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Captivate is now 1 CENT!!

Friend just emailed me....the Captivate is now just 1 cent. Not a bad deal, eh?
http://tinyurl.com/2a9d8az

This is Amazon, much like WireFly,LetsTak and any other reseller they can price the phone at whatever price theyd like since they make comission off the monthly plans more so than the actual hardware. Theyll take a big hit ($200-$300) on the phone in order to make it back up with the plan.
BTW this is for new contracts only via Amazon, renewals are still $99 and Family is $149.

I just ordered one from Amazon for a penny. So long Sprint and so long samsung moment (blech)

I ordered mine from Amazon along with 3 other phones on a new family plan with 1400 minutes. Total cost after shipping: $.04.

makes me feel I made a mistake getting the phone in the first place. Good thing I like the phone.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

iamamp3pimp said:
makes me feel I made a mistake getting the phone in the first place. Good thing I like the phone.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
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Why would you feel like you made a mistake getting the phone if you like it just b/c the price went down? Hell, I paid $175 for mine (Family plan upgrade-secondary line) and I'm still happy with my purchase. I agree that it is annoying to see them offer such good deals for new users and screw over "loyal" customers though...

AT&T charged me $100, they gave me the $100 discount for being a loyal customer. Funny thing is i joined when the iPhone 3G came out.
I tried to get my wife to get it for 1 cent but she insists on getting the EVO, loyal yo sprint.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

logicrulez said:
AT&T charged me $100, they gave me the $100 discount for being a loyal customer. Funny thing is i joined when the iPhone 3G came out.
I tried to get my wife to get it for 1 cent but she insists on getting the EVO, loyal yo sprint.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
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Loyal enough to pay 240 dollars more over the length of her contract? I've been with Sprint for 5 years and I'm not THAT loyal to them

wildkarrde21 said:
Why would you feel like you made a mistake getting the phone if you like it just b/c the price went down? Hell, I paid $175 for mine (Family plan upgrade-secondary line) and I'm still happy with my purchase. I agree that it is annoying to see them offer such good deals for new users and screw over "loyal" customers though...
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To be fair Amazon's a dealer like Wirefly. They make nothing on the sale of phones but get paid on selling the contracts. The Captivate is 99 dollars if you are renewing or adding a line on Amazon. Still a better deal than anywhere else. As a NEW AT&T customer I would have spent $199 on the phone at the AT&T store. I was all about to buy a Vibrant yesterday for 70 bucks on Amazon when I found the penny deal on the Captivate. So here I am.

Difference is, when you buy it from the AT&T store, they cover your warranty for the year - and their warranty is great.
If you buy it anywhere else, you have to deal with Samsung directly unless you get lucky and AT&T ships you a replacement regardless.

wildkarrde21 said:
Why would you feel like you made a mistake getting the phone if you like it just b/c the price went down? Hell, I paid $175 for mine (Family plan upgrade-secondary line) and I'm still happy with my purchase. I agree that it is annoying to see them offer such good deals for new users and screw over "loyal" customers though...
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Not so much a mistake, I am happy with my purchase. It's just the price that we pay to get the best in tech before everyone else.
I've never done that before, and used to tout that my motorola karma was pretty much the same thing as a smartphone.
Obviously I had no clue what I was talking about.

qwertyaas said:
Difference is, when you buy it from the AT&T store, they cover your warranty for the year - and their warranty is great.
If you buy it anywhere else, you have to deal with Samsung directly unless you get lucky and AT&T ships you a replacement regardless.
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Now THAT I dodn't know. Guess I'll be adding insurance.

gunnyman said:
Now THAT I dodn't know. Guess I'll be adding insurance.
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It's what I was told from AT&T and when I spoke to Letstalk, Wifefly and so on. But FWIW, people have stated that they just called AT&T and they sent them a replacement - but that could just be a YMMV. I would try to verify as well before you add insurance in case you don't need to.
But for $.01, I'm jealous!

Amazon has such a great rep that I doubt they'd have entered the Wireless sales business without some assurances from carriers. Wirefly has a shady rep from what I was able to google.

i paid full retail cause i wasnt up for upgrade... and thats for two phones too.. -_-. bye 1000

The thing many of you guys are not realizing is that this price and other similar deals are for completely new accounts only. Upgrades or even new family plan lines will bump up the price to $100-150. Under the circumstances most of the people I know who paid for Captivates, they wouldn't have saved any more money if they had waited, as everyone I know who has a Captivate was already an AT&T customer.
And quite frankly, while the Captivate is a great phone, it's not worth putting up with AT&T over if you're on a good carrier, especially since there is/will be a Galaxy S for all major carriers.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

