AT&T Galaxy S8 Need to replace phone, Iphone 7, Galaxy 7 or 8

[memphislawyer]

My HTC One M8 screen cracked. Local places won't touch it. I found that I might mess up the phone doing the repair myself. Do not qualify for the replacement program as my HTC will be 3 years old in June. So thinking to upgrade.

Iphone 7, thinking of trying to find one unlocked. Plus is that wife and children have Ipads and Iphones.

Love the Galaxy as far as the screen display. Told that they and the IPhones are easiest to get fixed locally. May be pricey but better than having to get new phone. Dont know any downsides to the 7 or the 8 or the Edge. Battery life, display and ease of use are important. Camera is less so. I guess with the 8 being brand new, prices are up there. Maybe I can get a deal on a 7 or 7 Edge. can someone compare the Edge to the regular 7 and to an Iphone? Where is a good place to get an unlocked one so I can use it with AT&T. What about pricing? I read that I need the product number to end in a U because that is compatible with the US Phones, and that the others are foreign phones and may not work well with the ATT here in Memphis

 

[T48]

Best Buy is or was offering $50 off of S8 pre order & $100 of off S8+.
Sams Club (if you are a member) is offering a $150 gift cert to club & free activation on S8/S8+.
Those two right there would be tough for me to pass up if you can make it another 10 days until release.
Best Buy also had some discounts on the iP7 & iP7+, though thinking they were the higher storage/more expensive variants.
Worth the look.

You can compare all of the devices mentioned on youtube & find what is important to you. Phone arena had a battery comparison last week *I think* that included the S8/S8+.

 

[memphislawyer]

I am a member at Costco. We already have a plan at ATT and so I dont want to have to worry about activation or doing anything with my plan if I can avoid it. We have a grandfathered plan and I dont want to mess with that

 

[Aquila]

I'd go with the red iPhone 7+ then the Galaxy S8 if it were up to me. S7 is off the table.

 

[Law2138]

I'll try to hit all those questions in one post.

Pricing being of concern, I'll state that an unlocked iPhone 7 OR Galaxy S8 (or S8+) will be your most expensive options.
The iPhone 7 unlocked (you stated you would like to find one unlocked) would be slightly cheaper than retail on Swappa.
If buying outright is your thing, ATT will let you buy an iPhone7 or S8 at full cost and then unlock it. If you purchase those devices on a payment plan, then you won't be able to unlock them until the balance is paid in full.

The s7 Edge (my current device) is great, and now is a great time to buy preowned or at a carrier store. The retail price at AT&T is $694. (Search Best Buy, and other retailers to find the best deal or try to get a bigger discount with AT&T). Battery life, display quality and ease of use are all very good with the S7 edge. With the edge, you'll get a larger battery and of course the edge display.

I don't have an iPhone 7, but my wife loves her 7 plus. I prefer to stay outside of the apple ecosystem because I enjoy the freedom of Android and customization. However, you will still find that iPhones will allow you to run Google apps.

I'm not so sure about product numbers ending in U (perhaps that's Samsungs unlocked devices). But most GSM phones will operate on AT&T, T-mobile, straight talk, etc. If you buy a phone that is unlocked, then make sure it says GSM compatible.
If you are looking to buy a preowned device, make sure that the balance has been paid and it is no longer attached to another account.

I personally had a great experience with Swappa as they have many rules and stipulations designed to protect the buyer and seller. In addition to that, using Paypal also allows you to protect yourself from fraud.

I highly recommend Swappa, and if you find that you'd like to try it. Give it a go. Heck, you might even get some money for your One M8 if you want to sell it in the Boneyard.

Good luck!

 

[T48]

I am a member at Costco. We already have a plan at ATT and so I dont want to have to worry about activation or doing anything with my plan if I can avoid it. We have a grandfathered plan and I dont want to mess with that

Am on ATT too & think they nail you for the activation fee no matter if you buy a device from a store or ebay, swappa etc. Activation fee among others are beyond irritating. But that fee should not change your plan.

 

[Law2138]

I am a member at Costco. We already have a plan at ATT and so I dont want to have to worry about activation or doing anything with my plan if I can avoid it. We have a grandfathered plan and I dont want to mess with that

There's nothing like swapping out a SIM from one device to another. Assuming the M8 has a micro sim card, you could take it out and put it into a S7 or iPhone 7, and go. No activation fee, no call to the carrier and no waiting.

 

[Ca_lvn]

Just sold my unlocked 7+ on swappa.com for $600 in 7 minutes

 

[Law2138]

Am on ATT too & think they nail you for the activation fee no matter if you buy a device from a store or ebay, swappa etc. Activation fee among others are beyond irritating. But that fee should not change your plan.

Are you sure about that? Maybe if you get a new SIM card they'll try to charge you for activation but even that can be waived. My micro SIM has been in an iPhone 6, Moto X pure, Galaxy S4, S7 edge, and S6 Active in the past year and not once have I been charged for new activation.

I view activation fees as a "If the consumer is ok with it, then we'll charge 'em" type of thing. They can easily be waived with promos, of simply a call to customer service.

 

[memphislawyer]

Wow, I am thinking I am going to run into the ATT Store at lunch. FOr $600, I would rather do swappa and use paypal, or for just a little more, get a new phone at ATT or Best Buy. Thought that the Iphone 7 being out longer, it might be cheaper

I see that the regular Galaxy 7 is cheaper usually than the Edge, but that the Edge has a better screen display and battery life. Drawback is they say it is hard to use one handed. I think the screen display on Samsung looks better than Iphone. I could maybe get a deal on an HTC One M8 but that is a three year old phone. And the pricing is around $300 for even that.

