Database Users

Retail Price

Assuming that we stick with the fad here - the Epic 4g will be $199 on first line contract pricing. Do you all think its safe to assume the $599.99 price tag for a full retail price?
I'm curious because I will most likely make this my next phone the day it is rooted and don't have an upgrade to use on it.
Before I decide, I wan't to see Quadrant/linpac/benchmark Pi scores before I buy - I have every suspicion that it will beat/match everything else on the market with the GPU it has in it. SuperAMOLED will be nice as well.

why pay retail? Just get someone you know who worships an iphone to buy one on contract. Have them end the contract the next day (pay the $200 ETF) and give them the $400 to cover their cost. Save yourself $200. Never understood why these phones have inflated prices on ebay and stuff. When i was low on cash last year, i did this repeatedly and got hundreds a week on craigslist. There are so many ways to legally make money in this world for those that want it. If you don't, somebody else will. I could write a book with the crap I've learned through the years.

orateam said:
why pay retail? Just get someone you know who worships an iphone to buy one on contract. Have them end the contract the next day (pay the $200 ETF) and give them the $400 to cover their cost. Save yourself $200. Never understood why these phones have inflated prices on ebay and stuff. When i was low on cash last year, i did this repeatedly and got hundreds a week on craigslist. There are so many ways to legally make money in this world for those that want it. If you don't, somebody else will. I could write a book with the crap I've learned through the years.
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Don't you have to pay the deposit and I'm pretty sure you have to pay the first months bill even if you cancel out.. that's about $125 for the deposit and likely about $120 or so for the first month.

no deposit on a contract phone. If you cancel the next day, at worst, you'll pay pro-rated amount of contract (69+10)/30 or about $2.60.

orateam said:
no deposit on a contract phone. If you cancel the next day, at worst, you'll pay pro-rated amount of contract (69+10)/30 or about $2.60.
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Not true, I almost went for the HTC Hero back in November and I paid the $125 deposit. It depends on your credit, I have zero.

Yet somehow I still have a 680 dollar bill at Verizon for 2 BB Storm 2's I bought and returned within my 30 days...I am taking them to court over it. Either way.
I don't mind paying retail for it, just curious what it is going to be.

Kcarpenter said:
I am taking them to court over it.
.
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Hope you get lots of money from them for their stupidity. You should get more then just the refunded $680, they should pay all the legal fees and plus extra for wasting your time.

Retail for all (high end) Sprint PDAs should be $450 for the time being. EVO, Blackberry Bold, the Epic.

How Do People Keep Getting New Phones?

theres alot of talk of switching from this phone to that, but how do they do it? My dad has always handled the purchasing and contract stuff with tmobile, so i dont know. Theoretically if i wanted to switch from my vib to the G2 (NEVER!), would i just sell my vibrant and buy the G2 at full price?
note: this is just an example, G2's are stupid (for me)

Buying the phone outright, at least on T-Mobile, will give you cheaper rates. Part of your monthly bill is to pay back the difference between what the carrier paid for the phone and the discounted price they sold it to you for. For example, my Evo cost Sprint about $450 to buy it from HTC, however in exchange for a higher bill, they can sell it to me for $200 and make back the money about halfway into my contract. Like I said, I think only T-Mobile will give you lower rates if you choose not to buy the phone at a discounted price from them.
So yes, people usually buy them outright or they buy them for cheap off of friends or idiots on craigslist. If you do the math, most of the time it would cost you less to buy the phone for the full price if it means lower service cost. But most people want instant gratification and think...well they don't think lol.

A job helps. I buy my phones outright because the get more plus plan does not give upgrades, but over the long term, it saves money.

me i actually wait until the store is closed and "let myself in" and its usually a alot of phones out on display.

If you did not buy the phone outright (i.e. as an upgrade for cheap), and wanted to sell it and buy a different phone used, would that cause a problem for your account? Or would it just be as easy as logging into your T-Mobile account and selected a different device for "my phone"?

Terrier Hockey said:
If you did not buy the phone outright (i.e. as an upgrade for cheap), and wanted to sell it and buy a different phone used, would that cause a problem for your account? Or would it just be as easy as logging into your T-Mobile account and selected a different device for "my phone"?
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Once you pay for it, it's yours. You can do whatever the hell you want with it. Sell it, destroy it, whatever. As long as T-Mobile's getting their money, it doesn't matter.

dligon said:
me i actually wait until the store is closed and "let myself in" and its usually a alot of phones out on display.
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DEBO! lmao
IMHO, I'd say once a year is more than sufficient to upgrade your phone in terms of the technological jumps. Anymore than that seems like a waste of money. No one says you have to keep upgrading, its just a matter or preference. If you find a phone you love and works for you, stick with it. If you love having the cutting edge stuff and its worth it to you to spend the money, then by all means, spend spend spend.

a job and full price. lol. i haven't had a contract with tmob for like 4 years anyway...
but then again, i went from a g1 to the vibrant, but i typically get a new phone once a year. had a bb curve, wanted android and got the g1, cm wasn't cutting it on the g1 anymore, so i got the vibrant, when a substantially better phone comes out (dual core, better screen, honeycomb, etc), or the vibrant just isn't working for me i'll get a new one (likely the former).
that or my wife needs a new phone (she has a cliq...), so i may pawn my vibrant off on her and grab an sgs2 or vibrant 4g.

