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So here is my dilemma.
I have been an HTC user for years. My Touch Pro 2 is hanging together by threads and needs replacing. Android is the way to go.
I have a Euro spec factory unlocked Iphone 4 on the way to me from my office in South Africa but I really do not like the Iphone form factor.
I considered the HTC Inspire but wanted to wait for the Infuse which seems to be getting great reviews.
I could probably sell the unlocked Iphone here in the USA for some decent money (they appear to be selling up above the $600 mark!!) and then use the proceeds to buy the Infuse off contract and still have some change so that when the Galaxy S2 comes out I could even sell the Infuse and upgrade to the GS2.
Does my logic make sense?
Any other suggestions?
I basically did the same thing except I had my iPhone for about a year before I sold it so it was fairly used. It was a 16GB black iPhone in fair condition and I jailbroke it before I sold it. I got $380 but I know some people who have gotten up to $450, just depends on the day.
I bought the Infuse off-contract from Amazon Wireless for $580, so it bascially cost me $200. But I'm really happy that when my contract ends next year I can either get off AT&T or sell my Infuse and upgrade to whatever the newest dual-core phone is.
I bought mine with 100 off for early upgrade. Trade in another phone, or sell for a little more and that brings it down more.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using XDA Premium App
samsat said:
So here is my dilemma.
I have a Euro spec factory unlocked Iphone 4 on the way to me from my office in South Africa but I really do not like the Iphone form factor.
I considered the HTC Inspire but wanted to wait for the Infuse which seems to be getting great reviews.
I could probably sell the unlocked Iphone here in the USA for some decent money (they appear to be selling up above the $600 mark!!) and then use the proceeds to buy the Infuse off contract and still have some change so that when the Galaxy S2 comes out I could even sell the Infuse and upgrade to the GS2.
Does my logic make sense?
Any other suggestions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your logic is great, except let me give you some info on what my situation was as it was very similar:
If you're in a good CraigsList city, which I see you're in SoCal... I'm in the bay area. Where there's a big Craigslist community like in CA, you can get pretty good deals on Infuse brand new. I bought several for $375-425 (started buying one for me and my friends wanted a couple so I ended up buying 4 total, haha).
I too came from iPhone 4. I had 2 unlocked iPhone 4s from the UK. The demand in the US for these is absolutely unbelievable. One I sold for $1100 2 weeks ago, and the other I sold for $1050 yesterday. Both sold on eBay. Keep in mind they were both less than 6 months old (one was a 6 week old white version, hence the higher price)... but there's a huge market out there for factory unlocked models. When the iPhone 4 came out, I flew to London, bought 4 and kept 2, sold the other 2 for $2000 each, so it paid off all four ... they're not cheap over there (about $920 USD), which is why they fetch so much resale.
I first tried the Inspire 4G. It's a good phone, but the killer for me was the battery, which to be blunt, sucked. I sold it and got the Infuse. I've only had the infuse for a week now, but the battery is much better than the Inspire 4G, and the overall performance is great. I did like the metalic build of the HTC, but I suppose I can't have it all, and the battery on the inspire was just a total deal killer.
Welcome to CA... hope my info helps Best of luck to you.
Many thanks for the replies.
Bella, thanks for the welcome, I am in SD.
I checked Craiglist here no Infuse adverts but there are quite a few on Ebay.
Another option would be to just pay the $199 to ATT for the Infuse and renew for another 2 years. Its part of a family plan so its unlikely we will change anytime soon.
I will put the Iphone which I think will be brand new in its sealed box, on Ebay. I assume when you sold yours on Ebay you did not allow for any returns?
samsat said:
Many thanks for the replies.
Bella, thanks for the welcome, I am in SD.
I checked Craiglist here no Infuse adverts but there are quite a few on Ebay.
Another option would be to just pay the $199 to ATT for the Infuse and renew for another 2 years. Its part of a family plan so its unlikely we will change anytime soon.
I will put the Iphone which I think will be brand new in its sealed box, on Ebay. I assume when you sold yours on Ebay you did not allow for any returns?
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Click to collapse
Yeah SD is harder for CL because it's not that huge of a town. I used to live there.
The average price on Ebay for brand new infuse is at about $505... don't buy unlocked because it's a simple script to get your unlock code so you're paying for something that's free, hehe.
Regarding your iPhone.... yeah ebay on both mine. If you start them at $0.99 there's no insertion fee (hehehe, insertion fee, lol)... and it'll sell quick. They rape you on the final value fee, but it is what it is. I've been selling on eBay for years, and I never have offered returns (most ebay sellers don't)... it just turns you into a rental office if you offer people to try something then return it. lol
Thanks for the advise. I will hopefully the Iphone 4 in hand early next week.
