Mobile Phone Blues, Episodes 451 and 452

Last week, before recharging my mobile phone (A Sony Ericsson 310), I notice the battery had become rather swollen. Since the phone was getting on a bit (I got it in mid-2003) I decided to get a replacement battery and not to risk leaking, a fire or even an explosion.

This lead to a series of disappointments (not surprising since I've been generally disappointed by my phone, which I'll identify shortly). First, finding someone in Adelaide that sells replacement batteries for Sony Ericsson phones is not easy. Next, when I found a place stocking batteries for my phone, the price was $40! Each! Yes, I know there are places online that provide batteries for much less, but I'm a bricks-and-mortar kind of shopper when it comes to electronics.

Ok, did I want to spend $40 on a new battery for a phone I'm not overly happy with (Plan A)? Or should I buy a brand new phone (Plan B)?

Before discussing the options, I'll list the grievances I have with my current phone:
* Loooong startup time
* Silly joystick navigation
* Unresponsive user interface
* Battery compartment opens too easily when phone falls

I had hoped that getting a new phone would at least solve some of these issues. So Plan B looked like a goer, until I actually started shopping around. This triggered another series of disappointments ...
1. Mobile phone salespeople are pushy, and want to sell you things you don't want
2. There are so many models to choose from
3. Not all vendors stock all the models
4. Phones come with all sorts of stuff that I don't want: cameras, radios, GPS, younameit
5. Basic phones exist but are often tied to plans (which are confusing)
6. Generally buying phones outright is still too expensive
7. Most importantly, you don't get the opportunity to try out a phone's user interface before you buy it

The last point was the main source of disappointment with my current phone. Had I been able to use it beforehand I would probably have chosen another model.

Some people think all this choice is great for consumers. But I would argue that is not the case. Anyone who has read "The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less" by Barry Schwartz, will be well aware of the problems with too much choice. I've ranted about this before in "Too Much Choice Considered Harmful" and written about the book in another blog, so I won't repeat myself here.

Another nagging concern is that all this "choice" is illusory because vendors and telcos seem to select particular combinations of plans and models, making it difficult to compare. Looks like there are opportunities for cartel-like behaviour to me.

So, after pounding the concrete for a few days, and getting increasingly frustrated with the ordeal of buying a new phone, I decided to go for Plan A. I bought a replacement battery for my existing phone. I resented having to pay such an an exorbitant price, but at least ...
* I won't risk the "buyer's remorse" of getting something that fails to satisfy
* I won't have been responsible for the waste caused by manufacturing a brand new phone
* I save some money, at least in the short term

I'll probably get a new phone eventually, but at least I will have had time to prepare a little in advance. I can ask to try out the user interfaces of other people's phones. Technology can only improve (right?), and who knows, Apple may release an iPhone mini in Australia by then :)

Finally, some advice: Check your mobile phone battery often before you recharge it.