Phones4U, CPW etc - Galaxy S II General

Hey all,
I've had a HTC Hero for a couple of years now and now is the time to upgrade. I've always gone straight to the networks to buy phones though (O2, Orange or whatever).
What are the benefits, pitfalls of using a 3rd Party? Is it safe to do, or is it better going with the networks.
Probably a newbie question this - but any advice would be cool!
Cheers!

Perfectly safe to do so. I have been with o2 directly, and a couple of times got phones from phones4u. Once you have done the intial purchase, all conctact is through the network
In this case, taking out a contract with phones4u is almost a bonus, as the handsets are unlocked.
They offer different deals to the networks, so the best thing to do is shop around and see where you can get the deal that suits you best from.

Hi
There's probably not much difference if you're buying from a reputable firm. If you have a problem the network customer service can be pretty frustrating at best anyway. Third parties will often try to stick on 'optional' insurance and support, so keep an eye out for that.
Big advantage of buying from a third party is that at the moment all of the SII's will be unbranded, and probably unlocked too. Orange and the like take their time to make a mess of the software once a phone has been released.
Other than that, just be wary of vague delivery promises.
I think that's the lot...

I always do my, upgrade, through phones 4 u... And I get an almost impossible deal through them where as orange my carrier always come out with some bs... Or a rubbish deal.... I think a good way to look at it is at phones 4 u they want to get you to upgrade/sign a contract due to commission or store targets where as with orange the person on the phone is still going to get his basic salary/hourly pay....so cba.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App

i stick to the same network because they offer the best coverage for where i live and work but i always buy my phones from third parties because the network usually get the phone a couple of months after it's come out and there's no point in waiting.
the advantages are that i get an unlocked phone every time (useful if i want to sell it when i upgrade) and i get android updates much faster because the manufacturers issue updates much faster than the network operators.
the disadvantage is that i could probably negotiate a better deal if i waited for the network because i've been a good customer for the last 3 or 4 years.

