[Q] Can you "Own your cell service" in Canada? - Samsung Galaxy Nexus

I know that Canada's cellphone market is unfortunately less competitive than the US's but I've been very intrigued by this thread. I had a contracted Galaxy Nexus for two weeks from Bell, but I took it back before the 14 day tester period was up. I quite liked my Nexus but I figured if I was signing on for 3 years, I might as well have the most up to date thing I could so I waited to see what the SIII was going to be like. I'm not really sold on it and since it'll likely be mid summer or later before it's in Canada, I'm thinking I won't bother.
However, if a new Nexus or even the iPhone 5 really makes me want to upgrade in 6 - 9 months, I don't want to be eating my contract for a ton of money. So I have a few questions:
1) Are there any crazy deals in Canada like the Tmobile 30 dollar plans with good data/texting and etc that are detailed in the thread I linked above. I'm in Eastern Canada, so I'm pretty sure Wind doesn't have much of a presence here, but even still I'd count them in since I feel they will in the near future.
2) I've seen a lot of 399 dollar Nexus' listed places. Google Play, Expansys, Newegg (for a bit more). All of these seem to be largely American shipped, so I get hammered with shipping and tax pushing upward of 500 or more. Google Play didn't ship to Canada as far as I could tell, though in comments on websites I saw people saying they had gotten on from Google play to Canada. Would Expansys be my best bet (475 it ends up with tax and shipping) or is there any way around Google Play/a better place I missed.
3) Most importantly, a GSM version of the Nexus from Google Play that's supposed to be for the US would work in Canada, correct?
If there is some awesome Canadian version of Own your cell service that I couldn't find (I sifted through search results but got nothing), I'd love to see that. I largely want to know if dropping 400-500 dollars on a Nexus to run prepaid plans would be worth it if I only kept it under a year.
Currently I would pay 49.99 from Bell to upgrade to a Nexus, and I'd pay 70 bux a month for 1 gig data/fab 10/unlimited texting. I can get a 7 dollar/month damage warranty thing that replaces the phone for 150 dollars from bell. If there was a good prepaid plan for about 40 dollar, I'd be saving 30 dollars a month, for say 10 months would be saving 300, which almost pays off the Nexus and I would have no worries about being locked into a contract if I decided to not use my phone a month. I'd also be able to sign a contract down the road if a new, crazy Nexus came out that I really wanted.

chrstphrbrnnn said:
I know that Canada's cellphone market is unfortunately less competitive than the US's but I've been very intrigued by this thread. I had a contracted Galaxy Nexus for two weeks from Bell, but I took it back before the 14 day tester period was up. I quite liked my Nexus but I figured if I was signing on for 3 years, I might as well have the most up to date thing I could so I waited to see what the SIII was going to be like. I'm not really sold on it and since it'll likely be mid summer or later before it's in Canada, I'm thinking I won't bother.
However, if a new Nexus or even the iPhone 5 really makes me want to upgrade in 6 - 9 months, I don't want to be eating my contract for a ton of money. So I have a few questions:
1) Are there any crazy deals in Canada like the Tmobile 30 dollar plans with good data/texting and etc that are detailed in the thread I linked above. I'm in Eastern Canada, so I'm pretty sure Wind doesn't have much of a presence here, but even still I'd count them in since I feel they will in the near future.
2) I've seen a lot of 399 dollar Nexus' listed places. Google Play, Expansys, Newegg (for a bit more). All of these seem to be largely American shipped, so I get hammered with shipping and tax pushing upward of 500 or more. Google Play didn't ship to Canada as far as I could tell, though in comments on websites I saw people saying they had gotten on from Google play to Canada. Would Expansys be my best bet (475 it ends up with tax and shipping) or is there any way around Google Play/a better place I missed.
3) Most importantly, a GSM version of the Nexus from Google Play that's supposed to be for the US would work in Canada, correct?
If there is some awesome Canadian version of Own your cell service that I couldn't find (I sifted through search results but got nothing), I'd love to see that. I largely want to know if dropping 400-500 dollars on a Nexus to run prepaid plans would be worth it if I only kept it under a year.
Currently I would pay 49.99 from Bell to upgrade to a Nexus, and I'd pay 70 bux a month for 1 gig data/fab 10/unlimited texting. I can get a 7 dollar/month damage warranty thing that replaces the phone for 150 dollars from bell. If there was a good prepaid plan for about 40 dollar, I'd be saving 30 dollars a month, for say 10 months would be saving 300, which almost pays off the Nexus and I would have no worries about being locked into a contract if I decided to not use my phone a month. I'd also be able to sign a contract down the road if a new, crazy Nexus came out that I really wanted.
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what do you mean own you cell service???? off contract? if so yes you will be paying 500$ for sure

Click my link in my first paragraph. It's a link to a thread called "Own your cell service..with prepaid and the Galaxy Nexus". The idea is you get an unlocked Nexus, multiple sims and flip between various carriers who are offering the best prepaid bang for your buck, rather than getting stuck in a long term, expensive contract. However, the US is more competitive than Canada in terms of cell providers, so I was wondering if it was even possible to accomplish this in Canada.

dr mcknight said:
what do you mean own you cell service???? off contract? if so yes you will be paying 500$ for sure
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Read the thread he linked...