I will then decide what route to take.
Hi Bella,
I just sent you a PM requesting some advice.
Thanks
I recently switched over from the Galaxy S i9000 which was a great phone, but this phone is just that much better. The Infuse phone feels smoother than my i9000 ever did with any custom rom or overclocked kernel, and to think we don't even have voodoo or any OC kernels on this device yet. It is definitely worth it. I upgraded my phone on the costco website for $129 which was a steal for this phone, best buy has the upgrade for 149.99. Glad i bought it, the screen is AMAZING.
I did an exception upgrade and paid $299, they added $100 for the early upgrade since it was less than six months out.
Ok, been talking to Verizon for weeks now, trying to dump this clunker of a phone. They absolutely refused to give me an early upgrade. But yesterday i did get a woman who gave me great advice i wanted to share.
She said even if she did the early upgrade, I would have to accept another 2 year contract, pay $299 for the phone, and the $350 termination fee that goes with it. She said that I should go to ebay and get a New or nearly new Droid Razr which sells for $350 at times. I could sell my charge for up to $200 and my upgrade will cost me $150 without the termination fee. so I'm basically saving $800 by not having them 'upgrade me'.
So that's what i did. I actually paid $375 for an auction with free shipping and saw the charge sold regularly for about $170-190. Still, I can always sell the razr later on and get something new with no penalties from here on.
don't flame me if you love the charge. It's just been problematic for me. Too little memory for my needs. between scrabble, Words with Friends, all my other apps which have 5 meg resident notifiers, my phone crashes often.
why would the $350 early termination fee come into play if they "gave" you an early upgrade....that sounds like cancelling your account and opening a new one...slight miscalculation I would say
she said based on how long i've had phones with Verizion (8 months for the fascinate, and 6 months with the charge), if in another 6 months i were to want another new phone outside of verizon. I'm only getting the Razr because i'm still on the hook for the term fee. I would get the nexus galaxy on tmobile's $30 plan if not for the term fee. By doing this, i will be out by August and can move on freely to any phone and any other non-contract plan. Can even stay on Verizon month to month.
I already moved my wife and son to Tmobile's $30 4G plan and they love it. In August, i will move there most likely if they still offer it.
You really didn't get an upgrade offer it seems, right?
I was on the phone with someone last week who told me I should look on eBay for a new phone since they won't give me any deal. The guy told me I could sell my phone for $200 easy, but I'm not in the market to be playing that game and dealing with idiots on ebay/CL.
I'm actually surprised a bit with Verizon that they wont give early upgrades. When I was with AT&T I got one in 5 months because my phone was stolen and smashed. I got $150 credit towards $$ off the iPhone and extended my contract for 2 more years.
orateam said:
I already moved my wife and son to Tmobile's $30 4G plan and they love it. In August, i will move there most likely if they still offer it.
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Don't do this. Verizon is expensive but they actually use that money to upgrade their cell sites and make new ones. It is hands-down the best wireless carrier in the US, and in my opinion, worth it unless you spend your whole life in downtown Chicago for example.
When I had my HTC Thunderbolt 4G, I sold that for $150 and used the money to get a Droid Charge from Craiglist for $300, no contact extension whatsoever.
But I was negative $150, but considering how much I hate the thunderbolt, it's really worth it.
Droid RAZR? That would be a downgrade! Locked bootloader, super-wide unpractical bezel, terrible screen (pentile), worse camera. Total gimmick phone that sells due to the huge marketing blitz on Verizons behalf
adrenaline_rush said:
Droid RAZR? That would be a downgrade! Locked bootloader, super-wide unpractical bezel, terrible screen (pentile), worse camera. Total gimmick phone that sells due to the huge marketing blitz on Verizons behalf
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Click to collapse
That's your opinion, not fact, and your opinions are incidentally not shared by the overwhelming majority of people who review phones for a living:
http://reviews.cnet.com/smartphones/motorola-droid-razr-black/4505-6452_7-35033947.html ("4.5/5 With its razor-thin design, jam-packed features, and blazing speed, the Motorola Droid Razr is easily one of the year's top Android smartphones.")
http://www.bgr.com/2011/11/07/motorola-droid-razr-review/ ("The Motorola DROID RAZR has replaced Samsung’s Galaxy S II as the best Android device I’ve ever used.")
