A few simple tips for saving in the face of a sharply rising dollar.
Watching the announcements at MWC 2015, I unwittingly adjust them to Russian modern realities, and the result is not the most fun picture. Due to the almost doubling of the dollar exchange rate, the flagships, which cost 25,000-30,000 rubles, are sold today for 45,000-50,000 rubles. This is a logical step on the part of companies, but it doesn't make it easier for users. As I already said in the 'Mobile Environment', with price tags of 40,000 rubles and above, the buyer, most likely, simply will not even consider buying a gadget and will start looking for something cheaper. And here's something especially interesting, but cheaper, I did not see at MWC. Then I thought, what Russian buyers will do in 2015. I will not dare to be responsible for everyone, but I will tell you about my plans.
Reduce purchases of expensive equipment
Recently I was thinking about buying another TV and started looking at prices on Yandex.Market. Models that are much worse than mine now cost 9,000-10,000 rubles more than her. And she herself has risen in price from 23,000 to 40,000 rubles. A laptop bought in November for 58,000 rubles is now selling for 120,000, I can continue this list, but I think you have already grasped the point. The equipment that we used to buy now costs 1.5-2 times more. I remember that quite recently I recommended the same ZenFone 5 for purchase as a good budget employee for 7,000-8,000 rubles, later it went up to 10,000, but it was still a good option, but now it is sold in retail for 15,000 ( !) rubles. The bottom line is that buying something from technology is not very profitable now, you will overpay very much.
Be more careful with technology
And since we will not buy something expensive, then we should be more careful with the already purchased item. For example, take an inexpensive protective case made of leatherette for your favorite smartphone, for example. On AliExpress / eBay, these can be found for 200-300 rubles. It seems to me that this is a small amount to protect the device. In addition to the case, you can just use your smartphone more accurately. No, I'm not talking about constantly worrying about dropping it, you just need to be a little more attentive.
'Chinese'
If you still plan to buy a smartphone now, I recommend that you look at Chinese devices like Meizu, Xiaomi and OPPO. They also increased in price, but against the background of the flagships of large companies, their prices still look more or less adequate. For example, Meizu MX4 16 GB costs 24,000 rubles, while M1 Note costs 16,000 rubles.
Last year's flagships
We had an excellent article from Artem Lutfullin, in which he talked about the second life of last year's flagships using the example HTC One M7, I highly recommend reading it. On my own I will add that the flagships of 2013 are still quite adequate devices.
Second-hand goods market
Another option to save money is the ability to purchase a supported device. About four years ago I myself did this from time to time, but now I am afraid to buy a used smartphone from a stranger. However, if this is my friend or friend, then this problem does not arise.
Conclusion
To be honest, the crisis hasn't hit me hard for me personally. Yes, I see that tomatoes now cost 150 rubles per kilogram instead of 50, and iPhone 6 are sold for 45,000 instead of 33,000 rubles. But some basic products rose in price slightly. But everything changes when you plan to buy something from technology. You can't look at prices without sadness, so I still think the most correct decision is to refrain from buying expensive things and wait out this hectic time. In the end, custom firmware has not been canceled, and the flagships are now becoming obsolete much more slowly.