Android and Me » best buy mobile

Best Buy’s new Buy Back Program is an early adopter’s best friend, free for limited time only

Taylor Wimberly — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 05:19:39 +0000

Mobile technology is moving faster than ever and customers often struggle with the decision to pull the trigger on a new device purchase. Smartphone cycles have shortened to around six months and new products are being announced every other week that make your recently-purchased phone look dated.

Thankfully Best Buy is an early adopter’s best friend and their new Buy Back Program allows you to “future-proof your technology.” Now you can buy a new device anytime you want and then when you are ready to upgrade just sell it back to Best Buy to receive credit for a future purchase.

The Buy Back Program is as simple as three steps:

Purchase the Buy Back Program along with your new product (free for a limited time only, February 26th).
Bring the product back in good, working condition with all originally included accessories when you’re ready for something new.
Receive a Best Buy gift card for the product’s redemption value.

The value that you receive on your used device is determined by the product’s age. A mobile phone sold back during the first six month’s will net you 50%, 6-12 months gets you 40%, 12-18 months returns 30%, and 18-24 months will earn you 20%.

An added benefit to smartphone buyers is that Best Buy calculates your buy back credit based on the original suggested retail price, not the subsidized price you paid. This means that if you received a new phone for $199 with 2-year contract and it was valued at $599, Best Buy will value your Buy Back at the $599 retail price.

It’s true you could probably get a higher return on your investment if you sold your used gadget on eBay or Craigslist, but Best Buy’s program offers assurance (they’ll buy your product back regardless of supply and demand), transparency (you know exactly what how much your product is worth), and convenience (in-store redemption and instant gift card).

When I worked at the now-defunct CompUSA we offered a similar program called the Technology Assurance Plan and I always wished more retailers would adopt something similar. Best Buy’s Buy Back is exactly the type of program I have been looking for

An example Buy Back scenario from the Best Buy blog: “Let’s give an example of how the new Buy Back Program changes all that. Take an average customer. We’ll call her, oh, let’s say… Melissa! Melissa is an avid early adopter of technology. In August 2010, she shelled out $200 for the HTC EVO with a qualified upgrade. This is a top of the line product, but she’s now thinking, “Wouldn’t it be even better to have a keyboard and a super AMOLED screen?” She’s got her eye on the Samsung Epic – which she would have to purchase at $600 outright, since she is no longer eligible for an upgrade. Burn.

Now imagine Melissa had Buy Back in her life. She gladly pays the $79.99 for Buy Back coverage, because the full market value of her EVO at the time was $600. If she decides to use Buy Back for an upgrade after owning the EVO for six months, all she has to do is bring in her phone in fully functional condition and she’ll get $300 back towards a purchase. This means Melissa could easily own that Samsung Epic for only $300 more out of pocket. What a steal!”

Share your Nexus S launch stories

Taylor Wimberly — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 11:00:33 +0000

Today is the big launch of Google’s Nexus S with Android 2.3 at every Best Buy location across the country. It appears that only the hardcore geeks who read tech blogs are aware of this phone, so we have no idea what to expect at Best Buy. Clark and I are standing in line as you read this so we can report on our purchase experiences, but we want hear from anyone else that went out and got the Nexus S.

Was there any line at your store? Did you ask how many units they had for sale? Did you buy any accessories? If you activated a new T-Mobile account, did you have any problems?

If you want you can follow our barely-beta live blog at live.androidandme.com. We probably shouldn’t be showing you the site since it’s not fully ready, but we wanted to work out the bugs before CES next month. Try singing in with your Facebook or Twitter account and leaving a comment. Let us know what you think, so we can continue to improve it and add new features over the coming weeks.

Best Buy releases list of stores offering the Nexus S on contract with T-Mobile

Taylor Wimberly — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 22:24:38 +0000

So we already know that every Best Buy location will be selling the Nexus S on December 16th at 8 AM, but an anonymous tipster has informed us that some locations may only get 4 units on launch day. It appears that Best Buy locations which normally sell T-Mobile phones could have upwards of 75 units, but the remaining stores might have limited quantities and it’s first-come-first-serve so you might want to show up early.

So which Best Buy locations sell T-Mobile phones? There are over 220 stores where you can purchase the Nexus S on contract with T-Mobile and Best Buy just released a convenient list of every single one (.pdf).

Thankfully my city is on the list and I’ll be there at 8 AM come Thursday morning. Is anyone else going to wait in line to pick up the Nexus S on launch day or do you think there will be no lines?

Yes, every Best Buy location will sell the Nexus S on December 16th at 8 AM

Taylor Wimberly — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 02:34:40 +0000

Most of us have known for a week now that Best Buy will be selling the Nexus S on December 16th, but many Best Buy employees are still receiving this information. It sounds like a whole lot of you were calling up your local store to ask more questions because Best Buy posted an online FAQ to answer all your launch day questions. Even that document caused confusion because of the way it was initially worded, but Best Buy is continuing to post new information about their exclusive Android launch.

