Tech $ux

I like having money. I also like shiny things. This obviously creates a conflict of interest. I understand that a lot of technological products have absolutely no use; nevertheless, I’m powerless every time I pass by a Best Buy. What I don’t understand is why the pricing for some products are so varied. I mean, with cell phones, I recognize the whole carrier subsidization thing, but there’s still such a huge disparity in pricing amongst the full price versions.

The standard features now are usually some sort of camera, mp3 functionality, some sort of web browser (either mobile or full html). All other things should be basically cost negligible (calculators, notepads, different sized address books, etc. And yet, the cost range between phones sold at full price can be as much as $500. The only varying factors are, I guess: camera resolutions, internal memory, GPS functionality, and interface (I’m not including smart phones in this group).

Now, I’m going to eliminate internal memory since the percentage of phones that have any relevant amount is relatively small. Concerning camera resolutions, most phones don’t have the highest quality of lenses, so that factor becomes moot, and the actual camera features are usually pretty slim. And since if you look at the digital camera market right now and take something generic like a 6MP camera, the prices range anywhere from $100 to $350. The higher ranges tend to go to those with slimmer profiles and advanced features. So back in the phone realm, one has to assume phone cameras blow and are more so in the $100 range, and thus cancel out.

With interface, there are multiple screens, screen sizes, screen resolutions, touch screens, etc., but in no way could the difference between the cheapest combination and the most expensive be more than say, $200. So why do all the things I want cost an exorbitant amount of money? Especially when a PSP has most of the features of pretty much any phone or mp3 player, yet costs under $200? Why are you still reading this?