So what do you guys think about these new offers from Cell providers?

mantis

Whats up everyone?
I opt'd for this plan as my son and I both got a new iPhone 5s 32g. We traded in my iPhone 4s 64g and he traded in his iPhone 4 32g. We got $210.00 and $123.00 as both phones where in excellent condition. This money paid the tax for the new phones and Paid for next months bill with a balance of $13.16.
Afterwards a $30.00 charge for both phone each will be added to the plan. So we walked out not paying anything for the phones but tax. No Activation fees or anything. Down side to this is after 12 months I will be paying $360.00 for each phone but after 12 months we both can get a new phone and start the plan all over again.
There is no contract anymore with this plan but I don't get to keep the phone if I decide to switch providers. If you think about this as I am it seems with it but also seems not.
If you are up for a regular upgrade , you can get the iPhone 5s 32g for 299.99 plus tax plus activation etc etc etc. Then you have to wait 18 months or so to upgrade to another phone when the time comes. You do however now get a trade in value of whatever the phone is worth when you upgrade. Then you have to stick with AT&T for another 2 years each upgrade.

So as I sit here thinking about this, maybe up front it looks to be not such a good deal but IF you factor in no interest ( if you pay for your phone with a credit card , you will have to account for Interest paid on the purchase) and no activation fees, it's maybe a few dollars more.

What do you guys think about these new offers from Cell providers? Verizon and Sprint , T Mobil are all doing the ams kind of thing.

heartystatue

So how long do you pay the 30.00 if you want to keep the phone you have after 12 months?

cfrizz

These companies are going to get their money out of you one way or another. They know that most people want the latest and greatest so they look for a way to entice you to constantly upgrade, so you did.

Me personally, I don't believe in renting, I like to own. I pick the phone that has all the features that I want and buy it out right. I don't need a plan because I don't live on my phone. I just bought a Galaxy Note 2 off of Amazon for 400.00. put in a new sim card from TMobile that has about $85.00 worth of minutes on it which will see me through for a year. But I use the phone everyday to play music and read my books while on the T.

I still have my old phone which still works great and if something happened to my Note I will still have a phone. I purchased it at least 5 years ago. These contracts have you paying over and over again well over the cost of the phone. They can keep their contracts I want nothing to do with them.

If I'm going to spend the kind of money you all do for phones, then I'm going to own them. All they are going to do is refurbish those phones and probably sell them overseas and make even more money off of them.

WLDock

These plans are money making genius! Going back two contracts with T-Mo I got my phones for free and T-Mo's plans were much cheaper than anyone else. I had a smartphone, text, data, and enough minutes at a price that was comfortable.

Today.....with their "JUMP" plan....you pay $10 a month to join. Then you pay the down payment then the monthly payment towards buying the phone. After six months, you can get the latest phone by turning in your old phone and start the process all over again. If one follows this and opt for a new phone every six months using this plan, you will end up paying more for phones and service than any other time in T-Mo's history! Money makin' brilliance! now all the other carriers are following.

IMO, get the cheapest plan you can live with and pick up a Google Nexus and keep it as long as you can ...until it falls apart. These $500-$700 phones and $100-$200 plans for family cost a ton of cash over time. I swear my income can't keep up with inflation let alone the increasing cost to carry a smartphone. I can see a point where I will be back to a cheap and simple dumb phone. Right now I have my old phone that is falling apart...I am waiting to see what I want to do. I think I will end up picking up a Nexus and calling it a day.

gimpod

I've never understood the whole cell phone thing. I pay around $60 a month for a land line that I can call anybody I want for free (no long distance) and guess what it works every time I pick it up plus the battery never go's dead and I can carry on a conversation without say "WHAT YOU'D SAY" every 5 seconds or find the perfect spot for cell reception.