 

[memphislawyer]

I'd go with the red iPhone 7+ then the Galaxy S8 if it were up to me. S7 is off the table.

Why no love for the S7?

 

[Aquila]

Why no love for the S7?

Two reasons.
1. The S8 exists and seems to be a better or equal to device on every metric.
2. The S7 is already a year old. There's a good chance Nougat is as far as it will go, it's already been missing on security updates and the S8 will be updated more regularly and for longer.

 

[EMGSM]

My HTC One M8 screen cracked. Local places won't touch it. I found that I might mess up the phone doing the repair myself. Do not qualify for the replacement program as my HTC will be 3 years old in June. So thinking to upgrade.

Iphone 7, thinking of trying to find one unlocked. Plus is that wife and children have Ipads and Iphones.

Love the Galaxy as far as the screen display. Told that they and the IPhones are easiest to get fixed locally. May be pricey but better than having to get new phone. Dont know any downsides to the 7 or the 8 or the Edge. Battery life, display and ease of use are important. Camera is less so. I guess with the 8 being brand new, prices are up there. Maybe I can get a deal on a 7 or 7 Edge. can someone compare the Edge to the regular 7 and to an Iphone? Where is a good place to get an unlocked one so I can use it with AT&T. What about pricing? I read that I need the product number to end in a U because that is compatible with the US Phones, and that the others are foreign phones and may not work well with the ATT here in Memphis

How long do you plan on holding on to your phone? Are you looking for a place holder til something like the iPhone 8, Pixel 2 or Note 8 come out. If you are, go with the cheaper one.

 

[memphislawyer]

At least two years. If I get one I won't upgrade to the iPhone 8 in September.

 

[anon(7901790)]

My HTC One M8 screen cracked. Local places won't touch it. I found that I might mess up the phone doing the repair myself. Do not qualify for the replacement program as my HTC will be 3 years old in June. So thinking to upgrade.

Iphone 7, thinking of trying to find one unlocked. Plus is that wife and children have Ipads and Iphones.

Love the Galaxy as far as the screen display. Told that they and the IPhones are easiest to get fixed locally. May be pricey but better than having to get new phone. Dont know any downsides to the 7 or the 8 or the Edge. Battery life, display and ease of use are important. Camera is less so. I guess with the 8 being brand new, prices are up there. Maybe I can get a deal on a 7 or 7 Edge. can someone compare the Edge to the regular 7 and to an Iphone? Where is a good place to get an unlocked one so I can use it with AT&T. What about pricing? I read that I need the product number to end in a U because that is compatible with the US Phones, and that the others are foreign phones and may not work well with the ATT here in Memphis

All iPhones are unlocked, that is the only way Apple makes them. If you are concerned, get it from Apple directly. That being said, I am dumping my iPhone 6s Plus and going back into the Samsung Android fold. Apple hasn't really done much to innovate (adding a 2nd camera doesn't really count).

So either the S7 or the S8/8+ would be good choices.

 

[T48]

Are you sure about that? Maybe if you get a new SIM card they'll try to charge you for activation but even that can be waived. My micro SIM has been in an iPhone 6, Moto X pure, Galaxy S4, S7 edge, and S6 Active in the past year and not once have I been charged for new activation.

I view activation fees as a "If the consumer is ok with it, then we'll charge 'em" type of thing. They can easily be waived with promos, of simply a call to customer service.

On att site at link. $20 for next or bringing your own device. Have always went elsewhere until I could find a deal or rep who would waive the fee. But yes, they want to charge it.

https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...l%23%21%2Fwireless%2FKM1008601&token=alcklPkj

 

[Ca_lvn]

All iPhones are unlocked, that is the only way Apple makes them. If you are concerned, get it from Apple directly. That being said, I am dumping my iPhone 6s Plus and going back into the Samsung Android fold. Apple hasn't really done much to innovate (adding a 2nd camera doesn't really count).

So either the S7 or the S8/8+ would be good choices.

IPhone is carrier locked unless you buy unlocked from Apple or request carrier to unlock only possible if paid in full with no open contract.

 

[Law2138]

On att site at link. $20 for next or bringing your own device. Have always went elsewhere until I could find a deal or rep who would waive the fee. But yes, they want to charge it.

https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...l%23%21%2Fwireless%2FKM1008601&token=g-Pf7lrH

I can see this applying to new customers, but existing? What if one fulfills their NEXT agreement and just puts their sim in another phone that was purchased elsewhere?

Now if someone (existing customer or new) walks into AT&T and says I have another phone that I want to place on my account, I could see them getting pegged for that activation fee. Is it really required to even go to AT&T in the first place?

Some people don't even know how to swap a SIM, so they'll go into the store and end up paying $20 for a rep to just eject and insert.

 

[Law2138]

Um yeah, so a good condition S7Edge can be had for about $369 on SWAPPA, with mint units selling for around $420.
I'd go with one of those established companies that offer a return period and guarantee.

Those prices are great.

 

[memphislawyer]

ATT say $594 for a new Galaxy 7, the Edge 7 is $694.. I phone is plus is $769, 32 gig.

gonna run by Best Buy also tonight