Unfortunately at least in Ontario the pay as you go market is pretty terrible.
I have a GN I bought in the UK and came back with, and have been casually shopping around while my Bell contract expires on my old phone.
So far, I'm currently using a Telus PAYG service which offers VM call I'd unlimited texting and 250MB data for 20 a month and that's about the best I've found.
The "big 3" all require basically minimum of 20-30 a month to get data and you're at less than 500MB or less. Then you'd still need top up on the account if you wanted any voice.
I've no experience with eBay for sims for Canada but to get from the carriers generally they all charge I think it was 15 for a PAYG.
If you want to try 30 day ''contracts' there's decent options I'm finding through Rogers and Bell retention but still going to be around 60 a month and no real differentiation between carrier. If you're not an existing customer they'll charge 25 for a service fee and run a credit check.
Now if you only live in a major city and have an i9250 then the AWS carriers (like Wind) are a bit more attractive. The Rogers version and not sure about the play version lack the AWs band.
Hope this helps you get started and would be interested if there are options.

ceribaen said:
Unfortunately at least in Ontario the pay as you go market is pretty terrible.
I have a GN I bought in the UK and came back with, and have been casually shopping around while my Bell contract expires on my old phone.
So far, I'm currently using a Telus PAYG service which offers VM call I'd unlimited texting and 250MB data for 20 a month and that's about the best I've found.
The "big 3" all require basically minimum of 20-30 a month to get data and you're at less than 500MB or less. Then you'd still need top up on the account if you wanted any voice.
I've no experience with eBay for sims for Canada but to get from the carriers generally they all charge I think it was 15 for a PAYG.
If you want to try 30 day ''contracts' there's decent options I'm finding through Rogers and Bell retention but still going to be around 60 a month and no real differentiation between carrier. If you're not an existing customer they'll charge 25 for a service fee and run a credit check.
Now if you only live in a major city and have an i9250 then the AWS carriers (like Wind) are a bit more attractive. The Rogers version and not sure about the play version lack the AWs band.
Hope this helps you get started and would be interested if there are options.
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Yeah, I'll looked through everything that's offered in Atlantic Canada and it seemed as if Telus had the best offer, and it was still over 50 bucks with a few missing features. I'm not really saving much money (if any) shelling out 500 for a Nexus if I dump it within a year (which would probably happen, as a new Nexus would be around by then). Still, I'm sick of being locked with Bell. Tough decision I suppose...

Related

What merchant is offering the Tilt2 for the best price w/o a contract?

I've visited eBay and many other online stores that offer the Tilt2 anywhere from $470 to as much as $730 for the same phone. What's the maximum I should pay, and or should I wait till after Jan 1, in hopes that prices will drop? I currently have the AT&T tilt, and after 2 terrific yrs of trying out different cooked ROMs I'm now ready to upgrade to the Tilt2. Your thoughts and suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.
Did you check craigslist.org?
$500 is retail. You should never pay a dime over that.
As to price drops, it's just a question of how much of a hurry you're in. You can play the wait and see game until the phone is obsolete, and in the end, when you do buy it, the price will drop the next day.
The Tilt2 is one of the newest of the TP2 versions, and so far, although the secondary market has seen the TMo version erode in price, even it (the earliest US branded version) hasn't had a real price drop (although it technically retailed at $550 on launch, it was sold at $500 from the start at some retailers). The int'l unlocked version released a few months earlier dropped from $720+ to about $600 after around 4-5 months.
Since there are a number of landscape WVGA winmo devices, it's possible that competition might drag the price down faster than usual, but then again, it might not. Holiday sales might be good, or they might not.
http://walmart.letstalk.com/product/product.htm?prId=35844
free after rebate with 2 year contract.
Nothing is free. With those contract deals you need to pay for a certain plan. Keep this in mind, for every $10 a month your bill goes up, that is $240 over the life of your plan.
I just bought a Tilt2 at an AT&T store for $500. I figured I am going to save money in the long run because the only way I could get the phone on a contract was to increase my monthly bill by a minimum of $15, or $360 over 2 years. + The $200 for the phone = $560.
This way I can also resell my phone and move to another company like T-Mobile when they get the HD2.
To answer the OP, $500 is retail, you can walk into an AT&T store and just say you want to buy the phone as a gift. Do NOT give them your phone # or account. Just say you are not even an AT&T customer and the phone is for a friend/family.
Brickcity said:
Did you check craigslist.org?
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Click to collapse
Yes, I have. After you suggested it. But I was surprised to find that of the 5 offers in my local area for this item, 3 were more than the $480 average buy now price listed on ebay. The other 2 were used, and had minor damages to one of them, and the other was without the software CD. Besides, with all the recent negative activity from former craigslist buyers in the news media these days, I'm a bit aprehensive about meeting someone face to face to broker a deal. But good suggestion. Thanks.
Pops_G said:
Nothing is free. With those contract deals you need to pay for a certain plan. Keep this in mind, for every $10 a month your bill goes up, that is $240 over the life of your plan.
I just bought a Tilt2 at an AT&T store for $500. I figured I am going to save money in the long run because the only way I could get the phone on a contract was to increase my monthly bill by a minimum of $15, or $360 over 2 years. + The $200 for the phone = $560.
This way I can also resell my phone and move to another company like T-Mobile when they get the HD2.
To answer the OP, $500 is retail, you can walk into an AT&T store and just say you want to buy the phone as a gift. Do NOT give them your phone # or account. Just say you are not even an AT&T customer and the phone is for a friend/family.
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Click to collapse
Your logic is very sound. If I upgrade my current contract it will cost me an additional $22/mo, plus $200 for the phone. If I buy the phone thru them w/o a contract it will cost me $540. After watching the prices that ebay buyers have been paying for this phone over the last 4 days the going rate is from $425 to $460. I would come out better just buying it from ebay and keeping my current contract. Thanks for the tip.
imabored said:
http://walmart.letstalk.com/product/product.htm?prId=35844
free after rebate with 2 year contract.
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I checked out your link, which is thru Walmart Wireless. It is only free if I enter into a new 2yr contract with them. I would have to cancel my current contract and pay the penalties which is rediculous. If I upgrade my current contract the phone would cost me $99 plus the additional increase of $22/mo for 2yr. It's still cheaper to buy the phone thru ebay. Like Pops_G says, " Nothing is free!"

