NEXUS noob Question re: contract free purchase

[akrau82]

Hello Android Community!

I have a question that is probably very basic for most of you regarding purchasing a phone without a contract. I have never been so lucky as to own a Nexus phone and have decided that the N4 w/o a contract is the best way to go. The situation is this:

I am currently on a T-mobile 2-year contract that ends in December. Can I just purchase the N4 and throw in the SIM card and continue to pay until the fulfillment of my 2-year with T-mobile? After my 2-year is up, what will be my relationship with T-mobile? Do I just pay a month-to-month fee with them for a data plan?

Also, I have convinced my girlfriend that she needs this phone (also convinced her to get a N7 and she loves it). She is currently on a Verizon 2-year that is up at the end of the month. What is the best way for her to proceed?

Thanks for your responses in advance! Happy N4 day

 

[Ziptied]

Re: NEXUS n00b Question re: contract free purchase

Yep, you can do that with ease, just cut your sim card or get them to give you a new micro sim.

 

[Ry]

Re: NEXUS n00b Question re: contract free purchase

I am currently on a T-mobile 2-year contract that ends in December. Can I just purchase the N4 and throw in the SIM card and continue to pay until the fulfillment of my 2-year with T-mobile?

Yes.

After my 2-year is up, what will be my relationship with T-mobile? Do I just pay a month-to-month fee with them for a data plan?

You'll be month-to-month.

Also, I have convinced my girlfriend that she needs this phone (also convinced her to get a N7 and she loves it). She is currently on a Verizon 2-year that is up at the end of the month. What is the best way for her to proceed?

Find out the exact contract end date. Buy her the Nexus 4. On the end date, port the line to T-Mobile.

 

[dragonsamus]

Re: NEXUS n00b Question re: contract free purchase

Yes, buy the nexus 4 and pop in a sim card and you're all set. Once your contract is up you'll pay month to month. Have your girlfriend wait until her contract is up then buy the nexus 4 for the off contract price and use whatever plan she wants on TMobile.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Android Central Forums

 

[natehoy]

Re: NEXUS n00b Question re: contract free purchase

In your case, yes, you should be able to simply remove the SIM from your current phone and, assuming it will fit in the T-Mo phone, jack it in to the T-Mo phone and Bob's your uncle. You may have to fiddle with a few settings to get the Internet access point set, but it shouldn't be a big deal. If the SIM does not fit, you should be able to go to any T-Mo store and ask for a new SIM programmed to your account. They should be able to do that for free or for a very nominal fee (some phone companies charge a few bucks for new SIMs). You are still obligated to fulfill your 2-year contract, but not necessarily on the phone they gave or discounted for you. You should be able to resell your old phone at any time, just check with them to see if they need to do anything on their end before it is reused on their network.

For your girlfriend's phone, she can get the N4 at any time and simply sign up for service with a new GSM carrier (T-Mo, AT&T, StraightTalk, whatever). Most will be able to port her phone number over, or near the end of her Verizon contract she may be able to port her number to a Google Voice number, which can then be forwarded to the cell number on her new account (that way, her phone number follows her no matter what cell carrier she might move to in the future).

 

[jwl3429]

Re: NEXUS n00b Question re: contract free purchase

I am on Verizon with a contract end date of Dec 2013, i will be dropping my data plan $30 and getting on t mobiles $30 prepaid plan then when my contract expires i will port my number, you could do something like that for her as well. might be easier to wait since her contract is up at the end of the month.

 

[reign831]

Re: NEXUS n00b Question re: contract free purchase

I am on Verizon with a contract end date of Dec 2013, i will be dropping my data plan $30 and getting on t mobiles $30 prepaid plan then when my contract expires i will port my number, you could do something like that for her as well. might be easier to wait since her contract is up at the end of the month.

You're going to pay for both for the next ~13 months?

 

[akrau82]

Re: NEXUS n00b Question re: contract free purchase

Thanks y'all. Very helpful. Very much looking forward to my first NEXUS phone.

 

[natehoy]

Re: NEXUS n00b Question re: contract free purchase

I am on Verizon with a contract end date of Dec 2013, i will be dropping my data plan $30 and getting on t mobiles $30 prepaid plan then when my contract expires i will port my number, you could do something like that for her as well. might be easier to wait since her contract is up at the end of the month.

How much is your ETF and what phone do you have? I think Verizon's starts at $350 and drops by $10 each moth, so if you've had the plan for 10 months it should be $250. If you're going to carry that account for another year and two months (14 months) that ETF works out to $17 a month over the two years. If you are paying more than $17 a month for the service, it's probably worth terminating the account ASAP, paying the ETF, and selling the phone on the used market to recoup most or all of that ETF cost.

 

[Fairclough]

Re: NEXUS n00b Question re: contract free purchase

On contract you can use that sim on a unlocked phone.

 

[xKrNMBoYx]

You can just buy the phone and slip in the sim card and youre good to go. Now if you wanted to do this while mot paying for your two year contract then you would have a problem.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Android Central Forums

 

[jwl3429]

Re: NEXUS n00b Question re: contract free purchase

I have a family plan with 5 lines so if a drop my data and add the tmobile it is not extra cost i just have 2 lines to use.

 

[Jerry Hildenbrand]

Re: NEXUS n00b Question re: contract free purchase

Thanks y'all. Very helpful. Very much looking forward to my first NEXUS phone.

I'm glad you got the answers you were looking for.
There's really good people here. Sometimes as an employee here, I forget about all the good that happens (because I'm stuck looking after the bad lol) in our forums. Everyone in this thread makes me happy that I hitched my wagon to AC

Thanks guys!