I have enormous piles of money all over my mansion. That's how.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

If you don't have any connections, then the best way is to go on T-mobile's cheap plans and then buy the phones used from a site like ebay or craigslist.
The typical cost for a new-ish smart phone is going to be right around $300... so you are paying more than the $200-with-contract price that T-mobile charges.... but you break even on the extra cost in 5-6 months by avoiding the extra monthly cost for service on a contract (since you buy the phone without signing up for a contract).
You can also usually sell the old phone for ~$100 after you unlock it, and put that money towards your next upgrade.
Right now, I plan to see how the battery life on the dual core phones goes. If battery life is improved, then I will shoot for device running "Ice cream" or whatever comes after honeycomb.
If battery life still sucks, then I will keep my Vibrant (and the 3 spare batteries I have for it) in the short term and keep an eye out for cheaper plans

Im in a college town and I can get things cheap off craigslist. I bought my second vibrant for 120 brand new with accessories. Just got an hd7 for 150 and ive bought 4 hd2 plus a couple broken ones from 40-150.
Key to buying phone monthly is patients, checking craigslist every couple hrs, and lowballing. I love to see a listing up for a couple days because its usually the green light.
Every phone i buy i usually see for 2x what I paid for.
Ive been living off my first real phones tmobile mda, samsung blackjack, and moto milestone. Ive been selling and buying since my mda. I try not to use my own money.
And all but not least I dont care for light cosmetic issues, thats what silicon cases are for.

imitebewrong said:
I have enormous piles of money all over my mansion. That's how.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
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Lol
Sent from my LG-P500 using XDA App

intruda119 said:
Im in a college town and I can get things cheap off craigslist. I bought my second vibrant for 120 brand new with accessories. Just got an hd7 for 150 and ive bought 4 hd2 plus a couple broken ones from 40-150.
Key to buying phone monthly is patients, checking craigslist every couple hrs, and lowballing. I love to see a listing up for a couple days because its usually the green light.
Every phone i buy i usually see for 2x what I paid for.
Ive been living off my first real phones tmobile mda, samsung blackjack, and moto milestone. Ive been selling and buying since my mda. I try not to use my own money.
And all but not least I dont care for light cosmetic issues, thats what silicon cases are for.
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Exactly. Thats what I do. Just buy phones, make profit, and keep the cycle going until you have the Phones you want and they cost nothing.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

serban954 said:
Exactly. Thats what I do. Just buy phones, make profit, and keep the cycle going until you have the Phones you want and they cost nothing.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
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yup all my phones are a result of selling my PSP years ago.
xD

scrizz said:
yup all my phones are a result of selling my PSP years ago.
xD
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only thing I really paid for was my moto miletone. I loved that phone and it was perfect for me. Everything else is from my original purchase of my mda. I get mad when I hear people trying to choose phones or game systems ect. I just bought a newer white 360 with 20inch moniter for 65 bucks on craigslist. Now I got a 2nd moniter and my girl got another 360 exclusive for kinect. Or just sell it and make 200+ for it.
Next I will get atleast 300+ for my 32gb vibrant( this title will make me alot of moniesssss) soon.

funeralthirst said:
a job and full price. lol. i haven't had a contract with tmob for like 4 years anyway...
but then again, i went from a g1 to the vibrant, but i typically get a new phone once a year. had a bb curve, wanted android and got the g1, cm wasn't cutting it on the g1 anymore, so i got the vibrant, when a substantially better phone comes out (dual core, better screen, honeycomb, etc), or the vibrant just isn't working for me i'll get a new one (likely the former).
that or my wife needs a new phone (she has a cliq...), so i may pawn my vibrant off on her and grab an sgs2 or vibrant 4g.
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Not really. All it takes is a brain. T-Mobile is addicted to promotions. I just upgraded my Vibrant to a HD7 for $200.
Free Online Promotion:
1. Order HD7 from T-Mobile as an Add-a-Line for $0 (they waive the Activation Fee) with a $15 Data Plan and Insurance.
2. Swap the SIMs in the Vibrant and HD7s.
3. Wait 2 Weeks.
3a. Sell the Vibrant for $200+
4. ETF the Line you added when you got the HD7 (it's using your older SIM*).
5. Total Price: $200 (Price of the phone for a new customer).
* You will still qualify for upgrade pricing when you would have if you had kept the Vibrant, because you still have the Vibrant SIM, you ETF'd the new SIM instead
If you're on T-Mobile, watch the promotions and wait. The only time you should feel like you have to get a new phone early is if you've been burned with an earlier purchase - like many [US] Galaxy S users feel they were.

intruda119 said:
only thing I really paid for was my moto miletone. I loved that phone and it was perfect for me. Everything else is from my original purchase of my mda. I get mad when I hear people trying to choose phones or game systems ect. I just bought a newer white 360 with 20inch moniter for 65 bucks on craigslist. Now I got a 2nd moniter and my girl got another 360 exclusive for kinect. Or just sell it and make 200+ for it.
Next I will get atleast 300+ for my 32gb vibrant( this title will make me alot of moniesssss) soon.
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The newer 360s aren't White, they're black.
Unless you meant a newer white 360 that isn't guaranteed to fail on you sooner or later?
The new Black "S" or pre-"S" Elite Models are fine, though.
The white ones... I wouldn't spend anything on them.

Buy a phone from craigslist and sell your old one on craigslist.