Related

So many purchase problems, now I am thinking iphone

I have tried unsuccessfully to purchase a Wing twice now. Last night I made a bid on a third one, however so much time has passed since I have been trying to get one that I am now out of time. I lost my phone last week and need a new one by Wednesday. In order to get my phone I will have to overnight it for early arrival on Wednesday. The total cost now puts me close to 400 which is the neighborhood of an iphone. When the iphone first came out I swore it was the phone for me but I wasn’t going to spend 600 for it. They have dropped in price to 399 for the 8 gig phone. I am going to have to unlock the phone though for T-mobile service which scares me a bit. I kept pretty close tabs on the whole unlock the iphone saga when it was first being done and it seemed that there was a pretty high failure rate at that time. A quick check on eBay reveals that there are a plethora of unlocked iphones for sale which tells me that they have perfected the process. So now I am at a cross roads. I can get the iphone tomorrow from an Apple store or AT&T’s stores. The Wing will have to be sent overnight if I can convince the seller to drop everything and run down to a FedEx office. So given the pros and cons of the purchase I see a pretty close match. Maybe I should be looking at the phones themselves. The processor on the iphone is way more powerful and so is the storage space. The thing I don’t like about the iphone is that it’s a mac which means I may have issues getting software for it on the open market. Then again it’s a seriously popular device and people may be writing all sorts of tools and software for it. It doesn’t have a dedicated keyboard either which I liked about the wing. So given the choice, should I seriously stick with the Wing or should I make the switch to the iphone? Opinions count but I would like to hear some concrete facts about the differences if I am to make a logical decision. Thanks in advance.
Have you considered you can walk into a Tmobile Store and get a wing for $349?
You talk about walking into an Apple Store vs. having a Wing shipped to you.... and that seems to be the deciding factor on which phone you're going to get. If you walk into a Tmobile store, you can get a Wing for $350 plus tax .... and if you walk into an Apple store, you can get an iPhone for $399 plus tax.
actually I cant get the wing for 349. It's a real pisser and if that was true I would have done that a week ago. I lost my phone (V3 Razor) about a week ago. The first thought that came to mind was go to T-mobile and get a new phone. My second thought was to upgrade into something like the Wing. I didn't know it existed at the time, but I thought that it would be a nice iPhone substitute at 350 since I believed the iphone to be 600. As it turns out I am 10 months away from my contract ending with T-mobile. I am 8 months away from qualifying for any T-mobile phone rebates. The Wing is 499 retail with 100 instant rebate and 50 mail in all of which require 2 additional years of contract. T-mobile will not allow me to extend my contract until I am 2 months or less from my current contract expiration. So to that end and to your point, the phone is not 350 to me it is 499 to me. That is why I started my search on eBay. I thought then as I think now, I can get a better deal on the Wing through eBay. However, I had the damnedest luck on this particular auction. I bid and won my first auction about 5 days ago and have not heard 1 word from the seller regarding the close of the auction. I believe he died and luckily I hadn't sent him any money. Maybe someday I will hear from the guy but at this point he wont respond to any emails nor has he complained about me not paying for the auction. I decided to try again and won a second auction for 255 on the wing. Great deal I thought until I actually paid for the auction only to find out that he already sold the phone to another party as well as collecting payment from me too. Now I have to deal with that big pile of crap but I still need a phone. So here I am needing to win yet another auction for my wing or I can just go to an At&t store and pick up the iphone.
Tough decision to make, one that i considered also. A couple of things to note first is:
Longevity: Remember iphone 2.0 is already in the works and might drop by the end of next year. Also remember T-Mobile's 3g service should start seeing implementation beginning next year. So now the question is, how long are you planning on keeping this phone? Another thing to consider is resale value if you opt to get another phone next year. I would assume an iphone in great condition should have a higher resale value over time than the wing.
Specs: iPhone is more powerful than Wing and also has more storage, has a multitouch display that is larger and with higher resolution.
UI and OS: iPhone beats Wing hands down for STOCK UI and OS, athough it is an unfair advantage. Apple made OSX on the iPhone from the ground up. It only has one platform to work with whereas WM6 is created to be cross-platform and work for different SP, PPC, and PDA that all have different specs and components. Although the dev comm definitely did an outstanding job of making wm6 more user friendly, and with upgrades to wm6 like Shadows's UI and Android around the corner, we'll see how this develops.
Dev. Community: Apple is releasing a SDK for iPhone early next year, so you should start seeing software for iPhone given enough time. Wing has an established dev comm as you can see - xda (The best!), modaco, howardforums, and others.
Apple vs. Microsoft: Which is the lesser of two evils?
Warranty: unlock your iPhone and you just voided your warranty. At least with wing something happens to it, you should be able to have T-Mobile help you in some way. At least, i would think.
Personally, i'm happy with my Wing. It might be no iPhone, but then again no other is. It's the little device that could, and while there are more powerful phones on the market, it still holds it own. Plus i like the idea that i can abuse it more than the iPhone. I feel HTC makes quality phones and i can't wait to see if T-Mobile releases HTC Touch Cruise for its 3g service (please, please, please). Plus, it's not a F'ing Sidekick! lol.
Unless you are in dire need of a pda phone right now, i would buy a cheap phone for the time and wait until the next round of pda phones come out. Take a look at the ATT tilt, for instance, much more powerful than the wing and im sure we'll see a price drop pretty quick.
Have you considered this?
http://www.fatwallet.org/forums/messageview.php?catid=18&threadid=733578
This is where I bought my wing, when the price was $49 after rebate, now it's $79 with free bluetooth headphone. You do need to sign-up another one year contract (no activation fee, free 2-day shipping) with Tmobile though, but you can combine your twon lines to a family plan and save some $$.
contract
unless you are within 2 months of your current contract expiring, you can not renew your contract with tmobile. Your account must be 60 days to contract expiration before you can get any rebates or discounts applied to your phone. I have mentioned that twice so far. It's a very important tip to pass on and to keep in mind with your own upgrade decisions in the future. If I qualified for any sort of assistance I would have bought the wing long ago.
FYI..I ended up with 3 failed auctions for the wing. Very strange situatation to say the least. In the end I went with the iphone but I am starting to wonder if that was a wise choice considering all the trouble I have had with it over the last week. I attempted for 48 hours straight to hack the iphone for use on t-mobile service. Apple has released an update sometime last month that pretty much locks the phone down for the next couple of weeks or months. Someone will surely figure out a way around it but for now its damn near impossible. I decided to sign up with att service and only after a week of fooling with this phone did I finally get it working today. About 6 hours after finally getting the phone up and running did I discover that it doesnt have VOIP support. Now at first glance that might seem like a meaningless attribute but this was the primary reason for me starting this little adventure of phone upgrading. I am going to start a new thread because I have more to tell and need help in making a choice.
if you use your phone almost like laptop then you won't like the iPhone. You will for for a little while till the wow factor wares off. It's definately pretty and very nice with all its tricks but the simple things it cant do. Some 3rd party apps attempt to fix this but it doesnt work all too well.
You'll take things for granted such as browsing to a site to download something and email it as an attatchment to someone or yourself.

