Develop Bugs

Sprint now requires credit card payment for new phones?

Forgive me if this is already a known quantity around here, but I only just found out this evening that orders placed through Sprint for new devices can no longer be billed to your account. Apparently we now have to pay by credit or debit card up front when we want a new device.

dead78 said:
Forgive me if this is already a known quantity around here, but I only just found out this evening that orders placed through Sprint for new devices can no longer be billed to your account. Apparently we now have to pay by credit or debit card up front when we want a new device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yup found out a couple of months ...........i believe there should b a couple of threads on it

lballer69 said:
yup found out a couple of months ...........i believe there should b a couple of threads on it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
they're saying it changed it on October 5. yet another way we're taking it in the pants as a result of Sprint getting the iPhone and another reason to never bother ordering a phone from Sprint.

yep blame that on the iphone
apple started this a few years ago, so no cash at all, even in person at the apple stores for iphones, as people were buying them stateside, and selling them overseas for huge markups, since they were not available at the time
gotta love Apple lol

Amd4life said:
yep blame that on the iphone
apple started this a few years ago, so no cash at all, even in person at the apple stores for iphones, as people were buying them stateside, and selling them overseas for huge markups, since they were not available at the time
gotta love Apple lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yep, you're 100% right.
man, I was on the fence before about upgrading my Epic...there's no way in hell I'll do it now. when you look at everything that's gone lately, Sprint's shown they're willing to screw over their entire customer base for the sake of luring in new customers with this gimmick Apple crap. now they've got their big sales figures and they can all pat each other on the backs for a job well done.
do the other carriers require up front payment for their devices?

Just so you guys know, sprint is actually the last of all the big 4 carriers to get rid of bill to account for new phones. Its a fight against fraud. Cutting costs is necessary to keep providing the unlimited data plans. Saving money by reducing fraudulent purchases is one of the best ways to do this. There is a reason behind every choice the company makes. It may not always sound like the best when you first hear it but the reasons why typically justify the changes. Sprint tries really hard to provide what other carriers no longer do but there at reasons that other carriers have cut things, and with sprints new high end world phone lineup we are running into the same things.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk

lookout4theyeti said:
Just so you guys know, sprint is actually the last of all the big 4 carriers to get rid of bill to account for new phones. Its a fight against fraud. Cutting costs is necessary to keep providing the unlimited data plans. Saving money by reducing fraudulent purchases is one of the best ways to do this. There is a reason behind every choice the company makes. It may not always sound like the best when you first hear it but the reasons why typically justify the changes. Sprint tries really hard to provide what other carriers no longer do but there at reasons that other carriers have cut things, and with sprints new high end world phone lineup we are running into the same things.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
frankly, the "we need to do this to keep unlimited data" excuse has lost its appeal. all I'm seeing is a fledgling company pulling back on service in order to accommodate the iPhone and keep itself in business. as it stands now, I live in an area where my data service is horrendous. calls to Sprint are essentially pointless since I'm given an endless string of excuses as to why I can't download faster than .2 Mbps on 3G and why I can't stay connected to 4G for more than a couple of minutes. I've been with Sprint for over 10 years and I've seen all aspects of quality within the company deteriorate considerably in that time. The simple fact is that they're network couldn't accommodate the demand of all the Android devices on it; I can't even imagine what the surge of new iPhones is going to do to service.
meanwhile, we're told that every courtesy we received is being taken away in order to assure a high level of service. that would be fine except there is no longer a high level of service to maintain. I've actually had Sprint tell me that their changes aren't so bad because they're simply doing what all the other carriers do; therein lies the crux of why having 3.5 carriers dominate a nation of roughly 400 million people isn't good for anyone. a struggling company in that setting has no incentive to do anything but keep its doors open. they've lost the will to differentiate because they no longer have to; their sole concern is to avoid being subsumed by one of their competitors. most investors (myself included) doubt Sprint's ability to sustain itself beyond the next couple of years because they're a poorly managed company who've become notorious for making extremely poor decisions - this recent backpedaling from WiMax is one of the worst.
so yeah, great we get unlimited data. we'll see how well that unlimited data that Sprint's stripped away all incentives for holds up when an already super-saturated capacity is unable to withstand the demand from this gadget they've bet the farm on.