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5198/motorola-droid-razr-review-a-better-clad-bionic/ ("The RAZR is honestly some of the best Android hardware I’ve seen in a long time.")
http://pocketnow.com/android/motorola-droid-razr-review (4.5/5 "It's thin, lightweight, durable, fast, and has a beautiful screen.")
Just because it's not as good as the Galaxy Nexus -- though the latter's lead will narrow once the Razr gets ICS -- doesn't mean it's not a very good device.
Falcyn said:
That's your opinion, not fact, and your opinions are incidentally not shared by the overwhelming majority of people who review phones for a living:
http://reviews.cnet.com/smartphones/motorola-droid-razr-black/4505-6452_7-35033947.html ("4.5/5 With its razor-thin design, jam-packed features, and blazing speed, the Motorola Droid Razr is easily one of the year's top Android smartphones.")
http://www.bgr.com/2011/11/07/motorola-droid-razr-review/ ("The Motorola DROID RAZR has replaced Samsung’s Galaxy S II as the best Android device I’ve ever used.")
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5198/motorola-droid-razr-review-a-better-clad-bionic/ ("The RAZR is honestly some of the best Android hardware I’ve seen in a long time.")
http://pocketnow.com/android/motorola-droid-razr-review (4.5/5 "It's thin, lightweight, durable, fast, and has a beautiful screen.")
Just because it's not as good as the Galaxy Nexus -- though the latter's lead will narrow once the Razr gets ICS -- doesn't mean it's not a very good device.
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Click to collapse
I'm not gonna say its a bad phone but the locked bootloader and blur (in general, not really just on the razr) will keep me away from any moto phone for the time being... if they put out an unlocked relatively bloat/skin free (read: nexus) phone I'd give it some thought
my .02
Android central just picked it as the phone of the year over the nexus.
http://www.androidcentral.com/2011-android-central-awards-editors-choice-picks
Fact is that the Motoblur, HTC sense, Touchwiz , all are there because AOSP is just plain. Right now, everyone loves ICS because it's different and adds alot of features over froyo. But how happy would you be with stock froyo or gingerbread. That is pretty much what you will get on Nexus, stock. I like HTC sense, Moto and touchwiz. I prefer to have a phone with ICS and sweet touches. What's funny is that the RAZR is getting the nod over the Nexus while it's still on gingerbread with moto. I can only imagine how cool the phone will be on ICS with MOTO and custom roms.
I looked at the nexus, but ebay has them running for $550. That's a $200 premium. If i don't like the RAZR, which i doubt, i can always sell it a few months out and get the Nexus when the sticker shock price comes down. In the meantime, i'll have a phone that is leagues ahead of the charge and it's 200 megs or RAM that keeps crashing on me.
JihadSquad said:
Don't do this. Verizon is expensive but they actually use that money to upgrade their cell sites and make new ones. It is hands-down the best wireless carrier in the US, and in my opinion, worth it unless you spend your whole life in downtown Chicago for example.
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Click to collapse
I love Verizon. But $30 bucks is alot cheaper than any other 4g Unlimited plan. Hell, its the same price as what others charge for 2GB data plans.
Verizon could have done an early upgrade for me and got me for another 2 years. I would have sent them $300 for the RAZR and they would have been way better off. It's their fault that are not doing early upgrades. If I were them, i would do early upgrades as soon as i recouped my profit for the phone which is usually less than 6 months of service depending on options. I can tell the employees i've dealt with at verizon wanted to do it for me, they knew holding onto a customer for 2 more years plus paying $300 for a phone they probably got for $300 is the best way to keep customers. Just a big corporate company not allowing it.
With new phone prices without a contract around $500 and upgrade prices for the hot models running $99-250, I was thinking maybe I should shop recent used, i.e. an Incredible 2 or even a Galaxy Nexus or RAZR now that the Maxx is out. So checking eBay and Craigslist, and various forum marketplaces I am seeing that used pricing runs from $100-$300 on the Inc2 to $300-$500 on the Nexus and RAZR.
My son just got an Inc 2 upgrade for free. Why would anyone pay $100-$300 (widely asked) for a free phone? I might pay $50 to play with it. Why would anyone pay $400 for a used Nexus or RAZR when you can upgrade for $199 or $249 (less with a new account). I would pay $100, OK, but why pay more than the upgrade price? I understand the desire to avoid a contract, but seriously you have to get service from somewhere. I can't believe that many of the people selling these things paid full retail, so how can the used prices be more than most people paid in the first place. There can't be that much demand and the supply increases daily.
Please explain.
