I decided that one criteria for expensive things I buy from now on is that unless it is inherent to the function of the object, I will not buy things that depend on the maker as an ongoing operation for functions I care about[1].

Cell phones are the hardest case there, and I'll probably break my rule in that case. But in general, I'm not paying rent on things I already bought, even if that tax is in the form of stupid ads.

[1] I'm also not going to play what-about-this-edge-case with quibblers.