[Q] How to upgrade with Verizon? - General Questions and Answers

OK. Here's the situation... I currently own a Droid Incredible and I'm only 8 months into a two year contract. I've been playing with a Galaxy Tab for the past few days and realized what I really want - a phone with a bigger screen.
Can I get rid of my Dinc and upgrade to a Droid X (or even better, a Droid Bionic) without losing my shirt? :-/
What options do I have available?

Trade in the Incredible to Best Buy and buy the new phone off contract, would save you some cast. My friend is doing something like that to get the new HTC Thunderbolt when trading in the Droid X.
or wait a full year to make it 20 months then upgrade

im going to try that trading thing thnx

Joey1.0 said:
Trade in the Incredible to Best Buy
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Are you referring to their new "Trade Up" program? If so, I thought that only applied to new phones. Or am I misunderstanding you?

Issemann said:
Are you referring to their new "Trade Up" program? If so, I thought that only applied to new phones. Or am I misunderstanding you?
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Nah, if you take a look at Best Buy's website for trade ins, it actually breaks down how much you could get depending on your phone. I just searched about five minutes ago (for the Droid Incredible) and it worked fine for me.

SlimSnoopOS said:
Nah, if you take a look at Best Buy's website for trade ins, it actually breaks down how much you could get depending on your phone. I just searched about five minutes ago (for the Droid Incredible) and it worked fine for me.
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Hmm... I think you may be mistaken. I just went to BB's website and it clearly states the following:
Purchase the Buy Back Program along with your new product
Bring the product back in good, working condition with all originally included accessories when you're ready for something new
Receive a Best Buy® gift card for the product's redemption value
Purchase the Buy Back Program along with your new product.
So this wouldn't apply to my Dinc that I bought 8 months ago. It only applies to the new phone.

I won't dispute that but if you look at the Best Buy Trade In home page, beneath the part that says "Find a Best Buy trade-in store near you" there are two qualifications and the second option details products NOT purchased from Best
Buy. I misunderstood the details, but I know you could return your DINC if you purchased a new phone to enroll in the program then returned your DINC even if it wasn't purchased from Best Buy. Either way, at the very least you could see how much your phone would go for and sell it elsewhere if you think you could get more for it.