Today Best Buy issued another statement to let customers know that all Best Buy stores and Best Buy Mobile stand-alone locations will be selling the Nexus S. Despite what your local store might say, this includes every location including those that do not regularly carry T-Mobile devices.

The important thing to note is that if your store does not regularly carry T-Mobile phones and you want to purchase one on contract for $199, you will not be walking out of the store with a device. Instead you will have to place your order online and then have the Nexus S delivered to your home. However, if you want to buy it off contract for $529 then it will of course go home with you on launch day.

There are currently 210 Best Buy stores in the USA that carry T-Mobile service and they are building a page for easy reference. If your local store regularly sells T-Mobile phones then you can still purchase one on contract for $199 and leave the store with it working.

If you want to see if you are eligible for an upgrade, make sure you check out the Best Buy Mobile Upgrade Checker. For those that have even more questions, Best Buy even setup a dedicated Nexus S help line (1-866-813-2021).

We still don’t know what the inventory levels will be like, but one Best Buy employee at one of their biggest locations said his store was getting 75 units. It doesn’t look like this phone is getting a big marketing push before the launch (and it’s only on T-Mobile 3G) so it doesn’t sound like you will have that big a problem getting one at launch.

All Best Buy stores open at 8 AM for the holidays, so just show up on time and you should guarantee yourself a Nexus S. I’ll be in line this Thursday at my local store, so I’ll report back on how the launch went. We will also setup a page so everyone else can share their purchasing experience.

Here are some important details for the launch of Nexus S:

Timing: Online sales of Nexus S begin at 8 a.m. Eastern time to coincide with the opening of Best Buy stores on the East Coast. As a reminder, all Best Buy stores have adjusted their holiday hours to open at 8 a.m.
Availability: Nexus S is available in all Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile specialty stores. Exact inventory will vary by store. Nexus S will be sold out on a first-come, first-serve basis with a limit of 2 per phones customer.
Demo phones: All Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores will have a Nexus S demo phone on-hand so customers can see and experience the phone.
Pricing: The Nexus S is an unlocked phone and can be purchased without contract for $529. The Nexus S can also be purchased for $199 with a TMobile two-year service agreement and qualifying voice and data plan. Nexus S can also be purchased for $249.99 for add-a-line activations.

T-Mobile’s statement on the Nexus S availability: Every store will have unlocked Nexus S phones available for same-day take-home purchase. At stores that do not regularly carry T-Mobile devices, customers purchasing phones activated on T-Mobile with a contract will be required to place an order in store and have the Nexus S delivered to their homes. A list of stores that normally carry T-Mobile devices will be available shortly.

Picking up the Nexus S on day one? Best Buy answers your launch day questions

Taylor Wimberly — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 05:58:14 +0000

Close to 1,000 of our readers said they were going to vote for the Nexus S with their wallet so we thought you all might be interested in Best Buy’s new blog post that answers all your questions about the big launch on December 16th. Every Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile location will be selling the device, but there is no pre-order program and they are not commenting on inventory at this time.

Units will be distributed on a first-come-first-served basis, so you might want to show up early at Best Buy if you want to get one before Christmas. I have a feeling that quantities will be limited.

I was lucky enough to play with a Nexus S this week and it’s definitely an awesome phone with the major selling point being Gingerbread (Android 2.3). Hopefully we can get a review unit before launch to check out, but I’m still planning to head to my local Best Buy to pick one up (it’s my job) and report back on the crowd (if any).

Some of the most asked questions for the Nexus S launch include:

When will the Google Nexus S be available to purchase? The Nexus S will be available Thursday, December 16, 2010
Where can I buy the Nexus S? The Google Nexus S can be purchased at Best Buy stores, Best Buy Mobile stand-alone stores, Bestbuy.com and through our dedicated call center (866-813-2021).
What carrier(s) are available for the Google Nexus S? The Nexus S is available with T-Mobile service or as an unlocked phone with no contract and no activation.
What features and specs does the Nexus S come with? Visit Google’s Nexus S page for a full list of specs and features.
Are there two different versions of the Nexus S, locked and unlocked? No, there is only one Nexus S. It is available locked with a 2-year T-Mobile contract or unlocked with no contract.
Where can I get more information? Check back here frequently as we update with more information. You can also like Best Buy Mobile on Facebook and follow Best Buy Mobile on Twitter.

For more details visit Best Buy Mobile and see the full FAQ.

T-Mobile G2 on pre-order tomorrow, in stores Oct. 6th

Taylor Wimberly — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 02:30:02 +0000

Last night T-Mobile sent out the official press release for the G2, but they failed to mention the price or release date. Thanks to a pre-order offer from Best Buy, it looks like the G2 will retail for $199.99 with 2-year contract ($499 full price) and launch October 6th.

