Database Users

[Poll] On contract or Off contract?

So I have been thinking. What would I be willing to pay for a phone off contract? Well. Bought my Vibrant for off contract, and it took a nice piece out of my wallet.
So my question is for you guys, Would you be willing to pay for a phone off contract for the right price? What would that price be?
Please leave comments on what you think.
I realize this is a very general question but I'm turning to my fellow Vibrant owners first.

Question to you or anybody that bought it off contract...Do you guys have a data plan?

No data plan. The only reason I bought it off contract
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

emonero said:
Question to you or anybody that bought it off contract...Do you guys have a data plan?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought 2 Vibrants off contract when T-Mo had some crazy Bing cash back - like 25% or something. I do have a data plan with both.
Now, we use Even More Plus, so between the two of us we're saving something like $40/month over the rates on an equivalent Even More plan. That quickly adds up to make buying off-contract a better option if you can get phones for even slightly below MSRP, and it's an absolute no brainer for a phone enthusiast who likes to switch often and trade on Ebay or Craigslist.
I'm very disappointed that EM+ seems to be going away. It's one of the reasons I switched to T-Mobile and IMO is about the best value in mobile.

Even more plus, bought off contract with payment plan (reimbursed through work though).
All of my phones eventually become my wife's phones when I choose to upgrade.

contract is a gimmick and you eventually pay full price for phone. What do you think that extra $20 or so month goes to
my no contract Even More 500TTW is $60 on contract its $80 no thanks

To quickly crunch some numbers...
On contact the phone cost roughly $200 and an additional $20 a month over the EM+ plan. Over the 24 month contract that equals a $680 phone.
From my perspective anything under that price is worth it. Not to mention out of contract allows for mobile flexibility should you need it.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

Last fathers day I wanted to cash in on the 2 free phone deal, and being an existing tmobile member for the last 5 years I was not eligible, so I called them anyways and said I have been with tmobile for the last 5 years and want to cash in on this fathers day deal, long story short........got transfered to the loyalty department and they gave me 2 free phones of my choice with the signing off a 2 year contract when my current contract is up at my same no contract rate........here is the greatest part, I can choose any phone whenever I want. so haveing the G1 for so long I said screw it I'll take a Vibrant, now I still have 1 more free phone left to get, my girl likes my vibrant, so I was thinking of handing this one to her and grabbing the Nexus S, but we will see.
Anyways the moral of the story, call and talk to someone, be calm, and ask lots of questions, they are nice at tmobile and they will bend over backwards to keep you as a customer.
Edit: I should also say that I got my G1 for $20 + $50 mail in rebate, so I ended up getting paid $30 and signed a 1 year contract at my current grandfathered rate.......just call and talk to t-mobile

a400meter said:
To quickly crunch some numbers...
On contact the phone cost roughly $200 and an additional $20 a month over the EM+ plan. Over the 24 month contract that equals a $680 phone.
From my perspective anything under that price is worth it. Not to mention out of contract allows for mobile flexibility should you need it.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well US phones typically have their bands locked down (or are missing bands). Mobile flexibility probably would amtter to someone who has i.e. a Nokia N8 with a pentaband radio - but a Vibrant doesn't have that.
Going on Contract is cheaper. If you ever want to switch carriers you can just ETF the contract. It goes down every month you're on the contract.
That way you don't have to come up with so much up front for the phone.
Also, you get rebates on contract phones that sometimes aren't available if you buy the phone off-contract (i.e. Web Deals, etc.).

If you do the calculations, off contract is cheaper in the long term.

Not by much considerimg it's over a 2 yeat period. Mosy people don't care.
Thr upfront cost for an unlocked phone is simply too high for most.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

For me, going off-contract was good. It saved me $20 (plus tax) a month on phone charges, and, since I am planning on keeping this phone for a while, it's more than paid for. For me, having a contract and "subsidized" phones means being locked in to the carrier, and ending up paying full price (or more) for the phone on the installment plan.

On contract here. I don't think I could shell out $400+ for a phone just to be an early adopter.
I pay $120 a month for the 700 min family plan which includes my Vibrant with data, 400 texts, insurance, 2 extra lines with 400 texts each and [email protected] home. I also get a %15 discount through my work. There is no other carrier that would come close too that price. I will always buy on contract and keep my grandfathered plan.

Haha i got it free from t-mobile somehow i forgot it has something to do with trading in crappy phones.

Two year contract got me a vibrant for free not on an upgrade ;p
The day this phone came out!!
nero beta

badaphooko01 said:
On contract here. I don't think I could shell out $400+ for a phone just to be an early adopter.
I pay $120 a month for the 700 min family plan which includes my Vibrant with data, 400 texts, insurance, 2 extra lines with 400 texts each and [email protected] home. I also get a %15 discount through my work. There is no other carrier that would come close too that price. I will always buy on contract and keep my grandfathered plan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sprint would be cheaper. They have just as good discounts as tmo, better for us, but unfortunately no service..
Oh, and unlimited texts, too.
Important on a droid... No push notifications for most (this) phone for fb/twitter.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