N8ter said:
Not really. All it takes is a brain. T-Mobile is addicted to promotions. I just upgraded my Vibrant to a HD7 for $200.
Free Online Promotion:
1. Order HD7 from T-Mobile as an Add-a-Line for $0 (they waive the Activation Fee) with a $15 Data Plan and Insurance.
2. Swap the SIMs in the Vibrant and HD7s.
3. Wait 2 Weeks.
3a. Sell the Vibrant for $200+
4. ETF the Line you added when you got the HD7 (it's using your older SIM*).
5. Total Price: $200 (Price of the phone for a new customer).
* You will still qualify for upgrade pricing when you would have if you had kept the Vibrant, because you still have the Vibrant SIM, you ETF'd the new SIM instead
If you're on T-Mobile, watch the promotions and wait. The only time you should feel like you have to get a new phone early is if you've been burned with an earlier purchase - like many [US] Galaxy S users feel they were.
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yeah, you could do that. but you pay more monthly on a contract plan than a no contract plan. plus, if i have a problem with something (or want to go to a contract for a phone), tmob is much more receptive to what i want when i'm off contract (and they check how long i've had service with them).
and i think you mean cancel the new sim/line and pay the etf on that. otherwise you lose future upgrade capability on the existing line. you physically swap the sim card between the two phones, but you cancel the sim that came with the <new phone line>. sim cards can't be reused, so you wouldn't be able to make your old sim use the new line's number and i'm pretty sure a sim has to be associated with a line.
why wait 2 weeks and why buy insurance? or is the two weeks to make sure the imei of the new phone takes for insurance (i don't have phone insurance, it's pointless)?
the hd7? that's a downgrade... and 'get a new phone early'? two years (22 months) between new phones is ridiculous, or at least is for any smartphone. once a year is about right with how technology is moving on phones.
i'm much happier just paying full price than doing some 'activate new line, call and ***** they didn't waive the activation fee, make sure the imei transfered for insurance, cancel line, pay more each month, etc.' dance.

xmrtarox said:
Buy a phone from craigslist and sell your old one on craigslist.
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That depends on where you live. Since this is the Vibrant forum I'll assume we're talking T-Mobile...
Not many people around here have T-Mobile, and their coverage is worst than Boost and Virgin so there are probably more people on Boost than on T-Mobile. Trying to sell a T-Mobile phone here won't get you anywhere.
Plus, the Value of these phones have gone down quite a bit.
Most people don't really see a point in buying a phone at off-contract prices, or anything close, because even if you buy at contract price and ETF 2 weeks later, the phone is cheaper.
So I rather buy on contract knowing I'm not poor and can ETF at any time on T-Mobile than buy a $500 phone and act like I'm better off because I'm off-contract.
$499 off contract, or $199 (with rebats) + $200 ETF fee two a few weeks later to end the contract?
Don't see a point in paying those prices for off-contract phones...
The contract prices only matter if you stay on the contract the entire time, but it's ALMOST ALWAYS cheaper to buy at contract price and ETF on T-Mobile later, than to buy an off-contract phone. You're actually throwing money away if you buy it off-contract.
That is precisely why AT&T and Verizon raised their ETF prices up about $100 bucks. To make the contract price + ETF = retail price. T-Mobile still hasn't, so it's cheaper to buy on contract and ETF break the contract after the first two weeks or month (depending on if you're waiting on rebates).

Can you buy from Tmo w/ contract and cancel...

without having to pay your first bill? Obviously I'd pay the ETF

patrickjaden said:
without having to pay your first bill? Obviously I'd pay the ETF
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I ordered it on T-Mobile out of desperation bc I didnt want to wait another 3 weeks for google to get it in. Ill have it on monday and find out how much t-mobile has put their crap on the phone. Anyways when i agreed to the new contract the etf read to me over the phone was said to be up to 200 dollars. I would tell you that if you dont return the equipment they will charge you the etf and the retail price of the phone.

What sense would it make for T-Mobile to allow you to do this? More than likely, they're going to force you to pay full price for the device as well.

Nitemare3219 said:
What sense would it make for T-Mobile to allow you to do this? More than likely, they're going to force you to pay full price for the device as well.
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I don't see why not, there's nothing in their terms that forbids it. I just wanted to see if anyone else has tried it

Yes, so you'll pay $199 plus $200 ETF plus first month of service plus tax and activation fee. So it's about the same as buying it outright.

dbtorreliob said:
I ordered it on T-Mobile out of desperation bc I didnt want to wait another 3 weeks for google to get it in. Ill have it on monday and find out how much t-mobile has put their crap on the phone. Anyways when i agreed to the new contract the etf read to me over the phone was said to be up to 200 dollars. I would tell you that if you dont return the equipment they will charge you the etf and the retail price of the phone.
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I got the phone through T-Mobile. I can confirm there is no T-Mobile bloatware on it. It is pure Android 4.2 goodness
strung said:
Yes, so you'll pay $199 plus $200 ETF plus first month of service plus tax and activation fee. So it's about the same as buying it outright.
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I think it also affects your credit if you cancel the contract.

phone bills doesnt count towards credit score. I would of had beautiful credit score by now

if you cancel they charge you there full retail price

My old vzw is on my credit report
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

someone on reddit did it, so i followed suit. i'll end up paying a bit more with the first month's cost, but other than that, if you sign up for it with a classic plan and not a value plan(that means you'd be paying for the device full retail or with month payments), you'll just be paying $200+$200ETF+Tax+$35 Activation+first month of service, but that not much more than you'd be paying besides, and you're getting the service, so...
I haven't actually cancelled the contract yet as i was just planning to do it online, but their website has been slow today, and it doesnt seem that i can fully access my account online yet.

well for all that 430 might just buy it outright save yourself the hassle

tclaw said:
well for all that 430 might just buy it outright save yourself the hassle
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This is for the impatient I guess.