Starting tomorrow Friday, September 10, anyone can walk into their local Best Buy or Best Buy Mobile and pre-order the T-Mobile G2. There is no word on exactly how the pre-order will work, so your best bet is to visit or call the store in your area (I suggest making the visit to pick up one of the awesome buyer’s guide).

It is possible T-Mobile might price the G2 higher than $199 and offer a rebate for the difference, so hit up Best Buy if you despise mail-in-rebate forms like I do. However, T-Mobile did say they were doing their own limited preorder and existing customers would get early access to the devices. Maybe T-Mobile will enlighten us tomorrow so we can decide if it’s a better deal to grab the phone from them or Best Buy.

Anyone else eager to get this phone? I’m ready to pay full price at T-Mobile if they ship it out a couple days early.

Show Press Release

Best Buy Mobile Launches Pre-Sale of the T-Mobile® G2™ with Google™

The pre-sale begins Friday, September 10.

Best Buy Mobile today announced the T-Mobile® G2™ with Google™ will be available for pre-orders starting Friday, September 10. It will launch in stores October 6 and will retail for $199.99 with new two-year activation.

By adding the T-Mobile® G2™ with Google™ to its assortment, Best Buy Mobile furthers its position as the place for consumers to research and purchase the smart phone that is right for their needs. Best Buy Mobile has the most under smart phones under one roof, including the iPhone 4, HTC EVO 4G (Black or White version), the full line of Samsung Galaxy smart phones and the BlackBerry Torch, among others.

The G2 is T-Mobile’s first phone on its advanced network that lets consumers connect at 4G speeds. It has the Android 2.2 operating system, an exclusive hinge design (HTC calls it “Z-Hinge”) that opens up to a QWERTY keyboard and a full touch screen 3.7” S-TFT WVGA with clear images and wide viewing angle.

Pre-orders can be made by visiting any local Best Buy or Best Buy mobile standalone store.

At Best Buy Mobile, consumers can compare the latest devices from popular carriers and plans in store or online. For more information on the T-Mobile® G2™ with Google™, and other smart phones available at Best Buy, visit www.bestbuy.com/mobile.

Best Buy slashes prices on first generation Android phones this Friday

Taylor Wimberly — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:08:31 +0000

Looking for a new smartphone this holiday season? Best Buy will be offering five Android phones for $99 each with a new 2 year activation.

Sprint HTC Hero (Android 1.5)
Sprint Samsung Moment (Android 1.5)
T-Mobile HTC myTouch 3G (Android 1.6)
T-Mobile Motorola Cliq (Android 1.5)
Verizon HTC Droid Eris (Android 1.5)

I got to say this is a great price since there are no mail-in rebates. However, I will give my readers the same advice I have been sharing with my personal friends. If you are considering purchasing an Android phone, be aware that most carriers will have second generation (Android 2.0) phones in early 2010. It is always the case that newer and faster technology is around the corner, but keep in mind you are stuck with a 2 year contract and it is uncertain at this point if these phones will receive Android 2.0.

Why should you purchase your next smartphone at Best Buy instead of a carrier store?

A better choice of mobile devices and networks: Best Buy Mobile offers an unmatched assortment of phones, networks and all of the supporting products and services necessary for customers to truly enhance their mobiles lives.
Impartial, informed advice: With a highly-trained, non-commissioned staff and new Web site (www.BestBuyMobile.com), Best Buy Mobile is committed to helping customers research and purchase the right mobile technology for their needs. Best Buy Mobile also offers Upgrade Checker, an in-store and online, that gives customers the ability to see when they are eligible for their next phone upgrade and register for a complimentary reminder call or email.
Straightforward pricing: Best Buy Mobile offers only instant rebates on products. Customers pay what they see on the tag.
Someone to be there for the life of your phone: Best Buy Mobile offers Walk Out Working, which is a free in-store smartphone setup by a Best Buy Mobile specialist who will sync personal email accounts, set up Bluetooth® headsets, transfer contacts and activate other services to allow the customer to leave the store with a fully functional new smartphone. And with Geek Squad Black Tie Protection, customers have a safety net should anything happen to their device.

Best Buy Mobile partners with Google

Taylor Wimberly — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:54:21 +0000

A report out of Forbes says Best Buy is teaming up with Google in order to increase cell phone sales. Best Buy will be launching a new web site for wireless devices, lining up new exclusive distribution agreements, opening more Best Buy Mobile stores, and collaborating with Google to create a series of mobile applications.

Their first mobile application will allow customers to search for products and see which locations in the area have them in stock. Best Buy plans to release applications for multiple smartphone platforms and include the software pre-installed on units they sell. Applications specific to Google’s Android mobile operating system are also in the pipeline, but no specific details have been announced.

Best Buy is currently offering the Sprint Hero for pre-sale.

The Hero is coming to stores October 11, 2009.