I am usually on the side of the consumer but, this time, I think if you don't have the money to pay for it, why are you upgrading? Wait a month and get it when you have the money. I don't see why it was ever an option to begin with.
The only reason I am still on Sprint is becaue they have the number one best plan for my situation. If I didn't want unlimited data, or the best cutomer service, or the coolest new phones, I would go with MetroPCS. They have the best plan for someone like that. Shop around. Get what is best for you. I'm not preaching. I just want every customer out there to be as happy as can be.

It is probably better this way. When you charge to credit card, they don't add the weird few dollars here and there taxes in the taxes and surcharges sections (this is in addition to the tax they charged on the phone purchase itself) I probably got another $5-$6 in random taxes I had to complain about to get back.

I agree that data speeds on Sprints unlimited plan sucks. I will contest to that. Sprint's network simply is being overwhelmed from all the traffic they get from all the smartphones out there. So Sprint came up with a plan. The plan is going to cost $10b over time I think it was. To come up with the money Sprint has to cut cost and create more revenue. To cut cost Sprint got rid of certain luxuries we were receiving as consumers. To create more revenue Sprint fought to get the Iphone on board (Sprint announce this was their biggest sales day ever). Simple economics. Remember Sprint is a far 3rd behind the top two cash cows we know as AT&T and Verizon. Sprint is not financially stable right now but, making these necessary moves will help us as consumer in the long run. I know you pay now, and, you want it now, but, all we can really do is wait till Sprint finish's with their $10B project in your area.

Seriously? You all look at this as "exploiting the customer"? What they got rid of was effectively an interest free credit card that people were abusing. No, doesn't make any business sense at all, certainly not.
True exploitation would be them deciding to charge interest on your balance.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium

buggerritt said:
I am usually on the side of the consumer but, this time, I think if you don't have the money to pay for it, why are you upgrading? Wait a month and get it when you have the money. I don't see why it was ever an option to begin with.
The only reason I am still on Sprint is becaue they have the number one best plan for my situation. If I didn't want unlimited data, or the best cutomer service, or the coolest new phones, I would go with MetroPCS. They have the best plan for someone like that. Shop around. Get what is best for you. I'm not preaching. I just want every customer out there to be as happy as can be.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ive been doing bta for years without problems from sprint. The problem was me, with the subject the post is about. Im pretty impulsive at times. More that once ive had financial department calling me wanting money because im past due. I couldnt pay the price of the phone (usually full price because i was in mid contract) and my bill up to date in a month or less. I kept telling myself, after i would get my account completely paid up to date, that i wouldnt do this again and would only get another phone if i had the money in hand to pay for the phone. Sometimes financial emergencies happen that are unforseen and they can really put a person behind for awhile and its a struggle to get caught up. Thats one of my character defects, i admit it (for the first time). Its not sprint's fault for this, its mine for being impulsive and irresponsible when it comes to finances.
I dont know why i felt the need to say this, but it had something to do with the subject and i shared my experience (and foolishness) with you guys.
Shame on me, i know!

I'm right there with you man! I sold a Dell Venue Pro so I could get my Epic Touch and I still have an Atrix on At&t and am looking at over $500 if I leave At&t. All that so I could get a 1/2 inch bigger screen and a slightly faster phone. Oh well at least I got a good one, no Los or any other issues thus far.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium

I just paid my Sprint bill the other day. With activation, the phone, and my normal bill, it was $578.06. No more bta? Who cares. If you don't have the money, you probably shouldn't buy the phone anyway.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App

Verizon still allows billing to your account. This last carrier nonsense isn't true

heygrl said:
Verizon still allows billing to your account. This last carrier nonsense isn't true
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that's what I thought. quite frankly, this argument that deadbeats have ruined the bta is a bunch of b.s. because that would be a punitive major and not something supposedly introduced to insure a high level of future service. the reason why bta is a solid option is that it means not having to rely on Sprint to refund your money in the event you decide to return a recently purchased phone. what this new move does is allow Sprint access to the customer's money immediately, which is actually a better move from an accounting standpoint since funds collected can be immediately invested. however, my biggest beef with this change of policy is that like all the other changes we've endured in recent weeks, they're all being done to accommodate the iPhone. like many others, I'm not remotely convinced of Sprint's able to even stay in business long enough to see all these supposed service improvements take place, so right now (and for the immediate future) all that's happening is Sprint is pulling back on customer services to pander to the iPhone.