Worth early contract cancellation and move to Verizon?

are any of you considering instead of buying the unlocked version for 750ish dollars instead just cancelling your current contract and moving to verizon for the supposed 200 dollar contract price?
I'm thinking the Pros so far would be LTE and verizon is currently having their 4GB for the price of 2GB data plan.
I thought about it briefly only because my fiance is on verizon and it would be nice to get a shared plan. However, I am on a very cheap legacy T-mobile plan with unlimited internet. I get anywhere from 5-10mbps down and 2 up in my area. It's not worth it for me.
I hadn't planned on buying the unlocked version at all. I'm currently on AT&T (and ridiculously on a contract...despite not initiating it) and I'm jumping ship when it's released for Verizon. Right now it's like a $230 ETF, but AT&T credited me $100 because it was their miscommunication that entered me onto a new contract, in the first place. Yes, I'll still end up paying $130, but I saved $300 when I bought my phone (I was planning on buying it outright, they gave me the contract pricing but started a new contract).
Pros:
*MUCH* faster internet. I have devices on both networks and the difference is massive from 4-6Mbps and 25-35Mbps (both of which are the average of what I've gotten on both networks)
*Much* better coverage. Inside of the city I have great 3.5G on AT&T. 30 minutes outside of the city things start dropping off *very* quickly.
Better group data connections. On AT&T, anytime I'm in a very crowded area (think baseball or football stadiums) my data connection drops off to nothing. I still have full service, but I get no data at all. This means I get very few texts, if any, and my internet is all but useless. This is the biggest annoyance I have with AT&T, and I've been true for years.
Currently it is cheaper to switch then it is to buy unlocked. I am on AT&T right now and my prorated termination fee is $235. If I switch to Verizon it will cost me the $235 + $199.99 or $299.99 (whatever the phone ends up costing). in other words I will be spending $435 or $535 for the phone vs. 700+ to import it. On top of that I can sell my current phone (atrix) for around $200 (with accessories) which will bring my costs to either $235, $335, or $500+ depending on what I do.
Long story short its currently a better deal to switch carriers unless they release the unlocked version here in the us for ~$500.
If you're switching from AT&T it's probably worth it considering the monthly plans are about the same price If you're switching from T-mobile it probably isn't considering your plan is probably much cheaper.
Obviously you can make your own call on your situation, if you have LTE in your area, if Verizon's voice service is better in your area, or if you have family members on Verizon, etc.
I think the answer is different for each case. There's definitely no 1 answer here.
I was considering doing the same thing until I looked at how much it would cost me on Verizon vs. the cost if I were to stick with my T-Mobile plan.
Right now I'm paying a nice $113/m for:
750 minutes split across four lines, all with unlimited texting, and unlimited data on my phone.
by my calculations, it would be at least $80/m with my student (15%) discount at Verizon for just me, never mind the fact that I would need to pay a $200 ETF and then $200 for a phone. By the time I have my GN in hand it would have cost me $400 to get there to a more expensive plan..
If I were to switch my entire family over to Verizon, it would cost so much more per month, and they would all need to buy new phones - it's not worth it.
Instead, I sold my old nexus one for $150, bought a SGS II for $275 and am currently about to sell it for $520 or so. By my calculations, that takes off about $400 of my GN, bringing it down to about $300 - a very reasonable price for this phone.
The speeds on T-Mobile here in Seattle are pretty awesome as well. I just did a speedtest and got 7mb down (for some reason only 300kb up), while LTE may be faster, the price and battery drain makes it completely not worth it.
Unlocked + $30 PrePaid unlimited 4G T-mobile plan = pure ownage.
I'll be also swapping my HTC Rezound for Verizon's Nexus as it's within the return policy frame. Two Nexi woot
I think it may be worth switching now after reading the comments from that youtube video of the Verizon version of the phone it's listed as having 32GB as opposed to the 16GB for the unlocked version.
I'm ETFing my 2-line family plan with T-Mobile and switching to Verizon. About 4 months ago, the data speeds in my neighborhood dropped from about 2.5 Mbps to 0.5 Mbps. T-Mobile has done nothing to rectify the issue, so I'd rather pay a bit more each month and actually get what I pay for. However, I am not interested in any phone other than the GNex.
And this why carriers continue to rule in the usa because the sheep like subsidies. Vomits.
Sent from my samsung gt i9250 which is in the wrong country.
pukemon said:
And this why carriers continue to rule in the usa because the sheep like subsidies. Vomits.
Sent from my samsung gt i9250 which is in the wrong country.
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Click to collapse
Actually they rule because of coverage and devices. tmobile works for some people and doesn't for most which is why it is in the financial quagmire it currently is in.
I think it's totally worth it, and I almost did it. Ultimately, for now I think I will stick with the GSM version, but the lure of LTE is very tempting. Here are the factors you should consider:
1a) Verizon has (much) faster data speeds on their Nexus if you have LTE in your area.
1b) Verizon has slower data speeds on their Nexus if you do not have LTE in your area.
2) Verizon is much better for use in crowds, like at football games where AT&T doesn't work at all.
