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Would you take ~$100 to trade in Captivate?

Assuming you're a current Captivate owner as most of us are in this forum. And you were fed up with lack of firmware updates, non-functional GPS, quirky third party ROMs (though, THANK YOU for making life with my Captivate tolerable!) and were interested in a Motorola Atrix...
Would you take ~$100 for a Captivate as a trade-in towards the Atrix? If not, what would you do with it?

LOL no...
Maybe in a year or two I would take $100, but I would be using the money for a good phone, not that Atrix or whatever...thing looks designed to make money off of add-ons...for example look at the console market...remember the 32X? add-on. remember the Sega CD? Add-on. Did not work so well in the console market, splitting up the demographic is never a good thing. And it wont work here either.

90% of the captivates listed on Craigslist in my area are 250$, if I needed to get rid of mine I'd put it up for 200 and I'm certain it would be gone in a day.

Well i guess there's a few factors involved in that decision. What did you pay for it? Are you happy with the captivate? How badly do you want an atrix? Do you care if you loose money? In the end it's your decision and most people have already made up their mind even before asking these type of questions.
Me? I'm only out of pocket $50 with the captivate. But i'm happy with it now that I'm on a great rom, so i see no difference in the latest and greatest device. It's a never ending cycle that will make you broke!

Samsung may have terrible support for their phones, but due to this phone being the first solid android on AT&T, it has fantastic support from the dev community.
Motorola has a long history of locking their phones down, and making it near impossible to switch the kernal. Samsung may be lazy, but Moto hates its customers actively.
I will never own another moto phone.

OK, good points. I guess it's a very low amount of money at this point to consider as a trade-in. I'm definitely going to be losing money, the question is how much and the trade-in would have softened the blow a bit. I guess I could resell but I hate dealing with things like eBay and Craig's.
Regarding phone mods - Well, they're great but what I really want is simply a phone that works. I don't want to have to flash a phone to get a marginally better GPS or an Android release that isn't two steps behind. I think Motorola does have a better track record in supporting their front lines phones.
Yeah, the Atrix is an accessory platform. Though it's neat I can't really understand the utility of the laptop dock. Text messaging with a real keyboard is nice though. One of things I miss about not having a Nokia with their PC software.

There are several wifi/usb apps that let you use your pc keyboard to type on an Android phone. You don't need anything from the manufacturer.

gibson3659 said:
There are several wifi/usb apps that let you use your pc keyboard to type on an Android phone. You don't need anything from the manufacturer.
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I completely overlooked this. I just paired my PS3 Bluetooth keyboard with my phone and it works great - even with mouse. Not exactly portable but if I want/need to use it I can. Great option.

Hell No
There is no way I would accept 100$ for this amazing piece of hardware... unless that hundred dollars was taken off the 200$ price of the atrix and I was able to purchase it without waiting the 13 remaining months I have on my contract and now early termination fees.
If you are selling your captivate for a 100$ though, I'd be happy to buy it from you

The only thing the Atrix has over the SGS is the dual core proc, which it can't even use running Froyo. I don't even know that Gingerbread enables dual core, you may have to wait until honeycomb to get the full power out of the phone. Top that off with the locked bootloader and support that rivals samsung in ineptitude, and I think I'll pass. By the time my contract is up with AT&T they'll have quad-core phones out anyway, and with lagfix, CM7, and overclocking I think we'll find the Captivate to be a powerhouse well into the future.

After coming from an Iphone 3G where I had to jailbreak to receive any kind of functionality I would not take $100 for the phone. The sheer openess to mod the phone to how it fits me and not how Stevie thinks it should fit makes it worth far more than $100

I sold my wife's captivate the other day on ebay for $330...

To chorus in... no. I would not take a $100 trade in for an Atrix... unless included in that deal someone was taking over my AT&T contract and I was going to a better carrier.

price
i will bid 110 on the phone i like it better then any phone out there because i can do stuff with the phone with this site dev . you know the grass is always greener on the other side

I have a better offer. How about I pay you $125 for your Captivate+shipping and we call it a day? =D
I see Captivate's selling for at least $200, so if your goal to sell and buy an Atrix I would highly recommend you sell it yourself through ebay, craigs, friends, etc before you take the lazy way out and lose $100 bucks for convienence.

Yeah, gonna have to say no.. Bought this thing off contract cause my iphone sucked so hard. Now if I could give them my cappy and $100 for an Atrix I'm all in!

I sold mine for 200. I could have gotten more, but I was happy with the deal.

Like most everyone else, NO I would not give up my Captivate for $100. After I flashed it with an awesome ROM (Paragon) it runs the way I suspect Samsung dreamed it might. I now get great battery life and a working GPS. The Captivate also enjoys great support here on XDA.

Not really worried about firmware updates..as the devs here on xda make the roms better then any!!!...plus i love the cappy screen...maybe a nexus s but think i will hold out on the atrix as i jumped on the android bandwagon for att when the backflip came out....since att finnaly got a android but really not impressed with motoblur as it took them for ever to get 2.1
Sent from my SGH-I897 using XDA App

I'll agree with the others. I wouldn't take $250 for my Captivate.
Matter of fact, if you're as anal retentive as I am , and have the box and everything it came with, and took SUPER GOOD care of it, you could probably get around $325-350 on fleaBay - check the completed auctions!
That's if you want to maximize the $$ you get out of it.

[Q] Would you get the Charge again?

With possible tiered data plans looming on Verizon, I'm now in the market for a smartphone. I want to get in with unlimited data. I'm in a 4G area, and want a 4G phone. I'm trying to decide which to get. Currently I'm leaning toward the Charge.
From those who actually own this device, would you get it again, or would you go with something else? Are you happy with the dev work, or other phones are better? Sell me, one way or the other.

alohasurf0007 said:
With possible tiered data plans looming on Verizon, I'm now in the market for a smartphone. I want to get in with unlimited data. I'm in a 4G area, and want a 4G phone. I'm trying to decide which to get. Currently I'm leaning toward the Charge.
From those who actually own this device, would you get it again, or would you go with something else? Are you happy with the dev work, or other phones are better? Sell me, one way or the other.
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well..let me help...I love the CHARGE...and I had a Thunderbolt for 6 months.......I happen to like the fact that the CHARGE has kinda a flimsy battery cover..to me..since it is "flimsy" it makes it lighter then the Thunderbolt....
as far as battery life..it never really affected me because I have an extended battery for my Charge and I also had one for more Thunderbolt....so they both lasted me the day...the only con I find with the Charge compared to the TB is that with the Thunderbolt whenever you got new e mail or txt message there was and LCD that flashed on the device....with the Charge...there is no LCD notification.....let me ad..that is not a deal breaker...for me...the charge is a better phone...and yes...I rooted and had custom roms on both.....and I rooted right away so can not give you a comparision stock LOL

I finally took the plunge and got a charge. I was always a sense guy. I loved the incredible, even with its horrific battery (before froyo and rooting). Thus the thunderbolt was the natural pick for me. But i needed a phone for phone calls, and the voice quality on that phone was lacking. A lot. So i finally sold off my thunderbolt and got a charge. I hate Samsung 's touchwiz and the stock apps are nothing compared to the stock sense ones, but there are some great alternatives in the market. My charge works great with launcherpro, the go dialer and handcent.
The orange theme though needs to go. Whichever Samsung or Verizon person thought up the brown and orange theme needs to get his eyes checked. And seriously reconsider his life decisions. Thank goodness for xda !
But i love the hardware. Made the thing worth it. Feels great in hand and i love the little thing.

alohasurf0007 said:
With possible tiered data plans looming on Verizon, I'm now in the market for a smartphone. I want to get in with unlimited data. I'm in a 4G area, and want a 4G phone.
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Word has it that the tired data plans are only for new plans and that existing customers - even those that upgrade after the tired plans are in effect will not be affected. My referance: droid-life.com/2011/06/21/current-verizon-customers-wont-be-affected-by-tiered-data-only-new-customers-and-lines/
As for the charge - I was thinking that I should wait for a dual core phone with the latest and greatest processor but this phone is plenty fast and the network has much more an effect on usability than how fast a quadrant score you get.

