Nexus 4 Purchase Tmobile vs. Google play

[6tr6tr]

Yes they do.

Try buying the phone on that new plan and deciding you don't want the service after 2 months and tell me how much you owe them.

And they will not take payments after you cancel.

It's the same thing, yet they are upfront about the subsidy and have a sneakier way of charging a higher ETF

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

It's not the same thing. Yes, they have contracts for the phone subsidy, but not for the service. If you pay for the phone in full up front (or bring your own), you're on prepaid.

 

[JeffDenver]

Either way it's still a contract. If it was truly no contract but financing hardware, you'd be able to keep making the payments if you decided to stop using the service.

This.

Yes, it is a contract. It is a far more flexible contract than other carriers have to be sure, but it is a contract. You are not allowed to just pick up and leave and still get your phone financed for you. The phone financing is the new contract.

That being said, I love this system, and hope that Verizon and AT&T are pressured into doing the same thing. I have seen a lot of people fleeing Verizon for the T-Mobile promised land in the last few months. Even die-hard T-Mobile critics like me. The deal is just that good.

 

[Biggnaa20]

Is there any benefit either way of purchasing the Nexus 4 through Tmobile or through Google play directly? It's more expensive to go through tmobile. Any more or less bloatware? Maybe wifi calling not available through google? Not really into paying extra to get one branded with a tmobile logo if it's no different otherwise.

I bought my device from the Google Play Store and there are two caveats you should know:

1. T-Mobile store employees will erroneously tell you that your device will work differently. But they'll probably say that about the Nexus from their store too. It will work fine. (My does anyway).

2. T-Mobile store employees will tell you that you can't get insurance through them. I don't know if that's the case since I think phone insurance (with the deductible and monthly fee) isn't worth it on a phone under $600. But that is purely my opinion.

 

[JeffDenver]

2. T-Mobile store employees will tell you that you can't get insurance through them. I don't know if that's the case since I think phone insurance (with the deductible and monthly fee) isn't worth it on a phone under $600. But that is purely my opinion.

Something else people should know about insurance...it is not free.

In addition to your monthly payments, you will have a deductible. Mine was $100. If you crack your screen (for example) the total repair is probably going to be $150 to $100 after tax. So after 6 months, you will barely break even from one cracked screen. Most of the policies will not replace phones that are water damaged either.

Bonus: You will not necessarily get a new phone from insurance. You are likely to get a "refurbished" phone, which means a phone someone else sent them because it was not working right. They only send you new ones if they run out of refurbished ones.

 

[olgeezer44]

Thanks to all of you kind folks, 2 Nexus 4's will be shipped on the 1st. Our sales tax rate is 7.5% so the total with shipping is $764.34 from Google Play. We will be going with T-mobile.

 

[sheba510]

I was just in a T-Mobile store last week looking at the Nexus 4. I asked if a Nexus 4 bought from Google Play would work the same as a T-Mobile Nexus 4. He said that the Nexus bought from Google would only operate on 2G speed and not 4G like the one from T-Mobile. He said that any unlocked phone that works on GSM would only work at 2G speed. It sounds like salesman BS, but I have no idea. Thoughts?

I use my Google Play purchased Nexus 4 on T-mobile and get 4G speeds. Salesman is clearly trying to get you to pay more money for T-mobile purchased Nexus 4.

 

[RumoredNow]

Thanks to all of you kind folks, 2 Nexus 4's will be shipped on the 1st. Our sales tax rate is 7.5% so the total with shipping is $764.34 from Google Play. We will be going with T-mobile.

Congratulations!!!!!

 

[anon(5719825)]

The tax would depend on the tax rate in the state where you bought it.

Yes but the price shouldn't be too far off.

 

[The Hustleman]

This.

Yes, it is a contract. It is a far more flexible contract than other carriers have to be sure, but it is a contract. You are not allowed to just pick up and leave and still get your phone financed for you. The phone financing is the new contract.

