Brain Discovers The ‘Real’ Cost of Updating Phones

The cell bill in our family is one of the largest we pay each month. There are five us us with devices after all. We have device payments, insurance, and data to pay for. Three of us, Holly, Chase, and myself, were due for an upgrade as we had paid off our devices. So, I walked in to my local cell provider to see what the deals were.

I did know that the day would end with me spending money. Even when you get a new phone and add it to your payment plan, you still have to pay for sales tax up front. If you get a $1,000 phone that is over fifty bucks! I knew that three new phones were going to be at least $150 out the store. Oh, but wait...there's more!

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Chase got a new iPhone 12. Holly went with the older iPhone 11. We found out that the 12's don't come with a charging brick anymore. I then found out my new Galaxy S21 doesn't either. Now, you can use your OLD brick, but that won't give you the fast charge technology the new chargers have. Some add on $25 a piece for two new wall chargers. Apple is famous for changing tech and then charging for add-ons, but now Samsung is getting in on the act too.

That said, these new phones are amazing. The screen resolutions, the new processors, and of course the cameras on these phones are top notch. Of course they better be. I'll be paying them off for the next 30 months!