3) Verizon generally has better coverage in buildings.
4) AT&T and T-Mobile have (much) better international options. Verizon is basically unusable internationally because you will lose your double your data plan if you ever switch to an international plan and/or rent an international phone, even temporarily (and yes, I had something like 4 conversations with various Verizon representatives about this).
I have unlimited data on AT&T, so that plus the international issue (1-2 trips a year) made me decide to pass for now. It's still incredibly tempting, though, so I wouldn't blame you at all. Just do yourself a favor and don't let the carrier subsidy be the deciding factor.
I have to admit, I didn't think of this angle. I still have a contract from AT&T from the original iPhone 4 (sold long ago). I believe my ETF currently is around $180 or so. I bought the unlocked GN two weeks ago and have been loving it, but Verizon's (expensive) network is tempting as is LTE.
But I look at it this way. I don't need more than 5 down. I mean 25-30 would be nice, but I just don't see the need for that type of bandwidth on a phone. Perhaps if I had a tethering plan, but add that in and you will burn through 4-6 gigs/month fast...so then you look at the 10 gig plan, which is a fortune. Next thing you know, your monthly bill for one line is like $130, and that's with only 450 non-rollover minutes and no texts. Not for me.
I have two lines on ATT, both with unlimited data and 200 SMSs. After my company discount, it only costs us $117 after taxes. We have like 4,000 rollover minutes.
I just can't justify it, but I do fully agree Verizon is a much better network than ATT. And then there's the "toss any pre-paid SIM" international angle...
It's just sensible to stay where I am for now. If Verizon ever did an unlimited data promotion again, I'd join in a heartbeat. They already tested the waters with double data, so I'd say it's always possible for a short-running unlimited data promo.
Ball's in your court VZW!
Also if you think the GSM nexus is going to be at this price forever you are nuts. As soon as more supply opens up and other retailers start selling it the price is going to fall rapidly. I'd just wait a month and be perfectly happy buying it from Amazon for much less.
Aridon said:
Also if you think the GSM nexus is going to be at this price forever you are nuts. As soon as more supply opens up and other retailers start selling it the price is going to fall rapidly. I'd just wait a month and be perfectly happy buying it from Amazon for much less.
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What do you consider "much less?" I'd bet it holds above $550 for many, many months.
For reference, the SGSII is still $552 on Amazon. It's been out for quite a while...
I don't think a single person thinks the GNEX will be $750 "forever."
ericshmerick said:
What do you consider "much less?" I'd bet it holds above $550 for many, many months.
For reference, the SGSII is still $552 on Amazon. It's been out for quite a while...
I don't think a single person thinks the GNEX will be $750 "forever."
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Click to collapse
$200 less and no etf is a lot of change.
ericshmerick said:
I have to admit, I didn't think of this angle. I still have a contract from AT&T from the original iPhone 4 (sold long ago). I believe my ETF currently is around $180 or so. I bought the unlocked GN two weeks ago and have been loving it, but Verizon's (expensive) network is tempting as is LTE.
But I look at it this way. I don't need more than 5 down. I mean 25-30 would be nice, but I just don't see the need for that type of bandwidth on a phone. Perhaps if I had a tethering plan, but add that in and you will burn through 4-6 gigs/month fast...so then you look at the 10 gig plan, which is a fortune. Next thing you know, your monthly bill for one line is like $130, and that's with only 450 non-rollover minutes and no texts. Not for me.
I have two lines on ATT, both with unlimited data and 200 SMSs. After my company discount, it only costs us $117 after taxes. We have like 4,000 rollover minutes.
I just can't justify it, but I do fully agree Verizon is a much better network than ATT. And then there's the "toss any pre-paid SIM" international angle...
It's just sensible to stay where I am for now. If Verizon ever did an unlimited data promotion again, I'd join in a heartbeat. They already tested the waters with double data, so I'd say it's always possible for a short-running unlimited data promo.
Ball's in your court VZW!
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Click to collapse
Just found out they are offering Microsoft Employees unlimited data for 20 dollars, so looks like i'm definitely switching over to verizon and just cancelling AT&T
True2TheGame said:
Just found out they are offering Microsoft Employees unlimited data for 20 dollars, so looks like i'm definitely switching over to verizon and just cancelling AT&T
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Click to collapse
...so basically MSFT is incenting their employees to go to VZW for, well, Android phones?
Sounds like a great deal! (/sarcasm)
pukemon said:
And this why carriers continue to rule in the usa because the sheep like subsidies. Vomits.
Sent from my samsung gt i9250 which is in the wrong country.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like options. Sometimes its cheaper to buy outright and other times its cheaper to go on contract if you plan to be with a carrier for a couple years. In the US we only have 4 carriers really, 2 of which are GSM... so we don't switch carriers often and prices are about the same.
Buy now, pay later is the American dream.
G2x - 2.3.7 CM7
Transformer - 3.2 Revolver OC/UV