JPS81 said:
The thing many of you guys are not realizing is that this price and other similar deals are for completely new accounts only. Upgrades or even new family plan lines will bump up the price to $100-150. Under the circumstances most of the people I know who paid for Captivates, they wouldn't have saved any more money if they had waited, as everyone I know who has a Captivate was already an AT&T customer.
And quite frankly, while the Captivate is a great phone, it's not worth putting up with AT&T over if you're on a good carrier, especially since there is/will be a Galaxy S for all major carriers.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
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This man speaks the truth. Listen to his words. And get him a beer!

gunnyman said:
Amazon has such a great rep that I doubt they'd have entered the Wireless sales business without some assurances from carriers. Wirefly has a shady rep from what I was able to google.
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True, but reading through Amazons policy, they only support the phone for 30 days - as do all online retailers besides AT&T itself (they have a full year). Other online retailers pass the warranty to Samsung. But for the period Amazon does cover it - they have great customer service.
I'm not saying that's bad as I never dealt with Samsung for warranty purposes. I just know that AT&T deals with warranty issues very well. But regardless, $.01 for this phone is an amazing deal. The chance of needing a replacement post-30 days might not even occur for you - and if it does - you can always try AT&T for replacement.

Denied

So I wired my younger brother the money to pick up my phone in the US and send it back with my grandparents who are there visiting... He went to AT&T today and they denied him the ability to purchase me the phone off contract. He said he tried for a little, but they kept saying that they would not sell it to him off contract. I told him to try and go back if he can, but he might not be able to due to work and my grandparents leaving soon.
Can AT&T actually deny selling the phone off contract? I told him that if he is able to go back, to tell them that it is being sold from AT&T stores for $549.00 and to ask how it is possible for them to deny the sale.
I understand that they dont make money selling phones, but rather the service, but to just deny him is crazy...
Thoughts? Opinions? Suggestions?
Thanks everyone! Have been at this android thing for almost a year and I am still without one...

I have never heard of them denying someone to purchase a phone off contract. Tell him to go to Target or Wal Mart they sell att phones off contract.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App

I'm not sure if there is one near him unfortunately... I guess I should mention he lives in Boston at the moment, not cool on the part of the AT&T he went to.
Do you happen to know how much Walmart and Target are selling them for?

they can deny anything to anyone. but you can buy it on there website. they dont want to run out and are hoping that this will attract many new contracts so they prefer to sell to new subscribers. my att reps dont care either way and i had the option to buy outright, i shoulda taken that option but it is too late now. im not sure if i can cancel an early upgrade in the first month like a new contract.

Heuser1 said:
I'm not sure if there is one near him unfortunately... I guess I should mention he lives in Boston at the moment, not cool on the part of the AT&T he went to.
Do you happen to know how much Walmart and Target are selling them for?
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about $50-$100 more as far as i can tell but some regions are jacking up the price even in the at store. i think it is $579 on att's website. my store is $549 but some stores may be $600 or more

Is he a ATT customer. It is true they wont sell to non customers and they dont have to.

Crazy how some places jack up the price like that. The reason I cannot order it online is because I would have to pay a 16% tax for it to get through customs here in the Dominican Republic. So i have been trying to coordinate with friends and family that have been in the US and this was my big chance so say.
Pretty annoyed about this, seems like everytime I try to get a phone i am unsuccesful for one reason or another. Already had the issue with the G2X not being quad-band.
I hope he was able to go back this evening and get it... Not sure what to do next if that doesn't work out.

Ya. Inspire was $399 off contract at att. Went to buy at best buy because I had a 10% coupon and they wanted $599 for the thing! No.thanks! I'd call corporate and complain about the store. Either way its bad customer service for them to turn you down like that. "Can I give you $550 for this item" rep "no" ... "only $199" doesn't make sense. I'd raise hell. I realize they make money off the data plans and.contracts and how att works but either way you look at it that's poor customer relations and incorrect information directly from a.corporate store.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using XDA Premium App

Best buy will always price match. I have done it with many off contract phones there.

jthornton71707 said:
Ya. Inspire was $399 off contract at att. Went to buy at best buy because I had a 10% coupon and they wanted $599 for the thing! No.thanks! I'd call corporate and complain about the store. Either way its bad customer service for them to turn you down like that. "Can I give you $550 for this item" rep "no" ... "only $199" doesn't make sense. I'd raise hell. I realize they make money off the data plans and.contracts and how att works but either way you look at it that's poor customer relations and incorrect information directly from a.corporate store.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using XDA Premium App
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I don't think the infuse is only 399 off contract anywhere. I just looked online on att.com and its 550. If you can show me where to get it for 400 bucks I'm buying right now.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

Alex2x3 said:
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Off topic - I hate you because you have a Transformer and I don't.