Related

$19.99 htc inspire at costco

i dont think u can beat this deal anywhere. I got one 2 days ago and now thinking about rooting the bloody thing but christ it seems awfully hard to do and then sticking a rom is even harder compared to my old tilt 2!!
wow what a deal... do people really think this phone is worth that price?? i personally think it's better than the atrix (minus the laptop dock)
niksha said:
i dont think u can beat this deal anywhere. I got one 2 days ago and now thinking about rooting the bloody thing but christ it seems awfully hard to do and then sticking a rom is even harder compared to my old tilt 2!!
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It is not as hard as you think, all you need do is read the threads and take your time, I rooted a long time ago when bubby first did the one click, since then he has made it less complicated, the hardest part most are having is making a gold card, just take your time and you will do fine. I am rooted and am running Core Droid Gingerbread rom and have no sign of AT&T left on my phone. It is great, give it a try!!!! You can do it, the only thing holding you back is you!!!
moe3754 said:
It is not as hard as you think, all you need do is read the threads and take your time, I rooted a long time ago when bubby first did the one click, since then he has made it less complicated, the hardest part most are having is making a gold card, just take your time and you will do fine. I am rooted and am running Core Droid Gingerbread rom and have no sign of AT&T left on my phone. It is great, give it a try!!!! You can do it, the only thing holding you back is you!!!
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Oh yes you do! You have at&t on the back of the phone
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA Premium App
I got better than that from AT&T directly. Free phone, no shipping, no activation, 2 yr contract extension, early-upgrade. Granted I've been with AT&T since 1999 and I give them a decent chunk of my paycheck every month.
You just have to be patient with them, be willing to stay on hold for a bit, ask for a supervisor, and remember a few key phrases: "Long time customer..." "Pay bills on time..." "Been loyal through Iphoney induced network problems..." "Other carriers offering better equipment, and with contract expiring soon..."
That has always worked for me. The phones aren't always free, but I've always gotten a better deal than the normal upgrade price. At the very least the rebate price without dealing with the rebate. I've even gotten an upgrade price on an equipment replacement without contract extension.
Not sure if there are specific guidelines they use as far as longevity, monthly service charge, etc. You just have to be polite and insistant, and companies will generally give you what you want to keep you as a happy customer, AT&T included.
woww that is a deal and a half))my son just came home from school and he said his buddy told him that more people are bricking their phones when they try rooting... but then what does a kid know)))
They have it marked down to a penny if you buy it online with two year upgrade.
mudknot2005 said:
They have it marked down to a penny if you buy it online with two year upgrade.
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any way to make AT&T match this deal? The wife just paid 99 bucks for hers when I added a line last week.
shoot I'd just pay the restocking fee, and then buy from costco and it would still be cheaper. I am not sure att will match it though. I know you can't buy it out of contract Online. I was looking to see what they would charge maybe get my wife one so she can get away from her captivate.
I got mine free from radio shack and I was expecting to pay For it. Don't know how I get it free though
I got my Inspire from Costco about two weeks ago, and then upgraded one of my kids to one last week as well -- took advantage of that Costco deal! And no, AT&T could care less about price matching.
I rooted both of our phones last night. Read more than I did before I flashed my Tilt 2, but after my kid said just watch the Youtube video, I was ready. LOTS and lots of steps, but his rooted exactly as advertised. I did the same steps to mine, got hung up on the final step (pushing the new ROM back to the phone) but found a post in @bubby's thread about the same issue; I manually copied the image to my SD card and entered the bootloader, and now my Inspire is rooted as well.
Lots of great deals out there, BTW. Look at Cartoys and Radio Shack; the Costco deal ends pretty soon.
i got mine from Costco, i only paid the tax and an upgrade fee which will show up on my att bill. id say i came out on top
I just checked ... price is 1 cent now with a 2 yr extension. May have to go to KC!!
I too got mine from Costco for a penny! :-D According to tracking, I'll have it Wednesday. And then...we root! :-D
On a sidenote... I only agree with one line on here. "However now more then ever who you get on the other end of that line MATTERS." ...Unfortunately, this is true. I am a Level 2 technical support agent for Philips Electronics. If you catch an agent on a bad day, then don't expect much. HOWEVER... I personally try to remain fair... If you call me and ask for support, you BETTER be nice. If you are a jerk, yell, cuss, racist, etc...YOU GET NOTHING!
I deal with all walks of people on a daily basis. Kindness is key. It also helps to know how to speak and speak properly.. "Key phrases" mean nothing to me. But that's just me. It's all about the attitude. If you are nice, I'm willing to GIVE you almost anything. If you are an A$$hole...well...you get the idea.
One final note...It DOES NOT matter what nationality you or the tech support rep are. One of the nicest people I have ever met is this guy that sits beside me at work. He is 100% Irish, and hates the world. But again...if you are nice, he will give you whatever you are asking for.
ogxku5h said:
wow what a deal... do people really think this phone is worth that price?? i personally think it's better than the atrix (minus the laptop dock)
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I have an Atrix, not worth it at all... Even with the Dual Proc and Laptop dock. Call quality sucks, signal sucks and worst of all, it seems like they took someone's custom ROM (Alpha Build) and released it (get Aqua/Robot Voice at times) and instability so they have to make a fix for it and THEN wait for AT&T to release it...
Thanks, but no... not at all worth it.
The Inspire though? Yeah, worth way more. I paid full price for mine (no upgrade available on any of the 5 lines... )
I got my Inspire from Costco for $19.99. It did not take too long either. They also gave me a free car charger, head set, and leather case.
On a side note: I don't like ordering things like phones (Atrix) or laptops(Asus) online because if their is a problem with it takes week to get there and get back to you.
Talderon said:
I paid full price for mine (no upgrade available on any of the 5 lines... )
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How much off contract and from where?
I tried buying it though Costco online but I wont let me keep my grandfathered unlimited data plan. I still cant decide whether to use my upgrade or buy it off contract.
I've been seeing lately that its now $79, and as a CostCo Member, its as low as $50 on a two year contract. Its still a great price.
Staples has it for $50, verified as of yesterday.
Sent from my fast / stable HTC Inspire 4G

Should I...?