N8ter said:
Well US phones typically have their bands locked down (or are missing bands). Mobile flexibility probably would amtter to someone who has i.e. a Nokia N8 with a pentaband radio - but a Vibrant doesn't have that.
Going on Contract is cheaper. If you ever want to switch carriers you can just ETF the contract. It goes down every month you're on the contract.
That way you don't have to come up with so much up front for the phone.
Also, you get rebates on contract phones that sometimes aren't available if you buy the phone off-contract (i.e. Web Deals, etc.).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The vibrant actually does have 3g bands for at&t, even though what you say about missing bands is usually true.
Regarding price, if you have a data plan, em+ saves at least $20/month versus contract pricing, so for contract to be cheaper you'd need to either save $480 on a phone, (or less, if you convince tmo to give you phones more frequently).
Now I only paid $300 for our vibrants after rebates, so it was clearly cheaper in our case.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App

Monthly bill with unlocked nexus s

Hey guys I know that the bill is cheaper bit searching I can not find anything current how much cheaper

BrianDigital said:
Hey guys I know that the bill is cheaper bit searching I can not find anything current how much cheaper
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's $20 per month cheaper IF you get your plan switched to the Even More Plus contract-free plan.
It's not cheaper automatically, as far as I know, if you're on a current contract rate and don't ask for the change...

distortedloop said:
It's $20 per month cheaper IF you get your plan switched to the Even More Plus contract-free plan.
It's not cheaper automatically, as far as I know, if you're on a current contract rate and don't ask for the change...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i would be coming into tmobile with no contract so it would not be cheaper

BrianDigital said:
i would be coming into tmobile with no contract so it would not be cheaper
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it would be cheaper.
If you're not currently a T-Mobile customer, and you buy the phone contract free and at an unsubsidized price, you can ask for the Even More Plus plan, and you will get a rate that is $20 per month cheaper than people who buy the phone for $199 with a two year contract pay per month.
The Even More Plus plan is not available online any more, you have to go into a T-Mo store and ask for it specifically... I'm not sure Best Buy can/will offer it to you.
What I did with my Nexus One was go into a T-Mo store and buy the sim card before my phone even came in, then just plugged the sim into the phone when it was delivered.

I pay $59.99/mo for 500 talk minutes, unlimited text and unlimited web AND I'm not tied to any contract (well other than the monthly contract). You still get free nights and weekends and all that good stuff.
No reason to not buy the phone at full price and unsubsidized, unless you don't want to fork over $580 all at once. In the long run it's a better deal.

irishrally said:
I pay $59.99/mo for 500 talk minutes, unlimited text and unlimited web AND I'm not tied to any contract (well other than the monthly contract). You still get free nights and weekends and all that good stuff.
No reason to not buy the phone at full price and unsubsidized, unless you don't want to fork over $580 all at once. In the long run it's a better deal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This
also $59 off contract and when on contract it comes to $79

demo23019 said:
This
also $59 off contract and when on contract it comes to $79
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice so the data only sim will be like thirty a month, On sprint I use about 60 minutes a month(data is another issue) and with gizmo5 and gv is going to be how I make my few random cell phone calls

distortedloop is correct; T-Mobile's pricing is such that plans are marginally less expensive if you are not on contract.

BrianDigital said:
Hey guys I know that the bill is cheaper bit searching I can not find anything current how much cheaper
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just so you know, ALL Nexus S's are sold unlocked. The word you're looking for is "unsubsidized", or full price.
People have been saying that Even More Plus (no contract) plans are $20/month cheaper than Even More (contract) plans. This is only partially true. The Phone+Text+Data plans are $20/month cheaper. Phone+Text (no data) plans, and data only plans, are $10/month cheaper.
The general Even More Plus plans are not available online (with the exception of the data only plan which I linked above). You'd need to go to a T-Mobile store (or call customer service) to get the general EM+ plan.

demo23019 said:
This
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1, yes you will save in the long run
I was in a loyalty unlimited plan ($84.99) for 2 years with my G1. Wanted to save more in the long run so I opted for the "non-contract" Even More Plus Plan ($59.99). I had to call Customer Care to be able to change my loyalty unlimited plan. So in 2 years similar to signing a 2 year cotnract, I save $250.
Like others suggested, buy the sim card for the Even More "Plus" plan for $59.99
and just buy the phone outright.

Even More Plus is really only beneficial for single lines. If you have more than one, it's not worth it.

HotShotAzn said:
Even More Plus is really only beneficial for single lines. If you have more than one, it's not worth it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why's that? The cheapest Talk+Text+UnlWeb family plan is $30/month cheaper on EM+ than on EM. And the savings increast with the higher-minute plans.

where are you guys seeing EMP plans? i thought t-mobile got rid of them, i certainly can't find it on their site.

