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Why I Bought a Galaxy S II Tonight

Adam8281

Adam8281

Platinum Member
Tonight I bought a used AT&T Galaxy S II off eBay for $335 + $12 s/h (-$14 eBay Bucks), despite the fact that I've been craving a Galaxy Nexus for the past 2 months. Thought there might be others here in my situation, so I thought I'd share my thought process:

My wife and I are on an AT&T family plan: I have an iPhone 3Gs, she has a dumb phone. We pay ~$90/month (after my 15% corporate discount, and this price includes all taxes & fees), which is for our shared minutes, and my unlimited data plan. Our contract ended in early October 2011, and I've been very anxiously watching the Galaxy Nexus news, ready to get a new "superphone" to replace my aging iPhone 3Gs.

Early this month, I signed my wife up for Republic Wireless' $19/month unlimited talk/text/data plan. If you don't know what Republic is, go look up the myriad postings about it online. As you know if you've been following the Republic situation, they are quite backlogged. My wife's phone isn't slated to ship until December 22, 2011. I've wanted to wait until my wife is off the AT&T plan, and onto Republic Wireless, before I leave AT&T for Verizon & the Galaxy Nexus, because if I go to Verizon while my wife is still on AT&T, we'll have to spend a month paying the full individual plan price for me on Verizon and her on AT&T (whereas if I waited to go to Verizon until my wife was safely on Republic Wireless' we'd just be paying my Individual Plan price on Verizon while paying $19/mo. for her on Republic Wireless).

Well, lately with the interminable "delays" of the Galaxy Nexus in the US (though I expect we'll get a firm release date tomorrow), I've been thinking about alternate upgrade plans. Although I'm enamored with the Galaxy Nexus, there are a few disappointments, namely, the so-so camera, and the GPU that lags behind the Exynos SoC. Also, as the phone's release date has stretched on and one, it's come ever closer to CES 2012, and the slate of awesome phone announcements I think we're on the cusp of in early 2012 (e.g. Galaxy S3, quad core phones, 720p becoming standard, ICS becoming standard). I've thought it sure would be nice if there were a way I could upgrade my iPhone 3Gs to a really great phone, while retaining my contract-free status so I can jump on an awesome phone with no reservations in mid 2012.

So I kind of half-heartedly started browsing eBay auctions for Galaxy S II's on AT&T, setting my auction sniper to bid low-ball prices. I thought if I "won" a "cheap" GSII on AT&T, it would allow me to continue month-to-month with them, would allow my wife to get safely off AT&T and onto Republic Wireless, and would afford me time to take the lay of the mobile landscape following CES 2012. Tonight I surprisingly won my bid of $335 for a Galaxy SII (most auctions have been ending in the $370-$400 range). I'm pleased about it. I think I'll be able to sell my iPhone 3Gs for $150-$200, so I'll only be out of pocket about $140 for the GSII, and I should be able to sell it for well more than that 6 months from now (maybe around $300). I'll have the immediate benefit of a much better phone than my 3Gs, and the ability to wait 6 months or so before choosing true top-of-the-line phone and getting on a contract, if necessary.

Anyway, that's where I am tonight, and thought I'd share.
 
I think it's a good choice, and $350 shipped is a great price. Congratulations.
 
I was told by the ATT folk that I may be able to get the upgrade price starting Dec 1st. If that's true I'm going to be buying the exact same phone for the contract price of $200. I'm very excited for it, as I'm sure you are too.
 
Wall 'O Text just scored a crit on my brain.

I bought an SGS2 on AT&T because I needed a new phone (shattered the glass on my current one) and it was one penny on Amazon.
 
So 5 MP vs 8 MP makes it a so-so camera? Is that the only criteria you're going by, or have I missed some other tests showing that the camera is worse?
 
obidamnkenobi said:
So 5 MP vs 8 MP makes it a so-so camera? Is that the only criteria you're going by, or have I missed some other tests showing that the camera is worse?
Click to expand...

Megapixels has little to do with it. Basically every review I've read of the Galaxy Nexus has dinged it for a mediocre camera, especially compared with the high-quality cameras on the Galaxy S II line. As I understand it, it has less to do with megapixel count, and more to do with low light performance, color accuracy, and contrast. I believe it's the same or similar camera module that was in last year's Galaxy S, which was also a so-so point & shoot; not bad, but definitely behind the iPhone 4 & Galaxy S II's (and of course way behind the iPhone 4s, which leads the pack).
 
Adam8281 said:
Megapixels has little to do with it. Basically every review I've read of the Galaxy Nexus has dinged it for a mediocre camera, especially compared with the high-quality cameras on the Galaxy S II line. As I understand it, it has less to do with megapixel count, and more to do with low light performance, color accuracy, and contrast. I believe it's the same or similar camera module that was in last year's Galaxy S, which was also a so-so point & shoot; not bad, but definitely behind the iPhone 4 & Galaxy S II's (and of course way behind the iPhone 4s, which leads the pack).
Click to expand...

WTF? My Vibrants camera is pretty damn good. Lacks a flash but flash pics look like ass anyway.
 
Sick. Congrats! Sounds like you got a nice deal too.

I paid almost $300 (after wonderful taxes in Quebec) for my Samsung Galaxy S II X and that's with a "$350 discount" from the carrier of whom I am an employee. Having said that, I bought it as soon as it became available.

Enjoy the new phone, you won't be disappointed!
 
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