"whenever you got new e mail or txt message there was and LCD that flashed on the device....with the Charge...there is no LCD notification"
I use the highly-rated noled, available on the android market, to handle notifications and it works well for me. I don't miss the dedicated led that was on my Droid 1.

frickandfrak said:
The orange theme though needs to go. Whichever Samsung or Verizon person thought up the brown and orange theme needs to get his eyes checked. And seriously reconsider his life decisions. Thank goodness for xda !
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Don't mean to pick on you... but have you looked at the XDA site???

binglejellsx2 said:
Don't mean to pick on you... but have you looked at the XDA site???
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Wow, did not even realize our stock Droid Charges were xda-themed...

LOL, never really noticed the similarity between xda and Charge's color theme. Clearly similar, but it's much more orange and stark on the Charge. On my MacBook the forum here looks brown and shades of off-white/tan, not dark brown and stark orange.
To the OP, no, in hindsight I would not buy the Charge again, especially at this late date. I bought it because I love SAMOLED screens, and I wanted a second LTE unlimited data phone on the family plan before they went away.
My suggestion at this point is if you want to buy an LTE phone for that reason, buy either the Charge or the TB in the next week or two AT COSTCO. You'll lock into the data plan, but Costco gives you 90 days to swap the phone for a different model if you're not happy with it. Hopefully the Bionic or Galaxy S 2 or some LTE phone that actually has a nice screen and decent battery life and non-lagged performance will be out and you can swap for it.

Thanks all for your feedback. And the note about Costco is very interesting. I saw the other day they were selling it for $180, with extras.
I'm looking to find more information about the %20 corp discount change. Currently my wife has that on her line, and it's not something I'd be happy about loosing if that's the case.

I'm digging this phone. Like the screen and its physical buttons. Lte is great and plentiful in my area. Going to root and flash gummycharge when I get home.
Sent from my SCH-I510 using XDA Premium App

Definitely go with the charge... no boot loader locks, easy odin flashing, plenty of dev work, best looking non iphone screen on the market, great battery life, comes with a 32gb sdcard,
Sent from my SCH-I510 using XDA Premium App

I would get it again, but if I were already on a Fascinate (or other SGS phone) and looking to upgrade without the intention of locking in unlimited 4G/data, then I'd stay with what I had. Regardless of what you have now, if you're looking to upgrade to a 4G phone, I'd say the Charge is the one to have.

pH_ said:
Word has it that the tired data plans are only for new plans and that existing customers - even those that upgrade after the tired plans are in effect will not be affected. My referance: droid-life.com/2011/06/21/current-verizon-customers-wont-be-affected-by-tiered-data-only-new-customers-and-lines/
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This is not entirely correct. Existing smartphone users will not be affected, if you already have unlimited data, you're good. If you don't have it on July 7th, you're not getting it, period.

distortedloop said:
My suggestion at this point is if you want to buy an LTE phone for that reason, buy either the Charge or the TB in the next week or two AT COSTCO. You'll lock into the data plan, but Costco gives you 90 days to swap the phone for a different model if you're not happy with it. Hopefully the Bionic or Galaxy S 2 or some LTE phone that actually has a nice screen and decent battery life and non-lagged performance will be out and you can swap for it.
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Oh wow nice idea, 90 days is quite some time.

Yeah, I just picked up my Charge yesterday to lock in my lte data. I always buy at costco, I'll be good to pick up any phones that come out until the end of August. By the way, the computers for Verizon code 4g and 3g differently in the system, even if they cost the same. I spoke to the rep there and he showed my fascinate line was a 3g device and the charge said 4g device in Verizon's system on his screen. He said the change happened a month or so ago. I called customer service and she said she couldn't comment on unreleased information, but "hypothetically" if you have a 3g plan and are grandfathered, and then get a 4g phone after unlimited goes away, even though the 4g plans cost the same, you will be seen as having a different data package in Verizon's system and be forced to pay the tiered pricing. Verizon isn't stupid.

Kamar234 said:
Yeah, I just picked up my Charge yesterday to lock in my lte data. I always buy at costco, I'll be good to pick up any phones that come out until the end of August. By the way, the computers for Verizon code 4g and 3g differently in the system, even if they cost the same. I spoke to the rep there and he showed my fascinate line was a 3g device and the charge said 4g device in Verizon's system on his screen. He said the change happened a month or so ago. I called customer service and she said she couldn't comment on unreleased information, but "hypothetically" if you have a 3g plan and are grandfathered, and then get a 4g phone after unlimited goes away, even though the 4g plans cost the same, you will be seen as having a different data package in Verizon's system and be forced to pay the tiered pricing. Verizon isn't stupid.
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Just to clarify.........
I have an SGS (Vibrant), but am going to switch to Verizon soon (before 6 July). I called a Verizon Customer Service rep yesterday and asked about the data info. Long story short, If you have "an unlimited data plan" (3G/4G - doesn't matter), you will be grandfathered in to the unlimited data for $30 until you upgrade your phone or 2 years, whichever is first. If you get a new phone withing the next two years, you will be forced into the new tiered data plan. If you keep the same phone for two years, at the end of that 2 years, you will be forced to switch to the tiered data plan. AT&T is doing the same thing once it acquires T-Mobile. Hope this helps and clarifies info for someone.
-Adam

Well that goes against what Droid-Life is saying, and AC and Engadget are repeating, that existing smartphone customers will be able to keep their existing unlimited plans when they upgrade. That's what most of the data out now suggests, and the fact that some CSR's are repeating it and there seems to be a few documents out now seems to confirm it. There's a pretty huge difference between us being able to upgrade and keep unlimited or not after the 7th, and VZW can't afford to have confusion being spread by their employees. So I would think that if they were not allowing us to upgrade keeping unlimited, they would have made it very clear to their employees from the beginning, rather than leaving it ambiguous, or even suggesting something that wasn't true.
Regardless, if we accept that as true, which most people do at this point, we still don't know what they'll count as a change or not. People who bought smartphones off ebay but never got a smartphone when renewing their contract likely won't be eligible, since they aren't technically smartphone customers in VZW's system. We also don't know if people switching to or from Blackberries and iPhones will be counted as having the same plan as an Android device. And the big question is whether someone with an unlimited 3g plan can get a 4g device and keep that unlimited plan. There doesn't seem to be any difference between the plans, but there definitely is, and they could definitely force you to switch to tiered if upgrading to an LTE phone. They haven't said this will be the case, but there hasn't been any info to suggest it won't be.
For this reason alone I'd definitely buy the Charge again. I had no smartphone before, and was able to buy the best LTE smartphone available before D-Day nearly a month ago for $150. I'm locked in to LTE unlimited at least with this phone, and the only "if" is whether VZW will allow us to upgrade to a similar device and keep the plan, since I'll only be going to another LTE Android in the future I'm sure. It won't matter to me whether they distinguish between 3g and 4g plans.
But yeah, the device itself is great, too! Best screen on the market, awesome camera and the ffc is decent, the shape is quite nice once you get used to it, battery life is quite good considering what it is and how heavily I use it, there's a ton of development with much more likely to come, and the SGS platform is still strong hardware. Sure, its not the most powerful thing around anymore by any means, but it'll hold its own, especially with some help from the awesome devs! So yeah, it'll get old after awhile, but I expect the development will keep me happy for quite some time. And there's nothing out there that would be worth missing out on unlimited 4g data for. I REALLY don't want tiered, even if I have to upgrade at full price from here on out.

