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Help Thinking about getting a phone on a Carrier plan...

dontpanicbobby

dontpanicbobby

100% That Guy
VIP Member
For the last couple of years ivI' been buying unlocked phones. Just pay the money and put in the Simcard of your choice.

If I go with a Carrier plan can I pay ahead for the phone itself or am I locked in for however many years the contract specified? I'm in the US.
 
I have used whatever phones I wanted with US Cellular. I am not trying to promote them but I have had them for 20 years and have been pretty happy with the service but they are also not the cheapest out there. I know there are issue with locked phones but if it isn't locked it shouldn't be an issue. I believe there is an initial contract of 2 years but after that it is month to month. If you do the contract they usually offer a fair deal on a new phone
 
I've been on an AT&T carrier plan forever. Sometimes I but my phones through the plan, sometimes I'll buy it outright from a 3rd party (aka Google). It doesn't matter. If you want to buy the phone at the carrier store up front but still have a plan, they'll do that too, but be advised so few people do that, you'll probably confuse the heck out of the poor clerk. And, they may not know how to do it and have to get a manager.
 
Fair deal (payment plan for phone) is why I'm thinking Carrier plan. I've done this before long ago but I'm hoping things have changed. Looking for a one year contract in the US.
I'll admit it. I get bored with hardware after a year.
 
Then I would bring in your own phone. US Cellular does have a prepaid month to month plan that actually seems to be cheaper than their contract plan but they don't let you keep your number. I don't know if there is any other limits but I don't think so
 
The two things I'd be most concerned about are the phone being locked to the carrier for the length of the contract (even if you pay it off, maybe) and carrier bloat (looking at you, Verizon).

My nephew is on my plan and wants a new iPhone (peer pressure!) so I looked around for a deal, everything I found indicated that the phone would be locked to Verizon for two years. I didn't fully investigate and told my sister to get one off swappa or from Apple.

Carriers are jerks sometimes :D
 
I "think" you have to ask the Carrier to unlock your phone after two years (something I read online) but would non-Phandroidians think of that. Plus, every year some OEM makes an amazing breathrough on some piece of hardware in their phones that piques my interest...

It's Unfair. :(
 
I've have gotten some low and high end phones from MetroPCS but you're only locked in for 4 months until they unlock your phone you purchase from them.
 
I'm seriously thinking about going with the LG G7 Thin-q soon.
I'm stuck with Verizon (work issued device) and the G7 looks nice. What really turned me to that device is the display in the sunlight. Seems to have a display boost mode. Besides, with my current G5, I'm biased towards LG anyway.
 
Mikestony said:
I'm seriously thinking about going with the LG G7 Thin-q soon.
I'm stuck with Verizon (work issued device) and the G7 looks nice. What really turned me to that device is the display in the sunlight. Seems to have a display boost mode. Besides, with my current G5, I'm biased towards LG anyway.
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I'm pretty happy with my G6, Mike. The G7 looks like it's keeping some of the best stuff and adding to it. The two things you'll need to decide is the notch (doesn't bother me) and the fact that LG is abysmal with updates.

KBU2 said:
I've heard pretty good new about the G7. But I'm wondering was the news of the Moto RAZR V4 real or just a concept. Just imagine an Android with a foldable screen.
Click to expand...

They said the horseless submarine would never take off, either. ;)
 
The LG website lists the carriers as Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular and Verizon.

I'm not saying an unlocked version wouldn't work with an AT&T simcard. Just that AT&T isn't offering it.
 
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The AT&T site shows only the V30 so far. I'd not be surprised if it showed up after the initial pre-order phase. It may just be a deal LG struck with Sprint and VZW.
 
dontpanicbobby said:
I think it's karma. I'm sitting in the barbershop this morning and in walks a guy with a LG G7 What will it take? T-shirt with a Sprint logo on the sleeve(s?). I asked him about it and he said they came out today.

I'm going to the Sprint store instead of Verizon.
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So does that mean that you're going to be locked into a Sprint plan for a couple of years? Or are you going to try to opt into a no-contract plan?
 
Ta Da!
Haven't activated it yet; haven't even turned it on yet. I'm waiting for my case first as I'm in no hurry anyway. I got to sit down and make sure I need to save what I want to etc:
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