I'm still in contract with my G1 plan. $79.99 with unlimited talk/text/data.

bcl0328 said:
where are you guys seeing EMP plans? i thought t-mobile got rid of them, i certainly can't find it on their site.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
they don't, you have to call Customer Care and ask for it, I believe they are being phased out

Nexus MC said:
they don't, you have to call Customer Care and ask for it, I believe they are being phased out
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I work at a T-Mobile COR store and this seems to be the plan in the next few months.

ichan444 said:
I work at a T-Mobile COR store and this seems to be the plan in the next few months.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm actually surprised that T-Mobile is still offering it. I would have thought they stopped offering them as of now.

ravidavi said:
Why's that? The cheapest Talk+Text+UnlWeb family plan is $30/month cheaper on EM+ than on EM. And the savings increast with the higher-minute plans.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Current Plan:
Even More 1500: $79.99
Data Plan (2): $40
Unlimited Family Messaging: $20
Two phones: Free til 2012
Total: $140
Even More Plus 1500: $119.99
Data Plan (2): Included
Unlimited Family Messaging: Included
Two phones: $10
Total: $130.00
That's only $10 a month cheaper for EMP. When I have to start paying the other two lines, it'll be $20 a month cheaper...which is the general consensus that EMP saves ($20/month).
$20 a month for 22 months = $440.
Now go to upgrade your phones. I need two smart phones and two regular phones.
Even more: Free (2 Vibrants, 2 Gravity T)
Even more plus: 2 Vibrants at retail ($400? each) and 2 Gravity T at retail ($175? each) = $1150 (this may be a high estimate) - $440 (savings) = $710
The difference I save each month on EMP does not offset the price I have to pay to buy phones outright.

BrianDigital said:
Nice so the data only sim will be like thirty a month, On sprint I use about 60 minutes a month(data is another issue) and with gizmo5 and gv is going to be how I make my few random cell phone calls
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Data only sim is $50. It used to be $30

HotShotAzn said:
Current Plan:
Even More 1500: $79.99
Data Plan (2): $40
Unlimited Family Messaging: $20
Two phones: Free til 2012
Total: $140
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I must be missing something. On T-Mobile's website, the EM1500 plan with unlimited txt + data is $160/month. Is your plan maybe part of some special? Or do you have 4 of the $10/month (200MB cap) data plans?
From your description, it's tough to tell whether you have 4 lines or 2 (since you say "once I have to start paying for 2 lines").
I realize we're kinda sidetracking the main thread here ... I'm just curious about your plan for some reason.

AT&T Galaxy Tab Cost

Everyone is lowering the price of the Tab, except for ATT. Why does ATT think they can still charge so much for the Tab?

They don't have a subsidy on the Tab since there is no contract. It's currently $550 and the Verizon/Sprint models are $499 I believe. The AT&T Tab was initially $50 more and it has held the same after the discount. The data plan is a better deal than the others so it would make up for it in the long run. 2gb is $25 and you can get a small 200mb plan for $15.

AT&T tab does come w $50 credit for MediaHub rental, better storage capacity (comparing w some providers, not all) and the only one right now, if it matters to you, that will allow u to have 3G & phone call features at the same time.

Right, I think it's a better value because you can do those two things easily. I resented t-mo, and I'm growing to like at&t.

Hmmm, maybe I should just buy a brand new one from AT&T and forget about buying a used T-mobile version.

let's see....verizon has the tab for $200. a plan for 20 a month. that's 480 over 24 months plus the original 200...comes to 680. That's not bad. Compared to att's 549, plus you get 3g service.

rangercaptain said:
Right, I think it's a better value because you can do those two things easily. I resented t-mo, and I'm growing to like at&t.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed!!!
Sent from my SGH-I987 using XDA Premium App

T-Mobile will NOT sell it at 499, or AT ALL, unless you get a plan. I was so pissed that I wrote a four-page letter. Not that T-Mobile will read it, but ... I am generally cool with them. They are all over the place, and their CSRs have no CLUE what they are doing.
You should just be aware because it caused me a lot of annoyance, and it would be sad to see it happen to someone else. T-Mobile's pricing is also just weird. Why would you offer a no-commitment price, but with a catch??? And it's not even on those little pricing cards in the store.
Oh, and if you can get 2 gigs for a no-committment data plan with AT&T, definitely go with them. T-Mobile has nothing comparable, at all. 100 megs for a week for 10 bucks sounds great, but it's completely useless. Then they want 30 bucks for 300 megs over a month.
They missed the ball on that one.
It is a beeeeyoootiful device ... I mean gorgeous looking. It also has a ton of potential, but you may be better off waiting until Samsung gets their software together.

lockheedload said:
let's see....verizon has the tab for $200. a plan for 20 a month. that's 480 over 24 months plus the original 200...comes to 680. That's not bad. Compared to att's 549, plus you get 3g service.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It doesn't sound like you're existing AT&T customer. If you're, just swap your sim card to the tab. No extra plan is needed. Again, the most important thing is whether or not you will use it as phone. If you don't, I wouldn't get the AT&T tab.

