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I've been following the Galaxy S and Vibrant releases for a while and love the Vibrant. I however have a problem concerning plans. Since I will only be using its Internet capabilities where I have Wi-Fi (college, home, work), I have no need or desire for a data plan. T-Mobile REQUIRES new devices are sold with data plans so my question is.
1.Would getting a Vibrant from Ebay (for ~$500) and using my old SIM be the best option?
2. Can I just walk into a Tmobile store and tell them I want to purchase a RETAIL ($500) Vibrant with no contract or SIM and get one that way (or are they going to add a data plan and ask me for my Tmobile line credentials to do so)?
3. Is getting a Vibrant on contract for $200 + data plan and then cancelling the contract after the 15th day the cheapest option?
I suppose I would prefer to buy it from Tmobile, even at retail price since I get the manufacturer insurance of 1 year (have needed it before) free though if not possible, Ebay is an option too. I'm just looking at getting it as cheap as possible without having to do a 2-year data plan contract.
Thx.
I bought it at T-mobile off contract, however i made some other account changes while i was there so not sure if they require anything account wise when buying off contract.
I see. What kind of changes did you make? Adding a data plan or something else?
Do you think I can walk into a store, and buy a Vibrant for $500 WITHOUT providing any account information so that they cannot associate my account with the phone?
I'd like to keep my contract AS IS currently, and if possible not renew it (it just passed the 2 years mark so I can technically get a discounted phone if I renew it but I do not like T-Mobile's new contracts. I have unlimited texting on my line through a Family plan)
you might try asking this over in the the Tmobile vibrant forum
i believe you can cancel the data plan after or during the first month but i'm not the expert
costco WAS selling Vibrants off-contract (even more plans) for $229. not sure if its still ongoing.
Either costco or t-mobile. At costco they have to tie it it to a new phone line, which you can cancel at any time since you aren't under contact, pretty sure there is no fee.
I opted to but at tmo, and have the price split up over 20 payments interest free. I already had an existing android plan though.
andy2na said:
costco WAS selling Vibrants off-contract (even more plans) for $229. not sure if its still ongoing.
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Click to collapse
Even More plans are contract plans. Are you talking about Even More Plus plans?
Go by a T-Mobile store and ask or call their customer service. You'll get a much better answer straight from the horse's mouth than you will from here.
I've heard about people trying to get a discounted phone with a new contract or making changes to their plan so they qualify and then immediately change things around in a manner that would disqualify them from the discount after they got it and then T-Mobile hit them with the remaining amount for the full price of the phone in their next bill. I guess it's their way of saying "cheaters never prosper".
If I buy it from Tmobile with ANY sort of contract...Even more Plus or Even More, they WILL add a data plan to it. There is also activation fees for a new line so not only will I have to pay the $500 for an even more plus plan, but I would have to CANCEL the line...in that case I may as well get it off of Ebay and save myself the hassle of all that.
The T-Mo forums are really helpful with everything other than development. Try there or stop at an official T-Mo store. The third party official partner places get paid to sell contracts. I've had some bad experiences on eBay and had to go to resolution with the seller twice on pre-smartphone phones, so beware.
What kind of bad experiences exactly?
If I were you and looking for a SGS I'd buy the full model that has all the extras... or possibly even the version with a slide out keyboard and ffc. The SGS Pro i believe it is.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
}{Alienz}{ said:
What kind of bad experiences exactly?
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Wrong carrier on one occasion and got a refurbished instead of new phone the other time. I have gotten good deals as well, so it's a crapshoot. I probably didn't screen the seller as well as I should have, just looked at the overall rating.
Sent from my T-Mobile G1 using XDA App
you could probably call tmo or stop in to a tmo corp store and ask, I find they are usually very helpful about things like this. side note i actually had a long conversation w/ the rep at the store when i bought my vibrant about cyanogenmod and phone modding, which he has done to his phones.
OMG, costco was selling this for $250 no contract and noone spread the good news. SHAME ON YOU ALL.
Know if i can still get it @ 250?
if you find any good deals please post it here. thanks
engineer14 said:
OMG, costco was selling this for $250 no contract and noone spread the good news. SHAME ON YOU ALL.
Know if i can still get it @ 250?
if you find any good deals please post it here. thanks
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Click to collapse
Nope. A memo was sent out and they raised the price Tuesday morning to $479. Think the $250 was a pricing error.
The best deal is with Bing cashback! $325
Go to bing.com
search for tmobile (you should see gold dollar sign w 35% off)
click on the link to tmobile site then do your shopping
I got my phone for $325 and on top of that, 35% off activation and the $59 plan.
so my total saving was $208
But bing is ending its cashback program at the end of july so better hurry!