You guys really need to become a bit more patient. I'm one of the biggest Android enthusiasts out there and I'm without a phone because my Galaxy Nexus is being repaired but I'm still waiting despite back order status.
I hate to be a little political and tell people how they should be spending their money but if you wanted to piss it away by paying about an extra hundred dollars for a phone you can get readily on eBay for about $50 less or you know, just wait like everyone else, you could've donated that amount and saved a fair number of lives in Africa or insert other third world country.

Alexander DeLarge said:
You guys really need to become a bit more patient. I'm one of the biggest Android enthusiasts out there and I'm without a phone because my Galaxy Nexus is being repaired but I'm still waiting despite back order status.
I hate to be a little political and tell people how they should be spending their money but if you wanted to piss it away by paying about an extra hundred dollars for a phone you can get readily on eBay for about $50 less or you know, just wait like everyone else, you could've donated that amount and saved a fair number of lives in Africa or insert other third world country.
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I believe that problem does not apply to me. Giving people money blindly does not guarantee that their lives will improve. Those countries need infrastructure, not money.

Stryder5 said:
I got the phone through T-Mobile. I can confirm there is no T-Mobile bloatware on it. It is pure Android 4.2 goodness
I think it also affects your credit if you cancel the contract.
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No, it won't. If you pay the ETF, you've complied with the terms of the contract. It would only be reported to a credit agency if you refused to pay the ETF and they decided to send it to report you to the credit bureaus.

fenixjr said:
someone on reddit did it, so i followed suit. i'll end up paying a bit more with the first month's cost, but other than that, if you sign up for it with a classic plan and not a value plan(that means you'd be paying for the device full retail or with month payments), you'll just be paying $200+$200ETF+Tax+$35 Activation+first month of service, but that not much more than you'd be paying besides, and you're getting the service, so...
I haven't actually cancelled the contract yet as i was just planning to do it online, but their website has been slow today, and it doesnt seem that i can fully access my account online yet.
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The only way you can cancel is by calling customer service. You can't do it online or at a T-Mobile store.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[Q] Expected Price Drop?

I really want to get the Note 4 but the price is too high for me at the moment, the current price is $299.99 pretty much everywhere. Best Buy has been dropping it to $249.99 but I still find it a bit high. I'm with AT&T and they usually are slow with deals. How long do you think the wait will be for a set price of $249.99? Not that I want to pay that, but I'd expect some store to go to $199.99 for at least a few days. It's not that I don't have the money to pay for the phone, it's just that I don't want to pay that much for it.
I'll be keeping my phone for 2 years, so I want to buy it at a reasonable price for me not to feel bad of when I purchased it... I bought the Galaxy S3 two years ago and about a month later the S4 was announced and the S3 price was dropped and I could have gotten the S4.
Any input?

299.99$ and you're still complaining? It's two and a half times cheaper than in Europe!!!

$299.99 for a 2 year contract, I think you're talking about the phone unlocked.

That's right. But in your OP there's no single word about contract.

youre going to spend $1400 over the life of the contract for the phone and youre cribbing about $50 ? really ?
Just buy it for $900 like the rest of us and save yourself $500.

zurkx said:
youre going to spend $1400 over the life of the contract for the phone and youre cribbing about $50 ? really ?
Just buy it for $900 like the rest of us and save yourself $500.
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What?
bat0nas said:
That's right. But in your OP there's no single word about contract.
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Then again, there is no way I'd find an unlocked phone for $299.99...
Not a hard one, but you're out of country so you might of not known about the options.

you do understamd they charge a huge markup on the contract phone price, right ?
Your $200 note is actually $1400 or more on a 2 year contract or $900 unlocked today.

lol
I bought one 2 days ago on kijiji for 460$ Canadian use for 1 day, reason i got it so low is i managed to convince the guy that root voids the warranty and so i got it at that price with no contract

CrazyMav said:
Not a hard one, but you're out of country so you might of not known about the options.
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You are out of country. Not me

zurkx said:
you do understamd they charge a huge markup on the contract phone price, right ?
Your $200 note is actually $1400 or more on a 2 year contract or $900 unlocked today.
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What are you talking about.
I pay the $299.99 and taxes and that's it. Not hard to figure out. When I got my S3 I only spent the $199.99 plus tax and that was it. I didn't spend more on it...

what about the extra you pay every month during the 2 year contract ?

CrazyMav said:
What are you talking about.
I pay the $299.99 and taxes and that's it. Not hard to figure out. When I got my S3 I only spent the $199.99 plus tax and that was it. I didn't spend more on it...
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He's talking about the price of your contracted plan per month compared to what other providers might have. Let's assume you are paying $80 for your service....while same service can be had for $50 elsewhere... you are paying $30 more a month x 24 = $720 + the $300 you spend initially + tax.
It's theoretical... no one knows what you're paying monthly on contract.
I was paying $250 for 6 lines on AT&T... that was my contract price... I could upgrade all 6 lines on contract and get phones etc.
I switched to T-mobile and pay $120 a month. The savings was substantial and not every line need a smartphone or an upgrade. I can get new phones on installment and pay $0 down. and still cost would be less than AT&T.
It's different for everyone. You might have a cheap grandfathered plan..who knows.

