Iphone

[akayareal]

The problem with this and just about any scenario mentioned in this thread is that you'd have to purchase the VZW iPhone and pay full retail to avoid a contract (with VZW) or sign a contract, cancel, and pay the ETF. Moreover, I don't believe VZW sells phones that they don't activate, so you would have to sign up for VZW (month-to-month or 2 year contract) and then leave either immediately or soon after. You're talking between $700 and $1,000. I believe the iPhone will retail for $649(16GB) and $749(32GB) on VZW. Even if you get it at the discounted price, you're looking at $199(16GB)/$299(32GB) + $350 ETF + taxes/fees. I just can't fathom paying that much for any phone, at least not anymore. Years ago, before I had kids and a family, maybe, but not today, in this economy, with the responsibilities I have.

Correct me if im wrong because I've never done this, but in theory, once you bring the phone over to Sprint from Verizon, it wouldnt matter if the phone had a bad esn # as they do on Cricket or Metro.

If so, someone could purchase a Verizon Iphone by way of starting a line with them for the discount and skip without paying the etf or going the ebay route of buying a bad esn model.

[brad15]

Correct me if im wrong because I've never done this, but in theory, once you bring the phone over to Sprint from Verizon, it wouldnt matter if the phone had a bad esn # as they do on Cricket or Metro.

If so, someone could purchase a Verizon Iphone by way of starting a line with them for the discount and skip without paying the etf or going the ebay route of buying a bad esn model.

Technically,yes but that is really shady and if they do start swapping phones, i would hope they would get together and keep a community blacklisted ESN database so that this kind of stuff wouldnt happen

[Lorien]

Correct me if im wrong because I've never done this, but in theory, once you bring the phone over to Sprint from Verizon, it wouldnt matter if the phone had a bad esn # as they do on Cricket or Metro.

If so, someone could purchase a Verizon Iphone by way of starting a line with them for the discount and skip without paying the etf or going the ebay route of buying a bad esn model.

I'm almost certain, though I could be wrong, that once you sign up for VZW and leave before your contract ends, the system automatically bills you the ETF, so I'm not sure there's a way to buy the VZW iPhone (at the discounted price) and skip without paying the ETF. That said, the only way a VZW phone gets a bad/blacklisted ESN is if it's reported lost or stolen. Again, I could be wrong, but I don't think they blacklist a phone if you leave early. They just bill you.

[Protagonist]

^^ that is my understanding as well.

Absolutely. Still, that's an awfully expensive and complicated way to get a phone that's already seven months old, be it the "Jesus Phone" or not.

Yup, this is the wrong time to buy an iPhone. June/July is the time to buy if you want to maximize the value of your purchase. Either by getting the latest and greatest when it is still new or by buying last years model cheap from someone upgrading.

[Lorien]

June/July is the time to buy if you want to maximize the value of your purchase. Either by getting the latest and greatest when it is still new or by buying last years model cheap from someone upgrading.

If I were to do it that would be my thinking as well. Moreover, I have a feeling that the one in June/July will be a tri-mode (CDMA/GSM/HSDPA) device. That way, Apple won't have to make two devices. It would be cheaper for them. It would be better for us if the device were released unlocked, but this is highly unlikely.

[Tman3501]

I think the next IPhone is going to be an LTE version.

[jenna8110]

If I were to do it that would be my thinking as well. Moreover, I have a feeling that the one in June/July will be a tri-mode (CDMA/GSM/HSDPA) device. That way, Apple won't have to make two devices. It would be cheaper for them. It would be better for us if the device were released unlocked, but this is highly unlikely.

Is it possible, because Verizon has a non-exclusive deal, that Apple could release the iPhone 5 as a tri-mode unlocked non-carrier specific phone that you could use on any carrier that you want (that will activate it)?At this point I really think that is Apples best bet because no one is going to pay what AT&T paid for the exclusivity and they could make the iPhone available to everyone.

[dlsnyder]

The real losers on such a device would likely be on T-Mobile. Still no AWS band.

[bigsnake49]

The real losers on such a device would likely be on T-Mobile. Still no AWS band.

Actually the Verizon iPhone has the MDM6600 chipset that supports CDMA (RevA and Rev B), HSPA+ up to 14.4Mbps and the AWS band. I am really surprised that Verizon/Apple did not use HSPA+ for at least the bands outside this country. That would have made it really attractive to me. Hopefully the version that Sprint gets will have those bands enabled. Of course those that leave in WiMax markets might be totally let down by a non-Wimax phone, but for the rest of us that don't use our phones as our only connection to the internet, it would be great!

[thecableguy]

So now the iphone 4S is out, and sprint is carrying both the iphone4 and 4S. How does that affect things?

Will sprint activate a 16GB iphone 4 from verizon?

[R3GUL8OR]

So now the iphone 4S is out, and sprint is carrying both the iphone4 and 4S. How does that affect things?

Will sprint activate a 16GB iphone 4 from verizon?

ONLY if VZW gave you the unlock code.