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Adding a line to purchase Gnex

Gravytrain

Gravytrain

Android Enthusiast
I have a question for you VZW experts.... okay, here is my situation.. I am only about 6 months into my contract, I currently own the droid charge which I am very unhappy with due to lagging... If I had a line to our family plan for $10/month, can I buy a phone at contract price and pop my current phone # line sim into the Gnex and it'll work?

Does VZW require me to purchase data package if I buy the gnex on a new line?

TIA! :D
 
You have to buy a data package for the line you're using to get a discount if you purchase a smartphone.
 
binary visions said:
You have to buy a data package for the line you're using to get a discount if you purchase a smartphone.
Click to expand...

Unless you buy the phone with the new line but put it on an old line and just add a feature phone you already have to the new line. Which is what Ill be doing by the way and no need for a data plan on the new line.
 
byrds8 said:
Unless you buy the phone with the new line but put it on an old line and just add a feature phone you already have to the new line. Which is what Ill be doing by the way and no need for a data plan on the new line.
Click to expand...

If you don't have a dumbphone, just go on ebay and find the cheapest one you can. you can get them for around $10.
 
byrds8 said:
Unless you buy the phone with the new line but put it on an old line and just add a feature phone you already have to the new line. Which is what Ill be doing by the way and no need for a data plan on the new line.
Click to expand...

Wait? Say what? Lol
 
byrds8 said:
Unless you buy the phone with the new line but put it on an old line and just add a feature phone you already have to the new line. Which is what Ill be doing by the way and no need for a data plan on the new line.
Click to expand...

So Verizon also allows for cross-upgrades between lines... even between lines that have data plans and ones without data plans (dumbphones)??
 
You can't upgrade the main line without an upgrade ON THAT LINE, though... so that doesn't work. The line you upgrade must have a data plan on it, so adding a dumbphone to that line isn't going to move your upgrade over to the main line...

What am I missing here? If you add a second line and buy a smartphone, that line has to have an data package. Having a data package on your main line doesn't help.
 
Gravytrain said:
That's what I needed to hear... So I can add a dumb phone line, buy a gnex, pop my smartphone line sim into gnex and be good to go?
Click to expand...
I don't know how the sim card issue would affect it. In the past I merely called VZ and told them I was putting a Treo/Blackberry/Droid on one line and putting a dumb phone on the other line. The data plan doesn't go with the line, it goes with the phone.
 
ok now totally confused.

some people say yes... some say no.

I need a step by step by the people who say they've done this before.
 
rrflanders said:
I don't know how the sim card issue would affect it. In the past I merely called VZ and told them I was putting a Treo/Blackberry/Droid on one line and putting a dumb phone on the other line. The data plan doesn't go with the line, it goes with the phone.
Click to expand...

you still get to keep the same number, right? even after all the sim card/phone switching.
 
mightymoose02 said:
you still get to keep the same number, right? even after all the sim card/phone switching.
Click to expand...
The phone number stays with the line and it goes both ways. When my OG Droid fell into the bottom of a hot tub, I temporarily transferred my phone number (line) to an old dumb phone - no data plan required.

I then used another line in my family (a dumb phone) with an upgrade available to buy my Droid 2 and put that Droid 2 onto my original line (phone number)

Clear?
 
Gravytrain said:
That's what I needed to hear... So I can add a dumb phone line, buy a gnex, pop my smartphone line sim into gnex and be good to go?
Click to expand...

You can't buy a "dumb phone line." What you can do is buy a gnex with a new contract and the phone will require a data plan. Swap that over to your original line then buy a cheap dumb phone that doesn't require a data plan to replace your Charge.
 
Ah. So the assumption is you have to initially sign up for a data plan for whatever line you use to buy a phone, but then you can cancel it after you swap a dumb phone over to the line.

So... add second line > buy smartphone > second line gets a data plan > move smartphone to original line > add dumbphone to second line > cancel data plan for second line.
 
rrflanders said:
The phone number stays with the line and it goes both ways. When my OG Droid fell into the bottom of a hot tub, I temporarily transferred my phone number (line) to an old dumb phone - no data plan required.

I then used another line in my family (a dumb phone) with an upgrade available to buy my Droid 2 and put that Droid 2 onto my original line (phone number)

Clear?
Click to expand...

