and the greatest, so it can be hard to be the 1 person around who bought the 10$ phone instead of the 200$ one!
@kate1356 (697)
• United States
18 Mar 10
I hardly ever use my cell phone and I pretty much always end up with an expensive pretty one. I remember when Verizon came out with a light pink Razr phone. I am a sucker for anything pink and spent a pretty penny buying myself that phone (it was disheartening to see them practically giving them away four months after I paid so much for mine). I had actually been planning to keep using that Razr phone even after the 2 year contract was up (and I could get a new phone).. but then I was browsing the Verizon site and noticed they had pink Blackberry's for sale. I decided against the pink Blackberry (the internet plans were more than I wanted to spend) but I did end up walking out of the store that same day with a $200 LG Decoy that had just been introduced. I do use the camera feature on the phone but that is about it. There is really no need for me to have an expensive phone (although I justify it by telling myself that a "free" phone might not be as well made and could break easily if I dropped it.)
1 person likes this
@sk66rc (4250)
• United States
11 Mar 10
I never go by the way phone looks at all. As long as it does what I need it to do, it's fine. I currently have blackberry 9700 & if I didn't need access to internet & emails, I probably change my phone to something really basic. Functionality means much more to me than the way phone looks ever will.
@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
17 Mar 10
I also don't like the looks of blackberries. The phone I like has a slide-out keyboard, smooth lines and a very large touch screen. A keyboard is very important to me b/c I write a lot of "notes to self" throughout the day so I don't forget.
The cheaper version doesn't have a touch screen, and the screen itself is about 1/2 the size :(
My current phone has been working better lately (especially when I hit it lol) so I think I'm going to hold off on switching anyway. I've heard that the future of cell phones will be that EVERYONE will have no choice but to get a phone with a data plan, but I'm not going to buy a data plan if I don't have to :)
1 person likes this
@sk66rc (4250)
• United States
12 Mar 10
Well, that depends on how you define a pretty phone. I've seen some simple flip phones that were pretty well designed & looked really good to me. Unfortunately, because of my work, I have blackberry. I don't really care for the looks of it, not to mention being bulkier than ones I used to carry.
@MrKennedy (1978)
•
10 Mar 10
Looks are important in a cell phone because of how many people will be seeing it and will probably make their initial judgement on the aesthetics of a phone, but I think it is much more important to find out what the phone can and cannot do and what features it has before making an actual purchase
@kaylachan (58249)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
10 Mar 10
When I look for cell phones I look for the features that are most important to me. Touch screen, and weather or not it requires a data plan. Other features like camera, wi-fi- and 3g are based on location. Basically where I'm located determins weather or not I have data speeds in the threeg range or not. And except for a couple of places in myapartment there really isn't much. that isn't 3g.
Mostly I look for the features I use most, and the features that are a must-have. And, the rest well yeah. If the phone is "prety" or "neat-looking". then so be it. That's just a good bonus.
1 person likes this
@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
11 Mar 10
That is what I'm trying to do with this one. Looking at the features I'll use all the time and forgetting about the looks of it. I really want a keyboard, and there is only 1-2 options with a keyboard that do not require a data plan, so my choices are limited. I just wish I would have known about the data plan before I fell in love with this other phone! It had it all - touch screen, keyboard, the shape and size I like. Darn data plans!
@registre (110)
• Philippines
27 Apr 10
I also buy phones which are neat or gorgeous looking. I feel that I am also happy looking and using the phone even if I really don't use the every feature or capability because I also feel that almost all phones are modern and they are really matching with today's standards. I must say that it is worth the price and worth the eye-candy.