sbrownla said:
T-Mobile will NOT sell it at 499, or AT ALL, unless you get a plan. I was so pissed that I wrote a four-page letter. Not that T-Mobile will read it, but ... I am generally cool with them. They are all over the place, and their CSRs have no CLUE what they are doing.
You should just be aware because it caused me a lot of annoyance, and it would be sad to see it happen to someone else. T-Mobile's pricing is also just weird. Why would you offer a no-commitment price, but with a catch??? And it's not even on those little pricing cards in the store.
Oh, and if you can get 2 gigs for a no-committment data plan with AT&T, definitely go with them. T-Mobile has nothing comparable, at all. 100 megs for a week for 10 bucks sounds great, but it's completely useless. Then they want 30 bucks for 300 megs over a month.
They missed the ball on that one.
It is a beeeeyoootiful device ... I mean gorgeous looking. It also has a ton of potential, but you may be better off waiting until Samsung gets their software together.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounded like you need to go to a different store. I first bought mine through Tmob outright, no plan for $599+tax. Then I returned it as there wasn't easy way to get 3G&voice together, plus the fact that I already am AT&T cust.

you can get the tmo version for $499 plus a $50 rebate.

madsquabbles said:
you can get the tmo version for $499 plus a $50 rebate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
According to their site the $50 rebate requires a 2yr agreement.

waltah! said:
According to their site the $50 rebate requires a 2yr agreement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
unless you're going to some 3rd party site, tmobile is $449 after rebate no contract. $249 after rebate - w/contract.
Prepaid - no contract
with contract

madsquabbles said:
unless you're going to some 3rd party site, tmobile is $449 after rebate no contract. $249 after rebate - w/contract.
Prepaid - no contract
with contract
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good deal, thanks for clearing that up for me. I'm actually looking into a GTab as well and that's not a bad deal if you do prepaid since they'll give you a free $50 refill card as well.

yeah, kinda makes you wonder why they've even considered making a wifi only version that costs just about as much as the wwan version. at bb you can get the version tab for $429 right now.

waltah! said:
Good deal, thanks for clearing that up for me. I'm actually looking into a GTab as well and that's not a bad deal if you do prepaid since they'll give you a free $50 refill card as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been looking into getting one of these now that the prices seem somewhat reasonable... still debating on this or an iPad... There's even a refurb tmobile version you can get for $199 but only with the 2yr contract. No way in heck I'll ever be paying for a data plan on a tablet though. I'm still trying to read through all these posts to determine if I can use my SIM from my phone in this tablet on occasions I"m away from wifi.
Either way, the $449 is a decent deal but the $399 wifi version (new) is my vote if the SIM swap is undoable.

T-Mo people, teach me about your pricing structure.

Went in to a T-Mobile store yesterday to see if they had any S3's, and while looking at the display model, it said it was $279, or $229 if on the value plan. What is the value plan, and whats different between it and the standard family plan? Also, you MUST take the 5GB data plan? They had 2 employees working and about 5 people in line, so after ab out 10 minutes I left, questions unanswered.

The price is to make up the fact that you could save more with them. A value plan is when you start out a contract with a phone that you either have or bought full price. At the end, you end up saving even more than classic. You could find better deals at Wally world or Costco and they won't even make you upgrade your plan
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So if Im walking in as a new customer, I would have to pay the $279?

I just signed up for T-mobile this week coming from sprint. Got the S3 with the value plan. I paid about $270 in the store and walked out with the phone. With the value plan, you end up paying FULL price for the phone but they basically give it to you on credit and interest free. They add an extra 20 a month to your bill for 22 months, however you can pay off the phone early. Once the phone is paid off, I am looking at about 83 bucks a month with insurance for Unlimited with 5GB data with hotspot.
All of the numbers I just gave your are ballpark (except for the extra 20) becasue I don't remember the exact numbers.
In the long run, your monthly bill will be cheaper. The classic play with 5gb is about 94 bucks a month before taxes and fees.
At least this is how I understand things. If I am wrong, someone else please chime in.
I hope this helps a bit.

To add to durhamite's response, the extra $20 is per phone on the Value plan. This is easier to explain with examples. I'll assume two lines on an unlimited voice/text/2GB high-speed data plan.
Classic price for phones: $279 (after MIR)*2=$558
Classic MRC = $139.98
Value price for phones: $229*2= $458
Monthly EIP payments (for 20 months): $20*2=40
Value MRC: $99.98
I left out activation fees and any other fees that would be the same, regardless of plan. To summarize, with the Value plan, you pay $200 less today ($100 would come back via MIR if you chose Classic), the same amount for the next 20 months, and $40 less for the last four months of your contract. Keep in mind that both plans have an ETF and if you cancel a Value plan early, the remaining balance on the phones is due immediately.
The other advantage is that with the Value plan, you wouldn't have to have the data plan on your phones. However, I'm unsure if that is from the beginning, or only after you have finished your EIP installments.

So basically on the Value Plan, TMO is giving you an interest free (0% APR) loan on your phone (EIP payments = $20 x 20 months). Assuming that your credit is good enough to qualify for this plan.
I've ran the numbers between Classic vs Value plans. Value is always cheaper, you'll save between $100-$200, after 24 months contract, depending on which plans you choose.