I'm not sure I'd plunk down that much for the infuse anyway. It has the same gps issues as the captivate and nexus s phone. To me I'd buy an iPhone and have your brother send it along with your grandparents or even an atrix. I like my phones to work right.

galaxyjeff said:
I'm not sure I'd plunk down that much for the infuse anyway. It has the same gps issues as the captivate and nexus s phone. To me I'd buy an iPhone and have your brother send it along with your grandparents or even an atrix. I like my phones to work right.
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the gps if far better than the galaxy s phones. trust me on that. it can use altered settings as it has quirks but the gps is not the same hardware or drivers and is by far improved

Alex2x3 said:
I don't think the infuse is only 399 off contract anywhere. I just looked online on att.com and its 550. If you can show me where to get it for 400 bucks I'm buying right now.
The inspire not infuse
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Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using XDA Premium App

Was at at&t store and thought I remember seeing off contract price of $549.00 I am in KC, Mo.
Sent from my Infuse 4G using XDA Premium

As long as you have a active account with AT&T then they will sell you a phone out of contract or no commitment pricing. If you don't have a account they don't have to sell it to you
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA Premium App

Dani897 said:
they can deny anything to anyone. but you can buy it on there website. they dont want to run out and are hoping that this will attract many new contracts so they prefer to sell to new subscribers. my att reps dont care either way and i had the option to buy outright, i shoulda taken that option but it is too late now. im not sure if i can cancel an early upgrade in the first month like a new contract.
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+++ Inventory is thin right now. They would rather sell that phone with a contract, which they probably did short after. Or if not, at least sell to a current customer.

Heuser1 said:
I'm not sure if there is one near him unfortunately... I guess I should mention he lives in Boston at the moment, not cool on the part of the AT&T he went to.
Do you happen to know how much Walmart and Target are selling them for?
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Click to collapse
Do you happen to know what store in Boston he went to? I live in Boston and was able to buy one from the Downtown Crossing store with no issues. Just be nice to the AT&T reps and don't look/act like a grey market reseller

Heuser1 said:
So I wired my younger brother the money to pick up my phone in the US and send it back with my grandparents who are there visiting... He went to AT&T today and they denied him the ability to purchase me the phone off contract. He said he tried for a little, but they kept saying that they would not sell it to him off contract. I told him to try and go back if he can, but he might not be able to due to work and my grandparents leaving soon.
Can AT&T actually deny selling the phone off contract? I told him that if he is able to go back, to tell them that it is being sold from AT&T stores for $549.00 and to ask how it is possible for them to deny the sale.
I understand that they dont make money selling phones, but rather the service, but to just deny him is crazy...
Thoughts? Opinions? Suggestions?
Thanks everyone! Have been at this android thing for almost a year and I am still without one...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, AT&T rep told me that first couple of weeks no AT&T store will sell a new phone without contract.
You have to go to bestbuy for that. I bought mine there for $599 without contract.
Another option is online purchase from AT&T's website for $549 without contract, but there may be some issues with that.

Heuser1 said:
So I wired my younger brother the money to pick up my phone in the US and send it back with my grandparents who are there visiting... He went to AT&T today and they denied him the ability to purchase me the phone off contract. He said he tried for a little, but they kept saying that they would not sell it to him off contract. I told him to try and go back if he can, but he might not be able to due to work and my grandparents leaving soon.
Can AT&T actually deny selling the phone off contract? I told him that if he is able to go back, to tell them that it is being sold from AT&T stores for $549.00 and to ask how it is possible for them to deny the sale.
I understand that they dont make money selling phones, but rather the service, but to just deny him is crazy...
Thoughts? Opinions? Suggestions?
Thanks everyone! Have been at this android thing for almost a year and I am still without one...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just happened to me today as i got my Infuse...
ATT store said that they do not sell new phones off contract for the first month after release....
I had to go to Radio Shack to buy the phone...

I will not use foul language on XDA because I'm mad with my carrier

Not sure I agree with the charge but welcome to the true cost of the phones, without carrier subsidy, like the rest of the world does.
Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk

wtf is the point of carrier subsidy, contracts, etc if they are gonna rape me for bull**** like these charges??