I don't see the gold $ when I search t-mobile nor when I do my shopping after clicking through bing do I get the discount.
Is there supposd to be some code you put? Is it possible for you to just post a link?
too bad Bing cashback is gone at the end of the month.
@killer bee
See picture
hpz937 said:
you could probably call tmo or stop in to a tmo corp store and ask, I find they are usually very helpful about things like this. side note i actually had a long conversation w/ the rep at the store when i bought my vibrant about cyanogenmod and phone modding, which he has done to his phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I went to check the phone out the phone at a local store and someone was playing with the demo so the rep let me play with his personal phone. I noticed he had the su app installed lol
Sent from my T-Mobile G1 using XDA App
engineer14 said:
OMG, costco was selling this for $250 no contract and noone spread the good news. SHAME ON YOU ALL.
Know if i can still get it @ 250?
if you find any good deals please post it here. thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally agree! I recently switched our 5 phones over from AT&t and we went with Even More Plus because it's cheaper in the long run and no contract. However, we had to pay full price for the phones. Two of them were basic flip phones, but three of them were Samsung Vibrants at $500 apiece. We bought them at a T-Mobile corporate store and the most they did for us was waive the activation fee (which I found out would have been done anyway as a AAA member) and give us one free car charger when we bought the other two. We shelled out $1500 for the three Vibrants and we could have paid $750 at Costco!!!!! We're still in our 14 day return period, obviously, so if this is all true I'm going to call T-Mobile and see what can be done.
Hi guys,
I've just arrived in the US from Europe to go to school here for a number of years. I need to get a new phone and a US plan. Of course I want an Android, and my options are limited to T-Mobile and AT&T since I'll be wanting to use the phone back in Europe during summers so I need a GSM handset. I have a few questions for you guys though.
1. To what extent are the Captivate\Vibrant locked? I want to use a European SIM card in Europe. Is this possible? I'm willing to root the phone \ flash a custom rom if necessary. (I might well do this anyway).
2. For the NJ\NYC(I'll be going to Rutgers) what would you recommend? T-Mobile or AT&T? (I don't like the ATT data cap though).
3. I'm open for other Android options, but on GSM in the US the Galaxy S clones seem to be the best bet. Otherwise I'm quite the fan of HTC.
1. Most Carriers will unlock the phone for you. I know T-mobile will do it after 45 days as a customer.
2. Go with T-mobile, cheaper plans, unlimited data, faster web, better customer service. At&t is a horrid company and is only popular because of the iPhone.
3. I think the Vibrant/Galaxy S is better than the Capative. Doesn't have the At&t bloatware (which is worse than T-mobile bloatware) and will let you install non market apps.
speoples20 said:
1. Most Carriers will unlock the phone for you. I know T-mobile will do it after 45 days as a customer.
Thank you for your quick response! Is there a charge involved in unlocking your phone?
Also, where would be the best place to order the phone? T-Mobile.com? Googling for a bit I found it 100$ cheaper at some site called wirefly.com, but perhaps it'd be better to go for the source. The local T-Mobile store did not have any stock, and wouldn't have for some two weeks. I hope their internet store has! As a Rutgers student I get 6% off the plan (not much, but at least something) and I'm not sure how to go about getting that discount online. On the other hand, I need the phone ASAP...
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Click to collapse
Thank you for your quick response! Is there a charge involved in unlocking your phone?
Also, where would be the best place to order the phone? T-Mobile.com? Googling for a bit I found it 100$ cheaper at some site called wirefly.com, but perhaps it'd be better to go for the source. The local T-Mobile store did not have any stock, and wouldn't have for some two weeks. I hope their internet store has! As a Rutgers student I get 6% off the plan (not much, but at least something) and I'm not sure how to go about getting that discount online. On the other hand, I need the phone ASAP...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Amazon ir Wirefly are pretty good.. Amazon sells the phone for $99.99 with a new two-year plan
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Vibrant-Android-Phone-T-Mobile/dp/B003TXSKNE
WireFly offers free three-day shipping with FedEx I believe. Amazon also has free shipping.
Thank you for your quick response! Is there a charge involved in unlocking your phone?
Also, where would be the best place to order the phone? T-Mobile.com? Googling for a bit I found it 100$ cheaper at some site called wirefly.com, but perhaps it'd be better to go for the source. The local T-Mobile store did not have any stock, and wouldn't have for some two weeks. I hope their internet store has! As a Rutgers student I get 6% off the plan (not much, but at least something) and I'm not sure how to go about getting that discount online. On the other hand, I need the phone ASAP...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
T-mobile doesn't charge to unlock the phone. Just call them and tell them you want to unlock the phone. They submit the request and usually you have the unlock code in a day or two.
