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Comparing TCO: iPhone 4 vs. EVO 4G vs. Incredible vs. Nexus One

By | June 24, 2010, 10:24am PDT

Summary: BillShrink.com has put together a chart comparing the prices and features of today’s hottest smart phones - iPhone 4, EVO 4G, Droid Incredible, and Google Nexus One. The Droid Incredible tops the charts in total cost for the unlimited plan, the iPhone 4 is second.

Today’s iPhone 4 launch timing coincides with the end of many unlimited data plans — including AT&T’s. Unless you’re grandfathered it with an existing plan, that is.

To mark the occasion BillShrink.com has put together a chart comparing the prices and features of today’s hottest smart phones - iPhone 4, EVO 4G, Droid Incredible, and Google Nexus One.

Here are the results (from most to least) for the “unlimited” plans:

  • Incredible: $3,079
  • iPhone 4: $2,959
  • Evo 4G: $2,839
  • Nexus One: $2,440

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Topics

Cell Phone, TCO, Personalized Search, Search, Cellular Phones, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Jason D. O'Grady

Jason O'Grady is a journalist and author specializing in mobile technology. He has published six books on Apple and mobile gadgets and his PowerPage blog has been publishing for over 15 years.

Disclosure

Jason D. O'Grady

Jason D. O'Grady is the creator and editor of O'Grady's PowerPage, which has been publishing mobile technology news since 1995. He maintains an advertising relationship with the following legacy advertisers on the PowerPage:

  • Amazon Associates
  • Google Adsense
  • Tekserve

    • Advertising on the PowerPage is brokered by a third-party agency (BackBeat Media) and he recuses himself from these negotiations.

Biography

Jason D. O'Grady

Jason D. O'Grady developed an affinity for Apple computers after using the original Lisa, and this affinity turned into a bona-fide obsession when he got the original 128 KB Macintosh in 1984.

He started writing one of the first Web sites about Apple (O'Grady's PowerPage) in 1995 and is considered to be one of the fathers of blogging. He has been a frequent speaker at the Macworld Expo conference and a member of the conference faculty. He also co-founded the first dedicated PowerBook User Group (PPUG) in the United States.

After winning a major legal battle with Apple in 2006, he set the precedent that independent journalists are entitled to the same protections under the First Amendment as members of the mainstream media.

O'Grady is the author of The Nexus One Pocket Guide, The Droid Pocket Guide, The Google Phone Pocket Guide, and The Garmin nuvi Pocket Guide (Peachpit Press), the author of Corporations That Changed the World: Apple Inc. (Greenwood Press), and a contributor to The Mac Bible (Peachpit Press). In addition, he has contributed to numerous Mac publications over the years, including MacWEEK, Macworld, and MacPower (Japan).

When he's not writing about Apple for ZDNet at The Apple Core, he enjoys spending time with his family in New Jersey.

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Competing with Sprint...
vulpine@... 25th Jun 2010
@wayne62682: Doesn't Sprint still have a number of issues they're trying to resolve? They're not the lowest-rated service provider for nothing, after all. They're having to advertise far more frequently and far more obviously than any of their competitors, even to the point of becoming the primary sponsor of Nascar's Cup series and offering all kinds of discounts through their Cup sponsorships.
In my own case, they were unable to provide coverage where I needed it, when I needed it. In fact, I tried them at the time, and I couldn't get any coverage at my home from anybody except Cingular--now AT&T. Maybe they've improved, but have they improved enough to really be competitive, or are they forced to offer low-ball pricing in an attempt to gain market share?

What's interesting is that Sprint is one of the companies that uses the MicroSim card in their phones; could they be the next iPhone provider?
View in thread
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You could say
Michael Kelly 24th Jun 2010
that the Android phones are expandable to infinite storage since you can hot swap SD cards.

