Technology Breakdown

Option #1

Come from America to Lesotho bringing an Unlocked Blackberry

Because the phone is brought from America, you skip the cost of the purchase. Therefore you are left with just the cost of the BB plan costs 50R/month. In 24 months, your total cost will be 24*50 = 1200 Rand.

This comes out to be only

R1200 Total,
50 Rand per month
2.3% of your monthly salary

Option #2

Come from America to Lesotho, but buy a Blackberry in Country

The cheapest blackberry sold in Lesotho is 1500 Rand, (at a private shop) while at the Vodacom store, the cheapest found is 1800 Rand. These models are not 3G compatible, and the 3G compatible ones can be found starting at 2200 in the store. In 24 months, if you buy the cheapest phone and the blackberry plan, you will spend R1500-1800 + R1200 = R2700 – 3000 total in the two years.

This comes out to be only

R2700 – 3000 Total,
112.5 – 125 Rand per month
5.1% – 5.7% of your monthly salary

Option #3

Come from America to Lesotho, bringing an unlocked Android/iPhone

The iPhone/Android can range in how much you will spend total widely. It depends whether you are a light user, or a heavy user.

The following are my own, arbitrary, but educated estimations of data usage per category of light, medium, and heavy usage. Now the payments can be confusing so bare with me. Each data bundle payment only lasts a total of 7 months. (stretches to 8 depending on when you purchase).

 So a light user only used 20Gb, but if they buy 2 data bundles each of 10Gb, it will only last 14 months, meaning they are left with an additional 10 months to buy more data. So a light user, it is recommended that they buy 6 bundles, of 4Gb each. I have described which bundles are better to buy for each case of light, medium, or heavy user.

A light user will use 0.8Gb/month-totaling 20Gb in 24 months 6, 4Gb bundles = R3900-4080

A medium user will use 1.2Gb/month-totaling 28Gb in 24 months 2, 10Gb bundles and 3, 4Gb bundles = R4800 – 5040

A heavy user will use 1.4Gb/month-totaling 34Gb in 24 months 3, 10Gb bundles and 1, 4Gb bundle = R4900 - 5180

Therefore, this comes out to be only

R3900-5180 Total,
162.5 – 215.8 Rand per month, 7.3% – 9.8% of your monthly salary

Now remember, with the blackberry, those prices are fixed. That is exactly what you will be paying. But the iPhone/Android, you may be able to pay less, or you may be paying more. For the heavy user, I really tried using a large amount so I hope that is the top amount anyone using an iPhone/Android in Lesotho will spend; but if you are constantly downloading movies who knows how much you can spend. The data bundles can be on sale for lower prices, so the prices above can even dip depending on if you are lucky to buy data at the right time. For instance right now, you are able to buy 4Gb for about half the price. I kept the prices as fixed prices.

I myself am a medium user, although I plan to purchase in the heavy user way because it is a small difference in spending. I am always on Facebook, posting pictures of food, talking on Whatsapp, kakao calling, shazaaming, stumble uponing, redditing, updating my apps, downloading new apps, and browsing on safari. I am still considered a medium user.

Now the above was an unbiased breakdown of the pricing in this technology. Below, I explain the differences in using a Blackberry and an iPhone/Android. I may show that I am a bit fond of “true” smart phones.

Blackberry

Benefits

• You can cheat the system, and download large files without being detected by the 5Mb limit per download

• Easy payments of 50 rand each month

• Not as flashy as iPhone/Android, will get less attention

• Blackberry Messenger 

 Sucky Things

• 5Mb limit per download means, no Youtube, no Audio calls through skype/kakao, no video chatting.

• Not as reliable, some volunteers have issues, some do not

• No Tethering, you must buy a modem if you want Internet on your

  computer at home.

  iPhone/Android

  Benefits

• Youtube, watch movies, read books

• Shazaam

• Kakao/Viber call

• Video Chat

• Real apps, like scanning, stargazing, GPS with maps

• Better Pictures

• Real Engaging Games

• Siri, iMessage

• Tethering internet 

  Sucky Things

• Flashier, gets more attention

• Cannot cheat the system, anything you download takes off that amount of

  data

• Have to pay in large bundles and keep track of when the next payment

  should come, not the easy 50 rand a month

• If it breaks, you will be more sad than if the blackberry broke.

  If you are willing to spend the 5% difference on bringing an android or iPhone, you will make that money up with an extra 40% comfort from home!

  If you have any questions on the technology, how the money was broken down, or if you feel as though I forgot to include certain information please feel free to contact me!