alohasurf0007 said:
From those who actually own this device, would you get it again, or would you go with something else? Are you happy with the dev work, or other phones are better? Sell me, one way or the other.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My wife and I were in the same position. We both had blackberries and were able to get new phones in June. I heard about the tiered data BS so I started looking for phones so I could lock in unlimited 4G.
After searching/reading about Verizon's 4G phones, I decided to go with the charge with the TB being a close second. What made the decision for me was the screen and the better battery life. (I just got the phone 2 days ago... wife gets hers today)
What I like about the Charge:
Screen is the best I have seen. Really looks great.
Battery life is reasonable
What I don't like:
Cheap plastic construction. (Although I will be putting mine in a holster w/screen cover... so I guess light plastic is better than metal which would get covered anyway). And when I say cheap... I mean cheap. It seems like it is a very soft plastic between the bezel and the back plate. I already got a small nick in mine and I have been babying it until I get a case. Buttons feel good and screen looks great but the chassis sucks.
Worse-than-usual terrible verizon bloatware. Seriously Verizon. **** YOU. If I want all your crap, I would download it. At least make it deletable you ****ing assholes. Ohhh... and thanks for the non-deletable bookmarks to your ****ty websites. I will be rooting and freezing this PURE UNADULTERATED CRAP asap.
No case included with the phone. Even a cheap slip-on plastic sleeve would be nice to tide you over until you have time to order a case.
I don't have much experience with Android (have a couple month old Transformer) but I am pretty sure I am going to hate touchwiz. A lot of things are just plain weird about it.
Anyway, if you have any specific questions, ask away. One other thing to consider is that the TB will have a lot larger dev community than the charge. Then again, as long as I can root and get a good ROM I don't care that much.

el_brio said:
My wife and I were in the same position. We both had blackberries and were able to get new phones in June. I heard about the tiered data BS so I started looking for phones so I could lock in unlimited 4G.
After searching/reading about Verizon's 4G phones, I decided to go with the charge with the TB being a close second. What made the decision for me was the screen and the better battery life. (I just got the phone 2 days ago... wife gets hers today)
What I like about the Charge:
Screen is the best I have seen. Really looks great.
Battery life is reasonable
What I don't like:
Cheap plastic construction. (Although I will be putting mine in a holster w/screen cover... so I guess light plastic is better than metal which would get covered anyway). And when I say cheap... I mean cheap. It seems like it is a very soft plastic between the bezel and the back plate. I already got a small nick in mine and I have been babying it until I get a case. Buttons feel good and screen looks great but the chassis sucks.
/snip/
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I was a proud owner of DROID X and the fact that it is metal, solid and heavy, everyone who tried and held it thought it screamed high quality. Then I bought the latest TPU (google it) cover skin for the DROID X because I had every intention of dumping it once VZW came with 4G phone. With the TPU skin on, my friends' frame of mind was completely changed. Since they can't touch and feel the cold metal surface, their subsequent reaction was that the phone is way too heavy, how could you carry a brick like that in your khaki pants, you're going to kill me with that, aren't ya?, etc., etc. It was comical. Fast forward 11 months, they're touching and feeling my Droid Charge that's also covered with TPU skin. Their first reaction was, "wow what a screen. This thing fits so nicely in the hand and soooo light, and they can fit all that power in a small and extremely light package, and still have similar sized, 4.3" screen as your old Droid X" (paraphrased). I showed them the two phones, side by side, in their TPU skins with the same "Verizon red" color. FYI, the TPU skin has a semi rigid, smooth and shinny skin. It hides the Droid Charge's thin plastic (spelled light) body and gives it a rigid feel to it, not unlike the similarly skinned DROID X. My 2c.

Cruiserdude said:
Regardless, if we accept that as true, which most people do at this point, we still don't know what they'll count as a change or not. People who bought smartphones off ebay but never got a smartphone when renewing their contract likely won't be eligible, since they aren't technically smartphone customers in VZW's system. We also don't know if people switching to or from Blackberries and iPhones will be counted as having the same plan as an Android device. And the big question is whether someone with an unlimited 3g plan can get a 4g device and keep that unlimited plan. There doesn't seem to be any difference between the plans, but there definitely is, and they could definitely force you to switch to tiered if upgrading to an LTE phone. They haven't said this will be the case, but there hasn't been any info to suggest it won't be.
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Exactly. First of all, I have absolutely ZERO trust in anything that Verizon says... and less than zero trust in anything their reps say. My wife and I had 3G unlimited plans for $30 (Blackberry). Personally, I would have waited until the newer phones came out in a couple of months before switching... but at this point all we have is a "promise" (do we even have that really?) that we could get grandfathered in. I am guessing that the new iPhone 5 will have 4G and they will want to get people off the unlimited plans because netflix and the like are going to absolutely hammer their bandwidth otherwise.
In short, my unlimited plan MAY have carried over... but there is nothing in writing saying that it will. With a new contract, I am safe and can cancel if they change my terms after-the-fact. I wouldn't be surprised if on July 7th they issue a clarification on the issue after it is too late.