Should of went to Walmart, only 198 for the phone.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

cashyftw said:
Should of went to Walmart, only 198 for the phone.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While it's true that you're saving upfront cost of the phone $198 vs $229 from Walmart vs TMOBile, once you add up all the 24 months contract the Value plan is still cheaper. AFAIK, you can only get Value Plan from Retail TMO stores.

durhamite said:
I just signed up for T-mobile this week coming from sprint. Got the S3 with the value plan. I paid about $270 in the store and walked out with the phone. With the value plan, you end up paying FULL price for the phone but they basically give it to you on credit and interest free. They add an extra 20 a month to your bill for 22 months, however you can pay off the phone early. Once the phone is paid off, I am looking at about 83 bucks a month with insurance for Unlimited with 5GB data with hotspot.
All of the numbers I just gave your are ballpark (except for the extra 20) becasue I don't remember the exact numbers.
In the long run, your monthly bill will be cheaper. The classic play with 5gb is about 94 bucks a month before taxes and fees.
At least this is how I understand things. If I am wrong, someone else please chime in.
I hope this helps a bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WELCOME TO TMO BRO! Ive been with them for a decade, and in that time Ive also had second lines with Sprint, and verizon. Tmo is AMAZING!! They will take good care uf you whenever theres a problem, they have gone SOOO far above and beyond anything any other carrier will do for me.
Also, make sure you bookmark tmonews.com, , its ran by blogger David Beren and its a branch of phonedog. Youll find all the latest leaks of phones, and sales. If you watch the sales, you can call and make changes to your plan that cxan really save you big money and lock you into great prices and features. Sorry, Im a huge TMO Fan, and Im always trying to bring ppl over, lol. Theres a guy at my local Tmo store who tells me I make him About $500 a year in commisions, just telling ppl about the service and handing them his card, lmao. But in return he called me the day before launch and had a GS3 tucked off to the side to sell me a day early!

androholic said:
WELCOME TO TMO BRO! Ive been with them for a decade, and in that time Ive also had second lines with Sprint, and verizon. Tmo is AMAZING!! They will take good care uf you whenever theres a problem, they have gone SOOO far above and beyond anything any other carrier will do for me.
Also, make sure you bookmark tmonews.com, , its ran by blogger David Beren and its a branch of phonedog. Youll find all the latest leaks of phones, and sales. If you watch the sales, you can call and make changes to your plan that cxan really save you big money and lock you into great prices and features. Sorry, Im a huge TMO Fan, and Im always trying to bring ppl over, lol. Theres a guy at my local Tmo store who tells me I make him About $500 a year, just telling ppl about the service and handing them his card, lmao.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This must be a joke. Their CS is terrible now. They have no interest in getting me a phone and keeping my business. Tell them you're cancelling and they don't care!

jdpdata said:
While it's true that you're saving upfront cost of the phone $198 vs $229 from Walmart vs TMOBile, once you add up all the 24 months contract the Value plan is still cheaper. AFAIK, you can only get Value Plan from Retail TMO stores.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wrong you can get the value plan w/ the s3 at costco for 390 without monthly installments. now that is a deal.
My plan:
unlimited minutes for two lines: 69.99
unlimited text for all lines: 9.99
two additional lines: 4.99 x 2 = 9.98
two lines w/ 200mb data: 4.99 x2 = 9.98
Total bill: 99.94$ - 15% employee discount = 84.95$ monthly pre taxes for four lines.
This same plan on classic would run you.... 99.99 for unlimited talk/text plus 19.99 for two add a line plus 40$ (minimum) for required data. After the discount it would be 137$ monthly.
This itself is a 52$ savings per month over 2 years. Which is 1248$ total in savings.
Provided you have to buy your phones separately it is still a good deal. My family all has smart phones of our individual choice, some that are not available on T-mobile.

I'm thinking about going to Tmobile also as sprint still doesnt have LTE. So if I get the value plan of $64.99 (500talk+text+5gb data) then I can go to costco and get the s3 for $350 correct?

aznmode said:
I'm thinking about going to Tmobile also as sprint still doesnt have LTE. So if I get the value plan of $64.99 (500talk+text+5gb data) then I can go to costco and get the s3 for $350 correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
390* but this is only an in store promotion so IDK if you can get in on the deal depending on where your at.
Also 5gb data is kind of a waste, I would sign up for the 2gb data unlimited for 10$ and edit the apn to keep getting unlimited data without throttling. But that's just me....
Good luck

tspx23 said:
390* but this is only an in store promotion so IDK if you can get in on the deal depending on where your at.
Also 5gb data is kind of a waste, I would sign up for the 2gb data unlimited for 10$ and edit the apn to keep getting unlimited data without throttling. But that's just me....
Good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does it work really?
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

Great, now my head hurts!
TMobile executive meeting; "How can we make cell phones as confusing as buying a car?" Just think, leasing a phone is just around the corner.

tspx23 said:
390* but this is only an in store promotion so IDK if you can get in on the deal depending on where your at.
Also 5gb data is kind of a waste, I would sign up for the 2gb data unlimited for 10$ and edit the apn to keep getting unlimited data without throttling. But that's just me....
Good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Didn't know you can do that. Sometimes I use my phone to tether my tablet when my home internet is down and have used 6gb. That's why I figure I'd sign up for the 5 gb plan.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

gedster314 said:
Great, now my head hurts!
TMobile executive meeting; "How can we make cell phones as confusing as buying a car?" Just think, leasing a phone is just around the corner.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm pretty sure they will specially with the phones coming out now days and as fast as they come out
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

Just as a note for those thinking about it... if you live in the area east of dallas, tx, tmobile service is the worst out of the four carriers. Bar none. Sprint beats them, Verizon and AT&T beat them without any effort at all.