But overall the newest phone comes out on top. As one would expect. And then the next high end Android phone will top the iPhone, then the iPhone will come out with another that tops all the Android phones again, and so forth. Isn't the free market wonderful?
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RE: Comparing TCO: iPhone 4 vs. EVO 4G vs. Incredible vs. Nexus One
peter02l 24th Jun 2010
@Michael Kelly

Which would require an infinite number of SD cards. No one has enough money to afford that TCO.
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iPhone's have connection problems
Uralbas 24th Jun 2010
3G had bad Infineon chips can connect
3G / 3GS and 4G have bad data through put 0.4Mbps ATT
4G has connection issues, if you wrap your hand around the phone (like you do most of the time, you loose connection).

Deal is All Android phones work, Apple's doesn't. Wonder what Apple fans will say, .. probably stating that some thing magical will fix it. ROFL. Apple is starting to loose lots of ground if 4G doesn't deliver, it may face some though times.

Currently between iPad/iPod/iPhone there are 100 000 activations daily for Apple, Android keeps on growing and currently reaches 160 000. Just a matter of time before Apple becomes insignificant again.
  • Flagged
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6 months from now Android will have more Apps
Uralbas 24th Jun 2010
iPhone will have more expensive plans, higher cost, less options, less features. But the same loyal fans.

Comparing an unlimited plan of 2G a month to 10GB a month with TMob is not comparing anything, I have actually reached 13GB on TMob a couple of months back. Something Apple fans can't fantom doing.

The other issue, TMob unlimited plan means:
-unlimited Text
-unlimited Phone calls (not so for Sprint/ATT or Verizon)
-unlimited Cellphone calls
-unlimited tethering (for now at least)

The other issue is download speed on 3G:

- ATT 0.4Mbps - 1.2Mpbs
- Sprint 0.8Mbps - 1.2Mpbs ( 3G)
0.8Mbps - 3.3Mpbs ( WiMax)
-Verizon 1.0Mbps - 1.8Mbps
-TMobile 1.8Mbps - 4.4Mbps

You draw your conclusions, though you cant compare the plans, what you get from one is not what you get from the other. Not even close.
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RE: Comparing TCO: iPhone 4 vs. EVO 4G vs. Incredible vs. Nexus One
Michael Kelly 25th Jun 2010
@peter02l

The point is that you can have as much as you want and can afford.
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RE: Comparing TCO: iPhone 4 vs. EVO 4G vs. Incredible vs. Nexus One
topgun966 25th Jun 2010
@peter02l @Uralbas
While I agree with some of your points you are incorrect in others.
In this article they quote the everything unlimited plan with Sprint. That is EVERYTHING truly unlimited. Data/Text/Phone/MMS etc. There is no caps on anything. You are thinking of the 79.99 plan which is everything unlimited except 450 landline min. But seriously, who calls landlines anymore.

Also, your speed info is incorrect.

Just ran test right now on my Evo using speedtest.net app
3g = average after 4 tests 2052 kbs down 714kbs up
4g = average after 4 test 6850 kbs down 1076 kbs up

But don't take this as attacking you. I like Tmble and hope they continue to go strong as well as Verizon. Anything to get the fanbois off their high horse. Android users need to work together not against :P
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RE: Comparing TCO: iPhone 4 vs. EVO 4G vs. Incredible vs. Nexus One
Hatestone Johnson 24th Jun 2010
@Michael Kelly
"Isn't the free market wonderful?"
Not according to The Obama.
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Infinite storage
ctxppc 25th Jun 2010
@Michael Kelly You're right saying that you can expand the storage all the way you want, but there's a little technical limitation of storage capacity. iPhone's HFS+ supports 8 exabytes (8 billion gigabytes), while the Android supports only 4 petabytes (4 million gigabytes). I'm just saying that in response to that "infinite" word. :-p
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I thought AT&T cut out their unlimited plan ????
mrlinux 24th Jun 2010
NT
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The pace of change is great.
TripleII-21189418044173169409978279405827 24th Jun 2010
I am looking forward to the the Samsung S and maybe the Samsung S pro (July 21 at T-Mobile and 4Q10?). From reviews the screen will be the best out there, including over the iPhone. Apple has a great name for it, but the human eye can't resolve greater than 300dpi, (their definition of what retina display means, so don't slam me, look it up). The super AMOLED display is said to be truly amazing.