I got my Infuse from Costco about 5 days ago as an upgrade....I went online to the att website and saw I was still elegible for an upgrade....My question is should i be a dirtbag and get another Infuse to donate to a dev or do you think they might catch me?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-INFUSED 1.2.1 using XDA App
I would give it another week and see if it still says that. AT&T system takes forever to update.
Sent with my Infused Infuse using XDA Premium App
funny... i just checked, and i have the option to upgrade too. Im going to call in just to verify on that.
I am off contract
So i am off contract...
what sinister plan is AT&T planning to do with me...
Upcomming list of AT&T phones.
i shall start to scratch off phones, first down Nokia X7
Transformer27 said:
Upcomming list of AT&T phones.
i shall start to scratch off phones, first down Nokia X7
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The only phone on that list that I may consider is HTC Holiday. If I were you I'd hold on to the upgrade slot until iPhone 5 (or whatever it will be called) comes out then try to snag one on the first day, then do a quick flip on eBay. If played right you should have enough money to pay full price for one of those Androids and have a couple of Benjamins left over.
Sounds like a plan. i think i might just go ahead and do that.
but if i like the iPhone 5 i might keep it or sell it then go buy one via replacement price. all planned out lol

AT&T phone return policy

So I know that there are a few hot phones coming out, like the sony xperia ion and the HTC one X etc..
I have until March 22nd before my 30 day return window is up on my Skyrocket. However I think that both the phones I mentioned above will be released after that by a few weeks.
My question is (being that I'mm brand new to ATT) could I return my skyrocket within my days and just use some random lame $20 phone that I find on CL for a few weeks and then still use my upgrade a few weeks later when these other phones are released? Or what would you do in my shoes? Thanks!!
Honestly, no. Your best bet it to call AT&T and speak to a customer service manager, or escalate it as high as you need to iin ordee for you to keepbyiur upgrade option. Just walking into the store isn't going to cut it
i would just return it and use the crappy phone or if you are willing to spend the money buy the skyrocket off contract and use the upgrade later. if you have the skyrocket you would be good for even longer because its a great phone so you could wait for an even better phone than the One X that will inevitably come 2 months after the One X comes out.
luigic81 said:
So I know that there are a few hot phones coming out, like the sony xperia ion and the HTC one X etc..
I have until March 22nd before my 30 day return window is up on my Skyrocket. However I think that both the phones I mentioned above will be released after that by a few weeks.
My question is (being that I'mm brand new to ATT) could I return my skyrocket within my days and just use some random lame $20 phone that I find on CL for a few weeks and then still use my upgrade a few weeks later when these other phones are released? Or what would you do in my shoes? Thanks!!
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Click to collapse
Amazing!!! These **new** phones will remain new for only a few months. They will soon superseded by something flashier, faster and "greater". I am sure that Android 5.0 is also around the corner.
You cannot keep chasing this. It would cost some real money. I find that the Skyrocket does everything I want a good phone to do, it has a great screen, it is fast, it has more than enough storage, etc, etc. Sure, you can get a quad-core phone as soon as they come out, but what would be the speed improvement there? The Skyrocket is already very fast. If I were you, I would enjoy the phone and wait for the upgrade wait to end. In a year or so, there will be another great collection of phones for you to choose from!
Personally, I would keep the Skyrocket. Besides the Note, there is no other phone out there right now, or even announced that I have any interest in. When the SGS3 comes out, maybe that will change, but in the mean time, the Skyrocket is one of the top dogs.
You'll always be chasing what keeps itself 2 steps ahead of you.
Returning your phone to at&t isn't a slam dunk. If you don't get a new phone at the time of the return, they'll most likely push up your next upgrade eligibility to 60days. They may also hit you with a restocking fee too. Good luck.
If you want to stay up to date on the cheap..pay out of pocket once at best buy(price match at$t) and do buyback..every new phone as long long as its within 6 months is basically half price off contract.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using xda premium

[Q] Way to Delay Upgrade?