A case for the Droid Charge: a perspective for potential or unhappy owners

The Droid Charge is coming up on its first birthday, and having been a day 1 adopter I've seen the phone through some downs and ups. Like many committed to this phone, I was very tempted by next generation 4G devices like the RARZ, Rezound, or Nexus. I've been disappointed with Samsung's lack of cooperation on code critical to ROM development. I've watched new phones quickly released pushing the Charge further into history.
However, i'm writing this to acknowledge what is great about this device and why you should be happy to get or have one.
Firstly, the hardware. While the Charge has only a single core and 512 memory, the shortcomings really end there. It's Super AMOLED+ screen is by far one of - if not THE most perfect display on a mobile device that i've seen and I believe it equal or superior to any of the Verizon 4G devices. It's form factor and physical buttons are pleasant to use, and it's weight feels good in a hand or pocket. Its connectivity options and accessories are top notch with full MicroSD, HDMI, and horizontal docking stations with backup battery chargers. It packs the superior Audio chips that have drawn audiophiles to the phone. It's battery life has with recent software updates become perfectly adequate: I regularly get 12-15 hours of genuinely moderate use including 45-60 minutes of calls, 2-3 hours of web browsing, and 1 hour of bluetooth music streaming on a single charge. (Caveat: frequently on WiFi, while on 4G only battery lasts more like 8 hours). However with a cheap, replaceable battery which fits in my slim wallet as easily as 4 folded $20 bills, I easily do whatever I want as long as I want so long as I can charge while sleeping.
Secondly, the software: yes, it's come a long way. Those of us who remember rooting ED1 and hoping for a voodoo lagfix back in June know how bad it was - the color scheme, the RFS file system, the terrible browsing. However, as of today on Eclipse ROM 2.0 (FP1 based) the phone performs beautifully with no lag on home screens, snappy browsing, and an attractive, feature rich interface.
Lastly, and probably most importantly, is the Value. The Charge is the best phone dollar for dollar that you can buy today. Commonly available on craigslist for $120 used with a $20 docking station from Ebay you can have a great setup for less than the cost of buying other phones with contract. I was recently in a position to upgrade to a Galaxy nexus for $350 (from ebay, selling charge for $120 for a net cost around $200) and thought to myself, why? are small advances in CPU and memory that affect me little on a daily worth $200? and the answer was clearly: no. Can i get a better gingerbread experience with longer battery life on the Razr Maxx? For $400 net cost maybe, but only slightly, and with nearly equivalent battery life so long as you plan ahead. And what if you drop the phone on the ground and shatter it? You could have a new Droid Charge for less than the deductible if you carried insurance, which could save you $10/mo - or $400ish if you had a shiny nexus or Maxx with no policy.
And so, that's my opinion as a Droid Charge early adopter. If you're thinking of getting one today you'll luck out and have a great experience - head over to the forums and read the stickies on ODIN, CWM, and then get a FP1 based ROM right away. If you're thinking of jumping ship, and $200 is at all consequential to your life, consider what you get from another phone in your overall value decision.
Good luck!

I agree with this. Using the phone can get frustrating at times, especially for those who have the static problems (get a replacement!!!), but in the end it's the price we pay for getting the first gen 4g and locking in unlimited data.

Amen!

JihadSquad said:
first gen 4g and locking in unlimited data.
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I forgot to mention that's why I went with the Charge in the first place - in May 2011 we didnt know if there would be any new phones like the Nexus or Razr before unlimited data would go away.

Great post.
Sent from my GT-P7510 using xda premium

sasquatch080 said:
Great post.
Sent from my GT-P7510 using xda premium
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+1! Actually agree with this 100%.
Sent from my SCH-I510 using XDA

JihadSquad said:
first gen 4g and locking in unlimited data.
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Yeah but when you go to upgrade you have to sign a new 2 year contract and unlimited will not be an option. Only way to stay locked in to unlimited data is by buying phone @ retail price
But I agree with this post and will wait till a new nexus comes out..Which prob wont come out till end of this year or begging of next year...

jager420 said:
Yeah but when you go to upgrade you have to sign a new 2 year contract and unlimited will not be an option. Only way to stay locked in to unlimited data is by buying phone @ retail price
But I agree with this post and will wait till a new nexus comes out..Which prob wont come out till end of this year or begging of next year...
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Not true. I upgraded in September from my old Blackberry w/ unlimited data. I got to keep my unlimited data, and my brother (new line) got tiered. I hear Verizon has a good reputation of honoring contract extensions by keeping past low prices on existing contracts and from people whose cheap carriers were bought by Verizon.

Wrong. I will be renewing my contract therefore locking in unlimited.

I upgraded my wife's incredible to the rezound and still have unlimited data. During the upgrade we got the upgrade price of 199 at the time before 49 came around. Not worried about the cost since teh wife is happy.
Not one customer service rep has said I will lose my unlimited data for upgrading my phone when the time comes around. My data will even carry over to a new plan if I want a new plan. Whoever is telling you all that you are going to lose your unlimited data plan is hog wash.
Funny thing was, my wife was 9 months out from upgrading to a new phone, but the incredible turned to garbage after a year of good use. They gave us the deal without hesitating. So, if your phone is going belly up and you need something reliable and new big red may help you out as well.
Never hurts to ask.
Need help? http://www.toms-world.org/android/ flash to EP4D, make ClockworkMod Recovery stick, step by step root. Best step by step instructions for the Droid Charge.

Yea, I've already verified with Verizon that the data plan is tied to the individual customer and as long as you don't change your data plan, you can carry it with you and not change anything. I just combined my line onto a new family plan, under someone else's name, and my data didn't change. They still have their 4GB double data, and I still have my unlimited data.

shrike1978 said:
Yea, I've already verified with Verizon that the data plan is tied to the individual customer and as long as you don't change your data plan, you can carry it with you and not change anything. I just combined my line onto a new family plan, under someone else's name, and my data didn't change. They still have their 4GB double data, and I still have my unlimited data.
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Click to collapse
So if i split my line off my family plan i should be able to keep the data?

I am a perfect example of this scenario. I had the Fascinate for about a year, and just couldn't stop thinking about how much I wanted a 4G phone and bigger screen. A little over a month ago, I decided to upgrade. All of the BIG 3 phones (razr, rezound, nexus) were available on ebay or craigslist, but I went with The Droid Charge. Got mine for $125 on ebay, bought a car dock for $20, flashed Eclipse and FP1 radio (haven't gotten around to Eclipse 2.0 yet and FP1 kernel), and I could not be happier. I have not even thought about another device, and the phone is stable, quick and of course the screen is fantastic. I agree, the Charge is a great value on the phone market right now.

JihadSquad said:
So if i split my line off my family plan i should be able to keep the data?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From my understanding, yes, as long as the service is uninterrupted.

I kind of hate these owner-justification threads, because this phone is undeniably dated at this point... yet there's nothing wrong with that. Technology moves quickly. That's just how it is.
The Galaxy Nexus is noticeably much faster in daily use, and you're deluding yourself (and/or haven't used one) if you insist otherwise.... but it should be faster! It's newer. Yet in a year, you can be sure it too will start looking outdated. Once again, technology moves fast.
Finally: if you're buying a phone off-contract and need to save money, sure, consider the Charge, because yeah, you can get it pretty cheap. But the reality is that the overwhelming majority of people buy phones on-contract, and getting this in that scenario -- when you can get a much newer and all-around better phone like the Lucid (now *that* is a good value) for less money -- would be a definite mistake.

Just rooted and loaded Eclipse 2.0. Phone is better than ever.
I had been considering picking up a new phone but I am glad that I gave the Charge another shot.

jager420 said:
Yeah but when you go to upgrade you have to sign a new 2 year contract and unlimited will not be an option. Only way to stay locked in to unlimited data is by buying phone @ retail price
But I agree with this post and will wait till a new nexus comes out..Which prob wont come out till end of this year or begging of next year...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is wrong. When you upgrade you still can keep your unlimited data. I verified this with Verizon.
As for the main post by cmdrfrog. I agree 100% with what he wrote. My contact is up in September and I was thinking of upgrading to the Galaxy Nexus but after flashing my Charge with the Tweaked v2.0 rom by dwitherell. I really don't see any reason to upgrade currently with the exception of having the latest and greatest and better rom support.