n19htmare said:
He's talking about the price of your contracted plan per month compared to what other providers might have. Let's assume you are paying $80 for your service....while same service can be had for $50 elsewhere... you are paying $30 more a month x 24 = $720 + the $300 you spend initially + tax.
It's theoretical... no one knows what you're paying monthly on contract.
I was paying $250 for 6 lines on AT&T... that was my contract price... I could upgrade all 6 lines on contract and get phones etc.
I switched to T-mobile and pay $120 a month. The savings was substantial and not every line need a smartphone or an upgrade. I can get new phones on installment and pay $0 down. and still cost would be less than AT&T.
It's different for everyone. You might have a cheap grandfathered plan..who knows.
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He mentioned a "huge markup" on the phone. That was what I read and he said. Of course we have to pay for our service, for me, I am in a family plan with no actual contract for our service.
I was simply wondering about the price of a 2 year contract on the Note 4, I figured the $299.99 price would be more than a hint that I am interested in contract prices.
Now I have no choice though. Just this morning I was in the restroom and as soon as I was about to do #1, I got a notification and picked up my phone and dropped it in the bowl, luckily it was "clean" water but now I have no sound on my phone, can't watch Youtube videos, can't use the camera and there is a red light that literally doesn't go away, even if the phone is off... Trying the rice method but don't think it'll work.
Note 4 here I come I guess.

do you seriously think youre going to get a $900 phone for $300 without getting into a plan with substantial markup over 2 years ?
they are going to loan you the $600 at 50% interest for 2 years. then youre going to pay for the voice/data/network access on top of that.

zurkx said:
do you seriously think youre going to get a $900 phone for $300 without getting into a plan with substantial markup over 2 years ?
they are going to loan you the $600 at 50% interest for 2 years. then youre going to pay for the voice/data/network access on top of that.
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I'm done. I don't believe you understand how it works here or you might not get what I am saying.
I found out that Best Buy has a price adjustment policy so I'll take advantage of that, I'll be getting it next week and hopefully the price drops for a day or so, if not, oh well.
$299.99 plus tax, that's it, for the phone.

its simple arithmetic. they arent going to sell you a $900 phone for $300.
you pay every month for the cost of the phone with markup and you pay for the plan on top of that. not sure what else is there to understand. at&t is a business like any other carrier. they arent in it for charity. just because they bake it into other places on your bill like access charges doesnt mean the phone only costs $300.

I guess it'll work just like it does here. You simply pay the cost of the phone (£0.00 in the UK), then you pay the rest with your monthly payment to the carrier (The actual minutes /texts /data are irrelevant as they have to provide them and 99% of companies offer unlimited everything now anyway barring data).

No
zurkx said:
its simple arithmetic. they arent going to sell you a $900 phone for $300.
you pay every month for the cost of the phone with markup and you pay for the plan on top of that. not sure what else is there to understand. at&t is a business like any other carrier. they arent in it for charity. just because they bake it into other places on your bill like access charges doesnt mean the phone only costs $300.
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In the US, regardless of whether your phone is unlocked or on contract, the amount you pay for a phone/text/data plan is the same.
Plans have just been recently introduced (AT&T Next, Verizon Edge, etc) where you owe nothing up front for the device and pay extra on your monthly payment to pay for the phone, but you wind up paying more in the long run than you would have if you'd just shelled out the cash up front for a 2-year plan.
Cell phones are subsidized here if you lock into a 2-year mobile contract and pay anywhere from $50-$400 up front depending on the phone.

OP, along with me, just cares about when the expected price drop will be. Was anyone around or paying attention when, approximately, the Note 3 dropped in price for those in contract? Instead of talking about how awesome off-contract is or correcting the poor fella, a proper response would be, "Yeah, man, I recall after the Mobile World Congress last year, the Note 3 dropped to $200 on-contract." Or, "The Note 3 is still $300, give it up, it will never go down."
I'm an unhappy AT&T S5 (grandfathered "unlimited" data plan) owner and am going off-contract once this one is up. My girlfriend wants the Note 4 and her grandma pays her cell phone bill so all we care about is the up-front cost. She is eligible to get a new phone in a month and we'd like to plan around that. Many of you fine folks are ridiculously resourceful and your prior experience can help us plan around that.

PSA - Verizon Wireless Black Friday deal of 50% off the Pixel 2 will cost you more

If you're like me, you've been waiting to buy the Pixel 2 to see if the price drops. VZW has been offering to give folks 50% off if they trade in CERTAIN devices (mostly ones that are less than a year old).
For Black Friday, VZW is again offering 50% off WITHOUT a trade-in.... BUT, you must switch to their unlimited plan. For those that are already on the unlimited plan, this is a good deal.
But the idea is that VZW is trying to get folks that are not unlimited to move to their unlimited plan.
In my situation, I share 3 GB/month with my wife (got a bonus 1 GB, so really 4GB) for $45/month. I then pay $20/month per line for a total of $85/month (2 lines). we have never gone over 4 GB, so there is no advantage for us to go unlimited.
If we go to the unlimited plan, we would have to pay $65/month per line for a total of $130/month.
The Pixel 2 50% off is spread out over 24 months in bill credits after I pay the full retail price up front. In doing so, VZW will credit me $13.50/month. And in order to keep receiving the credits, you have to remain on the unlimited plan for the duration.
So in essence, I'd be paying $45/month EXTRA just to save $13.5.
Over the span of 24-months, I would have paid $1080 in fees, netting $325 from the "promo", thus paying an extra $755.
Conversely, I can just buy the Pixel 2 outright for $650. My understanding is that Black Friday is supposed to give discounts, not ways for folks to pay more than retail.
Even if they offered the Pixel 2 for free, then I would still say now as I would be out $430 just to get unlimited data that I don't use.
understood that everyone's situation is different, but hoping that this will give folks some pause before considering buying from VZW. and I normally have no issues with VZW, but now I do.