Hello everyone, I'm a longtime Sprint user, and am looking forward to my switch to Verizon very soon! I currently own an EVO 4G LTE, and am taking a look at what phones I should get when I switch companies. The best available phone right now appears to undoubtedly be the SIII.
I have heard that there are some pretty awesome phones on the horizon, and I would love to get them (HTC's apparent phablet, Razr Maxx HD, etc.). However, I really don't think I can wait until November because I can't possibly tolerate Sprint anymore and their ridiculous lack of coverage in my area (they told me the towers are being upgraded for the past 7 months).
So my question is this: is there any way to delay my upgraded phone price so that I can use it once these newer phones are released? In other words, can I use another phone or do something else in order to not use that contract upgrade until November, even if I sign up for their service this week? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Also, if you would just go get the SIII if you were in my position, that's useful input too. I love the phone, I just feel like it will be "dated" in a month. Seems like the worst possible time to buy... I'm in a pickle.
Thoughts?
I don't know the answer to your question but I just switched to Verizon from sprint and got the S3. Waiting on it in the mail now. I don't think u can do what u want but im not sure. Hopefully someone can answer it for sure
Sent from Galaxy SIII
You would have to purchase a phone at full retail price. Then you could get the pro rated price later.
Brian Gove said:
You would have to purchase a phone at full retail price. Then you could get the pro rated price later.
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Or he could buy a phone off craigslist and go in there with one already...
fenixnr said:
Or he could buy a phone off craigslist and go in there with one already...
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Click to collapse
This is an interesting idea - so I would need to find a Verizon-capable smartphone on Craigslist as cheap as possible, and then use the "upgrade" later when I want?
Another option would be do the pre paid route until you find a phone you want, then jump on contract.
jaben2 said:
Another option would be do the pre paid route until you find a phone you want, then jump on contract.
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I had not thought of this option yet, although the thought of going pre-paid doesn't appeal to me for some reason. I doubt my wife would go for it either. I have heard that pre-paid is getting more popular though - any suggestions for going pre-paid if I do explore that route? There's so many options out there now...
PsiPhiDan said:
I had not thought of this option yet, although the thought of going pre-paid doesn't appeal to me for some reason. I doubt my wife would go for it either. I have heard that pre-paid is getting more popular though - any suggestions for going pre-paid if I do explore that route? There's so many options out there now...
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Click to collapse
Go to the galaxy nexus forum and look at the threads that say prepaid service guides or something similar. One of them says "rule your plan with..." they all talk about the best prepaid plans for the money.
Here is one of the more popular ones http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1455014
Obviously you don't have to do it with a nexus, you can use one of the prepaid ****ty phones. They just talk about the plans there. When I read it a long time ago most of them involved getting the prepaid phone and then switching out the sim card so you could just chill with the original phone until something interesting comes out on Verizon.
jaben2 said:
Another option would be do the pre paid route until you find a phone you want, then jump on contract.
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Click to collapse
Wouldn't that be essentially the same thing as buying a phone and going month to month on Verizon until getting the phone he wants at a pro-rated price and contract?
Brian Gove said:
Wouldn't that be essentially the same thing as buying a phone and going month to month on Verizon until getting the phone he wants at a pro-rated price and contract?
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Click to collapse
Only difference would be pre-paid may be cheaper, if I'm reading your message correctly.
Also, thanks for the quick replies everyone! I look forward to joining this community soon. Looks like I'll be getting an SIII this week. If it was just me, I'd employ one of these ideas you guys gave me. But since my wife is included... I'm gonna go the simple route and get the SIII, which was equivalent to my current phone anyway (EVO 4G LTE). Seems like it has the dev support to last the two years like my old EVO 4G did (it can run JB now - amazing). Plus the extra RAM future proofs it a bit. I don't game, so I don't need quad core I doubt. The S4 chip is a beast anywho.
Thanks again guys! See you in the forums soon!
Oh one last quick question: any issues I'll have rooting and unlocking this phone? I've only owned HTC and been with Sprint, so I'm unsure of how to do all of this. I hear Verizon is not very friendly about unlocking phones.
Sent from my EVO using xda app-developers app
PsiPhiDan said:
Oh one last quick question: any issues I'll have rooting and unlocking this phone? I've only owned HTC and been with Sprint, so I'm unsure of how to do all of this. I hear Verizon is not very friendly about unlocking phones.
Sent from my EVO using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was just a pain in the ass to get it unlocked to begin with. Since it's been figured out it's simple. Bookmark the guide in my sig, Droidstyle did a good job about laying it all out.
PsiPhiDan said:
Only difference would be pre-paid may be cheaper, if I'm reading your message correctly.
Also, thanks for the quick replies everyone! I look forward to joining this community soon. Looks like I'll be getting an SIII this week. If it was just me, I'd employ one of these ideas you guys gave me. But since my wife is included... I'm gonna go the simple route and get the SIII, which was equivalent to my current phone anyway (EVO 4G LTE). Seems like it has the dev support to last the two years like my old EVO 4G did (it can run JB now - amazing). Plus the extra RAM future proofs it a bit. I don't game, so I don't need quad core I doubt. The S4 chip is a beast anywho.
Thanks again guys! See you in the forums soon!
Oh one last quick question: any issues I'll have rooting and unlocking this phone? I've only owned HTC and been with Sprint, so I'm unsure of how to do all of this. I hear Verizon is not very friendly about unlocking phones.
Sent from my EVO using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The bootloader can be unlocked easily, obtaining root is a simple one-click affair, and VZW has never been friendly about anything but your open wallet. Congrats on the new phone and carrier switch.
Brian Gove said:
It was just a pain in the ass to get it unlocked to begin with. Since it's been figured out it's simple. Bookmark the guide in my sig, Droidstyle did a good job about laying it all out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay that sounds good, thank you!
I was concerned mostly because with my phone, only the non-updated ones can be rooted and unlocked right now. Since I had mine since launch day, my original bootloader was able to be hacked and exploited. New phones bought today have different bootloaders that have patched the explored holes. HTC can be evil that way. I know Samsung is more dev friendly, but I wanted to make sure there were no stipulations like with my phone where I would be screwed if I bought a new one now.
Sent from my EVO using xda app-developers app
PsiPhiDan said:
Hello everyone, I'm a longtime Sprint user, and am looking forward to my switch to Verizon very soon! I currently own an EVO 4G LTE, and am taking a look at what phones I should get when I switch companies. The best available phone right now appears to undoubtedly be the SIII.
I have heard that there are some pretty awesome phones on the horizon, and I would love to get them (HTC's apparent phablet, Razr Maxx HD, etc.). However, I really don't think I can wait until November because I can't possibly tolerate Sprint anymore and their ridiculous lack of coverage in my area (they told me the towers are being upgraded for the past 7 months).
So my question is this: is there any way to delay my upgraded phone price so that I can use it once these newer phones are released? In other words, can I use another phone or do something else in order to not use that contract upgrade until November, even if I sign up for their service this week? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Also, if you would just go get the SIII if you were in my position, that's useful input too. I love the phone, I just feel like it will be "dated" in a month. Seems like the worst possible time to buy... I'm in a pickle.
Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are going to wait 3 weeks you might as well wait for the note 2. Just my two cents.
Sent from my big red Samsung Galaxy S3 using XDA Premium.
There's still no release date on the Note 2 is there?
Plus I'm not sure a phone that large is for me. I'm getting the Note 10.1 soon, so do I need a phone that's a tablet too? I'm not sure. Plus I won't pay over 200 for a phone. I'm guessing the Note 2 will go for 300 or more.
Sent from my EVO using xda app-developers app
When I switched to Verizon from T-Mobile in December I went month to month on an OG Droid I owned until the GNex came out and then I upgraded
PsiPhiDan said:
This is an interesting idea - so I would need to find a Verizon-capable smartphone on Craigslist as cheap as possible, and then use the "upgrade" later when I want?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It wouldn't have to be a smart phone. Buy a cheap flip phone or something. However there is always something Coming soon so you may find yourself with that cheap phone for a long time