JMO

rpf65

These "upgrade every year" plans would have a benefit if you actually upgraded or tried different operating systems every year or so. That would probably be worth it. People like me, who bought the I-phone 4 about 3 months after it came out, and are still using it would probably be better off purchasing a new model.

I've had the same provider for about 10 years now, and because the service is really good, I don't plan on changing. As you can tell, the latest and greatest isn't a very compelling reason for me to upgrade. So a straight out purchase will probably be more cost effective.

If you keep your phones for 2 or more years, buy them. If you like changing them more often than that, then the upgrade plan is probably better.

mantis

heartystatue wrote: »

So how long do you pay the 30.00 if you want to keep the phone you have after 12 months?

It's 20 months which I would never do.

cnh

Have to agree with Cathy on this one. And I'm even worse; a track phone kind of guy, Samsung, minimal charge per month. I own the phone, going on three years now. Only use it for "necessary" calls. Internet searches? A top notch education allows me to carry the most important facts and data I need between my ears. lol

I'll never own an iphone, prohibitively expensive, and why?

But I "do" understand why you might need one if you're a "business" type and your work demands it. Mine does not.

cnh

michael1947

I kind of go with cnh. I gave my smart phone android raxor max to one of my kids a month ago and went back to my old dumb phone. It calls, takes photos and will text however my old thumbs don't allow me to text much. It talks with my car and that's all I need. When I was working I needed everything so I could be accessed 24/7 but now retired I use it and my house phone for MY calls.

oldmodman

What?

Doesn't any else still use a code key for their telography?

tonyb

I'm also in the CNH camp. Call, texts, internet unlimited for 45 bucks a month. I don't need the latest and greatest with 2 year contracts and lightning quick. I look at a phone as a tool and not a play toy. Depending on what you do for a living will dictate what tool is needed.

I basically use my smart phone for Calls, texts, navigation sometimes or an occasional google look up. Beyond that, I need nothing more. The problem with smart phones is they pretty much put an end to Bull sh&tters in a bar. You can look up anything and call them on it. Where's the fun in that ?

sucks2beme

I carry the dumbest phone with no camera. It works the same year after year.
Unless you are a wandering salesman or field tech, why does anyone need one?
Wanting one is a whole other story. Perfectly ok, but don't spend the grocery
money on one.

AsSiMiLaTeD

I must admit its a bit strange to see people still questioning the merits of a smartphone in 2013. Its not a question of if we need them, its all about convenience. I carry a smartphone for the same reasons that I own a car instead of a horse and carriage, it just makes things easier.

The problem is when we become dependent on technology, but that's a whole other discussion.

cnh

It's NOT the smart phone that is in question. It's the SMART PRICE! lol

Think about it? You pay for internet service at home. And you have, I have, FREE service at work with access to the Nation's best libraries through a college/university loan program. I live one mile from my office-where I also have free phone service? Smart phone? What for? So I can pay more for something I'm less than a few minutes from at any point in the day? lol

Plus, as Tony says, it can get burdensome when you can't carry on a good conversation because SOMEONE lives IN THEIR PHONE! Can you spell BORG? These phones make many "less" than human. They "assimilate" the social nature of human beings.

No one is dumping on Tech here. Just saying that Tech is the servant of individuals not the other way around. We can turn it on or off. Buy into it, or not.

The one things all humans have is the ability to say NO. Without this there is nothing! No self!

cnh

tonyb

LOL.....ya know CNH, we think way too much alike than we differ my friend.

Just last night invited my brother in-law over to watch the Bronco's game. He's a huge Bronco's fan. Guy barely looked at the TV because his nose was buried in his phone the whole time.

sucks2beme

What things does it make easier?
That's the real issue. If I need to make a call while wandering around, it works.
emails, surfing the net, it can all wait. At every stop light now some idiot is
so caught up in his toy he doesn't see the light go green.
How about a proximity app that lets me call him a dumb***
Now that would be the killer app for me!

krabby5

I just buy phones from Virgin Mobile..They have 50% off sales throughout the year. I bought a decent LG for $150, unlimited texts, data, 300 minutes/month for $38 month. I don't have a land line as the cell phone works fine (I'll admit..I'm lucky there..my cell phone actually works in my appt). If I need more more minutes, i can get 1200/mon for another $10. But I'm a guy with no kids, so I text MUCH more than I talk.