jco23 said:
If you're like me, you've been waiting to buy the Pixel 2 to see if the price drops. VZW has been offering to give folks 50% off if they trade in CERTAIN devices (mostly ones that are less than a year old).
For Black Friday, VZW is again offering 50% off WITHOUT a trade-in.... BUT, you must switch to their unlimited plan. For those that are already on the unlimited plan, this is a good deal.
But the idea is that VZW is trying to get folks that are not unlimited to move to their unlimited plan.
In my situation, I share 3 GB/month with my wife (got a bonus 1 GB, so really 4GB) for $45/month. I then pay $20/month per line for a total of $85/month (2 lines). we have never gone over 4 GB, so there is no advantage for us to go unlimited.
If we go to the unlimited plan, we would have to pay $65/month per line for a total of $130/month.
The Pixel 2 50% off is spread out over 24 months in bill credits after I pay the full retail price up front. In doing so, VZW will credit me $13.50/month. And in order to keep receiving the credits, you have to remain on the unlimited plan for the duration.
So in essence, I'd be paying $45/month EXTRA just to save $13.5.
Over the span of 24-months, I would have paid $1080 in fees, netting $325 from the "promo", thus paying an extra $755.
Conversely, I can just buy the Pixel 2 outright for $650. My understanding is that Black Friday is supposed to give discounts, not ways for folks to pay more than retail.
Even if they offered the Pixel 2 for free, then I would still say now as I would be out $430 just to get unlimited data that I don't use.
understood that everyone's situation is different, but hoping that this will give folks some pause before considering buying from VZW. and I normally have no issues with VZW, but now I do.
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Great post and entirely correct. I've been on the phone with VZW each day for the past few discussing this issue. Even the reps who were waiting for bf deals are in a bind. The only way even they could get the deals they want is to upgrade to unlimited.
Now that being said there are some deals to be made depending on your history with them. For instance, if you go to automatic billing there is a discount of around $25 / month. You might also be able to get further discounts if you push a little. I'm on a much larger plan than you are and after all was said and done the unlimited (which will give me hotspot too) will be costing me about $10 / month more over my current plan. But over the life of the plan that is still $600 for phone and plan and almost the cost of the device outright. But I will get unlimited and hotspot so it's probably worth it since I did bump up against my limit a month or so ago.
I'm not sure why they are doing this since as you said, this is not a deal for those that don't need unlimited. If you already are on it then it's an easy decision. Now the only caveat possibly is that in the future the unlimited plan will drop in price and you can take advantage of it without losing the promotion. But that's just wishful thinking. Verizon might need to rethink this deal when it doesn't get the customers that bf usually gets.

bobby janow said:
Great post and entirely correct. I've been on the phone with VZW each day for the past few discussing this issue. Even the reps who were waiting for bf deals are in a bind. The only way even they could get the deals they want is to upgrade to unlimited.
Now that being said there are some deals to be made depending on your history with them. For instance, if you go to automatic billing there is a discount of around $25 / month. You might also be able to get further discounts if you push a little. I'm on a much larger plan than you are and after all was said and done the unlimited (which will give me hotspot too) will be costing me about $10 / month more over my current plan. But over the life of the plan that is still $600 for phone and plan and almost the cost of the device outright. But I will get unlimited and hotspot so it's probably worth it since I did bump up against my limit a month or so ago.
I'm not sure why they are doing this since as you said, this is not a deal for those that don't need unlimited. If you already are on it then it's an easy decision. Now the only caveat possibly is that in the future the unlimited plan will drop in price and you can take advantage of it without losing the promotion. But that's just wishful thinking. Verizon might need to rethink this deal when it doesn't get the customers that bf usually gets.
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right. and just last year, their BF promo (for my wife's iPhone, and I think for the Pixel 1) was simply $450 off - no trade in, no plan change - just they issue you the rebate in monthly installments (which I'm fine with, as this is essentially a 2-year contract).
so I was greatly disappointed that the same promo is not available this year. hopefully, they'll adjust in the coming weeks.
but I, too, called and complained - even made the sales reps realize that it doesn't make sense for me to switch. I essentially asked them to give me a reason why I should buy it from them and not from Google. best response I got was, "they don't waive the activation fee".

jco23 said:
right. and just last year, their BF promo (for my wife's iPhone, and I think for the Pixel 1) was simply $450 off - no trade in, no plan change - just they issue you the rebate in monthly installments (which I'm fine with, as this is essentially a 2-year contract).
so I was greatly disappointed that the same promo is not available this year. hopefully, they'll adjust in the coming weeks.
but I, too, called and complained - even made the sales reps realize that it doesn't make sense for me to switch. I essentially asked them to give me a reason why I should buy it from them and not from Google. best response I got was, "they don't waive the activation fee".
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I just don't know what they are thinking other than getting everyone on unlimited plans. I'd take that but they needed to do something else like upgrade to unlimited and free phone, or if you have unlimited then half off phone. Naturally that doesn't make much sense but I will not let up on them. I'll go for it but it won't be the last they hear from me.
I have a call coming in Friday for the order but let's see what pops up tomorrow. I just don't think there are very many happy campers. If Google gives 200 bucks off it's a different ball game. But they won't. If the Mrs didn't need another phone desperately I'd hold off thru the new year. This is s bunch of crap imo.
Sent from my Pixel using XDA-Developers Legacy app