If you are going to purchase the phone through wirefly make sure you read all the stipulations they have. Usually they have a contract above and beyond T-mobiles. Basically say you sign up on a plan and decide to change that plan wirefly might charge you for changing it. While you save money up front it can cost you more in the long run. Check out Amazon.com as well they have good deals.
I've been chatting with T-mobile custumer support, and I should have figured... I can't get a phone b/c I lack a US SSN and credit history. I could go for a flexpay plan and pay the full price for the phone. Not likely I'm doing that!
I'll be getting a SSN at some point in the autumn, and I guess I'll have to get started on some sort of credit history. Annoying as hell.
In the meantime, I'll either need to get a flexpay plan for my current HTC Magic B (I hate it, it just doesn't have enough RAM to do ANYTHING on it!) or I'll need to get some cheap pre/paid package. Sigh.
On the upside, I guess, the phones will have SSAMOLED and quad-cores by the time T-Mobile will allow me to buy a phone from them.
Why don't you put Cyanogen on your current phone? It's no magic solution, but it'll at least make your experience more enjoyable.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
+1 for Cyanogen on a Magic B. I had CM5 for a long time and CM6 for about a week before I got my Vibrant, and it was pretty damn snappy. Nothing on the Vibrant, of course, but certainly made it MUCH better. I still love that phone, though the screen looks tiny and just awful in comparison nowadays, lol.
I am considering getting a Samsung Vibrant these days. There is one thing that bother me a lot.
I am a student from China. And I am getting a prepaid SIM from T-mobile without any kind of plan right now for the price reason.
I was wondering if I got a unlocked Samsung Vibrant from eBay and use it on the T-mobile network, do I have to pay for the data plan?
The thing is I owned a AT&T Fuze before and everything works fine on the T-mobile network except for the 3G. That's okay for me cuz I don't use 3G anyway. But there is one time that my friend who is on AT&T network borrow my Fuze for couple days, and AT&T just added the data plan for it automatically. My friend try to call the staff in AT&T and they said that since HTC Fuze is a smart phone from AT&T, it require a data plan so he cannot cancel it. And they can tell when he insert the SIM card and AT&T will get the IMEI from him automatically.
I just wondering will the same thing happen in T-mobile? 30$/month is way to much for me.
BTW, there is another question for you guys. There is a lot of unlocked Galaxy S on eBay, which is nice. I was wondering how they get it unlocked? Can I get them unlocked right in the "carrier shop"? Or there is other ways that I can get the unlocked code?
Thx you guys anyway for answering these questions. BIG HAPPY FACE
You might have to spoof the IMEI, you're in the same boat as my friend. He wants to use his old Sidekick plan with the phone but since's it's not a Sidekick he can't use the data at all because they know he's using a smart phone. Discussing IMEI's is not usually allowed on xda because it's illegal in some countries. I think that's your only solution though.
Wait a few months until the phone is more popular and you'll be able to easily find ways to spoof the IMEI. So far I have found none.
you have to have the android web spoofed or not. Without it TMO will lock you out of the market and mms
Sent from the best phone from TMO... Vibrant
as long as you use t mobile prepaid, you won't be charged for a data plan.
Why do you want to buy those expensive vibrants from ebay? I'd rather buy it from tmobile with 2 year contract, then cancel the plan and pay the ETF.
You can try to ask a t mobile online csr for the unlock code. Just tell him you will travel outside of us.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
neasoon said:
as long as you use t mobile prepaid, you won't be charged for a data plan.
Why do you want to buy those expensive vibrants from ebay? I'd rather buy it from tmobile with 2 year contract, then cancel the plan and pay the ETF.
You can try to ask a t mobile online csr for the unlock code. Just tell him you will travel outside of us.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
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Click to collapse
He said he is a student from china so I assume he does not have a SS# and without one he cannot sign up for a contract.
The best thing you can do OP is buy a Galaxy S i9000 off ebay. Tmobile only has the IMEI for the vibrants. That way you can pop your sim into the international version and they wont know.
Or get a sim card from mysimplemobile.com $60 a month for unlimited everything and it uses tmobile service. That is what I switched to and it works with my vibrant without an unlock.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
PathogenX said:
He said he is a student from china so I assume he does not have a SS# and without one he cannot sign up for a contract.
The best thing you can do OP is buy a Galaxy S i9000 off ebay. Tmobile only has the IMEI for the vibrants. That way you can pop your sim into the international version and they wont know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup. You are right. I don't have the SSN right now so it's difficult for me to sign a contract.
