What phone should I get?

[Kevin OQuinn]

Not on the link you posted. I don't see any option to actually buy it for that price...it just says $599 in their breakdown.

I tried to dig through their site more to find one at that price and could not see it anywhere. I didn't see an option to even buy it retail.

Click "Show No Contract Option" and it's $650. That doesn't make sense.

 

[JeffDenver]

If you are buying full retail from Verizon then use the iconic portal thread linked to in my signature.

The No Contract option does show the $599 price, but still requires activation fees. I am not seeing any option to buy the phone itself for $599 + tax.

 

[Almeuit]

The No Contract option does show the $599 price, but still requires activation fees. I am not seeing any option to buy the phone itself for $599 + tax.

If you buy from Amazon you would still have to activate it and that would cause the fee would it not?

You see the no contract price is 599 but no option to buy the phone itself? What? Are you saying you want to buy an unlocked / unbranded phone from Verizon?

Sent from my T-Mobile Note 3 using AC Forums.

 

[JeffDenver]

It does show on his link.. See below. .

Not seeing any of those options when I go to their main site. I don't even see that dropdown. It just gives me plan options.

 

[JeffDenver]

If you buy from Amazon you would still have to activate it and that would cause the fee would it not?

You might, yeah. Either way, it would not be a $600 phone.

The factory unlocked one is $700 - http://www.amazon.com/HTC-One-M8-Un...ag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=UUacUvbUpU3648405

The Verizon unlocked version is $750 - https://shop.us.htc.com/detail/5896

 

[dpham00]

The No Contract option does show the $599 price, but still requires activation fees. I am not seeing any option to buy the phone itself for $599 + tax.

No it doesn't if you use the iconic portal linked to in my signature. Now if you start a new line of service then you would have to pay the activation fee. But if you want a device for use on another carrier or to replace a device on an existing line then no activation fee is required

dpham00, Android Central Moderator
Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 3

 

[JeffDenver]

No it doesn't if you use the iconic portal linked to in my signature. Now if you start a new line of service then you would have to pay the activation fee. But if you want a device for use on another carrier or to replace a device on an existing line then no activation fee is required

Thats what I mean. I am not seeing any option on Verizon's site to buy the phone without a plan for $600+tax. Even when I went through the order process it seems to be a requirement to add it.

 

[Almeuit]

Not seeing any of those options when I go to their main site. I don't even see that dropdown. It just gives me plan options.

Desktop site.

1. Go to Verizon wireless
2. Mouse over Shop then click Smartphones
3. Find the M8
4. Click the blue link on this page saying click here for no contract pricing.
5. Done .

See below as well.

Sent from my T-Mobile Note 3 using AC Forums.

 

[dpham00]

Thats what I mean. I am not seeing any option on Verizon's site to buy the phone without a plan for $600+tax. Even when I went through the order process it seems to be a requirement to add it.

Did you order through the iconic portal in my signature?

dpham00, Android Central Moderator
Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 3

 

[JeffDenver]

Desktop site.

1. Go to Verizon wireless
2. Mouse over Shop then click Smartphones
3. Find the M8
4. Click the blue link on this page saying click here for no contract pricing.
5. Done .

See below as well.

Sent from my T-Mobile Note 3 using AC Forums.

Look at your last image. After that you will be prompted to choose a plan, along with activation fees. You cannot just buy the phone.

- - - Updated - - -

Did you order through the iconic portal in my signature?

Yes.

 

[Almeuit]

Look at your last image. After that you will be prompted to choose a plan, along with activation fees. You cannot just buy the phone.

- - - Updated - - -



Yes.

This is normal though. I'm confused. Carrier bought phones never just sell the phone full price.. They always lead you to activate / choose a plan.. So if you're looking for just the phone then yeah you have to use a 3rd party to get just the phone... But if you were going to get it for your carrier and that was Verizon.. What's so bad about buying it from them?

Sent from my T-Mobile Note 3 using AC Forums.

 

[dpham00]

This is normal though. I'm confused. Carrier bought phones never just sell the phone full price.. They always lead you to activate / choose a plan.. So if you're looking for just the phone then yeah you have to use a 3rd party to get just the phone... But if you were going to get it for your carrier and that was Verizon.. What's so bad about buying it from them?

Sent from my T-Mobile Note 3 using AC Forums.