Like another poster said this is to accommodate fraud. I work for another big name phone company and this is a way to keep people from calling in and ordering multiple phones on an account and having them shipped and once you see that these phones were ordered and you did not order them you call sprint and they have to foot that bill. If there is a credit card used it is tied to the person who used it and fraud is dealt with easier through the CC companies because they have more info. The FCC are coming up with all these rules to help us as consumers. It kinda makes it harder but safer. Anyone who knows your information can order on your account and that is scary. We see people on this forum who call in and tell lies all the time. Fruad is no joke. If it makes it safer why not?
Sent from my hand crippling Epic 4g Touch

Thanks for sharing this. I think you hit the nail on the head and I wish more people were willing to look at their own situation objectively and take some personal responsibility.
Sprint is a business, making business decisions. If they need to make changes to stay viable, then they should make them. If I decide at some point I don't like them, I can go somewhere else. It's the beauty of free enterprise and consumer choice.
oscarthegrouch said:
Ive been doing bta for years without problems from sprint. The problem was me, with the subject the post is about. Im pretty impulsive at times. More that once ive had financial department calling me wanting money because im past due. I couldnt pay the price of the phone (usually full price because i was in mid contract) and my bill up to date in a month or less. I kept telling myself, after i would get my account completely paid up to date, that i wouldnt do this again and would only get another phone if i had the money in hand to pay for the phone. Sometimes financial emergencies happen that are unforseen and they can really put a person behind for awhile and its a struggle to get caught up. Thats one of my character defects, i admit it (for the first time). Its not sprint's fault for this, its mine for being impulsive and irresponsible when it comes to finances.
I dont know why i felt the need to say this, but it had something to do with the subject and i shared my experience (and foolishness) with you guys.
Shame on me, i know!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Who orders from Sprint anyway? There's always some place cheaper to get the phone of you're eligible for an upgrade. Ordering from places like Amazon or Wirefly at the very least saves you tax.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk

My local Best Buy is great about returns and will price match any other vendor that has a unit in stock. I've never ordered from Sprint.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium

Galaxy Nexus Verizon Exclusive

http://smartphones.verizonwireless.com/nexus/
that is all

Lucky es o bees...

malibu_23 said:
Lucky es o bees...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For real. If Verizon gets this exclusively that'll be garbage.

Great, another outlet to throw away our privacy and give companies more of our information to use and sell, for the convenience of being quickly informed of when we can give them more of our money...

Lmao. I got duped on google nexus register. Samsung is sending advertiesments to me now. But no mention of nexus. The ole bait and switch just for advertising. Even lamer.
I voided my warranty and your nexus.

gogoplata1980 said:
For real. If Verizon gets this exclusively that'll be garbage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No worries, it will only be for like the first month... Also getting Razr presale emails... Why would I want that over the Nexus? Good luck competing.
B¡*n¡© Un£3AsH3d 2.0

Read it here:
http://www.tmonews.com/2011/10/gala...erizons-website-calls-galaxy-nexus-exclusive/
Being with t-mobile it sucks that some of us will have to wait longer.

Blow me verizon.
There's something incompatible btw the uber-controlling Verizon and the supposedly open dev nexus line.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App

I am using a damn Samsung gravity. I sold my sensation for this crap. I am going to get amaze.

I just saw that. YOu know what? F*** google. They claim that they intend to do things differently, but then at the end of the day they sell out to the highest bidder.
I was a serious google fan, but the edges are starting to crack and it is slowly dawning on me that the innovative, fast moving company of the early 2000's is becoming a weighed down hegemony of bean counting MBA's who are starting to only get it right when they get lucky.
Exclusive on the most expensive carrier in the USA. The same carrier that replaced their search engine with Bing on 1/3 of their Android lineup. Not a word of it breathed at their week-late press conference. My own fault for getting my hopes up, I suppose.
I am due for a new phone around December/January and this will afford me the opportunity to take a good long look at what Windows phone has to offer before the Galaxy Nexus is even available to me.