What a difference from just 1 1/2 years ago when I decided to go with a curve (quant little phone that it now is, LMHO).

TripleII
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How do you compare apples to oranges? Apparently with fine print...
rianbechtold 24th Jun 2010
Under unlimited plan, AT&T should get a big fat X. How can you say unlimited data plan and then put "2GB Data" in tiny print underneath? And their minimum plan isn't even close enough to a data plan, it should count either. 200 MB!? This is the 3rd day of this billing period on my EVO and I have already used double that ammount of data!

The iPhone is nice, but the AT&T plan KILLS any sort of comparison! It's a little biased to throw AT&T's restrictive plans in the comparison and only put a tiny footnote.
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Wonder...
TripleII-21189418044173169409978279405827 24th Jun 2010
@rianbechtold
Did they make this change in preparation for the iPhone G4 in order to, well, inflate potential earnings while they can with the hot new iPhone before it is available on another carrier. Make no mistake, iPhone will be available on other carriers since Apple can't afford to lose 70% of the market to Android.

TripleII
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RE: Comparing TCO: iPhone 4 vs. EVO 4G vs. Incredible vs. Nexus One
rianbechtold 24th Jun 2010
@TripleII
I'm sure it will be but the iPhone 4 will NOT be on another carrier. Apple will have a whole new product launch when the time comes. This article is to review phones and plans NOW, not what they may or may not do in another year from now.

It's funny how everytime someone brings up the fact that AT&T is hurting the iPhone, people always post that the iPhone will be coming to other carriers anytime now. I remember reading it when the 1st generations came out, then when the 3g came out, then when the 3gs came out, and now the 4....hmmmmm, starting to see a pattern?
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RE: Comparing TCO: iPhone 4 vs. EVO 4G vs. Incredible vs. Nexus One
Mary820 24th Jun 2010
@TripleII
I think the new plan is geared towards getting the all to influential teen/young adult demographic. They are required to pay $10.00 for data already, with the iPhone 3gs selling at only $99. the new $15.00 data plan becomes tempting for the kids to upgrade to iPhones, too. It is all about getting a new customer demographic. BTW-I am on the unlimited plan and just did an analysis of my data usage. I am on the web constantly, use google maps as for navigation, get all emails from 5 different accounts pushed to iPhone, etc... and I only average 125MB per month. I am keeping my unlimited plan, but just thought it was interesting...
It can be confusing as many carriers list KB's in the usage area and converting into MB's is also confusing. I think paying $25 for the 2G's would cover most heavy users. Don't forget that iPhone will use wifi when available (I have wifi at home and work and many places I frequent also offer free wifi), which cuts down a ton on data usage!
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RE: Comparing TCO: iPhone 4 vs. EVO 4G vs. Incredible vs. Nexus One
vulpine@... 25th Jun 2010
@rianbechtold, re: "It's funny how everytime someone brings up the fact that AT&T is hurting the iPhone, people always post that the iPhone will be coming to other carriers anytime now. I remember reading it when the 1st generations came out, then when the 3g came out, then when the 3gs came out, and now the 4....hmmmmm, starting to see a pattern?

The one thing that gives the lie to your conclusion is the fact that the MicroSim card is readily accessible through a panel in the side, unlike any previous version of the iPhone. This clearly says that the iPhone 4 is ready for another service provider.
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AT&T doesn't have unlimited data!
MSFTWorshipper 24th Jun 2010
And Verizon is going to metered data plans shortly.... Let's face it. Smartphones are a RIPOFF!
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"Smartphones are a RIPOFF!"
vulpine@... 25th Jun 2010
@MSFTWorshipper: No, the service providers are the ripoff, not the smart phone. The best way to fix this is do what one group is already doing to AT&T--they're suing on a bait-and-switch type of charge.

