Droid really $199 @ Verizon?

[vtvette]

So I'm up for my NE2 and I've been holding out for the Incredible but, the more I read about the Droid the more I want the Droid instead.

I keep reading about Droid's at Best Buy, WallMart, Amazon, etc for under $99. According to Verizon's website the Droid is $199/2 year contract after rebate. I've been with Verizon for years so I don't mind a contract but why can't I get the droid directly from Verizon for less?? Are other retailers really so much less? How if, you end up on the Verizon network in the end anyway?

Thanks,

 

[dodgersrgood]

i dunno dude i would really recommend the incredible. sure, the droid is awesome but the incredible is... well, incredible! that is unless the physical keyboard is a must have

 

[vtvette]

yeah that's my dilemma - Incredible vs. Droid. I like the dock for the Moto Droid - alarm clock w/dimmer, weather, etc - use it as an alarm clock. Pretty slick. I bet the Incredible will dock like the Nexus 1 - standing up.

Don't care about the keyboard - would probably prefer not to have one honestly.

Droid is a piece of history - first "real" android smart phone which can compete with the Iphone. Plus the money Motorola and Verizon have spent on it - it should be supported for a long time.

Plus, can't I return the Droid within 30 days if the Incredible really turns out to be that much better or does Verizon not like people doing that?

 

[dodgersrgood]

i had a tour before and was within my thirty days so i got the droid instead and it worked out fine. just dont send in the rebate or else you cant change phones. also theres an app that lets you go into the dock mode on the market without having a dock. so ya u could get the droid and try it out and if you like then keep it but i think the incredible will be a little better

 

[brianjcohen]

So I'm up for my NE2 and I've been holding out for the Incredible but, the more I read about the Droid the more I want the Droid instead.

I keep reading about Droid's at Best Buy, WallMart, Amazon, etc for under $99. According to Verizon's website the Droid is $199/2 year contract after rebate. I've been with Verizon for years so I don't mind a contract but why can't I get the droid directly from Verizon for less?? Are other retailers really so much less? How if, you end up on the Verizon network in the end anyway?

Thanks,

The short answer is that the resellers get a kickback for bringing Verizon new business. The resellers will often drastically reduce the cost of the phone because they make up the difference in the volume of kickbacks from Verizon, in addition to the accessories they inevitably sell you at checkout. Verizon allows them to do this; they exert no control over their resellers' pricing.

Because this reseller model is based on bringing Verizon new business, your eligibility to get in on such deals is highly variable. From what I've seen, you can get a deeply discounted phone from places like AmazonWireless, Wirefly, Walmart, etc if:

a) You are establishing a brand new account.
b) You are adding a line to an existing family share account.
c) You are converting an individual account into a family share account, adding a line in order to do so.
d) You are currently under contract and your primary line is upgrade-eligible.

 

[DIRTYDOGG]

Been with Big Red since 2000 and went to Letstalk.com and got the $19.99 droid with a NE2 as my contract was up

Only Line I have so wasnt adding a new Line was great deal sure beat the $199 that Big Red wanted to charge me even with the 50 off for my NE2 couldnt pass up that $19.99 deal

 

[SSHGuru]

Got my wife one for $49.95 at Amazon. No probs. Now I think it's $24.99.

 

[vtvette]

Wow - glad I asked! A few more questions -

So...

Even though I currently have a contract with Verizon (currently eligible for NE2) I can still buy from Amazon, Letstalk, etc?

Does it matter that I'm the 2nd phone on the contract, not the primary?

Will I still pay Verizon directly for my monthly service?

My wife is also up for NE2 - does she also have to get her new phone though the same place I get mine (amazon etc) or could she go right to Verizon and get her new phone?

Finally, if I purchase my new phone through Amazon, etc can I still get Verizon insurance so in the event I have an issue with my phone I can take it in to the local Verizon store?

Is there ANY benefit from buying the phone directly from the Verizon store?

Thanks again!!

 

[jsh1120]

Wow - glad I asked! A few more questions -

So...

Even though I currently have a contract with Verizon (currently eligible for NE2) I can still buy from Amazon, Letstalk, etc?

Does it matter that I'm the 2nd phone on the contract, not the primary?

Will I still pay Verizon directly for my monthly service?

My wife is also up for NE2 - does she also have to get her new phone though the same place I get mine (amazon etc) or could she go right to Verizon and get her new phone?

Finally, if I purchase my new phone through Amazon, etc can I still get Verizon insurance so in the event I have an issue with my phone I can take it in to the local Verizon store?

Is there ANY benefit from buying the phone directly from the Verizon store?

Thanks again!!

Answer to all the questions (except the last) is yes. Got my wife a Droid a month ago from Amazon after she had had her feature phone on our plan for two years. I had purchased my phone from VZW in November.

 

[n813ca]

I bought a droid and got one free for $299 but I also got back two $100 cards. So it was only $99.

 

[eliassami5]

i'd go with the incredible. I love my droid tho, but the incredible is the latest and greatest and it looks very cool...especially that friggin beautiful 8.0mp camera.

 

[Elvis087]

You can't go wrong with the Droid at $19.99 Brand new with a 2 year plan from Amazon that's how i got it , here is the link.

Amazon.com: Motorola DROID A855 Android Phone (Verizon Wireless): Cell Phones & Service

 

[nyijedi]

You'd be crazy to not get the Droid Incredible. I love my Droid, but unfortunately, the Droid was pretty much the last phone to be released before all of these "super phones" as Google likes to call them. The Droid simply can't compete with the 1 GHz Snapdragon CPU and 512 MB of RAM, among other things. Get the Incredible.

 

[takeshi]

Even though I currently have a contract with Verizon (currently eligible for NE2) I can still buy from Amazon, Letstalk, etc?

Does it matter that I'm the 2nd phone on the contract, not the primary?

You should really take a look at the resellers' sites even if you're not sure you want to upgrade through them. The info is all out there. Just make sure you read their fine print and understand their additional terms.

My wife is also up for NE2 - does she also have to get her new phone though the same place I get mine (amazon etc) or could she go right to Verizon and get her new phone?

No. You won't get the NE2 through a reseller though. Reseller pricing is significantly less than $199 with NE2 though.

Finally, if I purchase my new phone through Amazon, etc can I still get Verizon insurance so in the event I have an issue with my phone I can take it in to the local Verizon store?

Insurance isn't what makes it possible for you to take your phone into the store. Insurance claims are handled through Asurion.

Is there ANY benefit from buying the phone directly from the Verizon store?

No additional reseller terms. You can return to the VZW store.

i'd go with the incredible. I love my droid tho, but the incredible is the latest and greatest and it looks very cool...especially that friggin beautiful 8.0mp camera.

Has anyone posted photos taken with it or are people just assuming that 8MP means the camera is good? Haven't we learned anything from the Droid's 5MP camera?

 

[Gehangin]

I almost got my Droid at one of the sites offering it for $20, etc. In the end I bought it from VZW for one reason which I finally figured out by reading the fineprint:
When you buy from a non-Verizon, you are tied into the 2-yr contract with the exact same plan. No moving from plan to plan within those 2 years.

When you buy it from Verizon, your 2-yr contract allows you to change plans as much as you'd like - as long as the account is maintained for the 2-yr duration.

To me this is critical. For example, if I have to travel to Canada for a few days, I can just change my $60 plan to a $80 plan that includes Canada. Then I change it back the next month. If you start out with a lower minutes plan and see you are going over, you can change upwards. This only works if you bought the phone from VZW. If you buy it from one of the retailers, read the fineprint carefully - they state that you cannot modify the plan for 2 years.

Of course, if this is no issue for you, then go ahead and get the cheaper price. For me, spending the extra $$$ is worth the flexibility.