Sim unlocked Galaxy Nexus on Virgin

Just a heads up for anyone who is thinking of getting one from Virgin Mobile. It is Sim Unlocked. I just got one and am using it on Wind Mobile.
Yup all nexus devices come unlocked
So is the Bell one!!
How much is it?
$649 + 13% tax.
It isn't supposed to bit my Galaxy Nexus from Bell came unlocked too. I'd assume they'd fix that issue in the second batch so beware
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
NexusDro said:
$649 + 13% tax.
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Click to collapse
Ouch. That's rough.
Yeah they are unlocked, but I mean good luck getting one without a contract.
Nobody is selling it without a contract. I don't know if this is legal or not but they just won't give it to you.
So I just went and picked up a sealed Virgin unit from craigslist... considering I'd have to pay tax and as I've heard one month of Virgin service (I'm on Fido) I think I came out even or ahead slightly maybe.
mohitrocks said:
It isn't supposed to bit my Galaxy Nexus from Bell came unlocked too. I'd assume they'd fix that issue in the second batch so beware
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
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Click to collapse
You and 100's of others really need to stop spreading mis-information. It's a Nexus development phone which I'm guessing doesn't mean anything to you.
Updates, patches, fixes don't come from bell they come directly from Google. This isn't like the galaxy s or s II running touchwiz and bell crapware. Its a nexus phone running vanilla android.
Take some time to educate yourself and read a little bit on the Nexus 1, Nexus S and the Galaxy Nexus and you'll start (I hope) to understand that they are not carrier specific phones.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
Shawn_230 said:
Yeah they are unlocked, but I mean good luck getting one without a contract.
Nobody is selling it without a contract. I don't know if this is legal or not but they just won't give it to you.
So I just went and picked up a sealed Virgin unit from craigslist... considering I'd have to pay tax and as I've heard one month of Virgin service (I'm on Fido) I think I came out even or ahead slightly maybe.
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Click to collapse
if they are not selling the GNex off-contract,Why do they advertise the off-contract price?
i got this email from bell:
ArclightX said:
You and 100's of others really need to stop spreading mis-information. It's a Nexus development phone which I'm guessing doesn't mean anything to you.
Updates, patches, fixes don't come from bell they come directly from Google. This isn't like the galaxy s or s II running touchwiz and bell crapware. Its a nexus phone running vanilla android.
Take some time to educate yourself and read a little bit on the Nexus 1, Nexus S and the Galaxy Nexus and you'll start (I hope) to understand that they are not carrier specific phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey now, no need to insult the guy.
He isn't the one spreading misinformation, it's the jerkoff Bell employees who are outright spreading misinformation (which was likely handed down directly from their managers).
We all know Nexus phones are supposed to be unlocked, but when you go into a corporate Bell store, some guy in a Bell uniform unequivocally tells you otherwise then you begin to doubt yourself.
Daniel_GB said:
if they are not selling the GNex off-contract,Why do they advertise the off-contract price?
i got this email from bell:
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I don't know, maybe some CRTC rule they are only half-assedly standing by?
They know they are quite in demand, so they just won't give you one for $650. Mind you this is at Bell corporate, other smaller stores like The Source or Vision's Electronics might sell it to you for $650 for no contract, but not right now when demand would be so high, I would guess minimum 7-10 days from now. You can go to Virgin but I've heard they require one month of service to be activated, that and sales taxes can be a pretty penny on top of the $650 sticker price.
It's like this: Bell and Virgin has a vested interest in getting new contracts, so knowing the SGN is so hot they will come up with lies like "out of stock" or "come down and see us in person." Smaller stores like The Source don't really care if you sign up for a contract since it's not their netowkr, but I assume being a smaller store they can be easily persuaded by the carriers since they could just stop allowing that store to carry their latest phones.
I guess I was lucky one. In BestBuy they did not want to sell mu GN without contract. In the Futureshop same story. Then I call Bell and Virgin stores close to me and I got again same answer. I was so pist off so I decide to go to near BestBay and fight to death. I was ready to go to the manager if is needed.
So i walk into the store, ask for GN and then Bestbuy person ask me how I would like to pay? I sad I am paying in full, no contract. He did not say one word about contract or anything. I just pay for the Virgin GN and walk out. I could not believe my eyes. After all I was going thru miracle happend. wtf, soon I was out of the store I start walking little faster... LOL
