No Upgrade Available for GNex. Here's an option.

[born2rip]

*I posted this in the big thread but wanted to get it here so it had its own thread*

So I wanted to let everyone know there is an option for you if you do NOT have an upgrade available. I apologize if someone else covered this but this is something I've confirmed I can do with my buddy from Verizon and Verizon Customer Service to double check:

1) You have an existing line with Verizon so this applies to you.
2) You can add a new line for $10/month and get your Nexus for $200/$300.
3) But you have a smart phone on line #1.
4) You switch the Nexus to line #1. You switch the existing smartphone to line #2.
5) But you don't want two smart phones on 2 lines.
6) Swap the line #2 smartphone with a feature phone and that line becomes just a $10/month line instead of a $40/month (10+data pack) line.
7) You will have two lines rolling because Verizon ONLY cares about your LINE (not phone) being active with a 2 year committment.

BENEFIT:

1) You will have the Nexus on line #1 which is carrying the original phones committment. You can upgrade the Nexus when that phone is up.
(i.e. You bought a Dinc and you have upgrade up in May (for instance). You 'll be able to upgrade the Nexus (if you choose) in May.
2) Line number 2 will have your feature phone sitting around for the 22 month committment on the Nexus but will have that Upgrade 1 year from May. This is because this line is carrying the Nexus committment.
3) In the end, you will have the ability to do what? Upgrade in May then next May (roughly). So for an extra $10 dollars per month you can have rolling yearly upgrades.

Return on investment: Instead of buying a Nexus for 600 dollars . Over the next year if you pay the $10/month for a feature phone on the second like its only the costs of the Nexus + 120/year for the additional line = $420. 600-420 = $180 savings + Having rolling yearly (roughly ) upgrades ! This assumes your upgrades fall in line with my example.

Yes it is that awesome.

Hope this helps!

 

[rexdog1888]

*I posted this in the big thread but wanted to get it here so it had its own thread*

So I wanted to let everyone know there is an option for you if you do NOT have an upgrade available. I apologize if someone else covered this but this is something I've confirmed I can do with my buddy from Verizon and Verizon Customer Service to double check:

1) You have an existing line with Verizon so this applies to you.
2) You can add a new line for $10/month and get your Nexus for $200/$300.
3) But you have a smart phone on line #1.
4) You switch the Nexus to line #1. You switch the existing smartphone to line #2.
5) But you don't want two smart phones on 2 lines.
6) Swap the line #2 smartphone with a feature phone and that line becomes just a $10/month line instead of a $40/month (10+data pack) line.
7) You will have two lines rolling because Verizon ONLY cares about your LINE (not phone) being active with a 2 year committment.

BENEFIT:

1) You will have the Nexus on line #1 which is carrying the original phones committment. You can upgrade the Nexus when that phone is up.
(i.e. You bought a Dinc and you have upgrade up in May (for instance). You 'll be able to upgrade the Nexus (if you choose) in May.
2) Line number 2 will have your feature phone sitting around for the 22 month committment on the Nexus but will have that Upgrade 1 year from May. This is because this line is carrying the Nexus committment.
3) In the end, you will have the ability to do what? Upgrade in May then next May (roughly). So for an extra $10 dollars per month you can have rolling yearly upgrades.

Return on investment: Instead of buying a Nexus for 600 dollars . Over the next year if you pay the $10/month for a feature phone on the second like its only the costs of the Nexus + 120/year for the additional line = $420. 600-420 = $180 savings + Having rolling yearly (roughly ) upgrades ! This assumes your upgrades fall in line with my example.

Yes it is that awesome.

Hope this helps!

Ya I did this to get a tbolt, it was actually suggested by a vzw corporate store manager

 

[Androidcurious]

I'm sorry, I'm a little lost here. How do you downgrade the second line so it's only $10/ month? Won't VZW insist you have a phone on there with minutes at the very least?

 

[esmith818]

Caveats:
1) Assuming the Nexus is $299, your price will be $539 over the two year contract on line #2 ($299 + $10/month for 24 months). Add in the activation fee on the new line and price jumps to $574.
2) This assumes you have a spare feature phone lying around. Otherwise you have to factor in the cost of a non-contract feature phone on top of the $574.

Alternatively:
1) You might check eBay for an unlocked Nexus first. Using the Rezound as an example, the VZW non-contract price is $799 while I see them on eBay for as little as $580.
2) Check to see if any extended family members are interested in a smartphone. I am offering my dad my X2 for $40/month which is a better deal than he will find for any individual smartphone plan and gets me the contract price for the Nexus. I don't like the locked boot loader, but dad simply wants a smartphone; he has no intention of rooting. Win/win!

 

[esmith818]

I'm sorry, I'm a little lost here. How do you downgrade the second line so it's only $10/ month? Won't VZW insist you have a phone on there with minutes at the very least?

OP is referring to the "Add a Line" option for family plans which only cost an additional $10 month to share the minutes on the plan.

 

[Androidcurious]

OP is referring to the "Add a Line" option for family plans which only cost an additional $10 month to share the minutes on the plan.

So I add a line, opt it as a family share plan, and VZW will let me keep it without a phone on it?

 

[esmith818]

So I add a line, opt it as a family share plan, and VZW will let me keep it without a phone on it?

The OP is suggesting you add a new line to your existing family plan for the Nexus. This will cost you the contract price of the phone plus an extra $10 for voice and $30 for another data package. (Of course, if you don't already have a family plan, you will have to upgrade your individual plan which may also add to your new monthly fees.)

After you set up the line, you swap the new smartphone with your current smartphone (your existing line gets the Nexus and the newly added line gets your old smartphone.)

Once the switch is made, you switch out the old smartphone on the added line with a spare feature phone and remove the data plan leaving you with a second line tied to a feature phone at an added cost of $10 per month.

The renewal date for the Nexus is tied to line #2 which you can renew in 2 years while the old smartphone (despite not being activated on either line) can be used for a renewal 2 years after it's original purchase date. This gives you the option of getting 2 upgrades every two years instead of 1 at the cost of paying $10 per month for a line you never use (unless you give it to a family member).

Of course, all this was explained in the original post, and there is still the caveats in my first response...

 

[Androidcurious]

The OP is suggesting you add a new line to your existing family plan for the Nexus. This will cost you the contract price of the phone plus an extra $10 for voice and $30 for another data package. (Of course, if you don't already have a family plan, you will have to upgrade your individual plan which may also add to your new monthly fees.)

After you set up the line, you swap the new smartphone with your current smartphone (your existing line gets the Nexus and the newly added line gets your old smartphone.)

Once the switch is made, you switch out the old smartphone on the added line with a spare feature phone and remove the data plan leaving you with a second line tied to a feature phone at an added cost of $10 per month.

The renewal date for the Nexus is tied to line #2 which you can renew in 2 years while the old smartphone (despite not being activated on either line) can be used for a renewal 2 years after it's original purchase date. This gives you the option of getting 2 upgrades every two years instead of 1 at the cost of paying $10 per month for a line you never use (unless you give it to a family member).

Of course, all this was explained in the original post, and there is still the caveats in my first response...

I appreciate the explanation but I guess the brick wall I keep running into is what I'm seeing is that the second line will still have to have a minutes package on it once youv'e swapped out to the feature phone, no? So it's not $10 a month, it's actually $50 when you add in the $40 for 450 minutes. Unless I'm missing something, which is what I feel like is happening here.

 

[Androidcurious]

Ohhhh wait. THe second line is part of a family share plan, so you're not paying for additional minutes. I think the lightbulb just went off over my dumb head.

 

[born2rip]

Yeah. My thought is even though over the 2 years you pay more for the second line... You will have access to rolling upgrades which is where the money comes from.

 

[rushmore]

*I posted this in the big thread but wanted to get it here so it had its own thread*

So I wanted to let everyone know there is an option for you if you do NOT have an upgrade available. I apologize if someone else covered this but this is something I've confirmed I can do with my buddy from Verizon and Verizon Customer Service to double check:

1) You have an existing line with Verizon so this applies to you.
2) You can add a new line for $10/month and get your Nexus for $200/$300.
3) But you have a smart phone on line #1.
4) You switch the Nexus to line #1. You switch the existing smartphone to line #2.
5) But you don't want two smart phones on 2 lines.
6) Swap the line #2 smartphone with a feature phone and that line becomes just a $10/month line instead of a $40/month (10+data pack) line.
7) You will have two lines rolling because Verizon ONLY cares about your LINE (not phone) being active with a 2 year committment.

BENEFIT:

1) You will have the Nexus on line #1 which is carrying the original phones committment. You can upgrade the Nexus when that phone is up.
(i.e. You bought a Dinc and you have upgrade up in May (for instance). You 'll be able to upgrade the Nexus (if you choose) in May.
2) Line number 2 will have your feature phone sitting around for the 22 month committment on the Nexus but will have that Upgrade 1 year from May. This is because this line is carrying the Nexus committment.
3) In the end, you will have the ability to do what? Upgrade in May then next May (roughly). So for an extra $10 dollars per month you can have rolling yearly upgrades.

Return on investment: Instead of buying a Nexus for 600 dollars . Over the next year if you pay the $10/month for a feature phone on the second like its only the costs of the Nexus + 120/year for the additional line = $420. 600-420 = $180 savings + Having rolling yearly (roughly ) upgrades ! This assumes your upgrades fall in line with my example.

Yes it is that awesome.

Hope this helps!

As with any device, it really is not $10, since after taxes and all the other BS, it is almost $20 a month for a line and this is sans a warranty (add more to the total if a warranty too). Even without a warranty, the total is a LOT closer to $480 for two years and NOT $240 (not counting phone cost). This also assumes VZW does not get more savvy and force an incremental data package to cover the discounted device. Ditto for Amazon and other third parties- regardless if you move the device to another line. Once VZW picks up on the trend, it will roll down hill to their channel partners too.

Please check the lines on your bill and see if any are $10 total- they are nowhere near $10

 

[FragDroidX]

As with any device, it really is not $10, since after taxes and all the other BS, it is almost $20 a month for a line and this is sans a warranty (add more to the total if a warranty too). Even without a warranty, the total is a LOT closer to $480 for two years and NOT $240 (not counting phone cost). This also assumes VZW does not get more savvy and force an incremental data package to cover the discounted device. Ditto for Amazon and other third parties- regardless if you move the device to another line. Once VZW picks up on the trend, it will roll down hill to their channel partners too.

Please check the lines on your bill and see if any are $10 total- they are nowhere near $10

Not to mention if you are on the 450 minute individual plan @ $39.99 you will have to step up to the cheapest family plan of 700 minutes @ 69.98. After taxes and fees that line will cost closer to $40 per month. So now you are paying $40 per month X 24 months and the Nexus will cost you $960. This would apply to any individual plans that need to step up to a family plan with enough minutes. The OP's math would only work if you had an existing family plan to add a line too.

 

[rushmore]

Still would be off, since the family plan add on still costs close to $20 per month after taxes & fees and not $10, so the math is over $200 low.