Some people have just upgraded recently and can't do a new contract before their two years is up without paying a pretty decent fee. It's cheaper to buy the phone from someone else and maybe get rid of their old phone than to pay the price for getting a new contract. Some people here also own multiple devices and switch them out often, so it doesn't really make sense to open a new contract for each phone. Check people's sigs: some members/devs here have four or five devices at a time.
And just in case you don't know why there's a charge for early upgrades, the carriers give you the phones at discount because over a two year contract you will end up paying down the expense they took. If they give you a new phone every six months you have gone through around $2000 worth of devices and they certainly won't make that up just from your monthly bill.
danam said:
With new phone prices without a contract around $500 and upgrade prices for the hot models running $99-250, I was thinking maybe I should shop recent used, i.e. an Incredible 2 or even a Galaxy Nexus or RAZR now that the Maxx is out. So checking eBay and Craigslist, and various forum marketplaces I am seeing that used pricing runs from $100-$300 on the Inc2 to $300-$500 on the Nexus and RAZR.
My son just got an Inc 2 upgrade for free. Why would anyone pay $100-$300 (widely asked) for a free phone? I might pay $50 to play with it. Why would anyone pay $400 for a used Nexus or RAZR when you can upgrade for $199 or $249 (less with a new account). I would pay $100, OK, but why pay more than the upgrade price? I understand the desire to avoid a contract, but seriously you have to get service from somewhere. I can't believe that many of the people selling these things paid full retail, so how can the used prices be more than most people paid in the first place. There can't be that much demand and the supply increases daily.
Please explain.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is all in being eligible for an upgrade!!! People who break, drop in toilet, or lose their phone are the ones paying. They had a new phone and liked it. But they broke it and aren't eligible for an upgrade price for another two years. They would have to pay full price. A used phone at $250 is better than paying $500 from the provider since you have no upgrade options.
I like it. My last two upgrades I have made money!!!! I had an original droid. I upgraded to my droid X for $299. $100 rebate brings cost down to $200. Sold for $250 on ebay!!! Old droid would have cost someone $400 from verizon if they weren't eligible for an upgrade. They have the phone they want and saved $150 versus buying a new one from verizon.
85gallon said:
I like it. My last two upgrades I have made money!!!! I had an original droid. I upgraded to my droid X for $299. $100 rebate brings cost down to $200. Sold for $250 on ebay!!! Old droid would have cost someone $400 from verizon if they weren't eligible for an upgrade. They have the phone they want and saved $150 versus buying a new one from verizon.
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Click to collapse
I understand why it works for the seller . But this sort of presumes that more people are dropping phones in toilets than are buying new phones and retiring old ones, and I am not sure that can be so. Alternatively, it assumes that a real lot of people want to upgrade in less than two years and are willing to pay hundreds for the privilege; and I am not sure that can be so either.
I guess that I am cheap. But if I am entitled to pay, say, $199 in 3-6 months I am not paying more now for used equipment.
Some carriers give a cheaper monthly rate if you own your phone. I always buy phones outright either new or used and save money overall.
Sent from HTC G2
Crashdamage said:
Some carriers give a cheaper monthly rate if you own your phone. I always buy phones outright either new or used and save money overall.
Sent from HTC G2
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Click to collapse
nothing is free.
My phone cost me £120 new which came with a PAYG sim.
My contract sim only is £13 a month.
I could have got the same phone on contract for £35 a month.
So I would be paying an extra £22 a month on a 18 month contract, after 5-6 months I would have been payiing more for the phone and be out of pocket. The contracts where the phones seem free have you paying for the phone monthly instead.
danam said:
I guess that I am cheap. But if I am entitled to pay, say, $199 in 3-6 months I am not paying more now for used equipment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are you going to do? Pay $50 on a throw away so you have a phone for the next 3-6 months or just go without a phone for that time?
Also, a lot of people don't realize that their old cell phones are worth something. They throw them in a drawer or the garbage or they recycle them so they can feel good. I hope they never find out!!
I will be getting a free RAZR in a few months!!! After rebates and ebay of course!!
I was actually digging through some old stuff a few months ago and I ran across an old Moto Z6TV that I forgot to put up on ebay when I retired it years ago. I put it up on ebay and got $40 for it. I think it was3 or 4 phones ago. And I let the prospective buyers know it would be needing a battery soon in the auction listing.
Peeps need them for something. Maybe they know something I don't and are stocking up for the Zombie apocalypse. Who knows. I don't care as long as they are buying!!
Not everybody wants a contract. You can get a contract and pay $1k-$2k over the course of 2 years for a "free" phone or you can get a significantly cheaper pay as you go service and pay $200 for an unlocked phone.