I am now width Wind. Unlimited call, messages and data for $30. Bye bye Rogers 4ever. The phone is just amazing. Finally am am 100% happy. December 8 was my very happy day.
So I can confirm GN is working with all providers and it is coming unlocked.
Shawn_230 said:
Mind you this is at Bell corporate, other smaller stores like The Source or Vision's Electronics might sell it to you for $650 for no contract, but not right now when demand would be so high, I would guess minimum 7-10 days from now.
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Click to collapse
The Source is owned by Bell, but surprisingly I've heard that a couple of people managed to buy the phones outright, no contract.
I was able to buy one from Future Shop outright, but another buddy of mine wasn't able to at a different Future Shop, so I guess it's hit and miss. I was turned down at Best Buy, but apparently others have managed to buy one there.
The small, privately owned dealers are probably the least likely to sell the units outright, they depend on the contract commissions more than they do hardware sales, and will rarely sell a popular new phone without a contract or extended warranty.
Just my 2c...
You guys got lucky, good for you!
Personally, after calling all the stores in my area I gave up and went to craigslist. I knew if I went down to the stores and made my case I could convince them, but then I thought they might not even have them in stock contract or not since it's a hot phone.
So I guess moral of the story is, either go down to the stores and demand what is your right (no contract for $650) or if you can't be bothered then go online to say craigslist or Kijiji. I paid $100 over retail but I didn't pay HST, so not a huge deal considering.
I just wish these guys weren't so sleazy, no reason this should even be any issue, we are paying full-price so nobody is doing anybody any favours.
Using a galaxy nexus happily on Wind Mobile. It seems to be getting faster data speeds than my previous nexus s as well.
I bought mine for $649 from The Source on a $20 1-month virgin mobile plan. They wouldn't sell it to me any other way. So I'll have to call Virgin to cancel in 30 days.
The Bell store wouldn't sell my a Nexus without putting it on my account. No contract extension required but I still needed to be an existing customer.
I was able to buy my GN outright from a bell store in Edmonton, only after I caused a scene and spoke to the manager. He basically begged me to wait for 4 days and offered me $50 in accessories to do so, but I wouldn't budge as my Atrix had a mic issue where no one could hear me.
netninja said:
Using a galaxy nexus happily on Wind Mobile. It seems to be getting faster data speeds than my previous nexus s as well.
I bought mine for $649 from The Source on a $20 1-month virgin mobile plan. They wouldn't sell it to me any other way. So I'll have to call Virgin to cancel in 30 days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did the same, but I was told I can call and cancel after 14 days. They need 30 days notice to cancel though, so we may end up paying for more than 1 month.
NexusDro said:
$649 + 13% tax.
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Click to collapse
Consider that's the same price that people pays for their iPhones, I think we are still ahead...value wise
ady said:
Just a heads up for anyone who is thinking of getting one from Virgin Mobile. It is Sim Unlocked. I just got one and am using it on Wind Mobile.
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Click to collapse
simunovic said:
I guess I was lucky one. In BestBuy they did not want to sell mu GN without contract. In the Futureshop same story. Then I call Bell and Virgin stores close to me and I got again same answer. I was so pist off so I decide to go to near BestBay and fight to death. I was ready to go to the manager if is needed.
So i walk into the store, ask for GN and then Bestbuy person ask me how I would like to pay? I sad I am paying in full, no contract. He did not say one word about contract or anything. I just pay for the Virgin GN and walk out. I could not believe my eyes. After all I was going thru miracle happend. wtf, soon I was out of the store I start walking little faster... LOL
I am now width Wind. Unlimited call, messages and data for $30. Bye bye Rogers 4ever. The phone is just amazing. Finally am am 100% happy. December 8 was my very happy day.
So I can confirm GN is working with all providers and it is coming unlocked.
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Click to collapse
netninja said:
Using a galaxy nexus happily on Wind Mobile. It seems to be getting faster data speeds than my previous nexus s as well.
I bought mine for $649 from The Source on a $20 1-month virgin mobile plan. They wouldn't sell it to me any other way. So I'll have to call Virgin to cancel in 30 days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is anyone having roaming problems going from Wind Home zone to Wind Away zone & the phone not detecting the Wind Away zone as roaming?
Some ppl on HoFo forums ARE having this problem!
http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php/1746662-Want-to-confirm-data-settings-on-Galaxy-Nexus-so-I-don-t-get-roaming-data-charges
I'd like to know the answer to this before I go buy myself a Galaxy Nexus for Christmas

