Were mobile phone prices smilar in late 90s, didn't price differ like in today's mobile phones?

[Anonymous]

Were mobile phone prices smilar in late 90s, didn't price differ like in today's mobile phones?

[jshm2]

Depends.

Mostly as phones were 95% a business expense, hence tax deductible.

So paying 500 bucks for a Nokia 2110 and 100 bucks a month for calls, 50 SMS and 100MB GSM or HSDPA internet, was not unheard of. Reception was pretty shitty most places.

It wasn't until the 2000s that costs came down the standards went up.

[Asker]

First cell phone with mobile internet came out in 1996. Nokia.

[Asker]

It had a bigger second screen inside.

It must be more expensive than phones that can only do calling.

[Asker]

Calling and message.

[DryGermanGuy]

Phones were not yet subsidized by the telecom companies in the mid nineties. I payed 300 Deutschmark for my first Sony phone after negotiating it down from 400. By the end of the nineties you could get a lot of subsidized Nokia phones starting at 29 Deutschmark.

[Asker]

So prices differ in late 90s or not?

[DryGermanGuy]

Mid nineties: All phones were expensive (small market)
End nineties: There were cheap, subsidized offerings

[Asker]

So prices were different between phones in late 90s.

Iphone prices goes up to 1200 dollars today, if not more.

[Asker]

I was also only refering to prices in its native country America.

Outside of USA, Iphones are more expensive.

[slatyb]

No it's pretty much the same. There were expensive "smart phones" and much less expensive phones that could only make calls (and later, text).

[Astarlessnightsky]

Much more expensive, and also really heavy and big, also calls itself were expensive

[Asker]

The prices didn't differ phone to phone?

[Asker]

Iphone prices goes up to 1200 dollars today.

[Asker]

Also, this is a Nokia released in 1999. It does not look huge at all.

https://i.hizliresim.com/h57ces8.jpeg

[Asker]

And I was only refuring to USA price for Iphone where Iphone is sold the cheapest.

An Iphone which is sold for 1100 dollars in USA is sold for 2500 dollars in Turkey (where I live).