I do business on CL all the time. This time of year is notorious for high-priced phones. If you wait until spring and summer really hits, phones will be available left and right.
Usually CDMA phones are cheaper as well, so if you look around daily, you'll find a good deal.
Sent from my 2ghz Impulse 4G
Depends on the financial status of the person to go for used phone or a new contract phone
In the past two years I've gone through 5 android phones and saved a ton of money giving the phones down to my wife and mom and never have to sign a new contract. Currently my wife has an Iphone, my mom a nexus s 4g, and I traded my android phone for an Iphone 4s...I'm going to sell that 4s and get a white Epic 4G Touch for 350 tonight, the Iphone should sell for a decent amount, I'm not out to gouge anyone but the Iphone holds value well (I hated the iPhone or I'd keep it but I miss android)
Well let me explain how it makes sense. Here's my actual history:
Buy an HTC Touch Diamond for $125 close to when it came out on some weird contract thing.
Sold Diamond for $200, bought iPhone 3G when moved to tmobile for $250, did a few other deals in between, but ended up trading the iPhone 3G for an HD2 when HD2 came out on tmobile. Sold HD2 for $250 a couple months ago, and moved to ATT and got a Galaxy Note on Contract (thru a friend $10 add a line) for $300 (soon to be $150 back for the promo), for all the deals I did between there I probably netted a few hundred dollar profit, bought and sold tablets as well (used most of them, I'm not trying to be a businessman here). You get to try out a bunch of devices this way.
If you take care of them, the resale is worth the original purchase. If you bought a Galaxy Nexus unlocked for $650 like 6 months ago, you could probably sell it RIGHT NOW for $650 easy if you took damn good care of it.
It's just how it works, you're not really out that much money if you're smart about how you do it, I've dropped $400 on devices and stuff and used/resold etc...
I agree with the general idea of the thread, some used phones are too much IMO.
There is a reason people are paying the used phone prices and I'm willing to bet they checked their options before dishing out a few hundred dollars.
We all get that most providers essentially mortgage you a device through your plan but if you don't fall under their qualifications to upgrade then your about to realize how much these little gadgets actually retail for. If you can upgrade through your provider that's your best bet. If not the used market is probably your go to option.
Sent from my Galaxy S2
eplote was
Taking into account that most phones are essentially a computer in your pocket, the used prices should reflect upon the age of the tech, total use time and who the owner was.
In the IT industry, hardware drops in value quite rapidly due to new gear coming out.
If the handset is a current model of it's class, then expect a premium price.
As for iDrones, they are like the fashion industry, you pay for a label and a social status as an iPhollower.
/Rant over
Crikey
If that makes no sense to you go take a look what people are paying for "used" Iphones.
for what its worth, used galaxy ace's were been sold for more then I paid for mine brand new.
from what I can see on ebay people usually only take 10-20% of the price of a new phone unless there is obvious damage. if you find a retail phone with a discount it will be less than used on ebay.
Most people charge too much for their used phones yet people due to contract issues buy them^^
My personal experience is that if you try to find a used phone on the E bay the price has no sense, but if you look in a local site of vacancies you can find good occasions, expecially if you make an offer that is lower of the asked price.
heres how i got my amaze, i bought it broken. honestly, as long as it turns on, im happy, i do customer service for t-mobile but i have at&t only because i have been with them since they were cingular. anyways, dont want to get off topic at hand, i can repair anything. my amaze had went through a joy ride through a dryer. and i still payed 250.00, then i had to get a digitizer/LCD, then a back, then a battery, but i still came out cheaper then retail price. i get laughed at on the smoke deck at work because of my phone but as the month went on it got nicer and nicer then a new trainee said when did you get your new phone? lol i build it...really. i got my inspire with a cracked screen the only phone i have that NOT damaged is my infuse lol
Hey guys,
I currently have a Moto D3. I like it, but I have oil under the screen, leaving a huge black spot on my screen. It's transparent, but it makes things pretty difficult to view... And insurance replacement is apparently $100 US... (this is BS)...
So for a few hundred more I'm considering just paying full retail for a better phone.
I love my physical KB but I think it's about time to let it go, lol.
My question to you guys, as I've been in and out of things in the Android community lately, where should I look towards for my new replacement?
Anything in the near future I should just wait a month or two for?
Thanks guys!
Seirÿu
Razr HD, SIII should be landing relatively soon.
Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk 2
Seirÿu said:
And insurance replacement is apparently $100 US... (this is BS)...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You didn't know that? Read your contract before signing up for ANY insurance. Verizon insurance is $7 a month and depending on the plan you have a $99 deductible. For long time good customers att lets you upgrade your phone before 24 months. So really unless you are in the habit of destroying phones on a regular basis if you damage your phone it makes sense to forgo the insurance and limp along with a damaged phone for a few months and then upgrade as usual. I have never irreparably damaged a phone. So $7 month for five years is $420 saved. Add $100 for the deductible and now you are talking $520. I can get a pretty nice brand new phone for that much.
If you must get a warranty check out Squaretrade.
When I originally signed up it was only $50.
I replaced my D1 for $50... but yeah, you're right, I didn't really think twice about it when I upgraded.
ive had to use the insurance a few times (once stolen, once screen just went dead, once phone would not boot anymore). its more than paid itself off for me over the years.
Friend of mine bought his epic 4g touch from best buy and got their insurace. Months later he cracked the screen so he went back to the store and had another shipped to him for free. Apparently best buy's insurance program doesnt have a $100 deductible like Sprint does.
look at your contract
I'm located in Ireland, and for €35 per year extra on our home insurance we have 3 mobile phones insured. My service provider wanted €9 per month. So it was a bit of a no brainer
Insurance sucks!
I never ever purchase insurance contact , but when I updating new phone contact. they always suggested me to get insurance
Seirÿu said:
Hey guys,
I currently have a Moto D3. I like it, but I have oil under the screen, leaving a huge black spot on my screen. It's transparent, but it makes things pretty difficult to view... And insurance replacement is apparently $100 US... (this is BS)...
So for a few hundred more I'm considering just paying full retail for a better phone.
I love my physical KB but I think it's about time to let it go, lol.
My question to you guys, as I've been in and out of things in the Android community lately, where should I look towards for my new replacement?
Anything in the near future I should just wait a month or two for?
Thanks guys!
Seirÿu
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you get a new phone go with a authorized retailer. I went to go wireless went I got my dx2 cause Verizon's main store could not figure out how to separate my line from my mothers family plan into my own line. But I got the go wireless very of insurance and it costs me $6 a month and its only $50 if I need to use it.
Sent from my DROID X2 using XDA
Verizons insurance sucks! I have mine through best buy when i bought my razr there. I haven't used it yet but they replaced my X for free.
Sent from my DROID RAZR using xda premium
basically as the title says... I dropped my phone and shattered the screen at the top and bottom corners... it's still operable at the moment but it'll get worse over time. I have an upgrade available on my account that I can use or I could enter the Verizon edge program... I really don't know what i should do. it's obvious the edge program is only useful if I upgrade every ~12 months and I have a tendency to switch phones quite often but with a newborn son I may lose interest in upgrading/getting new phones so much... I'm mostly looking at the HTC M8 only because ive had the galaxy for a while and im ready for something other than touchwiz. use upgrade, pay 250 and sign another 2 year contract or enter Verizon edge program and pay nothing now and be able to upgrade again in a year... opinions?
Edge is regarded by most as a waste of money. you're always going to pay at least half of full retail, which is always more than the 2 yr contract price.
but more importantly, think about this: Maybe Edge is exactly what you want. Maybe you'll do it for the next 5 years and go thru 5 awesome phones. and then maybe then you'll want to save money and switch to another carrier. Hey, you're not on contract. go ahead. but if you get a high end device that's $700 full, and it's been 1 year, you've paid $350 so far, and you're still gonna owe $350 to cut loose, where as if you went the 2 year contract, you maybe for the phone paid $99 (instead of $350 over 12 months), and the ETF with Verizon will only be $230 so basically, you save, after the ETF, around $370. So Edge is great... for people who plan to keep doing edge/jump/whatever every year until they die, never changing carriers. Oh, and if a carrier (Tmobile) offers to buy out your contract and pay your ETF, guess what? an installment plan is not a termination fee. you're on your own, buddy. I'm not trying to sound overly dramatic, but that's the math, man.
finally, Edge is NOT "pay nothing up front". you pay tax on the full price, and you pay the first month's payment up front as well. since you're always billed one month in advance with Verizon, if you didn't pay the first month in store, you next bill would be 2 months worth of payments. Carriers take the first month up front to prevent bill-shock
so that's my feelings towards edge (I used to work in the Cell industry. quit late last year.). As for the M8, this phone rules. why? there's 1000 reviews already out there, so I'm not gonna bother with the why.
Well said .. covers everything.