bobby janow said:
Great post and entirely correct. I've been on the phone with VZW each day for the past few discussing this issue. Even the reps who were waiting for bf deals are in a bind. The only way even they could get the deals they want is to upgrade to unlimited.
Now that being said there are some deals to be made depending on your history with them. For instance, if you go to automatic billing there is a discount of around $25 / month. You might also be able to get further discounts if you push a little. I'm on a much larger plan than you are and after all was said and done the unlimited (which will give me hotspot too) will be costing me about $10 / month more over my current plan. But over the life of the plan that is still $600 for phone and plan and almost the cost of the device outright. But I will get unlimited and hotspot so it's probably worth it since I did bump up against my limit a month or so ago.
I'm not sure why they are doing this since as you said, this is not a deal for those that don't need unlimited. If you already are on it then it's an easy decision. Now the only caveat possibly is that in the future the unlimited plan will drop in price and you can take advantage of it without losing the promotion. But that's just wishful thinking. Verizon might need to rethink this deal when it doesn't get the customers that bf usually gets.
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$25 off for auto pay? That can't be right, or at least not that simple. For a family plan or something, minimum of 4 lines?

sdsurferbob said:
$25 off for auto pay? That can't be right, or at least not that simple. For a family plan or something, minimum of 4 lines?
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I have 5 lines but yeah, $25 off with autopay. That's what she told me yesterday and I'll know for certain tomorrow morning when I do the order. I will let you know for sure.

bobby janow said:
I have 5 lines but yeah, $25 off with autopay. That's what she told me yesterday and I'll know for certain tomorrow morning when I do the order. I will let you know for sure.
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That sounds like $5/line which is what I though I read too.

jco23 said:
That sounds like $5/line which is what I though I read too.
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Oh... so that's what it is. Then I got an extra $15 / month but don't know why. I think she said I had a good record or something. I didn't question her too hard hoping she was just doing a good deed. As I said, I'll know for sure in a few hours. If she doesn't call then I'll know I've been had. Won't be the first or last time. Bottom line, I won't pay over 10 bucks extra / month + the $375 for the device. I'd just get the Google version for 650 and be done with it. Or keep my Pixel for another year.
BTW, Black Friday sucks this year. It's really black Thursday morning. Had some stuff in my cart, went to check out after looking for a little bit more and the stuff was removed as not available any longer. What a joke. Couple of Best Buy things and jeans at a great price at another store. Ridiculous.

jco23 said:
That sounds like $5/line which is what I though I read too.
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Ok, just got off with the rep. You are right, it's $5 / line discount plus she gave me an extra $15 / month off because I'm a good customer I think. In store pickup later today, 64gb version almost blue. Bottom line is that I'll be paying about $20 / month more for the Pixel 2 with unlimited vs my old 12gb plan and I have hotspot to boot. I think that's a pretty good deal for the phone.
My wife gets rid of her S5 finally and inherits the Pixel which surprisingly is bootloader unlockable. (switch is toggled although I don't bl unlock anyway) Wondering if when I switch the device to her line they'll make it grayed out. Not a big deal either way. I think if I leave the switch to on then even when I activate her account it will remain on as long as I set her up on wifi first. We'll see.
Oh one more thing.. they waived the $30 activation fee too. Plus I think I'll get about $45 for her phone once I send it in. Pristine condition so I should get something. All in all a pretty good BF morning so far. Still pissed about my laptop fiasco at Best Buy and my jeans but you can't win 'em all.

bobby janow said:
Ok, just got off with the rep. You are right, it's $5 / line discount plus she gave me an extra $15 / month off because I'm a good customer I think. In store pickup later today, 64gb version almost blue. Bottom line is that I'll be paying about $20 / month more for the Pixel 2 with unlimited vs my old 12gb plan and I have hotspot to boot. I think that's a pretty good deal for the phone.
My wife gets rid of her S5 finally and inherits the Pixel which surprisingly is bootloader unlockable. (switch is toggled although I don't bl unlock anyway) Wondering if when I switch the device to her line they'll make it grayed out. Not a big deal either way. I think if I leave the switch to on then even when I activate her account it will remain on as long as I set her up on wifi first. We'll see.
Oh one more thing.. they waived the $30 activation fee too. Plus I think I'll get about $45 for her phone once I send it in. Pristine condition so I should get something. All in all a pretty good BF morning so far. Still pissed about my laptop fiasco at Best Buy and my jeans but you can't win 'em all.
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Went with the S8. $350 off at Best buy. So far, so good. Larger battery, 3.5mm jack, wireless charging, and able to root (although have not done it yet). Plus, I get to keep my plan. I'm going to ask them to waive the upgrade fee too.
Doubt I'll come back here unless the pixel 2 is offered for free.
So wishing you and everyone else all the best.