Who is considering this phone?

I am a little, but the lemon in this whole thing is T-Mobile. They are cheap, have android but they don't have good service. I am on at&t and I am loving them(less and less apparently), and I want android again!
Anyone else in this same boat with the decision? I hope its faster when it gets released. Whats the ram and rom on this thing?
I have tmo and I have never had a problem let alone a dropped call. . . Also, if you live in major areas, anywhere near NYC, you are good to go no matter what carrier you have.
That being said I really like tmo for the service and support I get from them.
i have tmo also and never had any problems 3g works fine calls never drop. so the question of will i get a N1 most definitely and $530 is not to much to pay for the phone. and the ones who payd $699 for the i phone (plus contract) on the release cant talk
I've had T-Mobile for years now. They are pretty good. The only downside is that I don't get signal in school in some classrooms. But aren't I supposed to not be using a cellphone in class ?
The N1 has 512 MB RAM/ROM so it's pretty legit!
I have never once got a dropped call with tmobile. Bunch of friends have jesus phones (iphones) and always get terrible reception, dropped calls, sudden loss of signal, etc. My 3G is also faster then every friend's iphone when doing speed tests side by side. Throw in tmobile's excellent customer service, and you have an amazing cell company. I haven't had any issues with them whatsoever. I just called them yesterday morning and asked for an unlock code for my G1 and with no questions asked, they took my IMEI and email and said it would take 24 hours to get the code from the manufacturer. I got the code in my email a few hours ago. Seriously, people dont give tmobile enough credit. They call them the smallest of the big three, sure, but the smallest have to do a lot more than Verizon and AT&T to win over customers.
considering this phone? It's a must have for many!
Wanted to add this...
Since so many people are complaining about the unsubsidized price and crying about it being so much, I’ve crunched the numbers to calculate what the “real price” of the phone is when you buy it for $180 and sign a contract for a higher monthly payment. Note that the service you’re paying for is identical… you’re just paying more per month if you buy the phone subsidized.
Based on that information, using the prices of the 500 minute plans that T-mo offers, the “real price” of the phone when you pay $180 upfront is $660! How'd I come to this number? By subsidizing the phone, you agree to pay an extra $20 per month for the plan. That equals $480. $480+180=$660.
If Google was like Apple, they would be charging us over $600 for the unlocked and unsubsidized phone...
I am definitely fighting the wife over the unlocked price so I can get one. I seem to be winning so I might be getting one.
I have had T-Mobile for since '05, and I have never had any issues. Every year so far, I have gotten a new phone, 3 out of 4 have been full upgrades (supposed to be every 2 years) and the other was a partial. I have had exceptional help from customer service as I have a phone on my plan that resides outside of any T-mobile coverage (its actually funny, the phone runs off ATT towers... on a T-mobile plan... go figure). I have only had 1 dropped call in the last few years that I can think of. I live in Dayton OH, and we just got upgraded to 3g about 3 months ago. I am quite happy with T-Mobile. They are making giant strides to improving their network.
Edit: On a side note, I have used T-mobile extensively in Georgia(3 years), Texas(6 months) and now Ohio (6 months) and the network has been great in each of the locations. Also, having driven up and down the east coast at least 4 or 5 times from Vermont to Florida, I can say that the T-Mobiles network has been great, at least near the major highways. Heck it even worked great when I was in Alaska for a month.
Can I ask, why would someoen get this over the HTC variant?
Makes no sense considering the HTC Varient would have greater support and would have sense,
The HTC variant probably wont be a "google experience" device...but who knows.
Maedhros said:
Can I ask, why would someoen get this over the HTC variant?
Makes no sense considering the HTC Varient would have greater support and would have sense,
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Click to collapse
Personally, I'd rather have updates as soon as they come out, not after HTC updates SenseUI to work with updated Android releases.
The only reason that I am considering getting this phone over waiting for the Bravo is this forum. I have faith that the devs here can hook up a rom that will do pretty much anything on the Nexus that the Bravo or Passion can do. I could be wrong, and if I am let me know! I don't want to buy a phone that won't live up to standards that are 3 months down the road.
i know i am i have a touch pro 2 with tmobile i actually love the keyboard & everything but tmobiles version of the phone is the ugliest of the 4 companies & 2 of my friends have the sprint version which looks & is shaped much better & they keep rubbing it in my face (even though i got mines months b4 them) plus im bored of windows mobile so good buy tp2 hello nexus!!!!
Screw sense ui. i want stock android on a phone with 512mb RAM and a 1ghz processor. sign me up for the list of people getting this phone as soon as it is available.
david1171 said:
Screw sense ui. i want stock android on a phone with 512mb RAM and a 1ghz processor. sign me up for the list of people getting this phone as soon as it is available.
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Click to collapse
This is what I want too. I don't want some junked up UI being pushed on me. Thats one big reason I can't even get myself to consider the SE X10. I don't want a UI. I want vanilla Android that I can alter as I want.
If I want a UI, flashing a ROM works for me.
Does anyone know, if they ship it to Europe?
If they do, I will buy it asap
+1
i'll buy a nexus, after a couple of months worth of other people using it and posting it's cons/pros.
why ?
the processor, and ram
and
two very major companies are trying to help people understand that BUYING something means you OWN it... as opposed to signing a effing contract with some service provider, for 2x what a device and service is worth. some day, americans will see the light and stop financing so much simple crap. i hope.
Of crouse i am hah! Even made a site for it! pshh n1user.com
I'll get one. Why? I want a native Google Phone and do hope that the softwaresupport would be very good (like the G1 at least) and we'll get all major updates. I don't like Sense anyway.
I'll probably get one because my iPhone sucks (some of the games and stuff are cool, but the overall performance isn't that good) and i don't want a WM-phone again.

