BillShrink: Check TCO Before Buying SmartphonesBillShrink: Check TCO Before Buying Smartphones

The average selling price of smartphones may be dropping these days, but that doesn't mean that contract plan prices have dropped, too. BillShrink put together a list of devices and what their total cost of ownership is. Check it out.It's one thing to buy a friend, family member or loved one a smartphone for the holidays. It's quite another to foot the bill for two years. If you want to know exactly what that shiny new gadget will cost over a standard 24-month contract, BillShrink has your back. It has the TCO added up for a number of the season's hottest devices.

The total cost was derived by adding the sales price of the device, plus the monthly contract cost (times 24) for a 450 minute monthly plan. Keep in mind, this is the lowest price for these devices. Plans with more calling minutes will cost significantly more over a two-year period

The cheapest device has a TCO of $1,705, and the priciest will cost you a whopping $2,400. With a spread of $700 (enough for a laptop!) separating the low and high-end devices, I'd say choose wisely.

Here's the run down:

I am not all that surprised that the cheapest over TCO is available from a device on the Sprint network. It definitely has rolled out a solid value for its customers with its Simply Everything plans.