T-mobile Galaxy SIII $80 more than other carriers

Went online to buy the Galaxy SIII as Baltimore is not one of the top 30 markets included in T-mobiles launch of the "new Jesus phone".
I was forced to switch to a classic plan , previously had an even more plan for about the same features and cost but them when I looked at the pricing I see that T-mobile sells the phone for $80 more than Sprint, ATT and Verizon are for both the subsidized price and the full retail price.
What gives? Did I just sign up for a 2 new year contract only to be scammed into dishing out more money to T-mobile?
BTW, the Pebble Blue 32GB version is still backordered online.
rhesus98 said:
Went online to buy the Galaxy SIII as Baltimore is not one of the top 30 markets included in T-mobiles launch of the "new Jesus phone".
I was forced to switch to a classic plan , previously had an even more plan for about the same features and cost but them when I looked at the pricing I see that T-mobile sells the phone for $80 more than Sprint, ATT and Verizon are for both the subsidized price and the full retail price.
What gives? Did I just sign up for a 2 new year contract only to be scammed into dishing out more money to T-mobile?
BTW, the Pebble Blue 32GB version is still backordered online.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By the phone outright. Pay full price, and sign up for a $30 a month plan, bring your own device. This, although contrary to popular opinion, is EASILY the most cost effective route. If you can not pay $650 for a phone outright, then you have a tough choice to make if you want instant gratification.
I just bought mine, and it was $300 after mail in rebate. I am annoyed to, but there is nothing I could do about it.
I'm a little annoyed too and will be watching T-Mobile closely. If they they have some super-Sale of July 4th (which is within the 14 day return policy) I hope they don't put up a fight.
In general, all prices should be good for 30 days on any product, with no-hassle price adjustments.
lamenramen said:
By the phone outright. Pay full price, and sign up for a $30 a month plan, bring your own device. This, although contrary to popular opinion, is EASILY the most cost effective route. If you can not pay $650 for a phone outright, then you have a tough choice to make if you want instant gratification.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, if you need a data plan however and you're paying for it anyway I think it's better to get the device subsidized.
My last phone was the Galaxy S and I paid $500 with a $30 plan at the time. A year later, I realized I needed more talk time, mobile email I added a data plan as well. Now it doesn't make sense to pay full retail for the phone.
My biggest issue is even the full retail price from T-mobile is $80 more than other carriers. Is that the premium we have to pay for getting the phone from the carrier who had the device on the market before the other? (even though they were the last to make an announcements).
that part still doesn't make sense... 3 other carriers are selling the exact same phone for substantially cheaper. Why are TMo's prices hiked up?
free 50GB Dropbox isn't so free?
could it be they are trying to make us pay for the free 50GB dropbox by charging us $80 more?
The T-Mob version should be roughly the same as the ATT version. Unless the radio for the 42 MBps data is significantly more costly than whatever radio ATT uses, I don't see where the difference should be.
Even so, if I had $700, I'd be buying one outright today. My Vibrant would become a dev/backup device with no looking back.
Although I want one VERY badly, I am kinda glad that I am going to have to wait a bit more before I can afford it. This way I can monitor the S III topic here and see if there are any lurking issues before I buy.
I called customer care and they gave me a full months credit to get and use the savings to buy my phone
I would talk to rententions if you want to see if you can get a better deal. Depending on how long you've been with them, how long you've been out of contract, etc, they may be able to get you a better deal. The key is to be nice to them.
I already posted in the stickied thread, but I'll repost here:
Well, T-mobile continues to amaze me in a good way. Of course I was disappointed as everyone else with T-mobile's pricing, so I thought I'd give retention a call and see if they could do something.
I was really nice about it. I just said I'm looking to upgrade my phone from a Vibrant (I paid full price on the Vibrant, so I haven't been on contract for a long time). I've waited a long time to upgrade and I'm disappointed with the pricing. That's it. I wasn't rude or anything, just laid it out there.
The rep apologized for my disappointment and then she offered the following with no hesitation:
1. $200 credit to offset the cost of the phone. The credit has been applied to my account.
2. She said she could give me 500 more minutes on my plan AND reduce my monthly bill by $15.
3. She said I could pick it up in any store for $279.99 or call back on the 27th when they get them in their system at Customer Care.
4. I had overage on my bill for the first time. $100 worth. She took care of that too!
Bottom line, she gave me the phone for $79.99, saved me money on my monthly bill, AND wiped off overage.
Can't wait to get my S III once it's readily available. I won't mind the wait.
Maverick777 said:
I would talk to rententions if you want to see if you can get a better deal. Depending on how long you've been with them, how long you've been out of contract, etc, they may be able to get you a better deal. The key is to be nice to them.
I already posted in the stickied thread, but I'll repost here:
Well, T-mobile continues to amaze me in a good way. Of course I was disappointed as everyone else with T-mobile's pricing, so I thought I'd give retention a call and see if they could do something.
I was really nice about it. I just said I'm looking to upgrade my phone from a Vibrant (I paid full price on the Vibrant, so I haven't been on contract for a long time). I've waited a long time to upgrade and I'm disappointed with the pricing. That's it. I wasn't rude or anything, just laid it out there.
The rep apologized for my disappointment and then she offered the following with no hesitation:
1. $200 credit to offset the cost of the phone. The credit has been applied to my account.
2. She said she could give me 500 more minutes on my plan AND reduce my monthly bill by $15.
3. She said I could pick it up in any store for $279.99 or call back on the 27th when they get them in their system at Customer Care.
4. I had overage on my bill for the first time. $100 worth. She took care of that too!
Bottom line, she gave me the phone for $79.99, saved me money on my monthly bill, AND wiped off overage.
Can't wait to get my S III once it's readily available. I won't mind the wait.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm certainly going to have to do this Thanks for the tip!
To be clear, which number did you call exactly though? haha
Xenoism said:
I'm certainly going to have to do this Thanks for the tip!
To be clear, which number did you call exactly though? haha
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
611. Asked for retentions when I got someone on the line.
Maverick777 said:
611. Asked for retentions when I got someone on the line.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Much appreciated my friend ^^
Maverick777 said:
I would talk to rententions if you want to see if you can get a better deal.
2. She said she could give me 500 more minutes on my plan AND reduce my monthly bill by $15.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi!
I have a question to ask you, what type of plan are you on and is T-Mobile reducing your plan by $15.00 a month by giving you a $15.00 a month credit for two years, for example? Thanks!
What I think everyone fails to realize is T-Mobile has the best rates out of all carriers and you still end up saving even with the extra your spending on the device. T-Mobile takes that into account when pricing devices. So overall its not really all bad. Just seems like it when your dropping all that money up front.
Sent from my Buddy using xda premium
for those of you who did call retentions, did you do so before or after ordering the phone? I ordered the 32gb pebble blue online, and after taxes and fees and whatnot, it came out to a little under 450... that seems quite high to me fore some reason.
neoslink1 said:
for those of you who did call retentions, did you do so before or after ordering the phone? I ordered the 32gb pebble blue online, and after taxes and fees and whatnot, it came out to a little under 450... that seems quite high to me fore some reason.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't sound high for 32gb they start at 379 before taxes, shipping and upgrade/activison fees.
Sent from my Buddy using xda premium
FRuiTBoOT said:
Doesn't sound high for 32gb they start at 379 before taxes, shipping and upgrade/activison fees.
Sent from my Buddy using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Think they could still waive my activation if I was an angel to them? I'm just a student, lol. 450 stings a bit, but its looking like it'll definitely be worth it.
That's the same amount you would pay at amazon and on the go solutions but you get a bonus when buying from on the go solutions it will come rooted if I was to spend $700 on a phone that would be the choice I would make the international version are way better
Sent from my Sensation Z710e using xda premium
for some reason, I was given a 6 months full upgrade without any notification. Would really love to get this but, the price on this is insane. Anyone walking into a target, bestbuy or any local chain will see 4 galaxy s3. who in their right mind would pick the tmobile at 90$ more? I was told by a support rep that their computer currently doesn't reflect the real value, so this is probably some release day insanity. they will probably automatically credit the difference, or at least i would hope so.

What are you paying for your Galaxy S4?

