How many of us buy our phones outright?

How many people who visit this site buy their phones off contract? I currently have a Tbolt and it’s still doing very well. There is a part of me that is drooling over the SGS3. I purchased my last two GSM phones outright, as I don’t like being in contract. I am wondering how many of you buy your phones outright/off contract? What do you do with your old phone? Do you ebay it or keep it around for a back up?

16 Comments Join the discussion!

94 B2L 04/26/12 1:20 PM

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I’m with you, I’ve been contract free for several years now. When I bought my Galaxy Note, I decided to sell my Nexus S since it was just lying in a drawer. I ended up selling it on a local site like Craigslist, since I can usually sell it on the same day and get a fair price for it.

I don’t ever plan on signing a contract again, even though I paid $750 for my Note, I’ll still save more money in the long run.

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58 bryanizmir 04/26/12 1:32 PM

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I always get mine on contract. Don’t have the disposable income to buy off contract. That goes for misc child related stuff :) Don’t always have the latest and greatest, but i’m fine with that…. (at least that’s what i tell myself anyway….)

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95 Bpear96 04/26/12 1:46 PM

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I but off contract and use on straight talk :D. Currently im using a unlocked i9100 i bought off xda marketplace, and yeah when im done with a phone i usually sell it on ebay or xda.

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- 95 Bpear96 04/26/12 1:47 PM
  
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  Buy*
  
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40 eallan 04/26/12 1:56 PM

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I do both subsidized and off contract.

Off contract I’ve bought: Galaxy Note, Galaxy S 2, Atrix (mistake), Focus, Lumia 900, Nexus One, and a few others.

On contract: All the iPhones, preordered a One X (AT&T), Galaxy Nexus, Rezound, and Bionic (mistake).

I wish more people actually understood why their phone costs “only” 99 bucks.

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71 MJM128 04/26/12 1:58 PM

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I’ve been contract free since I started using cell phones. I got my first cell phone when the nexus one came out. My parents told me if I wanted a cell phone I would have to pay for it so I didn’t get one until i was almost 19.

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- 84 McLovin 04/26/12 3:07 PM
  
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  I didn’t get my first cell phone until I was almost 45! LOL
  
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  - 99 BetterWithRoot 04/26/12 3:18 PM
    
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    With a name like McLovin I wouldn’t have put you into the over 40 category. You had me fooled. = ) That’s why I love the internet.
    
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    - 84 McLovin 04/26/12 4:36 PM
      
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      >50 category now.
      
      …”There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
      Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”… Hamlet
      
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- 99 BetterWithRoot 04/26/12 3:14 PM
  
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  I am in the same boat. I always had to work to get what I wanted; I found you end up appreciating your device/purchase a lot more.
  
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98 SGB101 04/26/12 3:40 PM

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In another thread I asked about the price u pay in the US for contract against what we pay in the UK, and the finding was strange.

it is much cheaper for you to buy a hand set and go sim only in the us, but here in the UK unless u are a light user, it makes no sense financially at least.

however with the prices of phones falling this will change. for example all top end phones released in the UK historically have been £550, bit the one x launched at £450, and with the nexus now at only $400 things are looking good.

the think that makes contracts that much tastier here is they are free , no outlay. I have just renewed my contract with T-Mobile UK, and I got the one x for free , and only £36pm, this in includes 2000 minutes (cross network and national) unlimited data and texts, this is a 24month price of £864.

If I bought the phone it would be £450 for the phone the approx £25per month credit, so total of £1050.

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- 99 BetterWithRoot 04/26/12 3:56 PM
  
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  It’s nice to hear from someone in the UK. Thank you for that insight.
  
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  - 98 SGB101 04/26/12 4:08 PM
    
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    your welcome, the other post I said this on, I done the dollar conversion, but I writen this one on my phone, and its a bit to much hassle to jump back and to between tabs. tbh it’s late here and in lazy.
    
    I imagine if anyone is interested they can do a quick conversion them selves.
    
    the screen size of the x is perfect for writing lengthy blocks of text :o)
    
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70 orangestrat 04/26/12 5:20 PM

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Here in canada, we have insane 3 year contracts, so I was using an LG rumor until about a year and a half ago and I couldnt’ stand it anymore. Over the course of 2011, I bought a milestone, an atrix and a nexus S “off contract” from kijiji. I signed a new 3 year right at the beginning of 2012 to get my galaxy nexus though, I’ll probably get the next nexus as soon as I find a decent deal for it, especially if they sell it in the play store for cheap like they’re doing now (and if the play store for hardware comes to canada). I probably won’t regret signing the contract as all the phones work on all the carriers and Bell has the best network and prices, so I’d have no reason to switch (and we don’t have any discount for going month to month).

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6 antonio14reyes 04/26/12 5:29 PM

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To expensive to buy outright :/

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13 danferan 04/26/12 7:30 PM

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…yeah, not financially sound to always buy off contract. I would if I was with T-Mobile, but there’s no advantage to doing so on Verizon, and I wouldn’t want to drop the money.

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How many of us buy our phones outright?