So I get email, internet, FB, texting, GPS, and a phone for $38/month. perfect for me.

Don't really understand the iPhone thing with the $100+ monthly bills..unless I got reimbursed from work

tonyb

If it's really important, from the people who I really care about, they call me. Otherwise it's all crap taking up your time. One of my kids has a cell phone bill....140 bucks a month, 4000 texts she's doing a month too. Just the time alone it takes to text that much, waste of time imho.

When asked if they would rather eat than give up their smart phones, youngsters picked the phone. I would say that's a problem.

cfrizz

LOL! Too funny Tony.

I remember having a conversation with my cousin that went like this. She sent me an email asking if I got her msg. I called her and said no. She said I sent it to your cell phone! I said then that explains why I didn't get it. I said if you want to reach me either call me on my HOME phone or send me an email. Unless I'm traveling my phone is off/airplane mode.

She proceeded to tell me that all she really does is text to other cell phones. I told her that if that's the case I probably won't get her messages! LOL.

sucks2beme

that's the new norm. Nobody wants to talk, just text. Same with IM's at work.
Too many co-workers want to play that game. If it's technical, call me or go away.
I'm NOT going to type a 100 commands in a little window one at a time.
I'm willing to work with them, but not like that.

badchad

Honestly, its hard to imagine life pre-smartphone. It just makes life easier and more enjoyable. I can be reached whenever I want via all forms of communication and media, whether its email, facebook, text, or even through an old-fashioned phone call. I always have a camera with me if I need it, thousands of music selections, GPS, basic utilities (calculators, note pads, a flashlight, an alarm clock). I can get resturant recommendations, make reservations, identify songs, store documents, and the list goes on and on. I have the entire internet at my disposal.

I think it's pretty splendid, actually. You can do it all for such a nominal cost, why wouldn't you?

sucks2beme

The only people trying to reach me are selling something.
Also don't answer my door most of the time. If I don't know
you are or you don't have a badge, go away.

cfrizz

badchad wrote: »

Honestly, its hard to imagine life pre-smartphone. It just makes life easier and more enjoyable. I can be reached whenever I want via all forms of communication and media, whether its email, facebook, text, or even through an old-fashioned phone call. I always have a camera with me if I need it, thousands of music selections, GPS, basic utilities (calculators, note pads, a flashlight, an alarm clock). I can get resturant recommendations, make reservations, identify songs, store documents, and the list goes on and on. I have the entire internet at my disposal.

I think it's pretty splendid, actually. You can do it all for such a nominal cost, why wouldn't you?

No one is saying that it is not useful technology, I think we all agree that it is.

What is in question is peoples constant need to upgrade spend hundreds-thousands of dollars just to have the latest and greatest the second it comes out. The fact that these companies all feed that mindset knowing that they can rake in tons of cash every few months, but these upgraders can't figure out that they are probably spending so much more than your "nominal cost".

These phones just like audio gear, are made to last for years unless you are very careless with them, and the improvements to them are incremental at best.

jflail2

AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »

I must admit its a bit strange to see people still questioning the merits of a smartphone in 2013. Its not a question of if we need them, its all about convenience. I carry a smartphone for the same reasons that I own a car instead of a horse and carriage, it just makes things easier.

The problem is when we become dependent on technology, but that's a whole other discussion.