My phone was free, 24 month contract, I can upgrade at 18 months, I pay 35 pounds a month (55 dollars) for unlimited texts, unlimited minutes, 3GB of 4G internet, unlimited of that BT wifi **** (I don't know if that is a thing in anywhere but the UK). My phone is on Orange, but this is the closest board seeing as in the UK Orange customers get access to T-Mobile's services for free. I just wanna know how good I did.
...
RanceedaW said:
$232.50 - to cancel my Sprint Contract ($200 ETF + $32.50 surcharges/taxes).
$377.25 - to get the S4 ($329.99) + initial charges ($47.26).
$300.00 - to pay off the rest of the phone (or I could've done +$12.50/m for 24 months.. but why?)
$081.99 - monthly bill ($50 unl. talk/text, $20 unl. 4g, $11.99 device protection, $0 wifi calling).
$000.00 - for activation.
Got mine on May 1st, instantly happy with my decision - I barely got 3G speeds via Sprint's E4GT, and
I was paying ~$125 for that bull****. Several Sprint rep's came out and just told me to go to South Florida,
Texas or Tennessee if I wanted to see better 3G (or even 4G!) speeds. I got a lot of dropped calls and
failed text messages (sent and received), horrible. I got $25 off my bill for five months, woo. :\
Awaited the S4 release on T-Mobile, jumped on it April 30th, got it the 1st, have been enjoying the phone
and 4G service since. Don't even care I spent nearly $1,000 at the beginning of the month.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Man, I wish I had that much money to throw around. Would have loved to try the One too. It was a good thing we left Sprint a long time ago. Not the most expensive, but service is worse than T-Mo. Still trying to see if I should keep this EIP or not. Looking for better options since I have the old Classic plan with several loyalty discounts.
GG2012 said:
Man, I wish I had that much money to throw around. Would have loved to try the One too. It was a good thing we left Sprint a long time ago. Not the most expensive, but service is worse than T-Mo. Still trying to see if I should keep this EIP or not. Looking for better options since I have the old Classic plan with several loyalty discounts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not much $ here either but i still have the S2 and really like it but the S4 looks like it will be worth upgrading to
---------- Post added at 05:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:11 PM ----------
daylight95 said:
My phone was free, 24 month contract, I can upgrade at 18 months, I pay 35 pounds a month (55 dollars) for unlimited texts, unlimited minutes, 3GB of 4G internet, unlimited of that BT wifi **** (I don't know if that is a thing in anywhere but the UK). My phone is on Orange, but this is the closest board seeing as in the UK Orange customers get access to T-Mobile's services for free. I just wanna know how good I did.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will probably just purchase a new one outright like i did my S2.
Don't see anyone saying you got a bad deal. Looks like a great deal to me but i hate contracts!!!
rolling56 said:
Not much $ here either but i still have the S2 and really like it but the S4 looks like it will be worth upgrading to
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me the S4 is a luxury device. If you have rooted your S2/S3 devices, don't know if S4 is really worth upgrading too. At the least, I think you should wait until at least after Google I/O.
This is my first smartphone - the last 3/4 years that I've been using a cell phone that was a basic 'dumb' phone. It's time for me to upgrade.
...
GG2012 said:
For me the S4 is a luxury device. If you have rooted your S2/S3 devices, don't know if S4 is really worth upgrading too. At the least, I think you should wait until at least after Google I/O.
This is my first smartphone - the last 3/4 years that I've been using a cell phone that was a basic 'dumb' phone. It's time for me to upgrade.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ya I had a dumb phone before I got this S2 a couple years ago and yes I rooted it but would still like to upgrade
GG2012 said:
For me the S4 is a luxury device. If you have rooted your S2/S3 devices, don't know if S4 is really worth upgrading too. At the least, I think you should wait until at least after Google I/O.
This is my first smartphone - the last 3/4 years that I've been using a cell phone that was a basic 'dumb' phone. It's time for me to upgrade.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well said, nexus5 or google X is looking good.
darren.wlsn1 said:
well said, nexus5 or google X is looking good.
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Click to collapse
We'll see. Though I have played around with the Nexus 4, I have to say there are quite a bit of Samsung apps/features that I enjoy using. I still see Google devices as benchmark devices to show off what the Android OS could do. Some people will find the cheap, no-contract pricing attractive. For me, there are still certain appeals of having expandable storage and replaceable battery that I like.
GG2012 said:
For me, there are still certain appeals of having expandable storage and replaceable battery that I like.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here
Sent from #15
put my sprint line in seasonal standby ($8.99 month) for three months so i could try t-mobiles reception. It's great here in San Antonio.
$150 down for GS4 April 30
$20 month for 24 months
£100 up front for the phone and then £24 per month for 24 months
I get 500 minutes of any network calls, unlimited texts and unlimited internet
I'm with T-mobile UK.
$150 us
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
rolling56 said:
Same here
Sent from #15
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
150 plus 50 in tax, 200 down payment
Since I am on their classic plan, the 20 a month is included in my phone bill. So in essence, I paid 200 bucks for this phone.
$149.99
-$50 ebates rebate for new service
-$50 T-mobile port rebate
=$49.99+39.37 tax = $89.36
If it's a REALLY bad ebay auction I'll get $300 for my S3 plus accessories after fees.i plan on putting that money straight into the device payment.
luckychef28 said:
$149.99
-$50 ebates rebate for new service
-$50 T-mobile port rebate
=$49.99+39.37 tax = $89.36
If it's a REALLY bad ebay auction I'll get $300 for my S3 plus accessories after fees.i plan on putting that money straight into the device payment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you do that???
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app
ebates.com which is an awesome site to get cash back everywhere online, is running a deal with T-mobile.com for $50 cash back on new lines. T-mobile doubled that by porting my number over from AT&T and giving me another $50 in a MC gift card. I tried to let people know to sign up for ebates before the launch, but only a couple of people seemed to take me seriously.
Note: For some reason ebates list my purchase amount as double what I spent, but I only got 1 GS4.
Just paid $681 for S4 no contract anymore and bill is much lower!
i payed $150 down and around $55 in taxes for the total amount of the phone. and im supposed to pay $20 a month for 24 months. im paying 50 a month for the line, no contract. no activation fee. :highfive:
luckychef28 said:
ebates.com which is an awesome site to get cash back everywhere online, is running a deal with T-mobile.com for $50 cash back on new lines. T-mobile doubled that by porting my number over from AT&T and giving me another $50 in a MC gift card. I tried to let people know to sign up for ebates before the launch, but only a couple of people seemed to take me seriously.
Note: For some reason ebates list my purchase amount as double what I spent, but I only got 1 GS4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry must of missed that post.
Thanks
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app

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