Is this for the mytouch or the g2x?
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium

Americans, for the most part, have absolutely no idea how money works and will happily pay huge monthly fees if it means a cheap piece of hardware.
A friend of mine told me flat out he will never pay more than a hundred dollars for a phone and yet gladly pays $90 per month. He, and millions of others, cannot fathom budgeting beyond a single month.
Sent from my Nexus Prime using XDA Ultimate App

I went through this same bull**** last week. I got my bill and saw that charge and called. I thought it was mislabeled shipping charges since the lady in the chat asked me if we wanted expedited shipping for the G2x for $20 or not and we declined. Sadly it was for replacing the phone. I even stated that I was clearly under warranty and thought the charge was inappropriate and that not even AT&T, my previous carrier up until 6 months ago, ever charged me for replacing phones under warranty. All to no avail, they don't really care.
I switched to T-Mo for the promise of excellent customer care and ever since moving to T-Mo and the G2x I haven't seen anything like that fabled customer care I've heard about.

I received two $20.00 charges and a $5.00 charge on my bill. It's complete bull. The phone was less than a month old!

So did they guy who swapped out ten phones under warranty pay $200.00 in these charges? LMFAO.

Kinda strange it says one time service charge then there are two charges of twenty bucks.
That sucks,
Doug
Samsung Admire (MetroPCS)

well now i'm praying that my g2x is relatively bug free.... before the g2x i had the g1 and i've been through six of those phones. i've never ever had to pay a warranty fee, it must be new?

sux, I hope you guys don't pay for insurance too.
These things come with a 1 year manufacturer warranty.
If you didn't know that, I hope you will remember it and stop paying T-mobile(or any carrier) for bull****.
Pretty much any electronic device you buy has a 1 year manufacturers warranty.
So don't waste your money.
If you don't believe me, read your manuals!

well then what's the difference between asking for a replacement and getting it free as opposed to asking for a replacement and having to pay for it? i don't understand where these charges are coming from all of a sudden since i've never had to pay them before

tackleberry said:
wtf is the point of carrier subsidy, contracts, etc if they are gonna rape me for bull**** like these charges??
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You pay 150 for a phone vice 500.
Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk

it was for the mytouch. my G2x knock on wood is perfect (well, as perfect as CM7 can be i guess)
sadly, 3 hours of phone calls netted me nothing. i got phucked.
that insurance they keep pimping to me is also bull****. i dropped that after the first month when i learned that the rep lied out of his ass to sell me that **** in the store, and i made sure i got my money back for that. i got my 40 bucks back too as i refused to pay that fee.
of course the one rep that found the proper notations of some sort (or claimed to have seen it) i dropped the call or i got disconnected!!!! arrgh thats when the 10 phone calls in a row started trying to get an american rep!
oh yea, and that new IVR system they have now is really ****ty! want a rep, just say tech support, and it takes you to a regular care rep anyways so just ask for tech support when the dumb ***** asks you why you are calling. i had to call back 4 times just because that stupid computer slut kept cutting me off and hanging up on me when i asked for a human to speak to. they are really gearing up to lose that "top customer service/satisfaction" slot they supposedly hold.
third exchange, they offered me a mt4g slide as a replacement...cool, i said go for it ill take that deal. they sent me a mt4g like i have already. i called them on it today, saying hey you sent me the wrong device. they have no records of me getting a mt4g slide. they offered me a samsung galaxy 4g. i said no thanks, i was told i was getting a slide.
oh and 3 hours of calls was me waiting on hold to get an american rep, since tmo wants to outsource more often now!
i noticed this tho, if you get the option to have them call you back instead of waiting on hold, 1...dont do it because you wont get that call back, and 2....thats an american rep you will be waiting for on hold...all the times i got a out of country rep i never got the option to get the hold call back.
problem is, if you pay full retail you still need a contract unless you go prepaid. you go prepaid, you are treated like a third world hoodrat compared to a postpaid customer, who is treated like a second class citizen at best. so no matter what you get phucked where the sun dont shine regardless of what you do!
whatever, she is due for an upgrade in november anyway, so regardless ill get her a better phone no matter what. it would have been nice tho to get a 4g slide as it would have been worth more on fleabay down the road. ill sign my monkey contract to stick with their retarded collective asses and eventually pay $200 bucks to cancel, as ill get that money back by selling the device on ebay anyways so no major real loss here. i refuse to go to sprint, and verizon is expensive....ug i should have kept verizon from the get go.
---------- Post added at 04:50 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:47 AM ----------
herzzreh said:
You pay 150 for a phone vice 500.
Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk
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i know that, i was being sarcastic

what does this mean.
LordButtersI said:
Americans, for the most part, have absolutely no idea how money works and will happily pay huge monthly fees if it means a cheap piece of hardware.
A friend of mine told me flat out he will never pay more than a hundred dollars for a phone and yet gladly pays $90 per month. He, and millions of others, cannot fathom budgeting beyond a single month.
Sent from my Nexus Prime using XDA Ultimate App
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please explain what this means. although tmobile does have a cheaper rate if you dont buy the phone outright(not really even sure its cheaper unless you want the lowest service available) i know verizon doesnt dont believe att does either dont know about sprint.
but we dont have a choice but to pay for the service we need whatever they charge. we do have the ability to stand up and not pay money for fixes for phones sold broken. and i never paid a dime for my 2 replacements. nor would i.
Your post is not only insulting , it also makes no sense and has nothing to do with the thread. !!!!!!!!!!!!!

