Do you always wait for an upgrade to buy a new phone? If not how do you get it?

[DJx79x]

I have had winmo phones for the past two years and throughout that time i have had four phones. the apache then the Samsung Saga, then the Omnia and finally the touch pro 2. i bought the apache and saga off of ebay but then bought the Omnia when i was on upgrade. i change phones fairly frequently (about every 8 months to a year) and most of them are non upgrade purchases. so i was bascially wondering how the poeple that upgrade everytime a new phone comes out do it?

[jmorton10]

I occasionally use an upgrade (I used one for my TP2) but my 4 phones previous to that all came from ebay.

~John

[bedoig]

Definitely wouldn't pay retail, but ebay/craigslist isn't too bad. Got my TP2 last December for $225 from a local guy I found on Craigslist.

[QMeli907]

We have 5 phones on our account including my grandparents. They got their original phones like 4 years ago, and obviously they don't need the most updated phones, so they've had the same basic phones since they got them. I use their 2 plans as well as mine to upgrade whenever I want to basically. One of the contracts is usually up by the time I get tired of a phone or the newer better phones are out. Works out great haha

[land2634]

I steal the money and use that to buy it...

Ok not really. Occasionally my wife or myself has an upgrade, and since she keeps a phone for ages, I luck out there sometimes and pass my old phone off to her. Other times, I bite the bullet and pay full price... and it usually hurts to do that.

[jcable2]

i used to buy from ebay but my last two phones was upgrades the touch and touch pro 2, i got the best price for the touch pro 2 through sprint for $199 with my walmart discount, no better deal on ebay

[gTen]

I bought my Apache on ebay because sprint at the time was out of stock and then I accidently dropped it and broke the usb port..I opened it up..soldered it in and it worked..I was thinking of upgrading to a mogul before but had no reason to and this kinda gave me a reason...since the mogul was out already a bit less then a year but price never changed..so I just ebayed it as well cause it was cheaper. At one point the memory and heating issue from tethering was getting to me mostly during summer I had to fan it so I waited on TP2 and used my upgrade to get it.

As I figure upgrade is usually good when the phone is brand new...if it is already like half a year old you may have better luck on ebay even for a brand new in box.

[Padron26]

when i get a new phone i just pay the extra $50 for the 1 year contract. that way i can upgrade to a new phone within a year. the last 3-4 times/years verizon has offered me upgrades only after 9-or 10 months. so if a new phone comes out and i like it i just renew the contract and get the phone for the new contract price plus an additional Around $50 for the 1 year contract.
don't quote me on the $50 it is pretty close to it.
in some ways it is worth it, as long as you like to upgrade every year. it is worth it to me sometimes

i didnt do the 1 year contract this time cause i doubt i will upgrade in the next year, but if i really wanted to and i know that i won't spend the money on the full price without a contract. ill just add a line. i always had the inspirion or what ever the insurance name is to.

[Padron26]

on another verizon line i had a 2 year contract and verizon would offer a new phone at 19 months as long as i would renew the contract.
probably just there way of keeping you as a customer in caes you wanted to cancel or switch providers

[htcguru6912]

I honestly cannot remember the last time I was under contract. I consistently purchase my phones through alternative sources. Case in point: I purchased my TP on craigslist, then got Sprint to replace it under warranty for the TP2. I've had probably more phones than I can count and don't think I've had a contract in at least 8 years.