Verizon contract ending - need advice

[el_brio]

My wife and I both have verzion blackberries w/ data plans that all-in-all we pay about $110 bucks a month for (both phones). Our contract is up in a couple of months. She doesn't need a new phone. I want one. The problem is, is that I don't want to sign another 2 year contract just to get a discounted phone and if we just go off contract we are getting screwed because the cost of the phone is built into the contract. I think that going forward I will be getting a new phone every year. The wife probably less often.

So what is my best option? As far as I can tell, every carrier builds the cost of their phones into your contract so if you don't sign a 2yr contract you are getting screwed because you are paying (partly) for a phone you are never getting. On the other hand, you sign a contract and get stuck with an out-of-date phone in a year (if you are lucky).

In Chicago BTW. I'd like 4G. Any suggestions would be helpful.

 

[alent1234]

the thunderbolt is only $150 or so now at wirefly. i doubt it will be outdated next year

 

[Bateluer]

the thunderbolt is only $150 or so now at wirefly. i doubt it will be outdated next year

It'll be outdated in a few months with the release of the Bionic and X2, in terms of raw performance anyway.

OP, are you set on sticking with Verizon? Is LTE live in Chicago? What about Sprint's WiMax? Even with T-Mobile getting very nice looking phones in the HTC Sensation and G2x, their merger with AT&T makes me hesitant to point you in that direction.

On Verizon, best choice right now is the Thunderbolt. The only choice if you want 4G. In a few short weeks, you'll also get the Samsung Charge. The Bionic comes in June, and the X2 will be around that time as well. The Bionic is 4G, the X2 is not. The Incredible 2 is also very close to launching as well, but has no 4G.

Take visits to local stores and play around with the phones you're interested in.

 

[alent1234]

isn't the thunderbolt a dual core A9 at something like 1 or 1.5GHz per core? how is it going to be outdated in a few months?

even then i'm sure it will run every app in the market for the next 18 months very nicely

 

[el_brio]

The point of my post is not to help me pick a phone... I'm sick of 2 year contracts and looking for other options. If I stick with verizon and want a new phone, I pretty much have to sign a new contract because the cost of the phone is (partially) built into the contract. If I go off contract and pay the same amount per month, I am screwing myself by not taking a discount on the phone.

 

[Kabob]

No, Thunderbolt is a single core 1.2 GHz or so. But I don't think it'll be "outdated" in a few months.

 

[Kabob]

The point of my post is not to help me pick a phone... I'm sick of 2 year contracts and looking for other options. If I stick with verizon and want a new phone, I pretty much have to sign a new contract because the cost of the phone is (partially) built into the contract. If I go off contract and pay the same amount per month, I am screwing myself by not taking a discount on the phone.

Verizon is apparently dropping the price for a lot of phones purchased out of contract. They're still a lot more expensive but it's worth a look.

 

[abaez]

Verizon is apparently dropping the price for a lot of phones purchased out of contract. They're still a lot more expensive but it's worth a look.

Where did you read that? I read that they are *raising* off contract/retail prices for their phones.

 

[smartpatrol]

AFAIK T-Mobile is the only carrier that has a lower rate if you bring your own phone. So, if you choose Sprint, Verizon, or AT&T, you will be paying $400+ more for the phone, and the same monthly rate, just so you're not stuck on a contract.

You might as well just buy a phone on contract, and break the contract & pay the penalty fee if you really want to switch carriers down the road.

 

[shortylickens]

If you go with Verizon in a couple months for another contract it will HAVE to be 24 months.
In any case, I recommend the Bionic over the Thunderbolt. Especially if has to survive two whole years.

 

[stag3]

the thunderbolt is only $150 or so now at wirefly. i doubt it will be outdated next year

hmm price went back up to 199 for me
i do see it for 149.99 @ amazon wireless
but the activation kills it, i can pay 199 thru my work discount
and get free activation, damn we need another coupon code for the 20 off each smartphone before i bite LOL

but we're so close to dual core phones coming out on verizon, i'm gonna have to wait and pray the tiered data comes out after i pick up a new phone.

 

[bucwylde23]

Personally I really don't think these newer 1 Ghz single core phones are going to be THAT outdated very soon. If you want one now I'd go ahead and pick one up. The Thunderbolt is a great phone, my only concern would be battery life.
If you can wait though, I'd say at least wait for the Incredible 2(within the next couple weeks)/DX2 if you don't care about 4G.