i think what he means is that americans only see half the cost. when they see a full retail cost of a phone at $500 bones, and can pay 1/5th of that or even less they think they got a deal but when you see all the fees and extra bull**** they silently tack on to your bill, we dont care because the phone which is the cool thing to have does tons of fart apps and the bill dont matter anymore.

Actually, TMO will give you a cheaper rate if you own the outright. They have what they call Value + which has lower rates I think.

If you have insurance on your phone they will only charge you 5 bucks and will overnight you a replacement. I also agree that the $20 charge is complete bs and I'm a Tmo employee lol.

eagle1967 said:
please explain what this means. although tmobile does have a cheaper rate if you dont buy the phone outright(not really even sure its cheaper unless you want the lowest service available) i know verizon doesnt dont believe att does either dont know about sprint.
but we dont have a choice but to pay for the service we need whatever they charge. we do have the ability to stand up and not pay money for fixes for phones sold broken. and i never paid a dime for my 2 replacements. nor would i.
Your post is not only insulting , it also makes no sense and has nothing to do with the thread. !!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Actually his post makes perfect sense. Problem is that T-Mobile is the only choice if you do want to make any use of high upfront cost/lower cost in the long-run vs little up-front cost/much high cost in the long-run that our society is prone for.
As for the plan not being cheaper... not so sure.
My regular plan:
120*24=2880
250 for two phones.
Total over the life of a contract: 3130.00
My value plan:
650 for two phones (100 for G2x, 150 for the Galaxy, plus 400 "conversion fee")
80*24=1920
Total over the life of a contract: 2570.00
Difference: 560
How's it not cheaper?

hukkguai said:
If you have insurance on your phone they will only charge you 5 bucks and will overnight you a replacement. I also agree that the $20 charge is complete bs and I'm a Tmo employee lol.
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does this include the first year warranty? i've never had to pay for a replacement when i was in the first year and i've went through six g1s

No more contracts but the phones will have ads in/on it. What do you think?

When I was working for Verizon last year there was talk of congress possibly cracking down on phone contracts and forcing service providers to get rid of them.
Now, that would make it impossible to get high end devices at subsidized rates.
The only alternative (i can think of) would be either ads inherint on the phone, like what KDDI is doing with the ads in the dropdown status bar, or company branded phones, like an HTC Pepsi Evo or a Samsung Ford Motors Galaxy.
Of course the phone's casing would sport the company logos, and such, and rooting would probably be much more difficult seeing as these major corporations have a big vested interest in making sure people see their stuff.
So, would an outside company's branding piss you off?
Sent from my Samsung Droid Charge 4G-LTE

I don't see that happening.
Sent from my DROID RAZR using xda premium

If that happened I'd go back to dumb-phones and forget all about smartphones. That's far too intrusive for my liking. (Incidentally, I see 0% chance of this happening.)

I don't think there is a reason for carriers to have ad-supported devices since consumers are still purchasing devices that are $199 and $299 with a 2-year contract. I don't know 100% what the numbers are but considering the rapid growth of a smartphone adoption, the carriers won't employ ad-supported devices so they can capitalize on a profit. Now in 10-years when carriers are looking for ways to further differentiate themselves from competitors, I could see the smaller guys offering ad-supported devices to try to get a leg up on the competition with a larger customer base (i.e. A T-Mobile or Sprint offering free devices to compete with Verizon because they can't compete on tower spectrum or device selection).

Archer said:
If that happened I'd go back to dumb-phones and forget all about smartphones. That's far too intrusive for my liking. (Incidentally, I see 0% chance of this happening.)
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This.
Maybe I could try living with it, but in the end I would just try flashing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xtuxax8Dtk4

Here in Canada, we now get rid of those contract for telecom. Now the contract only apply to the price of the phone. So if you bought a phone that worth 300$ but the operator give it to you for 0$ with a contract of 3 years, if you break the contract after only 1 year, you would have to pay 2/3 of the phone, 200$.
As simple as that.

That is a simple solution. Makes a lot of sense
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

I don't care about a contract but the way phones are getting EOL'ed so quickly and new stuff is flying around, contracts need to be dropped down to 1 year.

if they were required to eliminate contracts i would expect ad's in phones to become the norm in order to help subsidize the price of the phone will still attracting consumers.