I gotta say that the Charge more or less forced me into the geeky root, rom, mod, script, theme, radio, etc flashing thing. If the Charge didn't suck so much stock, I likely wouldn't have much of an Android skillset today.
Once tricked out properly, the Charge is a great phone. The VIA baseband is sub-par IMO, but for some people it seems fine.
I remember when there were rumors of Verizon dropping unlimited. The Charge was my first smartphone. I was compelled to get a 4G phone just in case Verizon wouldn't let you upgrade a 3G device and still let you keep unlimited in the future, and just 5 weeks later, Verizon dropped unlimited. At the time it was the Charge or the Thunderbolt, and I am glad I didn't get the Thunderbolt...
I remember when I first had an Odin flash fail, I think my heart skipped a couple beats.
The Charge has drawbacks, no doubt about it, but it is still an awesome phone. I think most people would be happy with it waiting for something like the GS3.

Newb here, but thought I'd chime in. Before rooting, my Charge was slow, and laggy (is that a word?). After taking the plunge, and rooting with Tweakstock, the phone runs great! I agree that is a little dated now, but my rooted Charge will keep me happy til my next upgrade.

+1
xdadevnube said:
I gotta say that the Charge more or less forced me into the geeky root, rom, mod, script, theme, radio, etc flashing thing. If the Charge didn't suck so much stock, I likely wouldn't have much of an Android skillset today.
Once tricked out properly, the Charge is a great phone. The VIA baseband is sub-par IMO, but for some people it seems fine.
I remember when there were rumors of Verizon dropping unlimited. The Charge was my first smartphone. I was compelled to get a 4G phone just in case Verizon wouldn't let you upgrade a 3G device and still let you keep unlimited in the future, and just 5 weeks later, Verizon dropped unlimited. At the time it was the Charge or the Thunderbolt, and I am glad I didn't get the Thunderbolt...
I remember when I first had an Odin flash fail, I think my heart skipped a couple beats.
The Charge has drawbacks, no doubt about it, but it is still an awesome phone. I think most people would be happy with it waiting for something like the GS3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Way to think positive! That is really a good point though. The phone was so terrible when it came out I thought I had faulty hardware and went back to the store for a replacement. When I realized I was just stuck with the phone the way it was, I joined XDA and started tweaking. I never would have learned so much about rooting, scripts, themes, even the Linux shell. Now, the phone works beautifully (though finally getting a device that came out a year ago into working order is unacceptably late). I will be holding on to this one for a while.

We should all hit Motorola hard across the face for this....

http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/10/atandt-atrix-hd-priced-at-99-coming-july-15/
So not only is our phone being pushed aside by a new phone that does not completely reign above it in tech specs, but it's coming out this Sunday for $99.....

I'm hitting them by never giving them my business or recommending them to any of my clients. I own a small delivery company and have a PC sales and repair business on the side.so I talk to alot of people during the day and get asked for my opinion on phones often.
Motorola lied and I'm still locked mb865

Just go buy the SGS 3 I promise you will be so much happier... go sell your A2 on Ebay for 200 while you still can (before the next atrix HD is out), and put that toward an SGS 3 off contract....
It will stick to moto, by not buying another phone from them, and make you much happier... I promise the SGS 3 is not like anyother Galaxy yet. It it sturdy and does not feel cheap, and I am getting about 20 hours of heavy use on the battery before a charge. I am putting it on the charger every night at bedtime, and it still has about 35-40% left on it... so...

jimbridgman said:
Just go buy the SGS 3 I promise you will be so much happier... go sell your A2 on Ebay for 200 while you still can (before the next atrix HD is out), and put that toward an SGS 3 off contract....
It will stick to moto, by not buying another phone from them, and make you much happier... I promise the SGS 3 is not like anyother Galaxy yet. It it sturdy and does not feel cheap, and I am getting about 20 hours of heavy use on the battery before a charge. I am putting on the charger every night at bedtime, and it still has about 35-40% left on it... so...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have always gotten a feeling of cheaply made hardware from Samsung, though (including the Galaxy S3 as I played with one in-depth at an AT&T store recently). Also, my full upgrade eligibility date is around the end of September which isn't all that far off...plus if I upgrade through Best Buy Mobile before the end of the year they'll give me a $50 gift card on the spot for doing so (they had a promo earlier in the year that you could sign up for).

MagicXB said:
I have always gotten a feeling of cheaply made hardware from Samsung, though (including the Galaxy S3 as I played with one in-depth at an AT&T store recently). Also, my full upgrade eligibility date is around the end of September which isn't all that far off...plus if I upgrade through Best Buy Mobile before the end of the year they'll give me a $50 gift card on the spot for doing so (they had a promo earlier in the year that you could sign up for).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have always thought the same thing about Samsung Galaxy hardware, but this is the first one that I have not thought that about, and it is really a HUGE step forward for hardware in a phone. It has LTE, NFC, HD display a dual core 1.5 GHZ CPU that can overclock stable to 1.9 GHZ, and it is butter smooth even with out JB on it... so when JB comes with CM 10, it will be just crazy!!! And the Dev support is nothing short of amazing, and it has only been in peoples hands a little less than a month.
Just like with the A2 I can't say enough good things about it. Don't discount it, I promise it will not disappoint, and it does not have ANYTHING locked down.
When you come up for your upgrade in sept. think about it, and give it a shot.

MagicXB said:
http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/10/atandt-atrix-hd-priced-at-99-coming-july-15/
So not only is our phone being pushed aside by a new phone that does not completely reign above it in tech specs, but it's coming out this Sunday for $99.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it actually reminds me of the crap M$ pulled with the Zune...
Yes, I bought a Gen2 Zune back then because I am anti-Apple...before Android was a thing... and M$ pushed it aside and made the Zune HD, with little to no support or upgrades on the original two generations and their loyal buyers.
OOPS, WE SCREWED THAT ONE UP, LETS START OVER. You just know behind the scenes there are ****ty programmers and even ****tier managers making poor decisions.
If I had the money, the Nexus would be my choice, but I have kids to feed.

jimbridgman said:
I have always thought the same thing about Samsung Galaxy hardware, but this is the first one that I have not thought that about, and it is really a HUGE step forward for hardware in a phone. It has LTE, NFC, HD display a dual core 1.5 GHZ CPU that can overclock stable to 1.9 GHZ, and it is butter smooth even with out JB on it... so when JB comes with CM 10, it will be just crazy!!! And the Dev support is nothing short of amazing, and it has only been in peoples hands a little less than a month.
Just like with the A2 I can't say enough good things about it. Don't discount it, I promise it will not disappoint, and it does not have ANYTHING locked down.
When you come up for your upgrade in sept. think about it, and give it a shot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm...we'll see. At $199 though, I can't pull the trigger.

MagicXB said:
Hmm...we'll see. At $199 though, I can't pull the trigger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GO to best buy, and trade the A2 in toward the SGS 3, and use the $50 credit, and you might have to pay 50 bucks... heck I traded my inspire in at BB and I only payed 99 for it, and they gave me 100 for it, and gave me a $50 gift card, so I got the phone for free plus a case and a 32GB SDcard all with out having to pay 1 dollar for the A2....
Just something to think about.

If this phone is locked down to AT&T like our A2 was it will be another epic fail for MOTO!!! Funny how Samsung doesn't bow down to AT&T but MOTO caters to their every whelm. Which goes back to the finger pointing, MOTO says it's up to the carriers and the carriers say it's up to the manufacturer.