I currently have an Incredible and really just want a larger screen, otherwise there's no issue with the phone. My phone can run everything very smoothly with no issues at all.

 

[simonizor]

I don't understand your logic. If you buy the phone, regardless of if you're on or off contract, it's yours. Sure, you can only use it on their network, but it's your phone. If you get one off contract, you're pretty much just paying for the phone up front instead of spreading the cost out over time, which usually ends up costing more than just buying it up front. If you pay $60/month now and get a prepaid plan for $30/month, you'd save $720 in 2 years, which is way more than an off contract phone would cost you.

Buying Verizon prepaid sucks, but if you don't use a lot of data (their highest data plan is 100mb/month), you could use Pageplus. You'd have to buy a new phone (can't use blackberry on Pageplus), but pretty much any Verizon phone will work. An android phone would be great for this because you can use an app like 3g watchdog to turn off your data connection when you reach 99% of your quota.
They have a 1200 minute/2000 text/100mb data plan for $30. They also have an unlimited talk and text with 50mb data for $45. If you use a lot of data, you're probably going to want to go with Virgin mobile (see below); Pageplus' big draw is that you can use pretty much any Verizon phone so they have basically the same phone selection as Verizon with much better pricing.

If you live in an area where sprint has coverage, Virgin mobile is a good option. They have a pretty decent android phone, the LG Optimus V, and they have also have a blackberry phone, the Curve 8530 (blackberry's are an extra $10/month). They have pretty decently priced plans. If you don't use a lot of minutes, they have a 300 minute plan with unlimited texting and unlimited data for $25/month. They have a 1200 minute plan for $40/month with unlimited texting and data. Their fully unlimited plan is $60/month.

 

[fbrdphreak]

If you want a new phone every year, your best bet is to buy the phone un-subsidized and stay off contract. Yes, you will shell out $500+ for a smartphone. BUT, you will have the resale value of that phone to get rid of it when you want a new one.

If you don't mind the contract, then just renew your contract, get a new phone for cheap, and when you get bored sell it. It's still perfectly usable by any other Verizon customer, you get hundreds of dollars for it, and put that towards a new phone purchase without a contract discount.

It's not that you're damned if you do or damned if you don't get a subsidized phone. Phones are subsidized because you're agreeing to pay the carrier thousands of dollars. To fit all that technology in a tiny device DOES cost a lot of money - phones these days are pretty much super-tiny laptops. So, you either pay your own way and choose your own carrier at any time; or you take the subsidy, sign a contract, and either way for it to end or bite the bullet and bite your own.

This is where unlocked, multi-band phones come in. They hold their resale value even better than a carrier-specific phone and if you (being off-contract) want to go to another carrier, you can (assuming your phone supports their radio type). I can't say I know what there is in the way of multi-band, unlocked smartphones though.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Let me free you of the phone subsidy issue, get the newest hottest phone and sell it on eBay/craigslist, then buy what you like when you renew your contract.

 

[masterxfob]

I don't understand your logic. If you buy the phone, regardless of if you're on or off contract, it's yours. Sure, you can only use it on their network, but it's your phone. If you get one off contract, you're pretty much just paying for the phone up front instead of spreading the cost out over time, which usually ends up costing more than just buying it up front. If you pay $60/month now and get a prepaid plan for $30/month, you'd save $720 in 2 years, which is way more than an off contract phone would cost you.

Buying Verizon prepaid sucks, but if you don't use a lot of data (their highest data plan is 100mb/month), you could use Pageplus. You'd have to buy a new phone (can't use blackberry on Pageplus), but pretty much any other phone will work. An android phone would be great for this because you can use an app like 3g watchdog to turn off your data connection when you reach 99% of your quota.
They have a 1200 minute/2000 text/100mb data plan for $30. They also have an unlimited talk and text with 50mb data for $45. If you use a lot of data, you're probably going to want to go with Virgin mobile (see below); Pageplus' big draw is that you can use pretty much any Verizon phone so they have basically the same phone selection as Verizon with much better pricing.

If you live in an area where sprint has coverage, Virgin mobile is a good option. They have a pretty decent android phone, the LG Optimus V, and they have also have a blackberry phone, the Curve 8530 (blackberry's are an extra $10/month). They have pretty decently priced plans. If you don't use a lot of minutes, they have a 300 minute plan with unlimited texting and unlimited data for $25/month. They have a 1200 minute plan for $40/month with unlimited texting and data. Their fully unlimited plan is $60/month.

page plus :thumbsup:

let's say the OP buys a new phone without contract for ~$500. if he goes with page plus, in one year, the savings over VZW will more than pay for said phone.

if you must have the latest and greatest (4g), then you're F'ed. you've gotta pay the premium.