I Am Marino said:
I don't care about a contract but the way phones are getting EOL'ed so quickly and new stuff is flying around, contracts need to be dropped down to 1 year.
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You can still get 1yr contracts, but pay a little more for your phone. One of the reasons I switched to T-mo years ago was that their offerings were just as good with only 1 yr contracts vs the rest having 2 yrs. Most of the time now if I get a new to me phone is it used, or at least previous gen to offset the cost. Nice being to upgrade on occasion tho.

papabear said:
You can still get 1yr contracts, but pay a little more for your phone. One of the reasons I switched to T-mo years ago was that their offerings were just as good with only 1 yr contracts vs the rest having 2 yrs. Most of the time now if I get a new to me phone is it used, or at least previous gen to offset the cost. Nice being to upgrade on occasion tho.
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I don't mean 1 year contracts as an option and your phone is pricier, I mean 1 year is standard, and 2 year is the extended option.
The phones retail or discounted is still more than it costs to make them.

papabear said:
You can still get 1yr contracts, but pay a little more for your phone. One of the reasons I switched to T-mo years ago was that their offerings were just as good with only 1 yr contracts vs the rest having 2 yrs. Most of the time now if I get a new to me phone is it used, or at least previous gen to offset the cost. Nice being to upgrade on occasion tho.
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a lot of carriers no longer have one year contracts
http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/mobile/04/11/verizon.contracts.mashable/index.html
http://www.mobilemag.com/2011/09/30/sprint-drops-1-year-contract-option/

If the federal government mandated that a private corporation not be allowed to offer contractual subsidized phones there would be a libertarian uprising. Give them an inch and they take a mile. They have no business mandating a thing.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App

Yeah i think the Ads would be a horrible idea, just another thing to bog down the phone and waste user data, and the government should stay out of the tech market anyway before they screw it up like everything else they touch and control

Can't see this happening. There's no way the ads could generate enough income to justify a £500 phone for every customer? Thought I could definitely live with it if it saved me a few hundred!

I hate Ads...thats why I use the AdAway app! Don't see the contracts going away...

I don't see it happening either, mostly because ad generated revenue would never be as consistent as X number of monthly plans at $Y. Big corporations like being able to predict their future revenue, especially if that's what they're used to.

Rominucka said:
When I was working for Verizon last year there was talk of congress possibly cracking down on phone contracts and forcing service providers to get rid of them.
Now, that would make it impossible to get high end devices at subsidized rates.
The only alternative (i can think of) would be either ads inherint on the phone, like what KDDI is doing with the ads in the dropdown status bar, or company branded phones, like an HTC Pepsi Evo or a Samsung Ford Motors Galaxy.
Of course the phone's casing would sport the company logos, and such, and rooting would probably be much more difficult seeing as these major corporations have a big vested interest in making sure people see their stuff.
So, would an outside company's branding piss you off?
Sent from my Samsung Droid Charge 4G-LTE
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This would also lead to more encrypted bootloaders. If the only way carriers could make money from the phone itself was to advertise, then they would take measures to insure you couldn't just load a new clean rom on the phone. So as a result of ads in phones, I think we would lose custom roms also. Not exactly the ideal scenario.

i want to try that, let see what will happen

new AT&T upgrade plan (AT&T "Next")