The international version which is the i9000 is not bad. But I notice the price for the international version are significantly more expensive than the vibrant, for like 100-200$.
Anyway, thx for the suggestions.
j0eyred said:
Or get a sim card from mysimplemobile.com $60 a month for unlimited everything and it uses tmobile service. That is what I switched to and it works with my vibrant without an unlock.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
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Thank you for the suggestions. But 60$ still seems to be a lot for me.
So I might try to figure out another way to make it happen. lol
Im using the vibrant on tmo after upgrade. you can go online and remove the service. I paid for one month and canceled. you just change the type of phone to one not requiring android data plan ie a non android phone and it will let you remove it. I'm using it purely on wifi. just remember you will need it unlocked or w/ 3g to activate it initially or after wipe.
vnamee said:
Im using the vibrant on tmo after upgrade. you can go online and remove the service. I paid for one month and canceled. you just change the type of phone to one not requiring android data plan ie a non android phone and it will let you remove it. I'm using it purely on wifi. just remember you will need it unlocked or w/ 3g to activate it initially or after wipe.
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Click to collapse
Ahh, Hmmm I paid the full 500 and today is the last day I can return mine. How much was the termination fee out of curiosity?
Another question, I have been using mine prepaid for almost a month now and TMO hasn't given me any trouble with it. (Aside from the reps in the store when I went to buy it).
Do you think I should bother to spoof my IMEI? Is that something that can get a fellow into trouble in this paranoid new world?
From what I've read everywhere else, it seems that TMO needs your business and won't give you any trouble using a prepaid sim in the phone. Whose to say that won't change in the future though.
lianglqufo said:
Thank you for the suggestions. But 60$ still seems to be a lot for me.
So I might try to figure out another way to make it happen. lol
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Click to collapse
You can usually get a contract from T-mob with your passport and your F1 student visa (assuming you're on a F1). You'll have to wait for about an hour in order for them to get approval from headquarters, but it works fine. Got my Vibrant that way, and while the charges are high at least you get unlimited data (as in really unlimited), so watching videos, listening to pandora and all that is a non-brainer..
djupp said:
You can usually get a contract from T-mob with your passport and your F1 student visa (assuming you're on a F1). You'll have to wait for about an hour in order for them to get approval from headquarters, but it works fine. Got my Vibrant that way, and while the charges are high at least you get unlimited data (as in really unlimited), so watching videos, listening to pandora and all that is a non-brainer..
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Oh. I do have the F1 VISA with me. But I think I need to pay the deposit for don't have the SS#. At least my friend told me so.
SquareBare said:
Ahh, Hmmm I paid the full 500 and today is the last day I can return mine. How much was the termination fee out of curiosity?
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That's the thing I don't understand. I paid $199 for my Vibrant on a 2-year contract. I have a $200 ETF, which means that I can cancel, and get the phone for $400. For a non-contract, I would have paid the full $500.
So what one can do is use the Even More for one month (which is +$10 from the Even More Plus). Then cancel, pay the ETF, and move to the same Even More Plus plan. Which would mean you would get no contract for $400.
Am I missing something?
cparekh said:
So what one can do is use the Even More for one month (which is +$10 from the Even More Plus). Then cancel, pay the ETF, and move to the same Even More Plus plan. Which would mean you would get no contract for $400.
Am I missing something?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
is this really possible? amazon currently has the vibrant for $0.01 with a new contract. so in theory, one could sign a new contract, cancel and pay the ETF of $200, and get the phone for $200.01?? then sign up for an even more plus plan with no contract? (i also thought EM was $20/month more than EM+)
any input would be appreciated. this sounds too good to be true
You can buy a Vibrant and use it on prepaid you are just going to pay $500 for the phone. T-Mobile doesn't care they wont and can't charge you extra.
I would recommend checking out flexpay, you can get a monthly plan and get data if you want it. If not go with prepaid $15 a month gives you unlimited SMS and $0.10 a minute and just use wifi when you need data.
One last thing is do not recommend imei spoofing as its illegal here.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
lolcopter said:
is this really possible? amazon currently has the vibrant for $0.01 with a new contract. so in theory, one could sign a new contract, cancel and pay the ETF of $200, and get the phone for $200.01?? then sign up for an even more plus plan with no contract? (i also thought EM was $20/month more than EM+)
any input would be appreciated. this sounds too good to be true
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Click to collapse
If you cancel with amazon within 6 months you pay an added 250$ ETF to them. So it would be 450$ all day.
I got mine from costco for $99 and canceled for 200$ after ETF. So $300 total. You also get a free cheap case car charger and bluetooth from them. Oh and no activation fee.
