Hey guys. So I have been using the LG Vortex, because it was cheap upgrade, up until a few days ago. So, because of some unfortunate circumstances, I can no longer use the phone, and I have re activated my Env3.
I had Verizons Total Equipment Coverage, so I can send for a new phone, costing me $100. My problem is that I don't really care for the phone, and I want a different phone. I have looked on Amazon, and it would be well over $100 to buy a decent Verizon smartphone without a contract.
My question is what can I do to avoid being stuck with this phone for the next few years. I really want a different phone, but I don't really know what my options are for around $100. Should I send away for the Vortex, then try to sell it online and use that money? Any tips, or suggestions would be welcomed. Sorry for the long answer, and thanks for any help you can give me.
I've found bits and pieces of info, but nothing really direct, so here's my situation.
I'm up for an upgrade with tmobile. There's some good black friday deals coming up, the s3 for $50, for instance (with new contract, not sure if thats an upgrade price as well). I don't really want the s3, so I'm considering buying any hot phone and flipping it so I can get what I want, maybe even buy a used mid-range smartphone and pocket some cash. I know many people have done this, but I'm worried about potential problems that can occur.
What are the chances of being caught by tmobile and being suspended? If I receive my upgrade by mail (which is most likely), do I need to worry about activating/deactivating it before I switch phones and sell it? I don't really care about opening the package, probably will in any case to remove the sim. Is there any way I can get the retail store to unlock it? Tell them I'm going to use it overseas or something? Any other issues anybody knows of?
The biggest risk is probably buying a used phone off ebay or craigslist, which, even if everything is clean and straightforward, I know can end up badly. Ideally, I would just buy one from a retailer, giving me peace of mind and a warranty. But, if the difference is spending $200 vs. pocketing $200 plus an upgraded phone (I'm still using the G1 by the way), then I would seriously consider doing any work necessary.
Anyone have some experience?
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?
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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).
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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.
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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=
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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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I am looking to get a new phone, possibly the nexus 4 because of how good the phone is for its price (however im also looking at the samsung galaxy s4 and htc one if i can convince myself its worth the extra money)
however, because buying the nexus 4 is without a network im going to have to look for one...
I prefer to have a monthly subscription but with around 200 minutes, 500 texts 500mb of data... im not a super power user of my phone so these are all fine for me.
For some reason, I get bad signal at work (or no signal) and id probably say signal quality is the most important for me right now but i hear contrasting opinions as to what can really give the best 3g experience. All the other times I mainly would use my phone for browsing would be at home so I will just connect to wifi.
Can anyone recommend something that fits this? Anyone on a contract where they first purchased the phone before setting up their contract?
bump, im really looking for some input here.