Nokia 8800 is like any other cell phone. In fact some of its features - like its 3.2 megapixel camera – are of an outdated model. But it is still the most expensive cell phone introduced by Nokia – and the most expensive available in the Nepali market – largely because it flaunts a sapphire-studded joystick and a titanium body.
Those who take cell phones solely as communications tools may argue there is not much difference between a plastic joystick and a sapphire one, or a steel body and a body made of titanium. To them a phone is just another commodity – whether it costs Rs 1,500 or Rs 100,000. But to some – mostly men in Nepal’s context – mobile phones are akin to what gold or diamond jewelry are to women.
“They consider expensive phones a status symbol,” says Subir Shrestha, assistant sales manager of Neoteric Nepal, the authorized distributor of Nokia phones in Nepal. “They think flaunting stylish, expensive phones give them confidence while meeting and talking to people. They also think those phones flaunt the success they have attained in life. Price is not a big consideration for that crowd.”
As new technologies and advanced functions appear on mobile phones, their prices are also going up. On top of that – as in the case of the Nokia 8800 – the materials used in manufacturing the phones and the investments that have gone into giving them a chic look are also pushing up prices.
HTC’s Touch HD, for instance, costs Rs 78,000 whereas Sony Ericsson’s Xpedia sells for Rs 69,500. Both these phones, like the phones of Nokia’s E-series, are recommended for executives. On such phones you can perform all the tasks that you can on notebooks.
Then there are phones such as Samsung’s i900, priced at Rs 56,000, and Nokia’s N96, which costs Rs 54,750. These phones are especially made for entertainment purposes, and using one you can shoot high resolution pictures, listen to music and watch movies. Both these phones come with internal storage capacity of 16GB each – big enough to store up to 40 hours of videos and any number of pictures. You can call them a camera and portable media player bundled into one.
You can also see people carrying the Blackberry or Apple’s iPhone although there are no authorized dealers for these products in Nepal. “These phones are popular among a niche crowd but the market is growing,” says Rajan Rayamajhi, owner of Gadgets & Gizmos, which sells at least one phone worth more than Rs 50,000 per week.
Buying Tips:
- Sort out your priority. Ask whether you need the phone for entertainment or work purpose.
- Buy your phones from outlets that sell original products. Replica versions may cost 1,000 rupees less but don’t fall prey.
- Don’t buy products that don’t come in sealed boxes. Replica versions usually come in boxes with broken seal.
- Check the warranty card. But remember, warranty does not cover accidental damage and water damage.
- Ask for VAT bill. Outlets selling replica phones do not give VAT bills.
- Check the battery and battery charger. Replica battery chargers may be less expensive but they reduce battery’s life.
- The larger the LCD display the more battery the phone will consume.
SOME OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE PHONES IN THE MARKET
Nokia 8800 - Rs 118,950.00
Designer phone
Select key (joystick) made from sapphire
Body made of carbon fiber, titanium and stainless steel
Scratch-free screen
4GB internal memory
3.2 megapixel camera
Stand-by: Up to 300 hours
Talk time: Up to 3 hours
Recommended for style-conscious people
HTC Touch HD - Rs 78,000.00
800 pixel Touchscreen
5 megapixel camera
OS: Windows
Touch-sensitive navigation controls
Handwriting recognition
Internal memory: 288 MB RAM, 512 MB ROM
Connectivity: 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB
Stand-by: Up to 450 hours
Talk time: Up to 6 hours 30 min
Recommended for executives on move, especially those who like to read e-books
Sony Ericsson Xpedia - Rs 69,500.00
Arc slider; slide the screen upwards to reveal the wide pitch keyboard.
Bright wide display; touchscreen
QWERTY keyboard
OS: Windows
3.2 megapixel camera
Optical joystick navigation
Connectivity: GPS, Bluetooth, USB, WLAN
Phone memory: up to 400 MB
Recommended for executives always on the move
Nokia E90 - Rs 57,260.00
Large screen for web browsing and word processing
Connectivity: USB, GPRS, Bluetooth, UMTS, WiFi, built-in GPS receiver
Has anti-reflective coating, meaning you can work even in direct sunlight
3.2 megapixel camera
128MB internal storage
Stand-by: 14 days
Talk time: 5 hours
Recommended for executives always on the move
Samsung i900 - Rs 56,000.00
TFT resistive touchscreen, 256K colors (65K effective)
Optical trackpad
Handwriting recognition
Internal memory: 16GB storage, 128 MB RAM, 256 MB ROM
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB
5 megapixel camera with LED flash
Stand-by: 450 hours
Talk time: Up to 6 hours 30 min
Recommended for entertainment purpose like listening to music and watching movies
Nokia N96 - Rs 54,750.00
Large 2.8" screen
2-way slide
128MB RAM, 16GB internal memory (can store up to 40 hours of video content)
5 megapixel camera, Carl Zeiss lens
Can play all common music and video files
3.5 mm headphone connector and built-in 3D stereo speakers
Stand-by: Up to 192 hours
Talk time: Up to 2 hours 36 min
Recommended for entertainment purpose like listening to music and watching movies
Nokia 8600 - Rs 50,000.00
2 megapixel camera
Video camera
Music player, FM radio
128MB Memory
Connectivity: Bluetooth, USB
Stand-by: 264 hours
Talk time: 3.5 hours
Recommended for style-conscious people
Factors that make phones expensive
- Technology
- Function
- Screen resolution
- In-built memory
- Connectivity options like WiFi, GSP
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