Texted While Driving
sl0play said:
If you cancel with amazon within 6 months you pay an added 250$ ETF to them. So it would be 450$ all day.
I got mine from costco for $99 and canceled for 200$ after ETF. So $300 total. You also get a free cheap case car charger and bluetooth from them. Oh and no activation fee.
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Click to collapse
nice. i'll look into something like this. i wonder if best buy / radioshack / car toys also have ETF fees of their own... (no costco membership for me)
I am kinda confused by this.
So I am in a stick situation here.
My parents have a family plan and I bought a Vibrant adding onto their Even More plan, which requires the $5 add a line and also $30 data plan. But I kinda think I don't really need data plan/3G cuz I am mostly home and don't quite use 3G unless I am not home, which isn't too often. $30 is a little money wasting, so I was thinking of just getting my phone without contract by paying $500 and just adding to my parents' Even More plan without data plan to save money.
But since I got my phone from Costco for $200 (when did this $99 deal start? I got mine a week ago...), does that mean I can just cancel and save money instead?
Important question though: Is it really true that there is no Android Market access without Tmo smartphone data plan? Why is this so? If so, is there any way of my getting away with it in my case?
Thanks,
FYI, if you have an F1 visa or any student visa you can do a contact with T-Mobile with no deposit and no ss#. This is something relatively new to t-mo. Just go to any corporate store location and they should be able to set it up for you. It takes about 45 minutes to process. That is the only down side.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
seojuhwan said:
Important question though: Is it really true that there is no Android Market access without Tmo smartphone data plan? Why is this so? If so, is there any way of my getting away with it in my case?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have a data plan, and I can access the Android Market just fine via WiFi. With Wifi at home and at work and most every place in between, the data plan is really pointless for me
So, while I've 100% decided to finally get a new, better phone (I'm currently using a T-mob G2, albeit on 4.0.4), and I've decided on the Nexus 4, I'm having a hard time deciding where to get it from. I'm hoping the wisdom of the xda userbase can help me make an informed decision.
I've been a T-mobile customer since 1998, and I don't really see myself leaving anytime soon. I'm on a "classic" plan and due for an upgrade, so the 16GB N4 would be $199 (after mail-in rebate), versus $349 from the play store.
Are there *any* differences between the two models? Not hardware-wise, obviously, but software. Will the carrier version be just as easily rootable as the play store version? If I'll definitely be with T-mobile for the life of the contract, without even considering the ETF then, is there any benefit to getting the unlocked version? My G2 is sim-unlocked, but I haven't used that aspect of it at all in the last two years.
Thanks for any advice you can give me.
-John
chinly43 said:
So, while I've 100% decided to finally get a new, better phone (I'm currently using a T-mob G2, albeit on 4.0.4), and I've decided on the Nexus 4, I'm having a hard time deciding where to get it from. I'm hoping the wisdom of the xda userbase can help me make an informed decision.
I've been a T-mobile customer since 1998, and I don't really see myself leaving anytime soon. I'm on a "classic" plan and due for an upgrade, so the 16GB N4 would be $199 (after mail-in rebate), versus $349 from the play store.
Are there *any* differences between the two models? Not hardware-wise, obviously, but software. Will the carrier version be just as easily rootable as the play store version? If I'll definitely be with T-mobile for the life of the contract, without even considering the ETF then, is there any benefit to getting the unlocked version? My G2 is sim-unlocked, but I haven't used that aspect of it at all in the last two years.
Thanks for any advice you can give me.
-John
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Click to collapse
Hey John!
They are the SAME exact model. Both are unlocked. The one T-Mobile is selling, is the one directly from the play store, just at a lower on-contract price.
iAndropple said:
Hey John!
They are the SAME exact model. Both are unlocked. The one T-Mobile is selling, is the one directly from the play store, just at a lower on-contract price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply!
When you say the T-mobile one is "unlocked", do you mean completely, or just the bootloader? Not a deal-breaker, just curious.
chinly43 said:
Thanks for the reply!
When you say the T-mobile one is "unlocked", do you mean completely, or just the bootloader? Not a deal-breaker, just curious.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone will be carrier/SIM unlocked, even if you buy it from T-Mobile.
drumist said:
The phone will be carrier/SIM unlocked, even if you buy it from T-Mobile.