http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/16/att-next-upgrade-program/
AT&T:
http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/next.html?sf15024656=1#fbid=PD71HEOU89k
Interesting...
Also... top comment on Engadget:
OK, so I work for ATT I'll just clarify this for you guys a little. This is what we reps have been told. Basically whatever the normal price plan is for the phone you add 1/20th of the phones price to that normal plan pricing. After 12 months minimum but before 20 months you can choose to trade in your old phone and get a new one. There are no down payments for either phone so there is that, you can get an iphone 5 64GB for no money down if you have good credit XD. BUT you would then pay an extra 40 some per month to make up for it. The average installments would be $20 with smartphones usually costing about 400 or more so after 12 months you would have paid $280 or more and if you sold your old phone you could buy a new one.
POINT: This is a blatant rip off, save up your money those months and sell the phone you save money, the price you pay for this simply gives ATT a larger profit, they will then resell the old phones you turn in which by the way have to be in perfect shape or there will be an additional charge for repairs. Anyone with sense will no do this.
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Oh and how this effect the unlock policy, currently any non iphone can be unlocked after 90 days of service in good standing. On this ATT NEXT plan you cannot unlock it until after the full 20 months.
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FAQ
What is AT&T Next?
AT&T offers you another choice for smartphone and tablet pricing. AT&T Next is a new way for you to get a new device every year. You have the choice after 12 monthly payments to trade it in for a new device or choose to keep it, and after 20 months, there are no more installment payments. No down payment, activation, upgrade, or financing fees are required — only sales tax on the device is due at time of purchase.
How can I take advantage of AT&T Next?
Visit att.com or a participating AT&T Company Owned Retail location to learn more about AT&T Next and to find out if you are eligible.
Are there additional charges?
Sales tax is charged on your new phone or tablet at the time of sale. There's no down payment and no activation fee.
Is a contract required with AT&T Next?
AT&T Next requires that you sign an installment agreement to pay for the device over 20 monthly payments. If you cancel your wireless service, the remaining unpaid balance on the device is due. A Wireless Customer Service Agreement (voice and data service) is required.
How many AT&T Next installment plans may I have on my account?
There's a limit of two per account.
What devices are eligible for AT&T Next?
At this time, customers can buy a smartphone or tablet with AT&T Next.
Do I own the device? Or is this a leasing offer?
The device is yours and you’re responsible for 20 monthly payments. You’re also responsible for any loss, theft, or damage to the device — both during the installment agreement period and after. We recommend you purchase the optional Mobile Insurance to protect your investment.
How do I get a new device every year with the program?
After your twelfth (12) installment payment, but before your twentieth (20) installment payment, if your wireless account is in good standing you may trade in the device. The device must be fully functional and in good physical condition. Select a new smartphone or tablet and a new 20-month agreement will start.
When I trade in my device after 12 months and get a new one, what is the length of my new installment plan?
When you trade in your device, no further installments are billed for the original device. You will start over with a new 20-month installment plan on your new device.
Will I be able to pay off this device early?
Yes, you have the option to pay off your installment agreement, but the full outstanding balance will be due immediately.
What payments are due if I cancel AT&T Next?
The full outstanding balance on your installment agreement becomes due.
What if I don't want to trade in my device after 12 months and I want to keep it?
You have the choice to either trade your phone in or keep your phone. If you keep it, after 20 months, it’s yours and no more installment payments are required.
What if my phone is damaged (e.g. cracked screen)? Can I still trade it in after 12 months?
Yes. However, we reserve the right to charge a fee to repair the device and return it to fully functional and good physical condition.
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This is a ripoff. Why is everyone trying to follow TMobile's BS? There's a reason why offer crap service.
I'm going to stick with my normal 2 year upgrades. AT&T has always offered me an early upgrade from 6 months-1year at the 2 year price. If that goes away and I have to put up with this BS, I'll be pissed.

mr_blanket said:
http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/16/att-next-upgrade-program/
Interesting...
Also... top comment on Engadget:
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Interesting... I called this when T-mobile started this. It is almost better to pay full price for phones now... If you sell your current phone 300-450 and put the rest on a credit card you will still be saving money or just pay it up front. But the cancel at any time is pretty cool idea
But this may lead us to buy unlocked devices and not deal with locked bootloaders....
AutoUnion said:
This is a ripoff. Why is everyone trying to follow TMobile's BS? There's a reason why offer crap service.
I'm going to stick with my normal 2 year upgrades. AT&T has always offered me an early upgrade from 6 months-1year at the 2 year price. If that goes away and I have to put up with this BS, I'll be pissed.
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I am willing to bet that soon that will go away... Not sure how soon but eventually

joshuadjohnson22 said:
I am willing to bet that soon that will go away... Not sure how soon but eventually
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Yeah, this sucks. I might just start paying full price and sell the old phone. Much easier.
some quick calculations
S4 is $32/month. Would have paid $384 in a year.
If I just bought a Galaxy S4 for $629. I could sell it in a year for ~$400, so $229.
or
use your upgrade. $149 is what I spent on my Galaxy S4. Sell it for $450 in the Fall, pick up GNote3 on CL, etc. $500-550. Only out about ~$100-150. Sell GNote3 in the Spring for $450-500 for GS5.