TidusWulf said:
Edge is regarded by most as a waste of money. you're always going to pay at least half of full retail, which is always more than the 2 yr contract price.
but more importantly, think about this: Maybe Edge is exactly what you want. Maybe you'll do it for the next 5 years and go thru 5 awesome phones. and then maybe then you'll want to save money and switch to another carrier. Hey, you're not on contract. go ahead. but if you get a high end device that's $700 full, and it's been 1 year, you've paid $350 so far, and you're still gonna owe $350 to cut loose, where as if you went the 2 year contract, you maybe for the phone paid $99 (instead of $350 over 12 months), and the ETF with Verizon will only be $230 so basically, you save, after the ETF, around $370. So Edge is great... for people who plan to keep doing edge/jump/whatever every year until they die, never changing carriers. Oh, and if a carrier (Tmobile) offers to buy out your contract and pay your ETF, guess what? an installment plan is not a termination fee. you're on your own, buddy. I'm not trying to sound overly dramatic, but that's the math, man.
finally, Edge is NOT "pay nothing up front". you pay tax on the full price, and you pay the first month's payment up front as well. since you're always billed one month in advance with Verizon, if you didn't pay the first month in store, you next bill would be 2 months worth of payments. Carriers take the first month up front to prevent bill-shock
so that's my feelings towards edge (I used to work in the Cell industry. quit late last year.). As for the M8, this phone rules. why? there's 1000 reviews already out there, so I'm not gonna bother with the why.
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soooooo..... get the m8 but use my available upgrade? lol...
I couldn't be happier with my m8.. I had the s4 previously the only down side is cropping photos with this camera it can be pixely. If you do get the m8 I recommend that you really look at where the speaker grill on top and bottom meet the screen. make sure it's flush this may be just me being picky but I have seen a few that were slightly raised above the screen and it kind of sticks out. Play some music and make sure the sound isn't distorted at a higher volume. I had a couple friends that noticed some static but had to make the trip back for an exchange. There are a number of threads about build quality you can read. sorry to hear your screen shattered on your s4.
Don't know where you get $250 from (unless you're not up for a new device), the M8 is $99 with 2 year contract.
TidusWulf said:
Edge is regarded by most as a waste of money. you're always going to pay at least half of full retail, which is always more than the 2 yr contract price.
but more importantly, think about this: Maybe Edge is exactly what you want. Maybe you'll do it for the next 5 years and go thru 5 awesome phones. and then maybe then you'll want to save money and switch to another carrier. Hey, you're not on contract. go ahead. but if you get a high end device that's $700 full, and it's been 1 year, you've paid $350 so far, and you're still gonna owe $350 to cut loose, where as if you went the 2 year contract, you maybe for the phone paid $99 (instead of $350 over 12 months), and the ETF with Verizon will only be $230 so basically, you save, after the ETF, around $370. So Edge is great... for people who plan to keep doing edge/jump/whatever every year until they die, never changing carriers. Oh, and if a carrier (Tmobile) offers to buy out your contract and pay your ETF, guess what? an installment plan is not a termination fee. you're on your own, buddy. I'm not trying to sound overly dramatic, but that's the math, man.
finally, Edge is NOT "pay nothing up front". you pay tax on the full price, and you pay the first month's payment up front as well. since you're always billed one month in advance with Verizon, if you didn't pay the first month in store, you next bill would be 2 months worth of payments. Carriers take the first month up front to prevent bill-shock
so that's my feelings towards edge (I used to work in the Cell industry. quit late last year.). As for the M8, this phone rules. why? there's 1000 reviews already out there, so I'm not gonna bother with the why.
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I don't know where you get that he is going to pay $350 for the phone on edge the first year.
I just got on the early edge upgrade and they offer a $10/month discount off of the $25/month price.(That is for the 3 gig plan. Discount is steeper on higher data plans) So I am paying $15/month for my M8. I will have paid $180 for the first year. And then I can get a new phone.
BB has them for $199 on 2 year contract.
I know some think I am wasting my money with edge, but I will be able to get a new phone in a year.
Tell me how you can do that cheaper by buying?
85gallon said:
I don't know where you get that he is going to pay $350 for the phone on edge the first year.
I just got on the early edge upgrade and they offer a $10/month discount off of the $25/month price.(That is for the 3 gig plan. Discount is steeper on higher data plans) So I am paying $15/month for my M8. I will have paid $180 for the first year. And then I can get a new phone.
BB has them for $199 on 2 year contract.
I know some think I am wasting my money with edge, but I will be able to get a new phone in a year.
Tell me how you can do that cheaper by buying?
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I'm not disagreeing with you, as EDGE is fine for people who upgrade a lot, and really isn't really that much of a waste of money as some make it seem, but I wouldn't say you are paying $15/mo for the M8. It's more like you're paying $25/mo for it, but you get $10 off per month from the bill itself.