I want the SG3... something fierce. I've tried to sell my girlfriend's A2 on eBay and Craig's List -to no avail. She upgraded to it from the first A4G, but doesn't care either way about it. To her, its a phone, and just a phone! Listed at about the sane price as would be the $199.00 new two year contract price.
Question: I see this "feedback" deal here on XDA on my profile and others. So, is that for 1) people selling old or unused devices, and 2) would there be audience here that would prove to have more interested parties to buy other than eBay or Craigslist?
Sent from my MB865 using xda's premium carrier pigeon service

Apex_Strider said:
I want the SG3... something fierce. I've tried to sell my girlfriend's A2 on eBay and Craig's List -to no avail. She upgraded to it from the first A4G, but doesn't care either way about it. To her, its a phone, and just a phone! Listed at about the sane price as would be the $199.00 new two year contract price.
Question: I see this "feedback" deal here on XDA on my profile and others. So, is that for 1) people selling old or unused devices, and 2) would there be audience here that would prove to have more interested parties to buy other than eBay or Craigslist?
Sent from my MB865 using xda's premium carrier pigeon service
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to Best buy and get the $50, gift certificate, and do the phone buy back, they should give you 100-150 as a buy back for the A2 even if Craigslist and ebay don't get you a sale.
Just something to go try!
---------- Post added at 03:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:35 PM ----------
JRW 28 said:
If this phone is locked down to AT&T like our A2 was it will be another epic fail for MOTO!!! Funny how Samsung doesn't bow down to AT&T but MOTO caters to their every whelm. Which goes back to the finger pointing, MOTO says it's up to the carriers and the carriers say it's up to the manufacturer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will be business as usual for moto... heck, they just re-locked the bootloader on the OG Atrix with the last updated... so...
I would assume the worst here.

Apex_Strider said:
I want the SG3... something fierce. I've tried to sell my girlfriend's A2 on eBay and Craig's List -to no avail. She upgraded to it from the first A4G, but doesn't care either way about it. To her, its a phone, and just a phone! Listed at about the sane price as would be the $199.00 new two year contract price.
Question: I see this "feedback" deal here on XDA on my profile and others. So, is that for 1) people selling old or unused devices, and 2) would there be audience here that would prove to have more interested parties to buy other than eBay or Craigslist?
Sent from my MB865 using xda's premium carrier pigeon service
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can trade in mobile phones for gift cards at Best Buy...you could trade in the Atrix 2 for $150 in good condition - I just checked.

MagicXB said:
You can trade in mobile phones for gift cards at Best Buy...you could trade in the Atrix 2 for $150 in good condition - I just checked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's $150 for basically a mint-condition Atrix 2 without a single blemish or nick on the surface/body of the phone anywhere, with the original box, original paperwork, USB charger and cable, etc... now, while a lot of folks keep all that stuff around, not everyone does. I got my Atrix 2 from a pawn shop and while it's in great shape (just a tiny nick on the back side where the plastic surrounding the camera lens is), I don't have any of the other contents so I'd be looking at $50-90 tops, sadly.
Can sell it on craigslist for $125 cash in a few hours more than likely... been considering it based on a) the infamous locked bootloader fiasco and b) AT&T taking their sweet freakin' time with ICS even if Motorola has it ready to go (they probably do at this point, who knows).
I hate companies that make great products then do something stupid with them like the bootloader crap. Sony, ruined years ago. Motorola, getting worse by the day. And don't even get me started on Apple.

I sense that the battery is going to really suck on that new atrix hd.... think about it, the battery is approximately 1700 Mah (like our atrix 2) with a bigger screen, higher resolution and Lte , hopefully the snapdragon wont be a drainer but its still clocked higher than the current atrix 2....
its gonna be problematic like the droid razr...
Go for the Razr Maxx or the upcoming Razr Hd that's the one I'm gonna go for, switching to Verizon when that comes out!
Sent from my Motorola Atrix 2 with AT&T 4G

br0adband said:
That's $150 for basically a mint-condition Atrix 2 without a single blemish or nick on the surface/body of the phone anywhere, with the original box, original paperwork, USB charger and cable, etc... now, while a lot of folks keep all that stuff around, not everyone does. I got my Atrix 2 from a pawn shop and while it's in great shape (just a tiny nick on the back side where the plastic surrounding the camera lens is), I don't have any of the other contents so I'd be looking at $50-90 tops, sadly.
Can sell it on craigslist for $125 cash in a few hours more than likely... been considering it based on a) the infamous locked bootloader fiasco and b) AT&T taking their sweet freakin' time with ICS even if Motorola has it ready to go (they probably do at this point, who knows).
I hate companies that make great products then do something stupid with them like the bootloader crap. Sony, ruined years ago. Motorola, getting worse by the day. And don't even get me started on Apple.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Luckily all of my phones are kept in mint condition with the box and stuff.

br0adband said:
That's $150 for basically a mint-condition Atrix 2 without a single blemish or nick on the surface/body of the phone anywhere, with the original box, original paperwork, USB charger and cable, etc... now, while a lot of folks keep all that stuff around, not everyone does. I got my Atrix 2 from a pawn shop and while it's in great shape (just a tiny nick on the back side where the plastic surrounding the camera lens is), I don't have any of the other contents so I'd be looking at $50-90 tops, sadly.
Can sell it on craigslist for $125 cash in a few hours more than likely... been considering it based on a) the infamous locked bootloader fiasco and b) AT&T taking their sweet freakin' time with ICS even if Motorola has it ready to go (they probably do at this point, who knows).
I hate companies that make great products then do something stupid with them like the bootloader crap. Sony, ruined years ago. Motorola, getting worse by the day. And don't even get me started on Apple.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is not totally true... I sold back my inspire 4G to BB when I got the A2, and they gave me 100 gift car for it, and I only paid 99 for it new... and I did not have the box the usb cable or the charger... it was just the phone, heck I even had CM9 rooted and running on it... they told me they did not care, and they even waited while I wiped my data off the phone. They are just going to recycle it, and re-sell it to you as a refurb, or use it as a replacement for thier BB "geak squad" protection.

Might have to look into that with my own Atrix 2 then, but I think in the long run I'd still rather have cold hard cash in the hand than some damned gift certificate/card, especially at Worst Buy. Sorry, had to say it as I've dealt with their crap over the years and still do whenever someone brings me a laptop to fix/optimize/repair and the first words from the client are "I took it to Geek Squad and..." or I spot the stupid little pink sticker on the bottom that confirms yes they did get it hosed/looked over at some Best Buy location.
I'm really disappointed in Motorola at this point. The Atrix 2 is one very nice piece of hardware start to finish, but it's hamstrung by these stupid restrictions. It's more than capable of running Jelly Bean even in spite of missing a few features (no NFC, no "recommended" quad core CPU, etc) but we'll never ever see it and the phone is barely 9 months old.
Seems like the "cycle of obsolescence" is just increased, like Moore's Law I suppose. A few years ago you could count on a solid up within a given period of time (and 9 months to get ICS is ridiculous, period, it just is any way you slice it) and now it looks like companies are literally taking the track of producing somewhat high-end smartphone hardware and 6 months later it's effectively given the heave ho and dismissed for the next big thing.
This is a really sad way of doing things and making the "disposable society" that much worse, every minute that passes.