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Click to collapse
Terrific! So it's just a matter of price, then, which I can certainly figure out myself. Thanks for answering!
chinly43 said:
Terrific! So it's just a matter of price, then, which I can certainly figure out myself. Thanks for answering!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Noo problemmmm
Hey the $199 cost is actually greater than if you simply bought the phone from the playstore or from tmobile for the value plan. The classic plan prices are much greater than the value plan, I would recommend getting the value plan where it will $200 upfront like the classic but you will pay the rest off monthly. Even with this cost added it is significantly cheaper than classic.
aces_500 said:
Hey the $199 cost is actually greater than if you simply bought the phone from the playstore or from tmobile for the value plan. The classic plan prices are much greater than the value plan, I would recommend getting the value plan where it will $200 upfront like the classic but you will pay the rest off monthly. Even with this cost added it is significantly cheaper than classic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I definitely appreciate the advice, and while what you're saying true for most people, I'm not sure if it applies to me. I'm on a family plan that has different contract-end dates for each line; what I've gathered online, then, is that although I'm past the end of my particular line's contract, because others are not we'd have to pay a $200 "migration fee" to change to the value-type plan, which would be $10/month cheaper. The combined extra $150 from the play store (or $350 from the t-mob store) and $200 fee don't offset the $240 saved with the cheaper bill.
On the other hand, I haven't asked in person at a T-mobile store if I'm getting this all correct, and I could easily be wrong. If anyone knows for sure, they could chime in here to let me know I'm right or wrong!
EDIT: Plus, the rest of the family would then not get discounts on their eventual new phones if they were to want them.
Thread title should be amended:
To be reamed or not to be reamed, that is the question.
And if you have to ask ......
compact_bijou said:
Thread title should be amended:
To be reamed or not to be reamed, that is the question.
And if you have to ask ......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Funny, but if you read through, it looks like if I'm planning to stick with the same (family) plan I have right now, it's probably cheaper for me to get it subsidized.
I wonder if you can go into the TMo and see if you can get the phone for the Play Store price.
I'd wait until the 13th and see.
chinly43 said:
So, while I've 100% decided to finally get a new, better phone (I'm currently using a T-mob G2, albeit on 4.0.4), and I've decided on the Nexus 4, I'm having a hard time deciding where to get it from. I'm hoping the wisdom of the xda userbase can help me make an informed decision.
I've been a T-mobile customer since 1998, and I don't really see myself leaving anytime soon. I'm on a "classic" plan and due for an upgrade, so the 16GB N4 would be $199 (after mail-in rebate), versus $349 from the play store.
Are there *any* differences between the two models? Not hardware-wise, obviously, but software. Will the carrier version be just as easily rootable as the play store version? If I'll definitely be with T-mobile for the life of the contract, without even considering the ETF then, is there any benefit to getting the unlocked version? My G2 is sim-unlocked, but I haven't used that aspect of it at all in the last two years.
Thanks for any advice you can give me.
-John
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to make sure, that means that we will have access to Google Wallet and everything else if we buy from T-Mobile, right?
bfspider said:
I wonder if you can go into the TMo and see if you can get the phone for the Play Store price.
I'd wait until the 13th and see.
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Doubt it. There wouldn't be a real reason to sell a phone without a contract and discount it down $150. No incentive for the store, T-Mobile, sales reps. etc.
Guys i have a question maybe you guys can answer for me. THis is the first time me and my husband have been with a GSM network and i plan on getting the phone through play store BUT here is my question....
"what are you guys talking about when you mention classic plan and value plan? Does tmobile charge you $200 then the extra a month on a regular upgrade if your available for one? Im so confused and have seen this floating around quit a bit. Does it only apply to this phone or do they do this with every phone? with my past carriers i have been able to get a phone when available for an upgrade at the upgrade price without extra a month so i am just curious as to what all this means?" Can someone please explain this to me lol
branzno said:
Guys i have a question maybe you guys can answer for me. THis is the first time me and my husband have been with a GSM network and i plan on getting the phone through play store BUT here is my question....
"what are you guys talking about when you mention classic plan and value plan? Does tmobile charge you $200 then the extra a month on a regular upgrade if your available for one? Im so confused and have seen this floating around quit a bit. Does it only apply to this phone or do they do this with every phone? with my past carriers i have been able to get a phone when available for an upgrade at the upgrade price without extra a month so i am just curious as to what all this means?" Can someone please explain this to me lol
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If I am correct, when you purchase the phone under a value plan you pay $200 but then you also pay a monthly amount in addition to your plan until the phone is fully paid off. The monthly amount you pay in addition to the initial 200 will add up to Tmobile's price for the device without a contract. However if you purchase the device under the classic plan, you pay one flat fee for the phone and there is no additional cost to your monthly plan besides the first months upgrade fee ($35 I believe).
chinly43 said:
Funny, but if you read through, it looks like if I'm planning to stick with the same (family) plan I have right now, it's probably cheaper for me to get it subsidized.