Dell Venue Pro concerns due to T-Mobile to AT&T?

As of March 20, 2011, there has been the widespread news that AT&T agrees to buyout T-Mobile. As much as a shock it may be to previous T-Mobile users, it is a major shock to me as well. At first, I wasn't concerned about the situation since it needs to be approved and it will take about a year or two for changes to be made. Yet, it only took 24 hours for me to grow major concerns about the service, pricing and the Dell Venue Pro
I currently sit at my desk with an "unopened" shipping box containing my long-awaited Dell Venue Pro. This is a moment that I thought was suppose to be enjoyable as I get ready to unveil a phone that I have long awaited for. That is until I read this news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110321/ap_on_hi_te/us_at_t_t_mobile_usa_phones_7 (I could not attach a hyperlink since I'm a new user, sorry)
It may take around 1 to 2 years for this to take effect, but what then afterward? Seems to me that the Dell Venue Pro has an expiration date. EDGE service "may" continue to work, but 3G will be eliminated in the process. So everyone that has spent hundreds on this phone will automatically be downgraded once the process kicks in.
Maybe the option to upgrade your device will come along, but what guarantee is there that there will be a Dell Venue Pro that is fully compatible with AT&T? I just don't know if I should just return this phone and wait for something else. I'm a person who can maintain a phone for up to 3+ years yet it seems unwise for me to invest hundreds on a phone, that in time, will have limited service.
So for those who own the Dell Venue Pro or plan on purchasing it, it is worth the short investment, even if EDGE continues to work? Or should I place my investment elsewhere and/or hope that an updated Dell Venue Pro is released in the future?
Thanks for your time and I apologize for the long thread.
My thought is that by the time this all happens I will probably want an LTE phone anyway. There are a lot of 3G T-Mobile phones out there and I can't imagine they are just going to pull the plug on everyone. More likely it will be a slow transition over a long period of time.
pjfan75 said:
My thought is that by the time this all happens I will probably want an LTE phone anyway. There are a lot of 3G T-Mobile phones out there and I can't imagine they are just going to pull the plug on everyone. More likely it will be a slow transition over a long period of time.
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Understandable. I just hope that the process does take a long period of time so I can make the best out of the phone before any limitations occur, if it does happen.
I'd stick with the DVP.
Firstly, given the infancy of the smartphone market, every new device is going to have to put up a fight against Moore's Law. That is, a phone that you buy today, just like your PC or your video card, is going to be obsolete in a matter of 18-24 months.
Secondly, T-Mobile has made humongous investments in those 3G towers. So has AT&T. It costs these companies to *take out* a feature than to install it, especially so towards the end of life of a network technology. The FTC/FCC do not have a law on phasing out (I could be wrong on this one, but I am certain) network protocols over time. This is also the reason you still get EDGE coverage when everything else fails.
Finally, the deal is pending FTC/FCC approval. There is a long, drawn-out public process with the SEC, after which other federal agencies will step in to voice their concerns. Remember, Ma Bell was split up back in the day because it was involved in monopolistic activities. If this merger goes into effect, the consumers are going to be faced with a virtual monopoly as far as GSM technology goes. My point is that the deal may fall apart.
So, if your investment horizon is around 2-3 years and you love the DVP, then just keep it.
Just gives me another reason to run back to Sprint once they get a device that appeals to me
When T-mobile merged with Orange in the UK they didn't turn either of the networks off, they allowed roaming between them and extended their infrastructure.
AT&T are highly unlikely to turn off the T-mobile network, they will probably phase them both towards LTE, but by the time that's finalised your DVP will be long upgraded anyway.
937dytboi said:
Just gives me another reason to run back to Sprint once they get a device that appeals to me
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Don't be too certain there, bud. Verizon may make the next move to buy Sprint. Remember that Sprint is also CDMA, so there are "synergies" to be realized by Verizon, assuming it thinks that AT&T's takeover of TMO is going to undermine its market position.