br0adband said:
Might have to look into that with my own Atrix 2 then, but I think in the long run I'd still rather have cold hard cash in the hand than some damned gift certificate/card, especially at Worst Buy. Sorry, had to say it as I've dealt with their crap over the years and still do whenever someone brings me a laptop to fix/optimize/repair and the first words from the client are "I took it to Geek Squad and..." or I spot the stupid little pink sticker on the bottom that confirms yes they did get it hosed/looked over at some Best Buy location.
I'm really disappointed in Motorola at this point. The Atrix 2 is one very nice piece of hardware start to finish, but it's hamstrung by these stupid restrictions. It's more than capable of running Jelly Bean even in spite of missing a few features (no NFC, no "recommended" quad core CPU, etc) but we'll never ever see it and the phone is barely 9 months old.
Seems like the "cycle of obsolescence" is just increased, like Moore's Law I suppose. A few years ago you could count on a solid up within a given period of time (and 9 months to get ICS is ridiculous, period, it just is any way you slice it) and now it looks like companies are literally taking the track of producing somewhat high-end smartphone hardware and 6 months later it's effectively given the heave ho and dismissed for the next big thing.
This is a really sad way of doing things and making the "disposable society" that much worse, every minute that passes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I gotta say BB is worst buy... they really do suck... The only reason I got my A2 from them was the trade in, I hated the Inspire and had to get rid of it and I could not give it away and AT&T does not buy back, so... they really are the only game if you intend to trade your old phone back in for a new one.
And the customer service at BB is absolute crap. I fried my A2s bootloader 31 days of owning it, and BB threw the 30 day policy at me... I went literally across the street to the AT&T corp store and walked out with a replacement phone.
But again if you want to trade the A2 for any other phone go to BB and get the 100-150 bucks for it, before it drops lower.

If I had the money (and the good credit) I'd be all over a Galaxy Note right now but, that's a wish that'll never come true so...
Ain't nothing at Best Buy I want to be honest, the Wife still wants a Nook Color/Tablet but, it's just slightly out of our price range for the present/foreseeable future, still on the wish list (but that might actually be doable).
But I can honestly say I'll never directly purchased another Motorola phone unless it's a) branded as a Google Nexus product and b) it has an unlocked bootloader or can be unlocked as easily as "fastboot oem unlock" - I'm just not going to compromise from now on.
Honestly I think a lot of people are moving towards only Nexus-branded hardware. I had a Nexus S recently for a short period of time and it was a blast to own, great piece of hardware and now I find myself wishing I still had it in some respects more than this Atrix 2.
Atrix 2 with Jelly Bean native... that would be a great piece of hardware to own, wouldn't it? It's a crying shame, really.

seedoubleyou said:
If I had the money, the Nexus would be my choice, but I have kids to feed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the truth. These are my sentiments exactly. I really hope Google lets Moto do the next Nexus...

Stuck In A Contract?

So, who's still stuck in a contract and when does it end? What are your plans when it does end? Upgrade or leave and go to a prepaid plan?
My contract ends on 12/14/13 and am counting down the days when I can leave Verizon and never look back. It makes me sick to pay $180/month service for two smart phones when I can go with a prepaid service and save $80-$90. So I plan on waiting it out and not even toying with the idea of upgrading and locking myself into a phone that will become obsolete in 6 months and a plan that is overpriced and includes ridiculous fees and charges.
I will be looking to spend around $200-$250 on a phone. I know that I can get a SGS2 or Gnex right now for that but in 9 months I'm thinking that the price of a S3 will come down to where I can afford it. I'm also looking at a RAZR or RAZR Maxx. Used of course. I originally started looking on Craigslist, but am thinking Amazon is the way to go.
I obviously want the most for my money and something unlocked or unlockable and plenty of support available for the phone.
What other options will I have in that price range?
HTC?
Samsung?
Motorola?
Sent from my CM10 Droid X2 using Tapatalk 2

I did the same thing last November. I saw how much Sprint wanted monthly for a smartphone and now I have a smartphone for less than I was paying them for just minutes and texting with no data.
I was looking around to buy a phone and I personally felt it was better to spend a bit more money and get the GS3 (which was about $400 when I got it) so that it would last me longer and not already feel very dated. I put it on a card and I've already paid it off - very minimal interest accrued.
If I were you, I'd get the S4 or something if you're looking to buy at the very end of this year - that way they'll be on the market for a while and you can likely find one used at a decent-enough discount over buying new. I feel like it pays to spend more on something better.
Or you could buy an N4 new if you don't care about removable battery and sd card.
You could also just buy a really cheap phone or flash whatever you have now to a pre-paid service - and save the money you were paying to Verizon and put it aside to buy a better phone.
You have a long time. Ultimately, I wouldn't worry about it yet. See what you can save up between now and then, just wait and see where prices will go by then (The Nexus phones aren't much more to save up for you and I'd bet a new one will be released between now and then - a great value if the hardware is right).

Pennycake said:
I did the same thing last November. I saw how much Sprint wanted monthly for a smartphone and now I have a smartphone for less than I was paying them for just minutes and texting with no data.
I was looking around to buy a phone and I personally felt it was better to spend a bit more money and get the GS3 (which was about $400 when I got it) so that it would last me longer and not already feel very dated. I put it on a card and I've already paid it off - very minimal interest accrued.
If I were you, I'd get the S4 or something if you're looking to buy at the very end of this year - that way they'll be on the market for a while and you can likely find one used at a decent-enough discount over buying new. I feel like it pays to spend more on something better.
Or you could buy an N4 new if you don't care about removable battery and sd card.
You could also just buy a really cheap phone or flash whatever you have now to a pre-paid service - and save the money you were paying to Verizon and put it aside to buy a better phone.
You have a long time. Ultimately, I wouldn't worry about it yet. See what you can save up between now and then, just wait and see where prices will go by then (The Nexus phones aren't much more to save up for you and I'd bet a new one will be released between now and then - a great value if the hardware is right).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're looking for a phone, you're not going to find much for around $200-250 besides well used S2s right now, and S3s aren't going to come down as dramatically as the GNex did when the N4 was announced. The S3 is still a solid powerhouse that will command at least $300 at minimum for a well used one when all is said and done after the S4 drops. If you're just looking to expand your functionality of your phone, but not have to pay the insane carrier prices/payment schemes for equipment, or worse, MSRP, then you may be in the market for a cheap N7 like myself. I was originally looking for a Note or N7, if I could get the Note, that would be the end of it, but since I found a brand spanking new N7 I've been very happy overall with my pair of Androids. I can still upgrade my phone later, but because I'm not relying on my phone to do anything other than handle my data connection and provide me with a physical handheld to use for calls, I'm not quite as concerned about upgrading it anytime soon. I had already anticipated when I upgraded from a beat up Optimus 3D to the S2 that I would have to stick with whatever I got at $250 (I got super lucky, it was only 2 weeks old) for the better part of at least a year before I could even think about upgrading my phone again. I got that itch shortly after when I found myself semi-limited by the phone as far as certain gaming capability. I then eyed a Note or N7 in order to get my gaming fix. The N7 I ended up getting has since been a VERY handy tool for not just getting my mobile gaming fix, but for remote troubleshooting, home network/pc management when I get calls from my roommates for broken services.
Before you make ANY purchase, ask yourself a couple questions about what you really want. Do you want a device to game on? An accessory/toy? An internet connected tool? A better communications platform? I found that I was already satisfied with my phone and only wanted to get a bigger screen, longer battery life, and better gaming support, which made the Note and N7 perfect options. Note if I chose to drop $400 on a used one and have a phablet, or an N7 for $200 and just never take my phone out of my pocket.
Either way, I would recommend looking into Swappa.com, the Marketplace replacement as this is where I found my N7, and Craigslist (though be VERY CAREFUL here) for the S2.
What I mean by be VERY CAREFUL with transactions on Craigslist is that I've heard of people buying a lightly used phone from somebody for decent money on there, only to find the phone doesn't work anymore and rejects the carrier a month or two down the road. This is typically because the original seller bought the phone on a payment plan and have since either stopped making payments, or have dropped the carrier altogether, and the carrier has responded well within the contract and blacklisted the device on the network. Swappa is a lot more reliable for not dealing in possibly abused/misrepresented items, but you'll pay a premium for this peace of mind. Good luck!