Diviance said:
Just as a note for those thinking about it... if you live in the area east of dallas, tx, tmobile service is the worst out of the four carriers. Bar none. Sprint beats them, Verizon and AT&T beat them without any effort at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool info man, I definitely like sprint services since they have free roaming and good coverage but my area on 3G completely sucks, but when I go on road trips I'm pretty sure I'll find some bad spots for tmobile as well
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

tony yayo said:
This must be a joke. Their CS is terrible now. They have no interest in getting me a phone and keeping my business. Tell them you're cancelling and they don't care!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not a joke at all bud, if your making threats like "I'm leaving" when you call in, that may be the reason why? I've been a small business owner, and if someone has an issue, being polite could take them a long way with me. Not to say you haven't been, but I know a lot of ppl expect to just get what they want out of a business by yelling, especially when it's an over the phone situation, and not in person.
Tmo has done things that have just blown me away to keep my services. I'm positive that not everyone has had all great experiences with them, but honestly, in 10yrs they've always gone out of their way for me, while other carriers have barely ever ever been personable!

which US carrier to choose

hello xda member which us carrier are you guys choosing
i live in NJ and like most people i just wanna get a cheap plan with unlimited data i hardly talk i just text and use the internet etc..
1 what is the cheapest plan that tmobile offer with the galaxy note 2 and does any body know how much will is the retail price of the galaxy note 2.
i wish they will bring it out b4 black friday

I thought about going to T-mobile, until I saw most of their coverage is 2g. So I'll be sticking with my unlimited AT&T plan.

mrej201 said:
so guys in united stated which carrier are you guys going to choose
idk which to choose tmobile or sprint ot att or verizon which is too expensive
does any one know if the note 2 on tmobile can go on the 50 dollar plan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you get it on T-Mobile, you can use it with whichever plan you want. T-Mobile doesn't care where you buy the phone or that you don't have a "data-plan". To get it subsidized though, you'd need to get a classic plan which will cost more than their value plans (I'd personally buy the phone at retail price and then go on their value plan)
SchusterIX said:
I thought about going to T-mobile, until I saw most of their coverage is 2g. So I'll be sticking with my unlimited AT&T plan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SchusterIX, true, but it also depends on where you stay. I spend 99% of my time in metropolitan areas (Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay and Seattle), so for me all 4 carriers have 4G wherever it matters. However, I could see why one would choose another carrier over T-Mobile as in less populated areas they do lack coverage (but they are cheaper, ie. if I were on Verizon, my plan would be double what it is now)

achusaysblessyou said:
If you get it on T-Mobile, you can use it with whichever plan you want. T-Mobile doesn't care where you buy the phone or that you don't have a "data-plan". To get it subsidized though, you'd need to get a classic plan which will cost more than their value plans (I'd personally buy the phone at retail price and then go on their value plan)
SchusterIX, true, but it also depends on where you stay. I spend 99% of my time in metropolitan areas (Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay and Seattle), so for me all 4 carriers have 4G wherever it matters. However, I could see why one would choose another carrier over T-Mobile as in less populated areas they do lack coverage (but they are cheaper, ie. if I were on Verizon, my plan would be double what it is now)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just curious what the Note2 would cost on T-Mobile value plan service compared to others..? -Thnx
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1931064

achusaysblessyou said:
If you get it on T-Mobile, you can use it with whichever plan you want. T-Mobile doesn't care where you buy the phone or that you don't have a "data-plan". To get it subsidized though, you'd need to get a classic plan which will cost more than their value plans (I'd personally buy the phone at retail price and then go on their value plan)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can get it for a down payment and $20 per month while on a value plan. It still turns out cheaper than a subsidized one on a classic plan in the long run.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

jlczl said:
You can get it for a down payment and $20 per month while on a value plan. It still turns out cheaper than a subsidized one on a classic plan in the long run.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
contract free right

Value plan is still contract. Though you pay retail for the phone you can use EIP.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

SMARTPHONEPC said:
Just curious what the Note2 would cost on T-Mobile value plan service compared to others..? -Thnx
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1931064
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Value plan is just a 2 year contract plan without any free phone. If you want a phone, you can pay a down payment and $20 over the next 24 months or pay off the $480 all at one with the down payment (as said below, but the down payment varies per phone so... ymmv). I plan on buying mines outright for probably $650 + tax
jlczl said:
You can get it for a down payment and $20 per month while on a value plan. It still turns out cheaper than a subsidized one on a classic plan in the long run.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The price of the phone + value plan is cheaper than the price of the phone + classic plan true, but that's because the classic plan costs more than the cost of the phone over 24 months. (although if you can get retentions and get some discounts, it could possibly be even or save you a bit on classic if you have multiple lines with data, etc)
mrej201 said:
contract free right
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Value plans require a 2 year contract (and they do charge ETF). It's just cheaper because you get no subsidized phone.
Tidbits said:
Value plan is still contract. Though you pay retail for the phone you can use EIP.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, or you can get on the contract price, although in the magenta day deals, you could get a SGS3 for $400 with a new value plan since they gave you a rebate for the down payment and you only needed to pay $20 over $20 month, but that's over now.