I too was disappointed by Verizon's black friday deals (and really everyone else's also more or less). However, I had a very weird experience with VZW...
I got on their website Thursday mid-morning to just see what a Pixel 2 would cost if I went unlimited, bought it normally, etc. I added it to my cart and went through the checkout process, but it never actually prompted me to upgrade to unlimited. The only option I even saw was keeping my existing plan, which is the Verizon Plan 4GB.
When I got to the final checkout screen, my monthly total for the phone itself showed $13.50 and my plan still showed the 4GB plan. So, I went ahead and put the order through. When I got the receipt, it too listed the $13.50 monthly price.
So, I have documentation FROM Verizon giving me a Pixel 2 for $13.50/mo without going unlimited.
That said, I suspect they will conveniently "forget" to apply the actual credits to my account each month and I'll have to fight them tooth and nail to get anything. But hey, I have screenshots and a receipt proving that they "goofed" and I see no legal standing for them not honoring it. /shrug

mhamann said:
I too was disappointed by Verizon's black friday deals (and really everyone else's also more or less). However, I had a very weird experience with VZW...
I got on their website Thursday mid-morning to just see what a Pixel 2 would cost if I went unlimited, bought it normally, etc. I added it to my cart and went through the checkout process, but it never actually prompted me to upgrade to unlimited. The only option I even saw was keeping my existing plan, which is the Verizon Plan 4GB.
When I got to the final checkout screen, my monthly total for the phone itself showed $13.50 and my plan still showed the 4GB plan. So, I went ahead and put the order through. When I got the receipt, it too listed the $13.50 monthly price.
So, I have documentation FROM Verizon giving me a Pixel 2 for $13.50/mo without going unlimited.
That said, I suspect they will conveniently "forget" to apply the actual credits to my account each month and I'll have to fight them tooth and nail to get anything. But hey, I have screenshots and a receipt proving that they "goofed" and I see no legal standing for them not honoring it. /shrug
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Very jealous.
I tried that same approach on multiple times, but to no avail. Perhaps did you indicate that you were trading in your current device? So make sure you do not owe them a device you don't have.
The deal prior to Friday was trade in an eligible device to get a certain % off (up to 50%) with no need to adjust your plan.
The deal on Friday was to up your plan to unlimited, but no trade in required.
As for me, Best buy offered the Samsung Galaxy S8 for $350 off with no strings attached. So I got it. Pretty happy so far.

Looks like VZW is finally offering g $300 off the pixel 2. Only stipulation is that you must pay in full up front, and then VZW will issue you bill credits over 24 months.
I would have been fine with this had I not already got my S8.

jco23 said:
Looks like VZW is finally offering g $300 off the pixel 2. Only stipulation is that you must pay in full up front, and then VZW will issue you bill credits over 24 months.
I would have been fine with this had I not already got my S8.
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So are they charging the full amount up front or over the course of 24 months? The way it worked for me on black Friday was that I was charged the monthly $27 and then a credit applied for $13 each month. Is this the same or different?

bobby janow said:
So are they charging the full amount up front or over the course of 24 months? The way it worked for me on black Friday was that I was charged the monthly $27 and then a credit applied for $13 each month. Is this the same or different?
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So it looks they're advertising it to be $14.58/month, so perhaps no payment upfront.
I told a friend that bought 2 of them a few weeks ago, and they were able to return it and get the new price. But he did not open them yet.

jco23 said:
So it looks they're advertising it to be $14.58/month, so perhaps no payment upfront.
I told a friend that bought 2 of them a few weeks ago, and they were able to return it and get the new price. But he did not open them yet.
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Yeah, that makes more sense. They lock you in to a 2 year contract kind of because you can't pay it off. If you want to then you have to pay the full amount of $650 even if it's a month away from the end of 2 years.
Now what they should do is anyone who purchased within the return period of 15 days I think it is, charge them the $35 restocking fee (which your friend will probably have to pay for each returned device) and give them the discount without having to return the device.

bobby janow said:
Yeah, that makes more sense. They lock you in to a 2 year contract kind of because you can't pay it off. If you want to then you have to pay the full amount of $650 even if it's a month away from the end of 2 years.
Now what they should do is anyone who purchased within the return period of 15 days I think it is, charge them the $35 restocking fee (which your friend will probably have to pay for each returned device) and give them the discount without having to return the device.
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I don't think he paid the restocking fee since he never opened them.
Still contemplating on returning/selling my S8 for this deal.
But then I'd give up a bigger battery, wireless charging, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

jco23 said:
I don't think he paid the restocking fee since he never opened them.
Still contemplating on returning/selling my S8 for this deal.
But then I'd give up a bigger battery, wireless charging, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
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Even for the fee it's worth it. Still saves 265 bucks.
Now to your situation.. the battery on the pixel 2 is great and on the XL even better. I don't think that should be of major concern unless you live in the boonies with no access to power for 24 hours. Wireless charging? Haven't had that since my N5 and miss it only for nostalgia. Headphone? Agree.. but get a good wireless pair and use the adapter for the current ones.
But this is a personal choice you need to make and I'm no one to make judgment either way. I really don't think you can go wrong no matter what you decide.
Sent from my Pixel 2 using XDA-Developers Legacy app

bobby janow said:
Even for the fee it's worth it. Still saves 265 bucks.
Now to your situation.. the battery on the pixel 2 is great and on the XL even better. I don't think that should be of major concern unless you live in the boonies with no access to power for 24 hours. Wireless charging? Haven't had that since my N5 and miss it only for nostalgia. Headphone? Agree.. but get a good wireless pair and use the adapter for the current ones.
But this is a personal choice you need to make and I'm no one to make judgment either way. I really don't think you can go wrong no matter what you decide.
Sent from my Pixel 2 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
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hoping you're right. i'd prefer the bloatless google version, but those 3 items are deal-breakers for me. i came from the moto droid turbo, which had all of those (3900 mAh battery). so I didn't want to give up any of those items. wireless charging is such bonus. however, if the pixel 3 has wireless charging and a bigger battery, then I'll consider switching next year.
I presume we'll get the same offers as this year - as I see a pattern forming with VZW:
- early October/November: offer $100 off
- late November: offer $300 off with a trade in
- black friday: something stupid to boost their quota
- week after black friday: offer more reasonable deals