Tarzanman said:
I just saw that. YOu know what? F*** google. They claim that they intend to do things differently, but then at the end of the day they sell out to the highest bidder.
I was a serious google fan, but the edges are starting to crack and it is slowly dawning on me that the innovative, fast moving company of the early 2000's is becoming a weighed down hegemony of bean counting MBA's who are starting to only get it right when they get lucky.
Exclusive on the most expensive carrier in the USA. The same carrier that replaced their search engine with Bing on 1/3 of their Android lineup. Not a word of it breathed at their week-late press conference. My own fault for getting my hopes up, I suppose.
I am due for a new phone around December/January and this will afford me the opportunity to take a good long look at what Windows phone has to offer before the Galaxy Nexus is even available to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't feel bad. Just remember one thing. Google is a business company. They don't care about me and you. They support whoever pay more. I am going to get SGS2 or HTC Amaze. I don't have a choice and can't wait longer than the end of nov which is my upgrade time.

i used to be with Tmo but had to switch cause i got stationed in Montana, and now im kinda glad i did, even though I loved the big T

If tmobile is going to get it, they will mention this at the event on Friday. we will see.

Relax. I highly doubt its anything more than a timed exclusive. Both the nexus one and nexus s were only on one carrier originally.
And yes, if you were planning on getting the international one, i'm pretty sure it will still work on AT&T or T-Mo as long as the bands match up.

Well if they're pentaband then you could just buy the world phone model at full price and go. I think it only affects those looking to pick it up on a contract.
It is weird Verizon having a Nexus. Seem to clash together but my work has Verizon so why pay for a personal line?
G2x - 2.3.7 CM7
Transformer - 3.2 Revolver OC/UV

Bet you when they are referring to the 'exclusive' Galaxy Nexus they are only talking about the LTE model and all the others will get the pentaband one at pretty much the same time.

Just had a thought... I know it doesn't say it, but... maybe it word play. I mean they will be the exclusive carrier of the LTE version, but remember there's too versions. Hhhuuummmm
Stupid Samsung, why can't you just release carrier info. when you unveil it.
**Edit**
Damn, beat me to it... we're on the same wave length though.
Sent from my MB860 using xda premium

Sp4rkR4t said:
Bet you when they are referring to the 'exclusive' Galaxy Nexus they are only talking about the LTE model and all the others will get the pentaband one at pretty much the same time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hopefully you right. I think like you because there is no one point between tmo and vz. It's couple of weeks and we will see.

hanano17 said:
Relax. I highly doubt its anything more than a timed exclusive. Both the nexus one and nexus s were only on one carrier originally.
And yes, if you were planning on getting the international one, i'm pretty sure it will still work on AT&T or T-Mo as long as the bands match up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
I'm not gonna act like I'm not disappointed they have exclusively, especially since the other Nexus phones started as exclusive to one carrier as well. I wish they would just drop the whole exclusivity thing and make it available to everyone day one as exclusivity only really hurts the consumer. No way I'm switching to Verizon for this phone. I'll either import or wait for the GSM version to hit the US (if it's not that long of a wait). It's really bad for the phone's sales too considering in the world of smartphones, the next big release is always right around the corner and you will lose a lot of potential customers who will get something else because they don't feel like waiting anymore or something else hits the market. The average consumer doesn't know care about the Nexus brand, they care about new and noteworthy so why not try to rope them in while the iron is hot?
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

I'm almost certain 7 us carriers are getting the nexus
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App

Approximate retail price of $500??