Of course, if you like Verizon (and thereby CDMA), what the heck are you doing in the DVP forum?
I agree with ZappiestOyster's comments. If the sky is falling (IF!!!), we have quite a long time to enjoy our DVPs before the worst case scenario would play out.
elyl said:
When T-mobile merged with Orange in the UK they didn't turn either of the networks off, they allowed roaming between them and extended their infrastructure.
AT&T are highly unlikely to turn off the T-mobile network, they will probably phase them both towards LTE, but by the time that's finalised your DVP will be long upgraded anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is exactly what will happen from what i am told and read
937dytboi said:
Just gives me another reason to run back to Sprint once they get a device that appeals to me
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Quoted for truth. The only reason I even touched anything besides my Sprint was because of the delay in getting Windows Phone 7 to the cdma carriers. Had the HD7 Pro been released in January like it was anticipated, I wouldn't even be in this forum (though this hardware is SO much nicer).
bbowman said:
I agree with ZappiestOyster's comments. If the sky is falling (IF!!!), we have quite a long time to enjoy our DVPs before the worst case scenario would play out.
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Yup! I took ZappiestOyster's comment into consideration and I can only say that I absolutely love this phone! It satisfies my needs in so many ways. The way it looks, feels and the overall performance of the device is just incredible. If Microsoft gets their updates on point, this will be one incredible piece of electronic to own.
goldaar said:
Quoted for truth. The only reason I even touched anything besides my Sprint was because of the delay in getting Windows Phone 7 to the cdma carriers. Had the HD7 Pro been released in January like it was anticipated, I wouldn't even be in this forum (though this hardware is SO much nicer).
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I've had my shares of many different networks experiences (all 4 major carriers) but I have to say Sprint was the worst. (Los Angeles area) but I am happy with Tmobile other than the extremely bad ringback tones.
This MAYBE why a DVP with AT&T bands was spotted at the FTC.. love it if AT&T offered the DVP and a painless swap for us with them. Doubt that will happen. BUt would be nice for the DVP to get more distribution here in the states since Tmo apparently HATES W7 and is acting like a Android fan boy..
cdgoin said:
This MAYBE why a DVP with AT&T bands was spotted at the FTC.. love it if AT&T offered the DVP and a painless swap for us with them. Doubt that will happen. BUt would be nice for the DVP to get more distribution here in the states since Tmo apparently HATES W7 and is acting like a Android fan boy..
Click to expand...
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This phone is faulty and should only see distribution to the nearest rubbish tip.
efjay said:
This phone is faulty and should only see distribution to the nearest rubbish tip.
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The 16GB maybe (See SD Card problems) I have owned 2 8GB and both are flawless..
Only a slight problem with lint under the screen on one of them. I simply love the phone and its unique form factor.
cdgoin said:
The 16GB maybe (See SD Card problems) I have owned 2 8GB and both are flawless..
Only a slight problem with lint under the screen on one of them. I simply love the phone and its unique form factor.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Still faulty, its not as though we added the memory ourselves, the 16GB versions were sold to us by Dell and whatever the reason dont function properly. The 8GB version performing ok has no bearing on that.
cdgoin said:
This MAYBE why a DVP with AT&T bands was spotted at the FTC.. love it if AT&T offered the DVP and a painless swap for us with them. Doubt that will happen. BUt would be nice for the DVP to get more distribution here in the states since Tmo apparently HATES W7 and is acting like a Android fan boy..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DVP was for Rogers. Same frequency, different country.
As for the merger, I don't think that it will go through just because of the fact that it seems like a GSM monopoly and the fact that it will screw over consumers with raised prices (less competition). Only plus side being that AT&T users get more coverage.