That being said, I love this system, and hope that Verizon and AT&T are pressured into doing the same thing. I have seen a lot of people fleeing Verizon for the T-Mobile promised land in the last few months. Even die-hard T-Mobile critics like me. The deal is just that good.

I like it to, but if you decide to leave it could possibly be more expensive but i wish all the other carriers did that too

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[robert_in_la]

I was just in a T-Mobile store last week looking at the Nexus 4. I asked if a Nexus 4 bought from Google Play would work the same as a T-Mobile Nexus 4. He said that the Nexus bought from Google would only operate on 2G speed and not 4G like the one from T-Mobile. He said that any unlocked phone that works on GSM would only work at 2G speed. It sounds like salesman BS, but I have no idea. Thoughts?

Actually its not. If you don't live in a reframed area you will more than likely get only Edge speed. There is a slight variation - the one T-Mobile sells has AWS bands whereas the on sold directly by Google does not.

 

[robert_in_la]

Either way it's still a contract.

If it was truly no contract but financing hardware, you'd be able to keep making the payments if you decided to stop using the service.

It's a sneaky way to circumvent rules dictating the most a carrier can charge as an ETF.

Semantics.

Like I said, if it were no contract, you'd still be able to make payments on the device even after dropping the service

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

It's a financing contract and not a service contract. Essentially you can pay as much as you want towards the phone each month or pay it off at anytime. Once the handset is paid off you will no longer be obligated to keep service with T-Mobile.

If you port your number over to a different carrier within the time period that you are financing the phone then T-Mobile will make you pay the phone in full to release you from your financing obligation - there is no termination fee or extra charges. Again its a financing contract and not a service contract - two different things.

 

[robert_in_la]

Yes they do.

Try buying the phone on that new plan and deciding you don't want the service after 2 months and tell me how much you owe them.

And they will not take payments after you cancel.

It's the same thing, yet they are upfront about the subsidy and have a sneakier way of charging a higher ETF

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

HM, I am sorry but what company would sell phones spread out over 2 year period, interest free, and not want them to use their service? It's not sneaky, its business and its vert straight forward and transparent. T-Mobile is trying to get customers to get on with them not put handsets in peoples hands who want to take advantage of interest free payments on their dime.

 

[anon(5719825)]

Actually its not. If you don't live in a reframed area you will more than likely get only Edge speed. There is a slight variation - the one T-Mobile sells has AWS bands whereas the on sold directly by Google does not.

How do ou know this? THIS page says nothing about only the T-Mobile phone having LTE band 4 (AWS) but that Nexus 4s do Either way, it's still disabled by software.

 

[JeffDenver]

Actually its not. If you don't live in a reframed area you will more than likely get only Edge speed. There is a slight variation - the one T-Mobile sells has AWS bands whereas the on sold directly by Google does not.

How do ou know this? THIS page says nothing about only the T-Mobile phone having LTE band 4 (AWS) but that Nexus 4s do Either way, it's still disabled by software.

Anandtech tested the Nexus 4 and found all components necessary for AWS to be present. Note that he says these have been confirmed working in Canada, and those phones were NOT T-mobile phones (T-Mobile serves only the US and Europe). That leads me to believe that this is a general Nexus 4 feature, and not something specific to T-Mobile versions.

AnandTech | Nexus 4 Includes Support for LTE on Band 4 (AWS)

If it is a software-only thing, that is great news, for it means that at worst we can hack the software to make it work. It will not require messy meddling with the hardware. IMO it is Likely google will re-enable this in a future update though. T-Mobile certainly has an interest in allowing this.

 

[robert_in_la]

How do ou know this? THIS page says nothing about only the T-Mobile phone having LTE band 4 (AWS) but that Nexus 4s do Either way, it's still disabled by software.

Hi. I am not talking about LTE or AWS 1700 band but rather the 1900 band that is apart of the larger reframing objective, which is needed to get the higher data speeds on the Google version. Without that you will be stuck on Edge if you're unlucky to be not be in a reframed area.