With the Google nexus's new 10 day contest, I found something very interesting in their official rule book.
"Seven winning entries will receive a Galaxy Nexus phone as described at
www.google.com/nexus. (ARV of each individual prize: $500.00 USD)."
Could $500 be the official price for this phone? I sure hope so!!!
You can review the official rule book at the link on the bottom:
http://static.googleusercontent.com...w.google.com/en/us/nexus/challenge3/rules.pdf

Mitchmoney said:
With the Google nexus's new 10 day contest, I found something very interesting in their official rule book.
"Seven winning entries will receive a Galaxy Nexus phone as described at
www.google.com/nexus. (ARV of each individual prize: $500.00 USD)."
Could $500 be the official price for this phone? I sure hope so!!!
You can review the official rule book at the link on the bottom:
http://static.googleusercontent.com...w.google.com/en/us/nexus/challenge3/rules.pdf
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
for 16gig
and good catch

Mitchmoney said:
With the Google nexus's new 10 day contest, I found something very interesting in their official rule book.
"Seven winning entries will receive a Galaxy Nexus phone as described at
www.google.com/nexus. (ARV of each individual prize: $500.00 USD)."
Could $500 be the official price for this phone? I sure hope so!!!
You can review the official rule book at the link on the bottom:
http://static.googleusercontent.com...w.google.com/en/us/nexus/challenge3/rules.pdf
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's hardly surprising since that's what the previous ones have cost ($529) and is what I've said all the time. It's what you end up with if you do a proper conversion based on prices in the EU and then remove fees that do not apply or are lower in the US as well as adjust the prices to be roughly the same as before the dollar dropped majorly in value a few years ago like many manufactorers seem to do.
Summary: Yes, I'd say it's very likely to be slightly above $500.

I wonder why it says only "seven entries will receive a Galaxy Nexus" instead of 10.

So its $500 and will be at peoples homes on 12/5/2011? Check rule #21 I think.

lol emphasis on the word APPROXIMATE.
529 for the last 2..Id expect 529 or 569
But that sucka aint comin to the U.S and Tmo anytime soon. (Googles weeks dont = soon to me)

Still a good price to go on. Cant wait!

actually its only 500 to avoid tax implications for prizes if i'm not mistaken....

blunden said:
That's hardly surprising since that's what the previous ones have cost ($529) and is what I've said all the time. It's what you end up with if you do a proper conversion based on prices in the EU and then remove fees that do not apply or are lower in the US as well as adjust the prices to be roughly the same as before the dollar dropped majorly in value a few years ago like many manufactorers seem to do.
Summary: Yes, I'd say it's very likely to be slightly above $500.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same. Everyone who has been saying that it will be $650 is just off their rocker. I expect it to be $529 as well just like the other models were.

Agreed. A lot of people disagreed with me on the $530 unlocked. At that price, it's a well-speced phone.

That does sound like a very attractive price. I am currently due for an upgrade at AT&T, but I'm not completely sure that the Nexus will come to AT&T considering it just released the GSII and GSII Skyrocket. I was thinking about buying an iPhone 4S with my upgrade and selling it to buy the Nexus off contract.
Where would be the best place to list the iPhone to sell? Could anyone help me?

You might just be better off to just wait for the nexus to come to at&t so you don't waste money.. But if you go through with your other plan, I would say ebay gives you the best price..
Sent from my Samsung galaxy tab 10.1

$500 is probably the price of the phone before reseller markup. The markup could be anywhere from $30 - $100 depending on what the reseller thinks they can get away with and what everyone else is selling it for, so it's very feasible that you could walk into a Best Buy and get one for $530-$550.

When you give away a prize, you have to declare a value. So that the person who wins can pay income taxes on it (how nice of them). It has nothing to do with how much they phone will actually sell for at retail.

And the people who paid these insane prices to be "FIRST"? How hard of a pill is it to swallow when it's shaped with a $200-$250 premium to pay for a couple weeks?
Sometime it really does pay to wait and watch. (Now I'll eat my words it the unlocked GSM version doesn't materialize around the first week but I'm cool with that if I save that kind of cash.)