These guys need to realize that just because its wireless, we shouldn't be forced to pay any more than we pay for hardwired connections. Basic cell costs are almost down to the same price as a land line phone; data costs are more than double land line rates and now preparing to jump 10x or more. It's up to us, the people, to stop it.
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RE: Comparing TCO: iPhone 4 vs. EVO 4G vs. Incredible vs. Nexus One
Droid101 Updated - 24th Jun 2010
The resolution is a misnomer, really. The Nexus One screen is bigger and just as sharp as the iPhone screen. The higher resolution adds no more clarity for the (smallest screen listed) 3.5" iPhone screen. The other three phones have bigger displays that are just as clear.
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Actually.. The iPhone screen is way better the any Roid phones.
i8thecat 25th Jun 2010
@Droid101
The iPhone has always been the leader in smart phone screens... Most accurate, best looking, etc... Apple just made it 4 times better... So now those Roid phones are living up to the Roid name.

And those 70,000 Roid apps? Yeah? that?s a total lie... Any given Roid can only run a quarter of those apps... And good luck updating the OS... Not to mention it's an annual cycle... So you are only going to get 1 or 2 chances at an update over the life of the Roid anyway...

Roid phones are just like real roids? A pain in the butt to use, update, configure, etc.

Face it... Roids are a joke... always have been.... always will be... No one lines up for Roids
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I'll disagree on principle, here.
vulpine@... 25th Jun 2010
@i8thecat: I'm an iPhone user and a long-time Apple user, but even I can see the potential benefits of the Android phones.

True, there are about 70,000 apps available now--though 20% have been classed as potential malware.
Also true that not all Android devices can use all Android applications.
OS updates? Google has been updating Android significantly more quickly than an annual basis. In fact, they've stated that they won't slow down their update rate until they're convinced it's a stable platform--somewhere around An 3.0. Of course, it's up to the phone builders to determine what updates will be available to which phones. Hardly any different from what Apple is already doing with the iPhone, really.

Android does have the potential to become the Windows of the smart phone market--both in share and in issues. It's up to Google to get control of the issues before Android becomes the primary target for malware like Windows did.
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"The resolution is (not) a misnomer, really."
vulpine@... 25th Jun 2010
@Droid101: The EVO, Nexus One and Incredible all use an 800x480 resolution on a physically larger display. The iPhone uses a 960x640 resolution on a 3.7" display. The colors may be equally sharp with either display, but text and fine details will be far more coarse with the lower resolution, forcing you to enlarge any text to make it really readable. This is a difference that will be obvious to the naked eye when the image is the same size on both screens side-by-side. There's a big difference between clarity and brightness. If you can't see it, then you need glasses.
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RE: Comparing TCO: iPhone 4 vs. EVO 4G vs. Incredible vs. Nexus One
Droid101 24th Jun 2010
And puh-lease! The voice command on the iPhone is a joke.

Android devices can do voice input for any field you ever have to type in.
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RE: Comparing TCO: iPhone 4 vs. EVO 4G vs. Incredible vs. Nexus One
MSFTWorshipper 24th Jun 2010
@Droid101 I don't' care if Android is better! All smartphones are RIPOFF!!!!
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RE: Comparing TCO: iPhone 4 vs. EVO 4G vs. Incredible vs. Nexus One
Droid101 Updated - 24th Jun 2010
dp
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RE: Comparing TCO: iPhone 4 vs. EVO 4G vs. Incredible vs. Nexus One
rianbechtold 24th Jun 2010
Also, your GPS section is a little misleading aswell. Most people would see that and figure the iPhone has gps navigation, howevere, it does not. You can pay $80 and get an app that is comparable to the free app that android users get. Or, go with sprint and get sprint navigation that blows most navigations out of the water!
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My first gen iPhone had Nav...
i8thecat 25th Jun 2010
@rianbechtold

Get a clue and buy a vowel ... The 3g introduced real GPS... and they all do NAV with turn by turn right out of the box.. no special apps needed...

