Verizon is going to lose a lot of customers with this policy

I got my Iphone yesterday (I was eligible for the upgrade). I didn't
take the insurance and the price they gave me for replacing the phone
(before my 2 years are up) is the same one they gave you. Did it make
me say - "oh, then I'm going to switch carriers" - no, because they're
all the same

Personally i doubt they'll lose many customers at all.

People screamed a lot when AT&T first introduced the iPhone and people
were *astonished* to find out the phone wasn't free. They too
predicted AT&T would suffer and fall into an abyss etc, over this new
concept of "not free" but... obviously it didn't happen and people
bought the phone up like it wouldn't last.

I predict... the same will happen here. A lot of people will complain
but when push comes to shove, people will put up with it if they want
the phone. Just like before.



Which brings to mind this whole concept of "early upgrade".
Personally I think that program's the biggest crock of refuse to ever
exist. Yet people want it like it's hot cakes.

Me? I see it as a trap. Trapping you into a contract where you'll
have to pay an ETF if you get made and want to drop service.

That's why they started offering it. It keeps the power in their
hands, vs having you upgrade at the 2 year mark where you can "vote
with your feet" and leave them WITHOUT having to pay the ETF.

and that's the real secret behind early upgrades. making customers
want one so that they never come to the point where they can tell the
company, "I want this or I'm leaving," and have it be a serious
threat.

At AT&T we get upgrades every year and half for the new contract
price, they don't make you fulfill the full 2 years before allowing
the discounted upgrade. Plus, I've had nothing but awesome customer
service. I'm sticking by them because they have always treated me
well.

You will be eligible for an annual upgrade at 12 months into the
contract. When did you get your Eris?

The annual upgrade price is the two year promo price plus $70.

I'm not a phone/tech geek, but yesterday, a friend showed me his new
phone with "swipe" -- the keyboarding feature where you don't have to
lift up your fingers as you text/type, you just swipe it from one
letter to the next.

I tried it, and got a perfect text message on my first try. It was
VERY cool.

Not cool enough to make me buy a smart phone, but cool nonetheless! :)

Verizon is very upfront about the fact that you only get a discounted
phone every 2 years. I have been with other cell phone companies in
the past and this seems a pretty standard thing across the board with
all the companies.

Why don't you just wait until the end of the year when you are due for
an upgrade and then get the phone then? By that time there will most
likely be a new Iphone out anyway.

this is rather typical of the american market. people were use to
getting free phones valued at $200 or so for signing up for a contract
- mainly because the company was selling the contract and the phone
was secondary.

now that you're looking at phones that are worth 2-3 times more than
the typical free phone... people still think they will somehow get
this device for free.


that is not reality.


you are not going to get a device that's worth over 500 for free just
because you signed up for a 2 year plan.

I've been a loyal Verizon customer for the last 7 years, patiently
waiting the last 4 year for them to get the iphone. I was a little
miffed that they didn't offer and early upgrade and that I have to
wait until my contract is up in april to get the promotional price.
However, I understand how cell phone subsidies work and as a pure
business and economical decision, there really very little reason for
them to offer early upgrades. If someone was going to switch to AT&T
to get the iphone, they made the switch long ago.

You signed a two year agreement and are not eligible for an free or
low cost upgrade until the end of that agreement. All carriers work
that way. If you sign with AT&T to get the iphone and next year they
come out with something better, you would experience the same issue.

When AT&T first started with the iphone many of their customers had
the same issue, they wanted it but were not eligible for an upgrade so
people either waited or paid full retail.

I'm sorry but this sounds like the typical Apple customer thinking.
So often I see people in this situation that think they should be
exempt from the rules because it's an iPhone. It's pretty much common
knowledge that if you want a new phone but you're not eligible due to
contact that you're going to have to pay full price for it or wait
until you are eligible. On a side note, keep in mind that the current
model iPhone is almost at the end of it's 1 year development cycle
meaning a new version will be coming soon. Of course that means the
people that bought the current model are going to be in situations
exactly like this one and complaining that they want to be treated
special because it's an iPhone.

You signed a 2 year contract. That contract stipulates when you are
eligible for a discounted upgrade. If you want to upgrade before that,
you need to pay full retail price. AT&T is no different from Verizon
in this regard. If you really want an iPhone, cancel your contract
with Verizon, pay the ETF, and go back to AT&T with their terrible
service.

I agree- vote with your wallet. If you paid a 200 dollar termination
fee and perhaps another 199 for the iphone with ATT you would be
saving a substantial amount of money $399 versus $649-$749.

Perhaps if enough people did that verizon would wake up and rethink
their policy, but i wont hold my breath...

I think you have your answer, if you want an iPhone it is going to
cost you $649.99 for the 16gb and $749.99 for the 32 gb. From what I
have read, Verizon is going to do away with their new every two
program so phones won't be cheap like they were before.