AutoUnion said:
Yeah, this sucks. I might just start paying full price and sell the old phone. Much easier.
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same here, as I posted above... why not get the international unlocked version and be able to flash out of the box? Now with international phone having LTE I don't see a need to get carrier phones if it will cost us so much

joshuadjohnson22 said:
same here, as I posted above... why not get the international unlocked version and be able to flash out of the box? Now with international phone having LTE I don't see a need to get carrier phones if it will cost us so much
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I wonder if this also means that those early upgrades they used to give to iPhone owners are gone to. I have iPhones on the other lines on my family plan, so if I don't have an upgrade, I could bank on using one of those

AutoUnion said:
I wonder if this also means that those early upgrades they used to give to iPhone owners are gone to. I have iPhones on the other lines on my family plan, so if I don't have an upgrade, I could bank on using one of those
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I think those things will die off slowly. But I doubt it will be right away

I'm curious to see what else they talk about at their keynote.
I would really like them to do what US Cellular did. They brought back Unlimited Data, but it's ONLY valid for the 2 year contract length. After that, it's gone. If you try to break your contract, the ETF is $$$$. Let them charge $40/month for it. Still worth it over Sprint/TMobile, IMO

AutoUnion said:
I'm curious to see what else they talk about at their keynote.
I would really like them to do what US Cellular did. They brought back Unlimited Data, but it's ONLY valid for the 2 year contract length. After that, it's gone. If you try to break your contract, the ETF is $$$$. Let them charge $40/month for it. Still worth it over Sprint/TMobile, IMO
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It will be "Blah Blah Blah we want more of your money... Blah .... we will take it with force if we have to.... Blah .... what are you going to do about it... Blah Blah.... bend over and take it.... Blah I will be charging you a fee for listening to this keynote it will appear on your bill as a $10 Keynote charge... This will be added to your monthly bill to pay for future keynotes"

I think it's nice for it to be an option. Myself, I just buy out of contract if given a choice. It's nice to offer this and the traditional plan so some people who cant afford a phone outright can get one.
All the carriers new deals are all including trading in smartphones as of late. Usually you get ripped off as you can sell it yourself for more $. Selling my year and a half old iPhone 4S almost paid for my S4 in full out of contract..

20 month = same as unlocked upfront
12 month and upgrade to newer phone = 60% of cost one year lease... what a ripoff
Well it is AT&T

AT&T users better read the fine print before rejoicing. You’re still paying the same high monthly contract price for your no-contract plan. AT&T is double dipping into your wallet when those contract monthly plans has a subsidized phone calculated into them but you’re paying full price for the phone.
AT&T Mobile No Contract.
$70/m unlimited talk.
$20/m unlimted text.
$30/m 3GB data plan.
$32/m Samsung S4 monthly payment Next program.
+$10/m device insurance.
——————————-
$162
Compare with T-Mobile, and the price you pay for unlimited talk, text, and true unlimited, you’re just paying for the talk unlimited portion on AT&T. Not to mention, the insurance is built into the Tmo Jump program.
T-Mobile
$50/m unlimited talk/text.
$20/m unlimited data plan.
$20/m Samsung S4 monthly payment.
$10/m Jump program (includes premium device insurance).
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$100/m

I guess Att thinks we can't do simple math.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium

This is the most telling story I've seen about it so far...
http://www.theverge.com/2013/7/16/4528404/att-next-phone-upgrade-plans-a-huge-ripoff

mr_blanket said:
This is the most telling story I've seen about it so far...
http://www.theverge.com/2013/7/16/4528404/att-next-phone-upgrade-plans-a-huge-ripoff
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We all needs to repost this. Att needs to know we are not going for this crap.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium

nthknd said:
We all needs to repost this. Att needs to know we are not going for this crap.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium
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Absolutely. Repost, Facebook, Tweet, Link, +1, etc. Maybe this will cause a Xbox One-like backlash.
What I hate the most is that the majority of the people on this forum are stuck with AT&T until 2015 :crying:

You guys do realize this is an OPTION right? They are not forcing you to take this deal. Verizon also has a deal starting like this one as well. At least att is not forcing those with unlimited data to lose it when they want an upgrade like big red does. Att has always given OPTIONS unlike other carriers who force things down your throat. Remember that when you start typing your rant about how att sucks.
Also when was anything perfect at launch? I'm sure as time goes on and voices are heard, this plan will get made to make more sense.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app

While it is an option, for now at least, so many people will fall for this scheme. People like my iPhone loving mother who is persuaded by "as seen on TV" adds will probably fall for this no matter what I say. Or teenage girls who beg their parents for the latest and greatest.
All they have to say is "NEW DEVICE EVERY YEAR". That's it. People will be overjoyed and they will make billions. Only our small subset of users will actually do the math.

Yeah att is simply bartering...if your selling something at a garage sale you always start with a high price and slowly lower until you reach an agrrement...att wants to make as much money as possible so they will start high and hopefully lower to find a price they still make profit and that people will go for...and as stated this plan is only a choice, we arent being forced to use the next plan
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2

I have a $285 etf right now
Say I early upgrade to a s3 mini at $12/mo ($250 full price) with the next promo. I can just pay off the $250 and leave with no penalty? Cheaper than paying my etf and I can sell those phones as new because I wouldn't keep them.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk