If you’re not switching carriers and don’t qualify for a Carrier Upgrade, you can expect to pay near retail price to switch phones. Carriers offer the best deals to new customers, or handset upgrades for those who have had service for a substantial period of time.
Carriers make their money by providing you with monthly service plans, and little or no revenue from selling a phone by itself. Most consumers are accustomed to getting a phone for free when they signed up for new service with their carrier, but few realize that the cost of the phone is being subsidized by the carrier in exchange for you agreeing to keep service for one or two-years. See Chapter 13 of the Buyers Guide for more information on how carriers make money.
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This Week in BlackBerry: 11-20
Featured News: BBerryDog is up and running!After months of planning, logo work, and more, I'm proud to say that BBerryDog, PhoneDog's BlackBerry-themed sister website, has launched! Featuring exclusive BlackBerry content that wouldn't otherwise be posted on PhoneDog, it's your home away from home (well, I sometimes refer to it as a "vacation home" - along with DroidDog). Be sure to make your way around the website, check out the...Blog Article
Kyocera launches 3 new devices
First up, the Sanyo SCP-6760 Incognito (pictured above). Featuring a clamshell form factor and a 2.6-inch QVGA touchscreen, the Incognito offers 3G connectivity, Bluetooth, threaded messaging, a 2.0-megapixel camera, and a microSD memory card slot. Sprint has announced their intention to carry the device, beginning on September 30th. Next, the S2300 Torino offers a QWERTY keyboard in a candybar form factor, 1xRTT connectivity, a...Blog Article
Samsung Omnia II coming 12/2
Shown at CTIA Fall last month (check out our video here), we knew the Samsung Omnia II was coming to Verizon at some point, but dates were a bit of a mystery. According to leaked documents obtained by Engadget Mobile, the device will launch in all channels on December 2nd with Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional (thank heavens, since Windows Mobile 6.1 was installed at the convention). Besides that, it will sport the features that were...Video
Palm Pixi Review
Palm Pixi, the video review in five minutes (or so). We'll also do in-depth looks at Pixi's features and hardware, so stay tuned!Blog Article
Nokia N900 drops to $480
I'll admit - I was considering the purchase of a Nokia N900 to carry in the ol' arsenal of wireless devices, until I saw the price. Even as a certified wireless junkie, $649 is a bit too much for me (hey, I need to pay the rent first). I haven't been this excited about a Nokia device in quite some time, thanks to Maemo 5. The name of the game seems to be social networking, and from my limited time with the N900 at CTIA, it...Video
Samsung Flight (AT&T) - Review
Noah reviews the Flight from Samsung and AT&T. Is it a smartphone or a featurephone? Hard to tell, since it has a touchscreen, QWERTY board, 3G connectivity and an HTML browserBlog Article
What up, Droid?
Things have gotten so crazy in the word of Android over the last month or two that it can be difficult at times to simply keep up with a single day's news. And while Aaron, Adriana, Noah, and now Sydney have got you covered on the PhoneDog front, we thought a weekly summary of current Android events was in order. Somehow, taking a look back at the rumors, leaks, launches, and reviews of the week has a way of putting things into perspective. And...Blog Article
OS 4.7.1.61 launches for VZW
Sure, most Tour owners are anxiously awaiting an official OS 5.0 launch, but for now, OS 4.7 is where it's at. As of today, OS 4.7.1.61 is available for Verizon's BlackBerry Tour 9630 through their website and Desktop Manager (PC and Mac). Despite the relatively short amount of time online, reports are already streaming in about the build being faster overall. For those of you with a Verizon-branded Tour, download it and...Blog Article
Casio launches the Rock
Are you a fisherman, hunter, hiker, or climber? If so, the Casio G'zOne (which is actually pronounced "jeez one") Rock is the device for you. Offering EVDO Rev. A, stereo Bluetooth, Push to Talk, 2.0-megapixel camera with video capabilities, microSD card slot (with support for up to a 16 GB card), and touch-sensitive music controls, the G'zOne meets military specifications for water, shock, dust, vibration, humidity, salt fog, solar...Blog Article
First Impressions: Curve 8530
One day before its retail launch, UPS delivered Verizon Wireless' BlackBerry Curve 8530 to my doorstep. I've been working with it all morning, and as the replacement to the Curve 8330, I'm very pleased with it. It's a needed stepping stone in the BlackBerry line, and I'm excited that it's joining the ranks at Verizon (with Sprint getting it soon). Admittedly, I was a bit upset that I didn't get the "smoky violet" color. Just...Blog Article
Palm Pre drops to $79.99
While the Pixi's price point has been dropping and dropping some more, the Pre has remained above the $100 mark. Bucking the trend, Amazon has lowered the Pixi's older brother to $79.99 on a new two-year agreement (not to mention a waived activation fee, saving you $36). With the gap diminishing between the two webOS handsets, I imagine most will opt for the Pre due to the increase in processing power. Sure, there are some...Video
AT&T releases 3G commercial
Magnet board + empty warehouse + Luke Wilson = effective commercial? You be the judge. Earlier today, AT&T's request for an immediate injunction on the Verizon "There's a Map for That" commercials was denied, though the judge referred to the ads as "sneaky." Apparently, most people are so zoned out when they're watching TV that they may not notice that Verizon is targeting AT&T's 3G coverage (or so the judge thinks). One...Blog Article
Nokia E72 launches
A winner at CTIA earlier in the year the Nokia E72 has officially launched. Though it's still showing as "pre order" status on Amazon's website, the S60-powered device has launched for €350 ($469 at Amazon). Sporting 10.2 Mbps HSDPA connectivity, 5.0-megapixel autofocus camera, 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD slot (4GB included in the box), A-GPS and integrated compass, and a trackpad, the E72 is a worthy successor to the...Blog Article
The ultimate FrankenPhone
"That thing's going to Cricket" - Aaron Baker, News Editor FrankenPhone! It Lives! Wasn't it Mick Jagger who once crooned, "You can't always get what you want / But if you make a mash-up you kinda can?" Something like that, anyway. I'm tired of "close but no cigar" when it comes to mobile phones. iPhone's great except for that closed OS and no hard keyboard. Palm's WebOS is awesome but Palm can't seem to build a truly awesome piece of hardware...Video
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