Just taking in to account that they discount your bill by ~$10 (depending on data, again) even on More Everything plans, they're just trying to compensate for the fact that you are not in a contract, and thus, no subsidy.
I'm sure some reps are just saying, "and you get $10 off the monthly payment for being on EDGE" to entice people to sign up. If you were really paying $15/mo, it would take longer for you to pay off the phone... of course, I could be completely wrong, as I don't see the bill in front of me to see the break down, but that's just what I assume the breakdown is.
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I feel like with EDGE it's almost a wash when comparing it with a 2-Year contract, though you can come out slightly ahead with a contract. If you upgrade a lot, and assuming a single line, then you can get a "cheap" phone for the first year, the sell it for ~ $250-300 (or more, depending on device of course), then the next flagship you pick up second hand from someone (saving tax at least). If you keep reselling in $300 range, it's almost the same thing as EDGE (paying off half to "edge up"). With EDGE, however, you save yourself the hassle of re-selling/shipping/etc.
brandogg said:
Don't know where you get $250 from (unless you're not up for a new device), the M8 is $99 with 2 year contract.
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Just saw this on the Verizon site. The store I went to last night while working had a 250 price tag.
I'm still not sure what to do lol... I feel like if I really like a phone and I'm not ready to get rid of it after 12 months and keep it then I'm throwing money away...
The Verizon variant is completely unlockable right? Is there any ota upgrade I should avoid out of the box if I decide to get it?
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I wasn't aware of the $10 EDGE plan discount. I left before that started, I guess.
As for where to buy the phone, Amazon or Costco are generally the best prices, but sometimes bestbuy has a good sale going on. ($100 blue M7 the day it was released), I would never buy a phone from Verizon's corporate store or website.
The Verizon phone is unlocked by default. there is nothing the user needs to do. it's Verizon policy (yay!). As for the OTA upgrade, I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter, from what I've read, but I would just root the phone and flash the rooted update, anyway, to be safe.
TidusWulf said:
I wasn't aware of the $10 EDGE plan discount. I left before that started, I guess.
As for where to buy the phone, Amazon or Costco are generally the best prices, but sometimes bestbuy has a good sale going on. ($100 blue M7 the day it was released), I would never buy a phone from Verizon's corporate store or website.
The Verizon phone is unlocked by default. there is nothing the user needs to do. it's Verizon policy (yay!). As for the OTA upgrade, I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter, from what I've read, but I would just root the phone and flash the rooted update, anyway, to be safe.
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Since when does Verizon release a phone unlocked from factory?! That's shocking. ??
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Powell730 said:
Just saw this on the Verizon site. The store I went to last night while working had a 250 price tag.
I'm still not sure what to do lol... I feel like if I really like a phone and I'm not ready to get rid of it after 12 months and keep it then I'm throwing money away...
The Verizon variant is completely unlockable right? Is there any ota upgrade I should avoid out of the box if I decide to get it?
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Free mobile app
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I think the M8 should be good for a long time, as most devices are, we just tend to want to upgrade/switch devices when the new one comes out =\
If you don't want to use up the upgrade, have you tried looking on Swappa for a used device?
** Factory unlock meaning for the SIM, you will still need to root and S-OFF on your own. Just to clarify haha
Powell730 said:
Since when does Verizon release a phone unlocked from factory?! That's shocking. ??
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Free mobile app
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All Verizon LTE phones are factory unlocked when you buy them. Been this way for a couple of years.
about 2 years, now. I think Verizon had to hit a certain population coverage percentage for LTE and it became mandatory by some FCC rule when they purchased the spectrum. sad that other carriers aren't also tied to this.
raichur0xx0rz said:
I think the M8 should be good for a long time, as most devices are, we just tend to want to upgrade/switch devices when the new one comes out =\
If you don't want to use up the upgrade, have you tried looking on Swappa for a used device?
** Factory unlock meaning for the SIM, you will still need to root and S-OFF on your own. Just to clarify haha
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Ohh. Yeah I was referring to the bootloader not sim lol. I actually looked at swappA last night. Good deals but I'd rather use the upgrade as opposed to that site. I really just need to decide if I want to keep the phone for two years or buy it with the intent to upgrade again in ~1 year.
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i believe amazon has it for 99 with 2 year, and OTA is safe, i temprooted -> soff'd; took OTA then xposed/customized.
as for swappa, site is completely legit, have bought and sold on there. just read descriptions/pics and know what you are getting.