user35403: I've been doing some Googling for GSM shields and their prices and frankly I don't understand why they are so expensive on average.
The official one sold by Arduino is 71 euros for me (I live in Europe), and third party ones have similar prices.
A cheap dumb-phone is usually 30 euros and those phones have become really impressive these days, they have even a camera. When they are locked with the carrier the price can go as low as 20 euros. How is it even possible that a single part of what is supposed to make up a phone is more expensive than the phone itself? :(
Thanks in advance!

user23644: If you are ready to wait a month for delivery and also giving up flexibility by restricting yourself to just sending and receiving SMS, then you can go as low as €2 for a DIY kit on AliExpress.
By adding more money, you also get more features. Just sarch for "gsm arduino" or "SIM800", "SIM900".

35403: <p>I've been doing some Googling for GSM shields and their prices and frankly I don't understand why they are so expensive on average.</p>

<p>The <a href="https://store.arduino.cc/arduino-gsm-shield-2-integrated-antenna" rel="nofollow noreferrer">official one sold by Arduino</a> is 71 euros for me (I live in Europe), and third party ones have similar prices.</p>

<p>A cheap dumb-phone is usually 30 euros and those phones have become really impressive these days, they have even a camera. When they are locked with the carrier the price can go as low as 20 euros. How is it even possible that a single part of what is supposed to make up a phone is more expensive than the phone itself? :(</p>

<p>Thanks in advance!</p>
 23644: <p>If you are ready to wait a month for delivery and also giving up flexibility by restricting yourself to just sending and receiving SMS, then you can go as low as €2 for a DIY kit on <a href="https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1pcs-DIY-KIT-GSM-GPRS-900-1800-MHz-Short-Message-Service-SMS-module-for-project-for/32786741769.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">AliExpress</a>.</p>

<p>By adding more money, you also get more features. Just sarch for "gsm arduino" or "SIM800", "SIM900".</p>