Thanks! That's very clear. I get it now b/c I think I've done something similar with AT&T but that was awhile ago.
 
Incidentally, this seems like you could actually make a second line profitable... even more profitable if (like me) you have someone using it.

My girlfriend and I share a family plan. Every two years I can upgrade her phone with a smartphone, yank the smartphone off the plan and re-add her dumb phone (she doesn't want a smartphone), and just sell the smartphone (or keep it and sell my phone - but you know what I mean).

Brilliant!
 
binary visions said:
Incidentally, this seems like you could actually make a second line profitable... even more profitable if (like me) you have someone using it.

My girlfriend and I share a family plan. Every two years I can upgrade her phone with a smartphone, yank the smartphone off the plan and re-add her dumb phone (she doesn't want a smartphone), and just sell the smartphone (or keep it and sell my phone - but you know what I mean).

Brilliant!
Click to expand...


Another good idea. After selling my used (2-year-old) iPhone 3GS for $50 more than the price I bought it for... this method of upgrading and then selling your old phone should definitely net some extra cash on the side.

But... wouldn't your girlfriend want to upgrade her dumbphone to a BETTER dumbphone?
 
mightymoose02 said:
But... wouldn't your girlfriend want to upgrade her dumbphone to a BETTER dumbphone?
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She has absolutely zero interest in replacing something that works for her, just for the sake of having something newer. She also drives a '92 Ford Taurus because nothing breaks on it.

She believes in us spending our money on vacations - this year, we went to Peru. Last year, 10 days in California in wine country and driving down the coast. The year before that, Galapagos.

Yes, I know she's a keeper :D
 
First thought seems good. But, wouldn't quitting the 2-year contracts, pay the ETF, and sign another contract be cheaper after all?

ETF: $350 - $10 * 6 = $290
Add New Line: ($9.99 + tax & fees) * 24 = $324 [$9.99 + tax & fees here is about $13.50]

Though, adding new line would spread out the $.
 
Say you have 2 lines. Contract 1, and Contract 2.

Contract 1: Droid Charge with 18 months left on contract with the smartphone data plan.
Contract 2: You want the Gnex at the 2 year contract price.

If you upgrade line 2, in order to get the contract price, you have to sign a 2 year contract WITH the data plan. You can't take the data plan off by switching to a dumb phone since you got the Gnex @ the 2 year contract price. Sorry but I'm pretty sure that won't work and Verizon already though about it.

Your best option might be to sell your charge for ~$200 ish and buy the Gnex for ~$500 ish off contract. That way you don't have to open a new line and its still the same as the 2 year contract price (assuming $300) after selling your old phone. The prices may differ though but its still better.
 
binary visions said:
Ah. So the assumption is you have to initially sign up for a data plan for whatever line you use to buy a phone, but then you can cancel it after you swap a dumb phone over to the line.

So... add second line > buy smartphone > second line gets a data plan > move smartphone to original line > add dumbphone to second line > cancel data plan for second line.
Click to expand...

You are forgetting that to get the smartphone at the 2 year contract price you sign a contract for a 2 year data plan...
 
10splaya22 said:
Say you have 2 lines. Contract 1, and Contract 2.

Contract 1: Droid Charge with 18 months left on contract with the smartphone data plan.
Contract 2: You want the Gnex at the 2 year contract price.

If you upgrade line 2, in order to get the contract price, you have to sign a 2 year contract WITH the data plan. You can't take the data plan off by switching to a dumb phone since you got the Gnex @ the 2 year contract price. Sorry but I'm pretty sure that won't work and Verizon already though about it.

Your best option might be to sell your charge for ~$200 ish and buy the Gnex for ~$500 ish off contract. That way you don't have to open a new line and its still the same as the 2 year contract price (assuming $300) after selling your old phone. The prices may differ though but its still better.
Click to expand...

this explanation is correct. in order to get the discount for the gnex on the new line, you have to sign up for a 2 year data plan on that line that can not be undone simply by moving the gnex to your main line and placing a dumb phone on the secondary line, the data charge on line 2 will still be there. my best advice would be to sell your current phone on craigslist/ebay/gazelle and take that money and apply it to an unsubsidized gnex. the razr was confirmed today to be $649 off contract, so expect the gnex to be in that general ballpark.
 
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