Anyone in the UK got a 920 yet?

I've been asking around EE stores since the 2nd (when Nokia said it would be available) but it just seems EE and Phones4U have pretty much no definite date when it is coming! Just me?
comeradealexi said:
I've been asking around EE stores since the 2nd (when Nokia said it would be available) but it just seems EE and Phones4U have pretty much no definite date when it is coming! Just me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not many people at all if anyone does. EE are pushing nokia for changes or branding and this is holding the phones up.
Nope - seriously thinking about it as I really like the new offering... but if its EE only for 6 months they will loose me to Nexus4 BIG MISTAKE NOKIA! I have my own SIM and want to buy.... absolutely no way I'll be signing a £40+ a month contract with EE!
Got one today from one of the Phones4u/Curry's concession stores on the north circular in London for £459
simfree but locked to EE/Orange/Tmobile, tried in store with Three and O2 sim cards but none worked "your device works only certain carriers, contact customer services" or something along those lines.
Mine arrived this morning. Heavier than I expected, but a piece of class. Just in the process of getting all my XBL games installed...
Poor old HD7 is sat on a shelf, watching with a tear in his soon-to-be-sold lens...
Had mine on order from EE for a week, told it would be posted out on the 9th, now early next week :s
I just picked up a sim free model today from phones4u, and was quite pissed
To find its locked to ee when I got home. I'm on 3 and have no intention of changing network so sadly its going back tomorrow .
Update: well I called phones4u customer service this morning and they were really apologetic and offered an instant refund, they even rang the local store for me and told them I was coming to return the phone. A guy in the store checked a few other 920's with the stock checker thing, they registered as unlocked, but when I tried my 3 sim in them they wouldn't accept it. I doubt I'll get 920now as by the time the EE exclusivity expires, there'll be better phones out.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
I won't be getting a 920 because of EE, i'm with t-mobile currently but don't want to stay with them as signal strength in my area is not great, used to be on o2 and would be perfect around here, looking to switch back to o2/vodaphone, and sadly theres no 920, and since it seems to be sim locked then definatly no chance of me getting one.
Also dislike t-mobiles policy of charging to hear voicemail. Haven't checked if EE are the same but since i'm on the EE network now and coverage hasn't got better i'm not sold.
The staff in my local Phones4U were aware that the 920 was locked to EE (T-Mobile and Orange), so I think it's a store education issue that you experienced.
Yep - Nokia is dropping a real bollock here.... I'd like the phone, but not with EE!
As been said, by the time they release it fully better stuff will be about.... crazy.
Just ordered my 920 through Dialaphone for £28 a month, should be here Wednesday to replace my old Omnia 7
I lied! I had no intention of getting the 920 but I phoned to cancel with t-mobile and they did a silly low price contract with a fee for the phone, essentially its costing less than £450 for 2 yr contract with phone, felt it rude to turn it down. I am still annoyed about the voicemail thing mind, but since o2 was going to cost around £100 more the 2 years with the 820 I figured I can live with it! (that was with staff discount as well!)
I haven't got it yet, but one of my friends recieved the black 920, haven't seen it yet but he said he couldn't get over how impressive the screen is.
I take it theres no way to simunlock these devices yet?