Here's my $.02. I am buying the Note II unlocked, probably for around $500 (I always get my phones from Craigslist cause I can get the best deal). I use T-Mobile's $30 Walmart plan (no contract of course). It gives me 100 minutes, unlimited text/mms and Unlimited (i.e. 5GB) of 4G (I live in NYC and consistently get ~14 Mbps down, ~3 Mbps up). That is perfect for me, because I hardly talk on the phone.
So you might want to consider that plan if you can swing not talking that much. I think you said you live in Jersey, so you shouldn't have any problem getting good 4G speeds there. I spend a lot of time in Newark and I never have any problems with T-mos network there.

Techngro said:
Here's my $.02. I am buying the Note II unlocked, probably for around $500 (I always get my phones from Craigslist cause I can get the best deal). I use T-Mobile's $30 Walmart plan (no contract of course). It gives me 100 minutes, unlimited text/mms and Unlimited (i.e. 5GB) of 4G (I live in NYC and consistently get ~14 Mbps down, ~3 Mbps up). That is perfect for me, because I hardly talk on the phone.
So you might want to consider that plan if you can swing not talking that much. I think you said you live in Jersey, so you shouldn't have any problem getting good 4G speeds there. I spend a lot of time in Newark and I never have any problems with T-mos network there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dunno, for $150 more I'd go with an actual warranty + less risk of a blocked IMEI (people buy phones on contract just to sell it then they never pay their bills, so your phone might work for a month or two, but then T-Mobile will block the IMEI rendering the phone useless).
I mean if you're going to spend this much on a phone... why not buy it new anyways. Not that I'm against buying from Craigslist, I've gotten all my previous phones off Craigslist, N900, myTouch 4G Slide, G2x, Sensation, etc. It's just that those phones cost ~$200-$300 so the risk was lower than $500...

achusaysblessyou said:
SchusterIX, true, but it also depends on where you stay. I spend 99% of my time in metropolitan areas (Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay and Seattle), so for me all 4 carriers have 4G wherever it matters. However, I could see why one would choose another carrier over T-Mobile as in less populated areas they do lack coverage (but they are cheaper, ie. if I were on Verizon, my plan would be double what it is now)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, if you are covered and don't travel, at all, T-Mobile is fine. But I think that I'd really want at least 3g while traveling, whether it's from cincinnati to chicago or from cin to montreal, i'd like my data. I do I could go to T-mobile, atm I have no signal in my apartment...hoping this phone will have it though.

achusaysblessyou said:
I dunno, for $150 more I'd go with an actual warranty + less risk of a blocked IMEI (people buy phones on contract just to sell it then they never pay their bills, so your phone might work for a month or two, but then T-Mobile will block the IMEI rendering the phone useless).
I mean if you're going to spend this much on a phone... why not buy it new anyways. Not that I'm against buying from Craigslist, I've gotten all my previous phones off Craigslist, N900, myTouch 4G Slide, G2x, Sensation, etc. It's just that those phones cost ~$200-$300 so the risk was lower than $500...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never knew about the IMEI blocking issue. I have been buying phones on CL for years without having any problems. I guess I was lucky. I think i'll still get mine from there, but i'll be more cautious and make sure I meet in a T-Mobile store so they can tell me which plan they have and if the phone could possibly be blocked in the future.
Thanks for the info.

Techngro said:
I never knew about the IMEI blocking issue. I have been buying phones on CL for years without having any problems. I guess I was lucky. I think i'll still get mine from there, but i'll be more cautious and make sure I meet in a T-Mobile store so they can tell me which plan they have and if the phone could possibly be blocked in the future.
Thanks for the info.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any phone can be blocked sadly, and even if you meet in a T-Mobile store to check out the IMEI, if the person doesn't pay their plan etc, then it could be blocked in the future. It's never happened to me, but it usually happens when the phone is new (so the person can make a quick sell for as much money as possible). I guess just use your best judgement, maybe ask them why they're selling the phone, no pain no gain right?

achusaysblessyou said:
Any phone can be blocked sadly, and even if you meet in a T-Mobile store to check out the IMEI, if the person doesn't pay their plan etc, then it could be blocked in the future. It's never happened to me, but it usually happens when the phone is new (so the person can make a quick sell for as much money as possible). I guess just use your best judgement, maybe ask them why they're selling the phone, no pain no gain right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right on.
As for the OP, have you made any progress in deciding which carrier to go with? I have realized lately (since I broke my phone and haven't had one for about two weeks now) that I could really get by with just a data only plan. I only use like 20 minutes per month and use Google Voice for all of my texts, which is how I communicate mostly anyway. I wonder why there aren't any data only plans yet.

