Cost of your smartphone relative to your car

I personally think that these days, you can get a decent android that will last you a couple of years for 20K (Motorola G 5G, Xiaomi Mi 10i 5g, Samsung M42 5G etc), and a decent car for under 10 lakhs.

BHPian turbo recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I've been an avid reader of this forum, and I have seen numerous buying decisions being made and various cars being dropped due to the availability/non-availability of Apple Car Play/Android Auto.

Recently, in a thread, a member said that he dropped buying the EcoSport because Apple Car play was not available in the Ford. And my first reaction (in my mind) was, "mate if you can afford a 1 lakh rupee phone, why are you even looking to buy an 8 lakh rupee car?" (Of course, I didn't type that out) (That's a 12.5% relative cost of phone to car).

And that got me wondering, what's the cost of your phone, relative to the cost of your car?

I personally think that these days, you can get a decent android that will last you a couple of years for 20K (Motorola G 5G, Xiaomi Mi 10i 5g, Samsung M42 5G etc), and a decent car for under 10 lakhs. So its about 2% relative cost.

I'd love to know what your phone costs, relative to your car.

Note: I am in no way calling iPhones overpriced, I understand that they use top of the line hardware and software, and that they make their own chips etc etc. (If you apple users are so offended by this post, mentally substitute iPhone for Galaxy S21 ultra and re-read this post). I just think that such expensive gadgets should be bought after you reach a certain amount of financial comfort in life.

Here's what BHPian Akshay6988 had to say on the matter:

One can buy a 40 lakh rupee car and be happy with a budget smartphone for 10k rupees. OTOH, I've seen people buying iPhone on EMI which they clearly couldn't afford. I believe it boils down to each individual's decision. Me personally, I don't see any point in spending more than 20k on a phone as 90% of the time only I would see, feel the phone's quality, screen and hardware. When it comes to a car, everyone sees you driving it and they know it is "your" car! Can't say the same about a phone.

Here's what BHPian Crow had to say on the matter:

I’ve actually been thinking about this topic for a while, so here goes. I don’t mean to disagree with you @turbo, but the first thought you had when you read that post — that’s something I’ve heard a few times and I view that thought differently.

• A smartphone is a necessity. We use it almost 24x7, so spending 1 lakh or more on it can easily be justified because it’s being used that much.

• A car on the other hand, is going to be idle for 90% of the time for many people (especially during the lockdown). So a person who has a 1 lakh phone may not feel that it’s worth it to spend 30 lakhs on a car for wireless CarPlay.

• The smartphone experience in the car is a big decision making factor for many people and justifiably so. If CarPlay or Android Auto makes you use your phone less while driving, it’s a big win.

• Lithium ion batteries degrade quite a lot over time, especially in compact devices such as smartphones. So someone spending 1.5L on a phone will face the same battery life issues a couple of years down the line as someone who spends 20k. That’s why phone purchases are essentially like subscription services where you just replace the device every 2-3 years regardless of how good it is.

• Car purchases for me at least are far more long-term, so a minor missing feature annoys me a lot for a lot longer.

Now to answer the original question, my phone cost around 20k but the car was around eight big ones. I went for the top model in the car because I wanted some features such as a stock Bluetooth stereo. With the phone, I can totally afford to get a mid-range device as it’ll be updated anyway and the trickle down effect happens a lot quicker. Flagship features come to budget phones within a couple of years these days.

Here's what BHPian SmartCat had to say on the matter:

In 2004, I bought the cheapest phone available (Rs. 1k? 2k? don't remember) and the most expensive car I could afford (Chevrolet Optra LT 1.8 petrol manual, Rs. 11.3 Lakhs on-road Bangalore).

I have come to realize that cheaper the phone, the more careless you become. You tend to misplace it and drop it more often (since you don't care about its value). Cheap phone = frequent replacements. When it comes to smartphones, this becomes worse since they are so fragile. I used to buy low-cost smartphones for Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 12,000. This meant frequent replacements due to dropping, overheating (it was under the pillow the whole night), phone slowing down, misplacing somewhere on a holiday etc.

So I finally bought a Rs. 36,000 Nokia 8 in 2017 I think. Because it is relatively expensive, I'm a lot more careful with it. Kids don't get to pick up the phone & play with it. I don't drop the phone very often. Possibly due to stock Android, it is still as slick as it was when I first bought it.

Meanwhile, my brother bought an Alto in 2007. I loved driving the Alto as much as I loved driving the Optra/Civic. That's when it struck me -> A car does not have to be expensive for driving fun. Cheap cars offer the same feel good effect as relatively expensive cars. That's because I enjoy driving slow too. I don't need wheelspin or revving to 6000 RPM or cornering G-forces to enjoy the drive.

After such a realization, I have stopped buying expensive cars. Actually, in city traffic, my A-star automatic is more enjoyable to drive than my old Honda Civic manual.

My cheatsheet:

Smartphones -> More expensive the better, but not over the top.

Cars -> Cheaper the better, but not bargain basement cheap.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.