Cheapest Way to Go....

[PeteS457]

Hi all:

I have been following this forum for a couple weeks now. I got my first smartphone last August - the Galaxy S3 - for $150 with a 2-year AT&T contract. (I'm a technology guy, but I'm more about computers I build to run my home. I considered smartphones gadgets and I wasn't that much into them.) Of course, the more I used it, I really liked the S3 and having a top notch smartphone. And as fate would have it, I lost it at a baseball game the beginning of June. So, I got a $15 phone the next day until I could figure out what I was going to do. Enter the S4 Google Edition. This seems to be the phone for me. I'm not eligible for a discounted phone, I need a great phone, one that will keep its resale value, unlocked, that I can tinker with - at least until the end of the contract (Aug 2014). But the price ($649), plus taxes (I live in the state of NC, $47.46) is just giving me sticker shock. I'm going to buy it, no way cheaper? Can I at least save the taxes? This is more just asking the question and having people tell me there's no way cheaper, so I can justify buying it tomorrow. Sigh.

 

[wilbarger]

I don't think you will find any way to buy it cheaper for a long time. Just consider this the premium of premium phones for now. I got mine this week and am absolutely blown away with the speed, battery life, screen and smoothness of the phone. Just know that there are not many (if any) custom ROMs right now, but the pure Android experience is great. I did root mine so I could play around with more areas. I came from a Skyrocket S2 and this thing test out 3 times faster using Antutu Benchmark. Go ahead and pull the plug. Even if you are not satisfied with it, you will be able to get most of your money back if you sell it.

 

[PeteS457]

Thanks....I needed that. All the reasons why I chose to go with the S4 Google Edition reiterated. I still hate the online sales tax. (Ugghh.) I assume Google is in every state now?

 

[planoman]

Just buy a used S4 and flash the S4 Google Edition ROM. Should be fairly close to the actual device.

Sent from my Nexus 7

 

[kgbkny]

Thanks....I needed that. All the reasons why I chose to go with the S4 Google Edition reiterated. I still hate the online sales tax. (Ugghh.) I assume Google is in every state now?

Tell me about it! I'm in NYC and my sales tax was around $56.