Techngro said:
Right on.
As for the OP, have you made any progress in deciding which carrier to go with? I have realized lately (since I broke my phone and haven't had one for about two weeks now) that I could really get by with just a data only plan. I only use like 20 minutes per month and use Google Voice for all of my texts, which is how I communicate mostly anyway. I wonder why there aren't any data only plans yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You sound like the perfect candidate for the $30 pre-paid plan from T-Mobile that gives you 100 minutes, unlimited texts, and unlimited data (throttle to EDGE after 5GB).
http://slickdeals.net/f/3377172-T-M...-5GB-Data-100-Voice-Mins-New-Activation-Only?

achusaysblessyou said:
You sound like the perfect candidate for the $30 pre-paid plan from T-Mobile that gives you 100 minutes, unlimited texts, and unlimited data (throttle to EDGE after 5GB).
http://slickdeals.net/f/3377172-T-M...-5GB-Data-100-Voice-Mins-New-Activation-Only?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, I have Verizon and I use just over 2 gigs a month so my question is... Does Verizon throttle like T-Mobile after 5 Gigs ? I never noticed that issue yet. And, BTW, Anyone here use straight talk with the verizon hook-up ? I might look into that deal.

fwhomeboy said:
OK, I have Verizon and I use just over 2 gigs a month so my question is... Does Verizon throttle like T-Mobile after 5 Gigs ? I never noticed that issue yet. And, BTW, Anyone here use straight talk with the verizon hook-up ? I might look into that deal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
3G devices sort off. 4G devices no(block C rules). That's if you have unlimited. Thought June 29, 2014 could be the end of all Verizon unlimited plans.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

Techngro said:
Right on.
As for the OP, have you made any progress in deciding which carrier to go with? I have realized lately (since I broke my phone and haven't had one for about two weeks now) that I could really get by with just a data only plan. I only use like 20 minutes per month and use Google Voice for all of my texts, which is how I communicate mostly anyway. I wonder why there aren't any data only plans yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
to tell you the truth i wanna get tmobie because i wanna get warranty if not just buy the phone from wirefly and get phone covare with then

fwhomeboy said:
OK, I have Verizon and I use just over 2 gigs a month so my question is... Does Verizon throttle like T-Mobile after 5 Gigs ? I never noticed that issue yet. And, BTW, Anyone here use straight talk with the verizon hook-up ? I might look into that deal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as i know, no. Verizon has tiered data plans so once you hit 2GB. They shut off your data for the rest of the month, then I think you can buy liek 1GB for like $15 or something (not sure). Same for AT&T only T-Mobile has this type of "unlimited" data plan where you technically get unlimited data, but the 4G data is limited to 2GB/5GB. Or you can always pay $20 on a value plan for unlimited data 4G data or $30 on a classic plan for the same unlimited data (tmobile of course).

If I am getting the Note II (which depends especially on the presence of Paranoid Android), it will be the GT-N7100 for sure. I don't want any kind of carrier branding or any interference by such a company - if there is a problem I prefer to deal directly with the manufacturer.
Since I am using Straight Talk with my N7000 I will just cut the SIM to micro size and move over.
I don't have any interest in a carrier branded Note II, it should be completely unlocked and clean. My experience with branding is very negative and that basically eliminate the US versions completely (since the only choice is between bloatware and bloatware or between being vendor locked-in with CDMA or following a more open approach with GSM/UMTS/LTE but with bloatware).
It is unfortunate that the N7100 seems to lack pentaband, otherwise T-Mobiles prepaid plan could be interesting. I am not going to get a T-Mobile branded device just in order to use that plan (and pay an elevated "full retail" price, that's for sure.
If I finally decides to get the N7100, I will try to buy a 32 GB or 64 GB version when I visit Sweden.
Perhaps the N7105 if it is available can be on my list - I can then use LTE when I visit Europe. I am not interested in US LTE at all since I don't see any reason to pay $100 per month for a contract with horrible 2 GB of data when I know that Swedish carriers offers 10 GB for $50. Yes, that's right. 10 GB of data and 3000 free texts - and you can use the $50 for calls.
The whole contract ends at $50. No taxes and fees on top of that. Just $50 including the 3000 texts, 10 GB of data and the minute rate means approximately 1000-1200 minutes included. Compare it with the US contracts........
This mean that I find the US prices totally unacceptable to me - LTE with 2 GB of data is what I consider pathetic. Useless simply put. It is like having a car that offers a normal speed of 150 mph with a range of 10 miles. Nice to run quickly for 10 miles but still completely useless.
LTE is normally for streaming etc and 2 GB is simply inadequate. 10 GB of data on a US carrier is horrendous. Verizon charges $100 for it plus $40 for the smartphone. Excluding taxes and fees. That is approximately 3 times more expensive.
It is funny to see the carriers promote Netflix - I don't dare to think about the cost for streaming 10 full-length movies in SD quality - even less HD quality.
So my interest for having LTE in the US is absolutely zero as long as the prices for data is outrageous.
Getting the N7100 and put Straight Talk or Net10 (they offers BYOD now) is a no-brainer to me.
Edit: A question to those that mention LTE as an important factor in the US:
What are you doing with the device? Are you streaming videos from Netflix? Spotify in high quality?
I used the Verizon data calculator and put in normal multimedia use of those services paired with web browsing, uploading of pictures with Dropbox etc: 30 GB. That's right. 30 GB per month for LTE-optimized use.
I don't see any reason to pay premium for LTE when the data caps and limits are so low that proper use is blocked.