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If you (and only you) got off your family plan, you could go to StraightTalk (still using T-Mobile's coverage, or AT&T's if you prefer) and pay $45/mo. for unlimited everything. Is that still more expensive than your portion of your family plan costs? Seems unlikely.
Are you guys sure there are no differences? I just read that the T-Mobile version will be using their HSPA+42, while others will be using +21.
Oh wait, the site says 42. I HOPE THERE ARE NO DIFFERENCES because I will be buying it from the Play Store since I am on the poor family plan. Essentially I am saving $250.
AlleN7 said:
Are you guys sure there are no differences? I just read that the T-Mobile version will be using their HSPA+42, while others will be using +21.
Oh wait, the site says 42. I HOPE THERE ARE NO DIFFERENCES because I will be buying it from the Play Store since I am on the poor family plan. Essentially I am saving $250.
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I am pretty sure there are no differences between the devices! From all the articles I have read they seem to be exactly the same.
Any one know if they will be covered under insurane if bought from the play store? Wondering if the numbers match up so in case of an accident asurion wont weasel out as usual.
N2
Initial_G said:
I am pretty sure there are no differences between the devices! From all the articles I have read they seem to be exactly the same.
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At first I thought they were the same and then I got confused because I read an article where a guy was mad because only T-mobile was selling it with their contract. Others had to get it thru Google Store. Then he complained that it didnt have LTE and that T-mobile one had HSPA+ 42, while the other only had HSPA+ 21. I dunno. I can't wait!
Anyone else doing this? I have unlimited on one line and have pre ordered a note. I plan on transferring an eligible upgrade from an existing dumb phone line to a 2gb smartphone line to get the note at the upgrade price.
last time I went to best buy, they couldn't do this but that was awhile ago. Never had a problem with costco to do the upgrade swap. I recently did it an upgrade swap with my second line to keep my unlimited data. BTW, costco only charges tax on the sales price on the phone and not tax on the retail price of the phone which is nice.
theoretically said:
Anyone else doing this? I have unlimited on one line and have pre ordered a note. I plan on transferring an eligible upgrade from an existing dumb phone line to a 2gb smartphone line to get the note at the upgrade price.
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You can switch phones as often as you want between lines. However, be careful. I'm currently in quite the argument with Verizon supervisors about some miscommunication between myself and their reps.
I did this for my wife last month to get her the iPhone 6. Well the short version is when I went to put the "dumb phone" back on a basic 10$ add a line (like two different reps ASSURED me I could. And have done it twice in the past) I am now being told the new contracts say you must keep the 2gb 29.99 data plan through the length of the contract, regardless of what phone is on that line.
This is a new practice for them, and total BS because I've had this line for a longggg time. It's been a gigantic hassle while I wait for them to pull the phone calls, etc.
gerg004 said:
You can switch phones as often as you want between lines. However, be careful. I'm currently in quite the argument with Verizon supervisors about some miscommunication between myself and their reps.
I did this for my wife last month to get her the iPhone 6. Well the short version is when I went to put the "dumb phone" back on a basic 10$ add a line (like two different reps ASSURED me I could. And have done it twice in the past) I am now being told the new contracts say you must keep the 2gb 29.99 data plan through the length of the contract, regardless of what phone is on that line.
This is a new practice for them, and total BS because I've had this line for a longggg time. It's been a gigantic hassle while I wait for them to pull the phone calls, etc.
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I can use this method online thru vzw.com, if I transfer the upgrade from the dumbphone line (no data) to the 2gb smartphone line it doesn't prompt me to add data to the dumbphone line, it just verifies the 2gb line has data which is obv does. I understand what you're saying though, I saw some update to Verizon's policy at the end of August this year that does state if you add data to a line it must keep data for the life of the contract. Obviously if you were told by 2 reps they could remove it then they should honor it.
If nothing else I plan on doing this, just move the upgrade to the 2gb line. And activate the note 4 on the 2gb line. I'll then go to a Verizon corporate store and have them do a device swap between the 2gb line and the unlimited line device.
mugenfa5 said:
last time I went to best buy, they couldn't do this but that was awhile ago. Never had a problem with costco to do the upgrade swap. I recently did it an upgrade swap with my second line to keep my unlimited data. BTW, costco only charges tax on the sales price on the phone and not tax on the retail price of the phone which is nice.
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I was considering using Costco but the $200 gift card at best buy is such a good deal. I have an old droid x2 which isn't worth $10 @ Verizon or Costco (cannot qualify for the rebate thru Samsung) but is worth $15 at best buy....