HTC One XL FREE - Walmart.com

Just wanted to pass this on... I had sold my HOX waiting for the Nexus or G and well as many can see I just don't trust LG to many things being written.
Anyway I was cruising through Walmart.com and found that they are offering the At&t version FREE (no sales tax) just need to add a line or open a new two year.
I put in my order I should of just stayed with the good thing I had.
Happy Shopping if your' interested that is...
Ugh
AT&T website has a web-only $5 refurb deal now too. Ordered the grey one for my wife that way. It looks black and works perfectly, but it came with 2.20
Sent from my HTC One XL using xda app-developers app
lmarranzino said:
Just wanted to pass this on... I had sold my HOX waiting for the Nexus or G and well as many can see I just don't trust LG to many things being written.
Anyway I was cruising through Walmart.com and found that they are offering the At&t version FREE (no sales tax) just need to add a line or open a new two year.
I put in my order I should of just stayed with the good thing I had.
Happy Shopping if your' interested that is...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't place your order. Return it.
It's not worth wasting an upgrade on a last-gen phone when you have the opportunity to get a more future-proof phone.
As amazing as the One X is, its not worth going back to. I did.. multiple times haha.
Spend your upgrade on something totally different. Get an iPhone and sell it for $700. Get a Windows Phone. Wait for the One X+.

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