 

[Bateluer]

No, Thunderbolt is a single core 1.2 GHz or so. But I don't think it'll be "outdated" in a few months.

The Thunderbolt is a single core 1Ghz Snapdragon, second gen, with Adreno 205 GPU. It's been overclocked to 1.9Ghz, but at stock its a 1Ghz chip.

Technically, its already outdated by the Atrix on AT&T and the G2x on T-Mobile. And once the Bionic and X2 ship on Verizon in June-ish, it'll be outdated there too. Same when Sprint's Evo-3D arrives.

 

[Kabob]

Where did you read that? I read that they are *raising* off contract/retail prices for their phones.

There was an article the other day on Phandroid, ahh, here it is.

If you go with Verizon in a couple months for another contract it will HAVE to be 24 months.
In any case, I recommend the Bionic over the Thunderbolt. Especially if has to survive two whole years.

Everyone is getting all hung up on the Bionic, have the specs even been released yet?

hmm price went back up to 199 for me
i do see it for 149.99 @ amazon wireless

There's a thread I created in Hot Deals with a $50 off Thunderbolt coupon for Wirefly, should still be near(ish) the top.

Personally I really don't think these newer 1 Ghz single core phones are going to be THAT outdated very soon. If you want one now I'd go ahead and pick one up. The Thunderbolt is a great phone, my only concern would be battery life.
If you can wait though, I'd say at least wait for the Incredible 2(within the next couple weeks)/DX2 if you don't care about 4G.

I currently have an Incredible and really just want a larger screen, otherwise there's no issue with the phone. My phone can run everything very smoothly with no issues at all.

+1, the current crop of phones are always going to be overshadowed by "what's just around the corner," yet for the vast majority of applications/users they will be more than adequate.

 

[alent1234]

The Thunderbolt is a single core 1Ghz Snapdragon, second gen, with Adreno 205 GPU. It's been overclocked to 1.9Ghz, but at stock its a 1Ghz chip.

Technically, its already outdated by the Atrix on AT&T and the G2x on T-Mobile. And once the Bionic and X2 ship on Verizon in June-ish, it'll be outdated there too. Same when Sprint's Evo-3D arrives.

the atrix might be dual core but i heard that since 2.2 and motoblur don't have any GUI hardware GPU acceleration the power is just wasted. i bought my Inspire right before the Atrix came out. i went to look at it and read the reviews and kept my Inspire. people are complaining about buggy software and the quality of the components. my CPU/GPU might be slower but i like my huge screen which looks a lot better than the Atrix and most games will play exactly the same since the dual core installed base is so small it's not worth developing for

same story as iphone 3gs and the 3g/edge. 3GS was the first to have a GPU and runs iOS 4 nicely. 3G is all CPU and is slow.

and according to anand, the tegra 2 is more hype than anything else. PowerVR and other mobile GPU's are usually as fast or faster than nvidia.

 

[maniac5999]

If you live in an area where sprint has coverage, Virgin mobile is a good option. They have a pretty decent android phone, the LG Optimus V, and they have also have a blackberry phone, the Curve 8530 (blackberry's are an extra $10/month). They have pretty decently priced plans. If you don't use a lot of minutes, they have a 300 minute plan with unlimited texting and unlimited data for $25/month. They have a 1200 minute plan for $40/month with unlimited texting and data. Their fully unlimited plan is $60/month.

I'm on Virgin (with the Intercept unfortunately), And I have to say that if you live in an area with good NATIVE Sprint coverage (It doesn't roam onto Verizon, like normal Sprint does) and if you're ok with only having 98% data uptime, it can't be beat. They had some data issues last month due to the large influx of people joining to get the LG Optimus (a very solid midrange phone) and data went down for a few hours at a time a couple times over about a week, but other than that, the service has been rock solid for me here in Metro NYC.

+1, the current crop of phones are always going to be overshadowed by "what's just around the corner," yet for the vast majority of applications/users they will be more than adequate.

I'm going to disagree there. We've been stuck at 1ghz A8 Processors ever since the Nexus One last January. Yes GPUs have increased a little bit, but the next generation of phones coming this summer are going to bring a huge jump in performance relative to what we've seen in the 15 months since the Nexus One came out.