Still not available in holland. i really want to buy this phone

IS there any word on the price for the 32 GB version?

bmstrong said:
And the people who paid these insane prices to be "FIRST"? How hard of a pill is it to swallow when it's shaped with a $200-$250 premium to pay for a couple weeks?
Sometime it really does pay to wait and watch. (Now I'll eat my words it the unlocked GSM version doesn't materialize around the first week but I'm cool with that if I save that kind of cash.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it wasn't a hard pill to swallow at all.
eric b

bmstrong said:
And the people who paid these insane prices to be "FIRST"? How hard of a pill is it to swallow when it's shaped with a $200-$250 premium to pay for a couple weeks?
Sometime it really does pay to wait and watch. (Now I'll eat my words it the unlocked GSM version doesn't materialize around the first week but I'm cool with that if I save that kind of cash.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's hard to answer that question because there is no such pill that we can swallow. There is no unlocked GSM version in the US. In the US there is ONLY a Verizon version and it's exclusive to Verizon. For how long? Who knows. My guess is six months. And my guess is after that we might even have T-Mobile and AT&T versions in the US, with different hardware, instead of unlocked pentaband versions. So we might NEVER get unlocked pentaband version in USA.
To me, it's more of a gamble to wait and hope than to act on what is known.

and932 said:
That does sound like a very attractive price. I am currently due for an upgrade at AT&T, but I'm not completely sure that the Nexus will come to AT&T considering it just released the GSII and GSII Skyrocket. I was thinking about buying an iPhone 4S with my upgrade and selling it to buy the Nexus off contract.
Where would be the best place to list the iPhone to sell? Could anyone help me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was thinking the same with either amaze or gs2. Iphone4s has tremendous resell value so it'd be a no brainer in your case. My issue is if no gn ..I want an amaze..its 269 and doesn't resell very well. So if there's a subd version of gn I'd def be losing money for not waiting.

Am I silly to buy a SII now?

Hey guys,
I currently use a Nexus One, however I'm looking to upgrade. The n1 is getting to the point where I'm running out of internal space and I'm disappointed there are no more software updates on it.
I'm really yearning for a HTC One S, but there is a caveat. I am on an older T-Mobile EM+ plan so I do not get a subsidy on my phones and I'm uncertain I want to migrate to a new classic plan. Because of this, I feel like the One S will end up being too expensive. I'm assuming T-Mobile will price it at a minimum of 599 like the current Amaze and SII. Further after the 6% sales tax, I might regret spending 635 dollars on the phone.
The thought of a Galaxy Nexus has crossed my mind, but I figured if I was spending $450 on a phone I should be buying one that is HSPA+ 42, which the galaxy nexus is not. However, vanilla ICS is a big plus in my book.
So then comes the T-989. I found one on Craigslist for 400. It includes a one month old phone, extra battery, 16gb class 2 microsd, charging stand and a body glove case. It seems like the value is there. Furthermore, after contacting the person, they end up going to my university so I have a good feeling about the transaction trust wise. I'm going to check out the phone today.
I'm wondering, is this the phone for me? Am I silly and should wait for the S3, or go for the GN or One S instead? Will I be happy with the SII, especially because it will end up being cheaper than all my other options.
Thanks for the insight,
Mike

well there's one thing you can try to do... Tmobile recently altered their terms and condition where data roaming is no longer free. so if you ever used data roaming, you could fight it and get an early termination without ETF and sign up with them again using a different account holder of course. You can legally try to fight it without ever use data roaming because it is a breach in contract... but it is a lot harder to do... you can check out SD, they have a whole giant thread on it.
okay about the phones
1. i would not wait for any HTC phones because their recent releases have been disappointing.. I have used or played with every HTC phone for t-mobile... and they have fallen since the mt4gs.
sooo i wouldn't hold my breath for any htc phones yet.. maybe after some great reviews from xda members..
2. when the s3 is released, it is going to be very expensive... you're talking about not wanting to spend 635 or not even 450 so I would rule the s3 out of your budget.
3. you can't really go wrong with the galaxy nexus or the tmobile t989.. besides we just got ICS.. well still in the works lol
4. ASK yourself.. is there really a need to upgrade from the n1?
yes our phone is everything better than the n1.. but in terms of usability... do you really need to fish out $400+ for a phone you're already questioning about dropping money on. You can do anything on the n1 that you can on the gs2, don't fall for the hype that our phone has because of all the commercials and stuff.
alternatives:
1. why don't you exchange your phone or any cheap "smartphone" (bb, old iphone, etc) with the microsoft store promo, it's free... you should check that out. although they're WP phones... it would be nice to be rocking the htc radar, titan, or samsung focus by trading a crappy phone.
2. Are you out of contract? since you're on the EM+ plan... you can get a lot of deals by extending your contract another 2 years. If so, I can give you few pointers.
---------- Post added at 04:53 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:45 AM ----------
holy ****, just noticed this is your first post after 1.5 years lol

