Need to buy a phone...which one?

[Benjamin Black]

OK, so I've been patiently waiting for May 31 when my contract expires so I can upgrade to "insert non iPhone here," sell it, and then, you guessed it - purchase an iPhone when released. That was until my phone goes and BREAKS IN HALF last night.

Now faced with the prospect of no phone, I am going nuts. Honestly, what did we do before the age of cell phones? I can remember the time before them, yet still find myself tortured unmercifully without a functioning phone. I digress.

Anyhow, the kind folks at my local Cingular have agreed to have mercy upon me and offer me the upgrade now (since it's within 30 days). So I ask you - what phone should I get now with the above intention to resell soon? The Sony W810i seems pretty nice in hand, but it's not fetching too high of a price on the open market... so what do you suggest? I don't really care about anything other than talking, iSync, and resell.

Thanks.

 

[Vinnie_vw]

Why don't you buy a throw-away phone to keep you for those two months (yes 2) instead of wasting you money on a regular/fancy one? If all you care about it talking, that's what I would do. Alternatively ask a friend or family-friend if they have a spare one lying around. Plenty of people I know have tons of old phones they never use.

 

[Clarence]

 

[siurpeeman]

Why don't you buy a throw-away phone to keep you for those two months (yes 2) instead of wasting you money on a regular/fancy one? If all you care about it talking, that's what I would do. Alternatively ask a friend or family-friend if they have a spare one lying around. Plenty of people I know have tons of old phones they never use.

i think this guy wants to get the nicest phone he can with his upgrade credit, so he can sell it when the iphone comes out, deflecting part of the iphone's $600 price tag.

 

[koobcamuk]

The money you 'make' on selling a phone is being used for an iPhone anyway - so just hold out for an iphone.

 

[Benjamin Black]

i think this guy wants to get the nicest phone he can with his upgrade credit, so he can sell it when the iphone comes out, deflecting part of the iphone's $600 price tag.

EXACTLY!!! Assuming there will be no forthcoming Cingular discount on the iPhone, seems like the best bet. And who knows, maybe I like the fancy new phone and decide to wait it out for the next generation iPhone. So either way, I want to get something solid and nice.

As for using an older phone until... that was the phone that broke! The old one. So now I am completely without a phone. Naked as it were.

 

[Benjamin Black]

The money you 'make' on selling a phone is being used for an iPhone anyway - so just hold out for an iphone.

Well if I get a $200-300 phone for half that price cash, and sell it for close to it's retail value, I will have in essence subsidized the iPhone on my own (er, with Cingular's help)

 

[InlawBiker]

If that were the case I'd look on Ebay to see which phones have a high resale value. The Sony you mentioned does I believe.

I did the same thing with a Blackberry - I got it for "free" after rebates, then Ebay'd it for $150.

Just be aware that people won't pay anywhere near retail for a mobile phone, everybody knows the carriers give them away for nothing.

Greg.

 

[apfhex]

Just be aware that people won't pay anywhere near retail for a mobile phone, everybody knows the carriers give them away for nothing.

That's the problem... any phone you get will not only be LOCKED, but everyone knows they're heavily subsidized, so you're really not going to get near retail, BUT, I do think you could still make some money. I would take whatever's hottest on Cingular (W810i, or the V3XX, or maybe the KRZR) and see what prices Cingular locked models are going for.

 

[l4t13]

That's the problem... any phone you get will not only be LOCKED, but everyone knows they're heavily subsidized, so you're really not going to get near retail, BUT, I do think you could still make some money. I would take whatever's hottest on Cingular (W810i, or the V3XX, or maybe the KRZR) and see what prices Cingular locked models are going for.

blackberry pearl

 

[tjcampbell]

I have an xda orbit from o2. I run missing sync and it works great. The phone is awesome. It has tomtom!!!! I use it in the car and even when walking (London is nuts). Plus I got a 2 gig memory card off ebay so I can fit tonnes of mp3's on it. It kicks ass!