Contract up, time for a new smartphone...

[TheL8Elvis]

I. Just. Don't. Get. It.

Why do people sign up for cell phone service and basically lease the phone from the provider? You pay more for the phone+service than you would to buy the phone and sign up for service separately. The phone is then yours, you aren't tied to one provider, and you don't have to buy a new phone every time you turn around.

What gives?

I think your understanding of the way things work is flawed.

There are very few providers where you pay less when you bring your own device.
Where those providers exist, they may have some other limiting factors, such as poor coverage area, etc.

In the cases I have researched, the savings for BYOD (bring your own device) compares to the price of a new smartphone over a year or two. So I can get a free or subsidized new phone and pay more or on a national carrier, or buy the phone upfront and pay slightly less on a botique carrier.

Either way I end up paying for the phone and the service and the total cost is generally a wash. Yes, I am 'tied' to one provider - but how many people really have the need to switch providers frequently ? It certainly doesn't cause me to have to buy a new phone every time I turn around, either.

 

[Eudaemonic Plague]

I think your understanding of the way things work is flawed.

There are very few providers where you pay less when you bring your own device.
Where those providers exist, they may have some other limiting factors, such as poor coverage area, etc.

In the cases I have researched, the savings for BYOD (bring your own device) compares to the price of a new smartphone over a year or two. So I can get a free or subsidized new phone and pay more or on a national carrier, or buy the phone upfront and pay slightly less on a botique carrier.

Either way I end up paying for the phone and the service and the total cost is generally a wash. Yes, I am 'tied' to one provider - but how many people really have the need to switch providers frequently ? It certainly doesn't cause me to have to buy a new phone every time I turn around, either.

^^Yup.

I've never had any gripes with AT&T, and I love my Galaxy S III. I use it to read books more than anything else, so my Nook is just gathering dust now. The stand I bought for the Nook turns out to be quite handy with my phone. Especially when I'm eating a messy lunch and reading at the same time. I even managed to not get anything on the phone today, when I was up to my armpits in Buffalo wings.

I suppose I'll be happy when I get Jellybean, but I won't know 'til I've gotten it. I do wish I could use my Wacom pen on it, but I'll live.

 

[WildCat]

Take a look at some of the online offers. Service alone runs to about $30 per month less than service+phone. For two years, that's over 700 dollars more. I can buy a damn good phone for that price, or I can buy a cheaper phone and save the difference.

It costs no different for my plan whether I have a discounted phone I got from the carrier or if I activate another phone I have.

 

[Delscottio]

I've been giving a lot of thought to the Note2. All of the tech specs are superlative, and the Wacom stylus is particularly attractive.

<snip>

Have you acted on those thoughts?

My contract is up early next year and the Note 2 is the way I am leaning. All the reviews are seriously positive but all feedback is helpful - not much worse than being stuck with a phone you hate!

 

[Darat]

Being a Note 1 owner I've been looking at the Note 2 and it is a real upgrade in nearly every sense. BUT although I really like my Note I hardly ever use my stylus now apart from showing people the neat things you can do with it! But there's another BUT - you can do even more on the Note 2 with the stylus and the stylus is much, much better to hold and use so perhaps I would start using it if I had the 2.

 

[quadraginta]

Have you acted on those thoughts?

My contract is up early next year and the Note 2 is the way I am leaning. All the reviews are seriously positive but all feedback is helpful - not much worse than being stuck with a phone you hate!

Not yet, but when I've got the gelt it's pretty much certain that's what I'll get. I've looked hard at all the alternatives, and there just isn't anything out there that comes closer to exactly what I would like to have.

 

[TJM]

And the winner is...

Potato?

No!

iPhone 5 wins.

Picked it up yesterday and I'm not disappointed one bit. I haven't quite put it entirely through its trials yet, but the device *IS* pretty freaking awesome. No wifi connectivity issues, in fact I've seen nothing wrong with the device so far. But the best thing?

Happy.