I was going to use a phone line with data that is due but the upgrade is available. Best Buy will apply the offer to that line and then switch my sim card for my line into the N4. I say WAS, since without root I will not bother
with the N4. Need card writes for non stock apps. Too many emulator and media apps the access my 128gb card. No card writes means no Note 4 and probably six months to wait for Lollipop that MIGHT have external writes enabled for non stock apps.
With the BB method you MUST have them ship the phone and you activate it with your current UDP sim card.
gerg004 said:
You can switch phones as often as you want between lines. However, be careful. I'm currently in quite the argument with Verizon supervisors about some miscommunication between myself and their reps.
I did this for my wife last month to get her the iPhone 6. Well the short version is when I went to put the "dumb phone" back on a basic 10$ add a line (like two different reps ASSURED me I could. And have done it twice in the past) I am now being told the new contracts say you must keep the 2gb 29.99 data plan through the length of the contract, regardless of what phone is on that line.
This is a new practice for them, and total BS because I've had this line for a longggg time. It's been a gigantic hassle while I wait for them to pull the phone calls, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow this is new, if that is the case with costco, then I'm going to switch to Tmobile. Getting tired of Verizon dictatorship and crippling our devices.
theoretically said:
I was considering using Costco but the $200 gift card at best buy is such a good deal. I have an old droid x2 which isn't worth $10 @ Verizon or Costco (cannot qualify for the rebate thru Samsung) but is worth $15 at best buy....
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Click to collapse
Yeah, the $200 is nice but was unsure if Best Buy can still retain my unlimited data. Never had a problem with costco swapping upgrade dates. All I know for sure, once I lose unlimited data, I'm switching to Tmobile. Verizon almost got an instant termination from me when they announced throttling but luckily retracted from that.
deathshead said:
With the BB method you MUST have them ship the phone and you activate it with your current UDP sim card.
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Well since I have to pick the device up I'll just have them activate the note 4 on the 2gb line. I won't mention my unlimited data, I'll just go to Verizon corporate store to device swap or swap my SIM cards when I get home
deathshead said:
With the BB method you MUST have them ship the phone and you activate it with your current UDP sim card.
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Click to collapse
What conditions? BB will activate it on the line (if data on it already) and then do the switch in store. Fairly common practice by staff at my local store.
rushless said:
What conditions? BB will activate it on the line (if data on it already) and then do the switch in store. Common practice at my local store.
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Does best buy have extra vzw 4g LTE sim cards? I'm also looking to swap an iPhone onto a line that has data with 3g phone... Thanks
theoretically said:
Does best buy have extra vzw 4g LTE sim cards? I'm also looking to swap an iPhone onto a line that has data with 3g phone... Thanks
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I think the only way it works is if you have a device already with a sim card that fits. Not for sure though, so BB could tell you.
BB told me I can't just take the sim card from my G3, and swap it into the Note 4 when I buy it outright. They have to activate a new sim card that comes with it but they told me it does NOT effect my unlimited data at all.
tu3218 said:
BB told me I can't just take the sim card from my G3, and swap it into the Note 4 when I buy it outright. They have to activate a new sim card that comes with it but they told me it does NOT effect my unlimited data at all.
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I hope this is true. I'll find out this week
Edit: nvm I didn't see you were buying the device outright
Sorry, I was less than specific. BB activates the device with a data line with a new sim card for the new device and THEN swaps the user's sim card.
rushless said:
Sorry, I was less than specific. BB activates the device with a data line with a new sim card for the new device and THEN swaps the user's sim card.
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This is what I was looking for. Thanks!
mugenfa5 said:
Wow this is new, if that is the case with costco, then I'm going to switch to Tmobile. Getting tired of Verizon dictatorship and crippling our devices.
Yeah, the $200 is nice but was unsure if Best Buy can still retain my unlimited data. Never had a problem with costco swapping upgrade dates. All I know for sure, once I lose unlimited data, I'm switching to Tmobile. Verizon almost got an instant termination from me when they announced throttling but luckily retracted from that.
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What do you mean "retracted from that"???
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art90262 said:
What do you mean "retracted from that"???
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Verizon was previously talking about throttling unlimited data users. They eventually decided to drop that idea
art90262 said:
What do you mean "retracted from that"???
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http://money.cnn.com/2014/10/02/technology/mobile/verizon-throttle/
http://bgr.com/2014/10/01/verizon-unlimited-data-throttling-cancelled/
Sweet!! I heard a big fuzz about throttling but i never heard they oficially cancelled. I wonder if they also retracted on closing the loopholes to upgrade on dumb lines since both moves were being touted at the same time by big red.
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