Launch Day Hype

I went down to the local Sprint store around noon to check out the HTC One today. There were only a couple of people in the store. There was a very plain white banner and one silver HTC One for display. Next to the One was an EVO 4G LTE. I was able to walk right over and play with the device. A sales rep came over after a couple of minutes and asked if I have any questions. His knowledge on the phone was limited and we even had a hard time finding some music or getting the internet connection to pick up You Tube so I could check out the speakers. Eventually another shopper came in who was interested in the phone and was considering the HTC One, Note 2 or less likely a the GS4. I asked the rep if they had a lot of people come in and buy the phone. He said they had sold 2.
This isn't exactly a great launch for a company that is heavily relying on the success of one product. Besides checking the latest phone sites, I haven't heard or seen anything from HTC that they are launching their new flagship. There wasn't a long line of excited fanboys waiting to get their hands on the latest and greatest HTC phone. I would consider myself a fan of HTC. I believe they have a superior build quality and I enjoy the love it or hate it Sense. I would like to see HTC thrive in this competitive market.
I am sure a lot of you on this site have either run out to your local Sprint or Best Buy to either check out or buy your HTC One. What was your experience like? Was there a long line or crowd giddy with excitement or has launch day been somewhat of a dud?
Here is some information that will fuel the rumors: I asked the rep if they had a black One in stock. He said that they aren't available at this time. When it does come in, it will only be available in 64 gig. I told him I thought AT&T had exclusivity on the 64 gig model. He said that the exclusivity is only for a short time, and they are waiting to launch it on Sprint. He wasn't sure if the Silver would be available in 64 gig. Take this information with a grain of salt since you are first reading this on the internet and it came from a Sprint employee.
Sounds viable enough though, since exclusivity on stuff like that is usually not a permanent thing.
And even if your local sprint store hasn't sold many Ones, I'm pretty confident this will be the best selling HTC ever. If it will save HTC or not I have no clue about though.
oops wrong thread!
ttown said:
I am sure a lot of you on this site have either run out to your local Sprint or Best Buy to either check out or buy your HTC One. What was your experience like? Was there a long line or crowd giddy with excitement or has launch day been somewhat of a dud?
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In the U.S., because of subsidization, there's really no launch "day" as people tend to get a new phone when their contract permits. The masses also aren't as passionate as we are about new mobile devices. As for in-store activities, co-op advertising (Sprint<>HTC), and how devices are featured in-store those are all things that the manufacturers pay for. HTC seems to be doing more for the One this year (maybe because it's unmolested on three carriers) than last year on TV and online. They have a limited budget so it is what it is. Unless incented in a specific financial direction the U.S. carriers could care less what phones people buy as long as they commit to two years of wireless service. So the iPhone, SGSX, and One are all just a means to an end.
I bought the last one available at my closest Sprint store. I go in until about 7:00, though.
BarryH_GEG said:
In the U.S., because of subsidization, there's really no launch "day" as people tend to get a new phone when their contract permits. The masses also aren't as passionate as we are about new mobile devices. As for in-store activities, co-op advertising (Sprint<>HTC), and how devices are featured in-store those are all things that the manufacturers pay for. HTC seems to be doing more for the One this year (maybe because it's unmolested on three carriers) than last year on TV and online. They have a limited budget so it is what it is. Unless incented in a specific financial direction the U.S. carriers could care less what phones people buy as long as they commit to two years of wireless service. So the iPhone, SGSX, and One are all just a means to an end.
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I have to disagree. How many times has Apple had a long line on and before their launch day. I'm not a fan of Apple, but they definitely know how to create demand.
I understand HTC doesn't have deep pockets like Samsung and Apple, but I believe they could be more creative to woo the masses. If people really wanted a product, they won't let their two year commitment get in the way. When I bought my EVO 4G LTE there was a lot of buzz in that same store just a year ago.
It is still early and I agree that this phone will sell, but HTC can do better to create demand for their premium phone.
Sent from my EVO using xda app-developers app