Thanks for the reply Teo032!
1,2 & 3 - Thank you for the advice. It is very assuring to hear such things.
4 - This is the hardest question to answer. I don't need to upgrade. However, I have the phone bug itch. I want a new phone. You do raise a good point though, the actual functionality won't differ too much.
A1 - I did not know about that challenge! I would definitely do that if I could. A new WP for free is exactly what I need to fix my itch for a new phone. I live in eastern PA. The closest MS Store would be Bridgewater Commons, which is about an hour away. Unfortunately, that store is still stated as "coming soon" and the promotion ends March 29, 2012. Hopefully they extend it once that location opens, since that would have been worth the drive...
A2 - For a contract extension, I'm a little hesitant since I am moving in about 1 yr and don't want to be locked into a 2 yr contract. Although I would probably have no coverage issues, I would not be too happy if I had poor reception at my new place but it wasn't bad enough for t-mobile to allow me to leave w/o an ETF.
Again thanks for the insight. You brought up some really great points. At this point I really don't know if I can answer that I need to upgrade and I think that might be my answer to whether I should buy the SII or not. I'm really disappointed the Bridgewater MS store isn't open yet, since I would have had made that drive today...
P.S. - Yes! My OP was my first post. After years of lurking, I finally made the leap. If I purchase a new phone today or not, I hope to continue contributing to the community through posting.

Why don't you check the coverage at where you're moving? If anything, use wifi calling.
If you're eligible for an upgrade, you won't get "discounted" phones since you're on em+... but if you talk to the retention department, simply ask them, what is the best deal they can give you if you plan to sign up for another 2 years. Each rep will give you different offers, you can call multiple times to try to get better offers. some will match a previous offer or even best it.
Common offers
$250 credit (this is actually the "discount" for the phones, although you would still be paying the full price for the phone but $350 isn't too bad for a new phone)
or $10 off each month for your contract ($240)
Your rate might even be better depending on what you need. My 5 line is actually paying about $20 less with a better plan now, which is NOT available to new contracts, only loyalty plans.
I called about 4 different reps. I made sure I told them to let me think about the deal and to call me back at certain times.
One guy was able to give me $200 credit + $10 off each month.. they're not suppose to do this, it's usually only one choice... but this guy sounded like a supervisor and hooked me up with a lot of stuff. I asked him to call me back, hoping to get $250 + $10/month from another rep.
next rep told me that it is impossible to apply both deals etc etc, And i was like are you sure? he told me yeah because the system only allows us to apply one discount and what the other guy told me was misinformation. He told me I only could get one or the other... The other guy called me back and I told him, I talked to another rep about the situation, and he simply told me, well lets just say I can do more things than any other rep can.
So my rate for 5 lines, unlimited talk text and 5 gb for 3 lines, 2 with premium insurance (7.99 each) is $155 without the tax and fees + 200 credit.
well unlimited for the 2 primary lines, and 500 minutes EACH for the remaining 3, which is still a lot.
EDIT: oh and after a year.. the ETF should be about what? $100? $150?
another tip: in my area, the skyrocket goes for less than the hercules. about $50 less, so I would look into that if you're planning to just CL

throw MIUI on the N1 and hang on to it for a bit longer. will feel like a newer phone.
otherwise yea what he said. S2 is still a great phone and will be for quite some time. best phone i've ever owned and I also love my N1

U not silly, I just bought my sII for 29.99 plus tax on Feb. 17...

Stunned by value of the Nexus

I recently upgraded from my Galaxy Nexus to and S3 and I am trying to sell my Nexus on craigslist. I am stunned at how little interest I am getting how and how low other people are even selling theres. My phone is in mint, near perfect condition and after posting it for $350 and no dropping the price below $300 i still am getting no hits. I sold my wifes Droid Razr not too long ago for $250 and that was with a cracked screen. I don't get it.
Do people not realize what a good phone it is. To me its easy the second best phone in the Verizon line up after the s3. Back in the day I even sold my Thunderbolt the same day I posted it.
Any thoughts on why it has dropped in value and demand so quickly?