I use my phone now primarily for streaming spotify while at work, email, texting and browsing the web. My WiFi connection at work is sometimes unreliable so I rely heavily on my 3g connection. I'm not as concerned about having the latest tech either. I would probably be fine for a couple of years using a gnex or s3. Although I probably would go for the s3 simply because of the removable battery and SD card slot.
Sent from my CM10 Droid X2 using Tapatalk 2

Cynagen makes some very good points. I am mainly interested in changing carriers and lowering my contract price, and was looking at buying something new and unlocked. Tethering to a full-featured, higher spec tablet makes a lot of sense if the main use case is data. I rarely use my phone for voice, and most times am within wi-fi coverage.
=RV=

redvelociraptor said:
Cynagen makes some very good points. I am mainly interested in changing carriers and lowering my contract price, and was looking at buying something new and unlocked. Tethering to a full-featured, higher spec tablet makes a lot of sense if the main use case is data. I rarely use my phone for voice, and most times am within wi-fi coverage.
=RV=
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's an okay idea, but the phone's battery is going to drain FAST if it's constantly tethering. And unless you're paying for tethering, there might not always be a reliable work-around to get it to work anyway.
My S3 lasted about 4 hours of continuous tethering and it was pretty warm. Instead of it being able to manage going to "sleep", you'd have to do that manually - turn your tethering on whenever you want to use your tablet. Which may work depending on patience and usage.
Another idea might be a data-only SIM in a tablet and make calls over VOIP or just keep a spare phone for the minutes if that's what you want.
I have a phone and a tablet and I use my phone more often on a daily basis - it would not be practical to bring my tablet where I most often use my phone - the size difference is big enough to go from "kind of bulky" to "full on leg shield if you can even get it in your pocket".
I'm not knocking the idea, just saying you need to consider the downsides, too. I almost went for it, myself, but with the $30/mo T-Mobile plan I decided just to get the S3. It's a good size for carrying in a pocket, and I have a 10" tablet that's a great size for watching movies, too (bought it from a friend). I'd recommend going to a store and comparing sizes. For me, 7" just didn't fit in - it was too small for what I wanted to use a tablet for and too big to carry around all day - but if you have to carry a bag or something, it might be a better fit.

Pennycake said:
It's an okay idea, but the phone's battery is going to drain FAST if it's constantly tethering. And unless you're paying for tethering, there might not always be a reliable work-around to get it to work anyway.
My S3 lasted about 4 hours of continuous tethering and it was pretty warm. Instead of it being able to manage going to "sleep", you'd have to do that manually - turn your tethering on whenever you want to use your tablet. Which may work depending on patience and usage.
Another idea might be a data-only SIM in a tablet and make calls over VOIP or just keep a spare phone for the minutes if that's what you want.
I have a phone and a tablet and I use my phone more often on a daily basis - it would not be practical to bring my tablet where I most often use my phone - the size difference is big enough to go from "kind of bulky" to "full on leg shield if you can even get it in your pocket".
I'm not knocking the idea, just saying you need to consider the downsides, too. I almost went for it, myself, but with the $30/mo T-Mobile plan I decided just to get the S3. It's a good size for carrying in a pocket, and I have a 10" tablet that's a great size for watching movies, too (bought it from a friend). I'd recommend going to a store and comparing sizes. For me, 7" just didn't fit in - it was too small for what I wanted to use a tablet for and too big to carry around all day - but if you have to carry a bag or something, it might be a better fit.
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I can confirm that it does drain the battery fast! To address this issue I bought a USB-OTG adapter, and just carry one of my 3 microUSB cables with me at all times. When my phone runs low while I'm on the train or bus or something, I use the USB-OTG cable from the tablet to my phone to keep my phone alive, and while it'll drain the tablet faster, I actually get about a 1.25% charge per 1% drained on the tablet (idle), so it's actually pretty efficient (this surprised me). When I'm in the office, I'll let the phone drain down to warning levels <15% and then use the USB cable to connect it to my desk computer in order to charge up, usually towards the end of the day. The tablet I only really charge at home each night when it's practically dead itself. (I practice stretching the batteries out as far as you can stomach (normally <5%) as you're supposed to with Li-Ion.)
I thought about getting a GSM N7, but when I saw it was an extra $100, plus another $30/mo for a data-only SIM card with unlimited service, when I could tether to my cellphone for free, I chose the $200 one-time & free/mo because T-Mobile just sees Android devices and doesn't care.
Evaluate your end goal, and review all possible avenues towards that goal, I chose the cheapest easiest way for myself, and while you may not have these same avenues available, make sure you do all your research to see if you can get anywhere close.
@Pennycake: I don't know how you only got 4 hours of continuous tethering, I get at least 6 straight on my S2. Check what OTHER processes you have running and see about getting a kernel you can undervolt as well as drop to a super bare minimum speed. (My S2 when WiFi tethering to my N7 sits active @ 192Mhz as that's all that's needed to maintain connection, otherwise it hits deep sleep.)

I don't tether all that often, so it's not a big issue to me (it was on a train ride and I probably won't be travelling again for another year).
Another idea is to use the $30/mo data only and use Google Voice + a VOIP service (like Groove IP) - turning the tablet itself into a phone that way. I read an article about someone who did it and really considered it for a while (in my case, I'm glad I didn't because I don't have the data coverage to make calls everywhere I normally am - sometimes I'm getting only GPRS where I can easily make a call, but not so much over data).

After reading a comparison on S3 compared to One X, it seems as though overall the S3 looks better. Has better battery life, SD card slot, better camera. Now that HTC is out of the picture, I will look into comparing the RAZR phones to the S3. I have heard that Motorola phones have better reception than Samsung. Is this true or just a few people's experience?
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To op. You can talk about early cancelation. Sometimes it doesn't cost as much as you'd think. I did that with at&t thank god for it. That was the worst and so over priced. I'm with Verizon and love it but you sound like you're paying way to much. I pay 99 a month unlimited text and data (my plan started before this family shared data thing) and 500 anytime min but I use Skype anyway.
I think I might switch depending on the shared data thing since there are 2 users on my plan.
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5imp7y said:
To op. You can talk about early cancelation. Sometimes it doesn't cost as much as you'd think. I did that with at&t thank god for it. That was the worst and so over priced. I'm with Verizon and love it but you sound like you're paying way to much. I pay 99 a month unlimited text and data (my plan started before this family shared data thing) and 500 anytime min but I use Skype anyway.
I think I might switch depending on the shared data thing since there are 2 users on my plan.
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Early termination would be too much for us. We currently have three lines, two of which have data plans, the third just an extra line that we added almost two years ago to use it for an upgrade. Our two main lines would cost about 200 each and we would then have to buy two phones.
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