Agreed. And it's funny listening to everyone climb over each other to decree how useless those newfangled smart phones are in their daily lives. That's fine and all, but that doesn't apply to everyone. I honestly couldn't imagine traveling for work without one. Need walking directions from 1 office to the next? Hit up google maps and you have step by step directions in seconds. Need to email or call a client? Dig up your email correspondence with them and have that contact info at your hand in seconds. How about a good meal after work? Open Table app for the win. Bored on the plane? How about some tunes while you fly, or even a book through Amazon's Kindle app. Can't find a decent wifi connection in the airport? Turn on that hotspot and go to town.

Point being, there are tons of legitimately good uses for a smart phone. I suppose it just depends on where you work and live, what you do, etc.

4xoddic

Call me a Luddite to my face; as I don't own a smartphone, nor a cell phone for that matter.

The Amish around Yoder, KS, have nice little homes, all with clotheslines. Conspicuously absent? Garages.

Boys are permitted to install car stereos on steel-wheeled tractors. By 16, they either give up that lifestyle, or move away. A trip into the hardware store in Yoder was a = time travel. Last I knew, the major industry was production of horse-drawn vehicles.

Would I want to live that way? NO. Neither would I want to have to decide whether I should be constantly available for others' distraction 24/7/365.

sucks2beme

It's not like I don't play with tech, I'm just not a slave to it.
I get enough emails, voicemails, IM's for work that I really don't want to
spend my nights and weekends doing it.

codyc1ark

Im interested in the new Motorola phone, 4.5", $179.00 - unlocked so I can continue to run it on Straight talk (48ish/month). It looks like it just as powerfull as my Nexus, but I think it's great that they are working to bring the price down on these devices.

cnh

jflail2 wrote: »

Agreed. And it's funny listening to everyone climb over each other to decree how useless those newfangled smart phones are in their daily lives. That's fine and all, but that doesn't apply to everyone.

Point being, there are tons of legitimately good uses for a smart phone. I suppose it just depends on where you work and live, what you do, etc.

That pretty much sums it up! If you're a jet-setting BUSINESS type, all the more power to you. YES! "you" need this! But not all or even "most" do.

We ALL use tech. In fact, my generation is probably the "oldest" to ever remain current with various new Tech trends and gadgets.

But I am a stickler over WHO controls that tech. ME or the OBJECT! All you have to do is look at how teenagers abuse smart phones. Tony gives one example above. Attentions spans are NON-EXISTENT, everyone is trying to multi-task all the time when WE KNOW the human brain is "incapable" of that and is rapidly shifting back and forth in a way that can prove life ending on the road?

Balance. All things in "moderation". Remember Ancient Greece?

Stop being so naive! And realize that age is wisdom. We live in a society that's all about being YOUNG and never growing old where the young are never taught to question "trends", "fashion" and the next "new thing" but to "mindlessly" embrace it and enslave themselves to it! That's not my kind of world. That's a world without "memory" and "history". The kind totalitarian regimes love! Everything is about the "present" and the present can only see itself in relation to what is to come! That's a fairly mindless way of living. I thought we went over these critiques DECADES ago.

Behold, we repeat history again and again. You think this is the "first" time we've had such a debate? Hardly!

BTW, a lot of us envision devices yet to come that would make smart phones look like toys! We are not afraid of any innovations, and welcome them as long as they remain in "OUR" service! And don't BLEED our wallets dry!

cnh

madmax

I'll stick with my $7 a month tracfone that I bought for $20 seven years ago. Thats $608 spent in 7 years. I can't believe the battery hasn't gone south yet!

cfrizz

Outstanding post Cnh!!

Max that is long life battery. But then the one in my old phone is still going strong five years out.

michael1947

+1 for Cnh. Last summer one of my daughters (3) came over to the house to see if I was alright. She had been calling for a couple of days and had not caught me. I work in my yard most of the summer and if not I may be wandering about in my Jeep and to find and or read my phone is just too much work most of the time and I cannot hear it in the Jeep unless I have it on speaker and right in my face...plus I get busy driving with all of those shifters and things. The net here is that I got a nice little visit and lunch with one of my kids, good for me.