Maybe because you can get it for $350 brand new unlocked.... And because you have a **** CDMA one... GSM will always hold its value better. Honestly the Nexus isn't really marketed not many people even know what it is.

Because you can buy one brand new for $350. I'd charge $250 or so. $100 savings might bring some interest.

People would rather buy it for 350 plus the tax on Google because it is a huge international company.

It's 350 unlocked gsm. Resell of contact phones are lucky to fetch 250
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Xparent ICS Tapatalk 2

Carrier locked CDMA phones without international roaming don't have the highest resale value ever.

why does everyone keep saying 350? thats for teh gsm version, if someone wants to have a gnexus on verizon that is useless for them. seeing as verizon is the largest network in america it makes sense there would be a large number of verzion customers who prolly couldnt care about the unlocked gsm version

i got one off craigslist CDMA for 190
BRAND NEW
lol

I have noticed that the GSM version are more popular, probably thanks to big red and all its BS with blocking features and updates. I started it at $350 and has since dropped it to $250 and still nothing. Just urks me when i see crap like the droid charge on there for almost the same price.
As a side note, the people with Verizon contracts don't have the option of buying it new for $350 but I hear what you gues are saying. Guess i can try ebay but craigslist is just so convenient.

shabbypenguin said:
why does everyone keep saying 350? thats for teh gsm version, if someone wants to have a gnexus on verizon that is useless for them. seeing as verizon is the largest network in america it makes sense there would be a large number of verzion customers who prolly couldnt care about the unlocked gsm version
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True
-----------
Vaj tswv is the creation of people with nowhere left to turn

I'd chalk it up to bad karma. -1 for getting rid of the Gnex.

To the OP, I just shopped for one on ebay -- ones that are described as being in excellent condition with clean esn are going for about $210 -$240 including shipping. I got lucky and snagged one for $185 but it came with no charger or usb.

Speaking of value if anyone has GSM for sale PM me..........CDMA don't hold value
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

I'll give you seven bucks and a used hotplate for it
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

microdot said:
Any thoughts on why it has dropped in value and demand so quickly?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Simple: there are newer phones out like the Galaxy S3. Whenever you're in a competitive environment (i.e. your products are not sufficiently differentiated - that is, e.g. when sheeple buy apple regardless of what anyone else has come out with), more competition translates to lower prices. And the new devices that have come out are basically newer and stronger competition.
Not-so-simple: people in Verizon are so locked-in (indeed, I hear non-contracts are more expensive) that they would rather just get the discount that comes with a contract anyway. Not to mention that, unless I am mistaken, the phone would not be usable on any networks except Verizon.
In other words, the perfect storm of low prices.

Bought my sprint one for 120! Also brand new. You gotta see what the market is like around you or sell on ebay
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

shabbypenguin said:
why does everyone keep saying 350? thats for teh gsm version, if someone wants to have a gnexus on verizon that is useless for them. seeing as verizon is the largest network in america it makes sense there would be a large number of verzion customers who prolly couldnt care about the unlocked gsm version
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everyone on Verizon can go get a VZW GNex for $0.01 today too on contract. If they're set on staying with Verizon that's the best deal.
Not to mention that the market is flooded with people buying them for $0.01 and reselling to make a few extra $$. The resale market for CDMA devices always sucks. When people can buy them for cheap, they're willing to sell them for cheap.

martonikaj said:
Everyone on Verizon can go get a VZW GNex for $0.01 today too on contract. If they're set on staying with Verizon that's the best deal.
Not to mention that the market is flooded with people buying them for $0.01 and reselling to make a few extra $$. The resale market for CDMA devices always sucks. When people can buy them for cheap, they're willing to sell them for cheap.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, and the main market for used smartphones is the prepaid market. And the majority of the prepaid market is now GSM.

Did you talk to webmaster in http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1880650 ?
Maybe you two can work something out?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

ExploreMN said:
Did you talk to webmaster in http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1880650 ?
Maybe you two can work something out?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He's also looking for GSM (I'm pretty sure).