Look at your last image. After that you will be prompted to choose a plan, along with activation fees. You cannot just buy the phone.

- - - Updated - - -



Yes.

Verizon doesn't require an activation fee when ordering through the iconic portal. Just select a new customer and follow through the steps in my link. It is still working as of today.

To be sure, the link in the address bar should have "preorder" and "iconic" in the address.

dpham00, Android Central Moderator
Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 3

 

[JeffDenver]

This is normal though. I'm confused. Carrier bought phones never just sell the phone full price..

Sure they do. I had the option to buy a Nexus 4 from T-Mobile by itself. There was a big stink about this because their retail price was higher than the one on Google Play.

I think even Verizon does this. They just don't do it for the M8 (at least not yet). I doubt they will sell it for $600 when they do though.

The point I was trying to make is that the $600 price is basically fake. There is no way to buy that phone for $600 by itself. By the time you pay for the extras it is not $600 anymore. By contrast, the links I provided were for unlocked phones...that is the "real" price. Those phones have no strings attached.

You do not necessarily need to activate a phone. You can swap SIM cards between phones. I gave my rezound to my BF at one point and no activation was required. The phone just worked on his account immediately.

 

[JeffDenver]

Verizon doesn't require an activation fee when ordering through the iconic portal. Just select a new customer and follow through the steps in my link. It is still working as of today.

To be sure, the link in the address bar should have "preorder" and "iconic" in the address.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/13/ejy4umyr.jpg

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/13/yzehejy3.jpg

dpham00, Android Central Moderator
Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 3

https://preorder.verizonwireless.com/iconic/iconic/screens/IconicDeviceSelection.do

I followed your link. The M8 does not appear in that list as available for purchase. Even in your screenshots, that is the S5.

 

[dpham00]

https://preorder.verizonwireless.com/iconic/iconic/screens/IconicDeviceSelection.do

I followed your link. The M8 does not appear in that list as available for purchase. Even in your screenshots, that is the S5.

Same process for the m8.

dpham00, Android Central Moderator
Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 3

 

[JeffDenver]

Same process for the m8.

Well, like I said, I don't see it in the list of off-contract phones for sale. Click on my link and see for yourself.
https://preorder.verizonwireless.com/iconic/iconic/screens/IconicDeviceSelection.do

 

[dpham00]

Well, like I said, I don't see it in the list of off-contract phones for sale. Click on my link and see for yourself.
https://preorder.verizonwireless.com/iconic/iconic/screens/IconicDeviceSelection.do

Did you follow my directions in the iconic thread fully? If so then it will show the m8. Screen shots for reference.

dpham00, Android Central Moderator
Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 3

 

[zorak950]

They don't all have the power and features I need. I need a good camera...Moto X and M8 can't give me that. I need vanilla Android...The M8 and S5 can't give me that.

They are not all equally capable. You will be compromising no matter which one you pick.

Nobody's saying they're all the same, but I've found the cameras to be fine on all of them. If you're looking for the best camera you can try for that, but "best" isn't very great in the Android world. If someone was married to the idea of not needing a separate camera and taking fantastic pictures, I'd tend to nudge them toward a Nokia. As for UI considerations, I was grouping that in with style, but if you like everything about a phone except the stock UI, that's what CM is for.

 

[dpham00]

JeffDenver:if you are still having troubles, post screen shots and I can help you troubleshoot.

dpham00, Android Central Moderator
Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 3

 

[JeffDenver]

Nobody's saying they're all the same

Well, that was the implication in the original post. That the only real differences are look and feel. It's not.

I've found the cameras to be fine on all of them.

Well, I guess we have different definitions of fine.

If you're looking for the best camera you can try for that, but "best" isn't very great in the Android world.

I disagree. The best smartphone camers out right now are Android cameras (unless you count the nokia 1020, and even that is debatable at this point)

The point is, there are obvious differences beyond just the feel of the case. They are not equal. Some are better than others. You personally might be fine with all of them, but that does not mean they are equal.

If someone was married to the idea of not needing a separate camera and taking fantastic pictures, I'd tend to nudge them toward a Nokia.

...and tell them to accept all the flaws and lack of features of that device. Thats a good example actually.

Is the compromise worth it? I don't know...it would depend on how important that feature is to you. But the phones are not equal in any event. It is not a matter of "just pick the one with a case you like".