The EVO 4G has already been reviewed as crap... Besides... It's a Roid... and like all Roids, it's just another pain in the butt...


(Hey rianbechtold... If you don't have a clue, then don't make retarded comments... Then no one would know you're a tool....)
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All good phones and
davebarnes 24th Jun 2010
all cost about $120/month.
Sometimes it is way too easy to get lost in the weeds.
Pick your phone and get on with life.
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Well said (nt)
use_what_works_4_U 25th Jun 2010
@davebarnes
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bogus and misleading
debusk 24th Jun 2010
Jason: It's easy to tell you're a big fan of Apple. Your charted data is EXTREMELY misleading. Beyond the listed examples from others, I will point out the screen size of the EVO is huge compared to the iP4. Glancing at your chart I would initially think otherwise. You're stating facts, but skewing them heavily towards Mac. Poor reporting 'ol boy.
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Can you offer evidence?
vulpine@... Updated - 25th Jun 2010
@debusk: Allow me to offer one example of how the EVO compares to the iPhone 3G(S)

http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2010/06/evo-4g-review.html

Note that this is in no way a negative review of the EVO in itself, but the comparison points are quite telling.
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RE: Comparing TCO: iPhone 4 vs. EVO 4G vs. Incredible vs. Nexus One
wayne62682 24th Jun 2010
Isn't sprint's thing $70 a month flat for unlimited minutes to any mobile phone (no matter the carrier), 450 minutes for landlines only, unlimited messaging AND unlimited data? Last I checked, AT&T and Verizon offered nothing of the sort and a plan with 450 anytime minutes was about $40, plus $50 for data alone (now changed with the tiered data), plus like an extra $20 or more for any texting at all.

I still don't see how ANYONE competes with Sprint's plan. Except for the LANDLINE minutes, you have unlimited everything for barely over the cost of the data plan alone for the other companies
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RE: Comparing TCO: iPhone 4 vs. EVO 4G vs. Incredible vs. Nexus One
rianbechtold 24th Jun 2010
@wayne62682
That's correct. The 450 is for landlines and voicemail only. On my last bill, the first bill with the evo, I used 3400 minutes from the unlimited section and 5 minutes from the 450 limit section. With everyone going to cell phone use, I don't see the 450 being any problem at all.

Oh, and I used 9,600,000 kb. I'd be screwed if I was on AT&T's plan!
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Competing with Sprint...
vulpine@... 25th Jun 2010
@wayne62682: Doesn't Sprint still have a number of issues they're trying to resolve? They're not the lowest-rated service provider for nothing, after all. They're having to advertise far more frequently and far more obviously than any of their competitors, even to the point of becoming the primary sponsor of Nascar's Cup series and offering all kinds of discounts through their Cup sponsorships.
In my own case, they were unable to provide coverage where I needed it, when I needed it. In fact, I tried them at the time, and I couldn't get any coverage at my home from anybody except Cingular--now AT&T. Maybe they've improved, but have they improved enough to really be competitive, or are they forced to offer low-ball pricing in an attempt to gain market share?

What's interesting is that Sprint is one of the companies that uses the MicroSim card in their phones; could they be the next iPhone provider?
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RE: Comparing TCO: iPhone 4 vs. EVO 4G vs. Incredible vs. Nexus One
Glenn Boychuk 25th Jun 2010
I love my Iphone 3G, hate the ATT service. I'm thinking about the 4G, but not right now, not with some of the other phone options now.

There's another company that isn't talked about here that offers no contract phones and unlimited text, calls and web as well as free tethering for 80 bucks a month! It's only sold through independent reps. Check it out www.FDIRep.com/glennboy

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