If you contact LG they will tell you via email that the T-Mobile version (go to T-Mobile webpage and look at the specs vs. Play Store and you'll see the missing bands) has AWS bands whereas the Google version does not. Again T-Mobile is switching over to take more of 1900 spectrum, because of the AT&T deal going south, while increasing their bandwidth (this is a partial reason for the acquisition of Metro PCS).

 

[robert_in_la]

Anandtech tested the Nexus 4 and found all components necessary for AWS to be present. Note that he says these have been confirmed working in Canada, and those phones were NOT T-mobile phones (T-Mobile serves only the US and Europe). That leads me to believe that this is a general Nexus 4 feature, and not something specific to T-Mobile versions.

AnandTech | Nexus 4 Includes Support for LTE on Band 4 (AWS)

If it is a software-only thing, that is great news, for it means that at worst we can hack the software to make it work. It will not require messy meddling with the hardware. IMO it is Likely google will re-enable this in a future update though. T-Mobile certainly has an interest in allowing this.

If that is the case then its obvious its a software block. Good to know.

 

[The Hustleman]

HM, I am sorry but what company would sell phones spread out over 2 year period, interest free, and not want them to use their service? It's not sneaky, its business and its vert straight forward and transparent. T-Mobile is trying to get customers to get on with them not put handsets in peoples hands who want to take advantage of interest free payments on their dime.

It's both.

If it was just a finance contract (read : CONTRACT) it wouldn't matter if you had the service or not, you'd still be able to make the payments.

Where else would you take a T-Mobile phone besides T-mobile? Only place is T-mobile prepaid. If I'm making the payments and I bring the phone to prepaid I should be able to keep making payments, but T-mobile says no. So yes, it's both, the fusion of a service and financing contract.

It's a financing contract and not a service contract. Essentially you can pay as much as you want towards the phone each month or pay it off at anytime. Once the handset is paid off you will no longer be obligated to keep service with T-Mobile.

If you port your number over to a different carrier within the time period that you are financing the phone then T-Mobile will make you pay the phone in full to release you from your financing obligation - there is no termination fee or extra charges. Again its a financing contract and not a service contract - two different things.

Exactly, IT'S BOTH


Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[anon(5719825)]

Hi. I am not talking about LTE or AWS 1700 band but rather the 1900 band that is apart of the larger reframing objective, which is needed to get the higher data speeds on the Google version. Without that you will be stuck on Edge if you're unlucky to be not be in a reframed area.

If you contact LG they will tell you via email that the T-Mobile version (go to T-Mobile webpage and look at the specs vs. Play Store and you'll see the missing bands) has AWS bands whereas the Google version does not. Again T-Mobile is switching over to take more of 1900 spectrum, because of the AT&T deal going south, while increasing their bandwidth (this is a partial reason for the acquisition of Metro PCS).

So my T-Mobile Nexus 4 will continue to get great speeds in the future whereas the Google Nexus 4 won't?

 

[davim00]

Just forget about T-mobile and get a SIM from Simple Mobile. They truly don't have contracts since they are prepaid and they use T-mobile's network, so you're still getting the same service you would have with T-mobile. They have an unlimited everything plan with 4G for $50 a month and the Nexus 4 should work the same way it does on T-mobile (since it's all the same towers/network hardware, just a different name).

 

[olgeezer44]

Just forget about T-mobile and get a SIM from Simple Mobile. They truly don't have contracts since they are prepaid and they use T-mobile's network, so you're still getting the same service you would have with T-mobile. They have an unlimited everything plan with 4G for $50 a month and the Nexus 4 should work the same way it does on T-mobile (since it's all the same towers/network hardware, just a different name).

Now, I'm getting confused about this stuff. I thought I had to do what is said here: Unlocked iPhone and GSM Phone Sim Card Plans | BYOD | T-Mobile with my Nexus 4's bought from Google Play.