Report finds average smartphone with service plan cost more than $117 during April
ABI Research recently reported that the price gap between high-end and low-end smartphones is narrowing, Network World reports.
ABI’s report found that the subsidized price for a consumer electronics retailer, like Amazon or Best Buy, was a little above $43. These companies, while not mobile operators, still offer service plans. The subsidized price for a smartphone offered by a mobile operator, like Verizon or AT&T, costs just above $117.
"The wide variation in smartphone pricing illustrates how difficult it is for handset vendors to price their new products competitively, especially because prices change over time," says ABI Research senior analyst Michael Morgan, Network World relays.
The research also found that if a user, during April, wanted a smartphone that had no connection to an operator or plan, it would cost them more than $431, which had been near $387 in March.
With more than 45 million users in the U.S. employing a smartphone, as comScore recently reported, mobile expenses have become a large issue, especially for businesses issuing phones. Trends show that mobile management devices and users will continue to grow, so lower prices will potentially aid many wallets across the country. 