Apple's been going so long with the hype now... I wonder how many people just have their 2 years ending around the release date of it.
ttown said:
I have to disagree. How many times has Apple had a long line on and before their launch day. I'm not a fan of Apple, but they definitely know how to create demand.
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Do you think people are going to line up in advance for the SGS4? I don't. There may be some small crowds at larger stores in bigger markets but Android phones don't have the cult-like following iDevices do. My non-geek friends with Android phones couldn't even tell you their specs. And none of them would pay more than $199 for a phone to get one any earlier than their contract permitted so unless there's a bunch of contracts expiring this month there shouldn't be any rushes at the check-out counters.
BarryH_GEG said:
Do you think people are going to line up in advance for the SGS4? I don't. There may be some small crowds at larger stores in bigger markets but Android phones don't have the cult-like following iDevices do. My non-geek friends with Android phones couldn't even tell you their specs. And none of them would pay more than $199 for a phone to get one any earlier than their contract permitted so unless there's a bunch of contracts expiring this month there shouldn't be any rushes at the check-out counters.
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I don't know anybody with an iPhone that can tell you it's specs.
ttown said:
I went down to the local Sprint store around noon to check out the HTC One today. There were only a couple of people in the store. There was a very plain white banner and one silver HTC One for display. Next to the One was an EVO 4G LTE. I was able to walk right over and play with the device. A sales rep came over after a couple of minutes and asked if I have any questions. His knowledge on the phone was limited and we even had a hard time finding some music or getting the internet connection to pick up You Tube so I could check out the speakers. Eventually another shopper came in who was interested in the phone and was considering the HTC One, Note 2 or less likely a the GS4. I asked the rep if they had a lot of people come in and buy the phone. He said they had sold 2.
This isn't exactly a great launch for a company that is heavily relying on the success of one product. Besides checking the latest phone sites, I haven't heard or seen anything from HTC that they are launching their new flagship. There wasn't a long line of excited fanboys waiting to get their hands on the latest and greatest HTC phone. I would consider myself a fan of HTC. I believe they have a superior build quality and I enjoy the love it or hate it Sense. I would like to see HTC thrive in this competitive market.
I am sure a lot of you on this site have either run out to your local Sprint or Best Buy to either check out or buy your HTC One. What was your experience like? Was there a long line or crowd giddy with excitement or has launch day been somewhat of a dud?
Here is some information that will fuel the rumors: I asked the rep if they had a black One in stock. He said that they aren't available at this time. When it does come in, it will only be available in 64 gig. I told him I thought AT&T had exclusivity on the 64 gig model. He said that the exclusivity is only for a short time, and they are waiting to launch it on Sprint. He wasn't sure if the Silver would be available in 64 gig. Take this information with a grain of salt since you are first reading this on the internet and it came from a Sprint employee.
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Click to collapse
Sold out in most UK retailers. Perhaps more popular here than the USA.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
The iPhone is usually the only device that you need to line up at a retail store to get it on launch day. The HTC One was available online long before it became available in stores, and I'll still get mine delivered from T-Mobile even before they have any in the stores. The flubbed orders and instability of the website seemed to at least suggest the phone is popular online, so I don't think HTC has anything to worry about in terms of demand at the moment.
A lot of phones get staggered availability in the US as well because no two of the four major carriers utilize the same bands and frequencies. You need four different sets of radios to match each of the carriers, meanwhile Europe just gets the single international version. It's probably the reason why the launch had to be delayed, and Europe ended up getting their hands on it first. It's also why you won't see much availability for the black version in the US, because you've already got three versions of the silver phone, and having the black option would mean three more versions of the phone to distribute.
HTC is doing the best they can, but right now they're probably looking primarily to European sales to help drag them out of the ditch.

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