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The Pixel 5 is a good phone, but I wouldn't pay full price for one. I snapped up mine during the 50% off promo Verizon ran in November. The FE has some (possibly nitpicky) touchscreen issues, but its supposed to be good for the money. If the 21s are in your price range, I'd definitely wait a bit longer for details before making a decision though.
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Jan 6, 2021 06:43
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Duckman2008 posted:Samsung preorders are usually not back ordered unless they are having a manufacturing issue. Cool, I'd hate to have to deal with that poo poo again, did it for my PC twice. Also what do you have against the Motorola Edge+? One of the biggest detracting points for it is that it's a Verizon exclusive but that's not a problem for me. BIG HEADLINE posted:Galaxy S21 might be the first Android phone to get four years of guaranteed updates. I just checked and I'm still on 6.0.1, guess whatever I get will be a big change. Bandire posted:The Pixel 5 is a good phone, but I wouldn't pay full price for one. I snapped up mine during the 50% off promo Verizon ran in November. I didn't want to spend $1k but I might, in either case I'll wait since the announcement is next week supposedly.
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Jan 6, 2021 06:59
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The only reason I got the P5 was that I effectively was able to get BOGO without starting a new line and was upgrading from OG Pixels. I also wanted battery life over CPU power.
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Jan 6, 2021 07:01
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pik_d posted:Cool, I'd hate to have to deal with that poo poo again, did it for my PC twice. No lie, I always forget about the Moro Edge+ . But Motorola doesn’t have a good recent history of support, so I would certainly get a pixel over Motorola. I might be hating too much on the Pixel 5 here. I think I would say it’s not a slam dunk buy anymore, especially at full price
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Jan 6, 2021 15:10
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Duckman2008 posted:I might be hating too much on the Pixel 5 here. I think I would say it’s not a slam dunk buy anymore, especially at full price True, but at this point in the release cycle you shouldn't be paying full price for any Android phone, full stop. As far as the P5 hardware goes, I'll admit I was pretty concerned knowing it was a "slow" 765G. But in actual use it is 100% perfectly fine and I cannot tell the difference playing around with it side by side with "faster" phones. We have apparently reached and now exceeded the point where phone SoCs are "fast enough" for normal use and additional performance isn't really needed for 95% of people--the remaining 5% being those who actually want to play demanding 3d games on their phones, I suppose. The mmWave bit is a fair poke, though, given that it really only matters at all to Verizon and even there only barely. Seems like they should have made a 5G Verizon version or something and dropped it from the base model. Everything else about the phone is...fine? Like the screen is as good or better than the 8T/20/FE (since you have to drop the resolution if you want 120Hz), the hand-feel is nice, battery life is phenomenal, etc. The extra storage and RAM on the 8T that ArsTechnica talks about would certainly be appreciated, but oh whoops, you can't run that version of the 8T on Verizon to begin with, so you're stuck with the 8T UW with the same 128GB/8GB/90Hz setup as the P5. I do think they're right that if you don't find yourself with a compelling need for 5G and can slum it a little longer with a 60Hz screen, the P4a is the best affordable phone around--especially since right now you can get it for free from Verizon (usual 24 months credit deal--but that means even if you jump ship after a year you'd only effectively pay like $160ish). Looking forward, the S21 is gonna really have to offer something special in order to justify asking the $1200 or whatever it probably will: SoC speeds aren't really important anymore, 128GB is proving "enough" space for most people, 256GB for like 98% of people, etc. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of room left for meaningful base-hardware-spec improvement, is what I'm saying.
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Jan 6, 2021 17:49
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5G mmWave yeah, is def very “only if you happen to live or work where you get that coverage.” I’ve been using an iPhone 12 for about 2 weeks now, and the 5G nationwide speeds have been solid. I’ve gotten 100MB or more download speeds in multiple areas.
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Jan 6, 2021 18:05
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Duckman2008 posted:4GB plan is $50 + $20 + $20 for 2 lines , so $90. I assume you have insurance? Is that total with, like, taxes and fees included?
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Jan 6, 2021 21:17
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papa horny michael posted:Is that total with, like, taxes and fees included? All quotes are before tax and fees. Add like, $10-15 depending on the plan
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Jan 6, 2021 21:35
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Thanks for info here. Guess we're still going to hold up on upgrading long as possible.
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Jan 6, 2021 21:47
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Duckman2008 posted:5G mmWave yeah, is def very “only if you happen to live or work where you get that coverage.” I get that on 4G.
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Jan 7, 2021 02:56
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Duckman2008 posted:No lie, I always forget about the Moro Edge+ . But Motorola doesn’t have a good recent history of support, so I would certainly get a pixel over Motorola. I've looked at a few reviews of it and they were not as positive as the Pixel 5 ones (in tone and overall ratings), so while I'm still going to wait to see what the S21 is all about I'm leaning towards the Pixel 5 because it has all the features I want while costing way less than $1k even at full price. Also I'm gonna probably get a different plan, I'm on The Verizon Plan Large 6GB right now, which I'm guessing is a really old plan. My highest usage in the past 5 months is 3.85GB so the 5GB plan may be fine, but I think the Do More/Play More plans should cost exactly the same as what I currently pay unless I'm being tricked: 
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Jan 8, 2021 06:11
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pik_d posted:I've looked at a few reviews of it and they were not as positive as the Pixel 5 ones (in tone and overall ratings), so while I'm still going to wait to see what the S21 is all about I'm leaning towards the Pixel 5 because it has all the features I want while costing way less than $1k even at full price. No, you are correct. Your plan is $60+$20= $80 Play unlimited with autopay with checking account is $80. FYI there is a 10GB plan that is $40+$25 = $65 (same autopay requirements).
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Jan 8, 2021 13:36
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Duckman2008 posted:No, you are correct. Some of the Unlimited plans have "Premium Network Access", but the 5G/10G plans don't mention that, do they have that and is that just a "we'll throttle your speeds last" thing or something else?
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Jan 8, 2021 20:42
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pik_d posted:Some of the Unlimited plans have "Premium Network Access", but the 5G/10G plans don't mention that, do they have that and is that just a "we'll throttle your speeds last" thing or something else? The 5/10 plans is for sure SD streaming, but may have priority access ? Safe bet the unlimited data premium plans get the best priority either way. It def will be the same speed and such as your current 6GB plan.
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Jan 8, 2021 21:00
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Hey again, Duckman, I ordered my wife an unlocked P5 direct from Google last month, and it's finally shipped, so I expect it sometime between tomorrow and Friday. Her current P3XL obviously has a 4G SIM in it. How would I go about getting a 5G UW SIM for her. And if it takes time for that to arrive, will the new phone at least work with the old SIM until it does? I converted all 7 lines to 5G UW plans last month, so that part is already done.
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Jan 13, 2021 01:31
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A bunch of people in this thread, myself included, have upgraded with Google Store Pixel 5s. Basically customer service can't give you a 5G sim until you have a 5G phone activated. But an old 4G sim will work just fine. For me, I inserted the 4G sim, started my phone and then got a text message prodding me to upgrade to a 5G sim. I used the web chat to request one and they sent it in the mail in a couple days.
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Jan 13, 2021 04:00
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waffle iron posted:A bunch of people in this thread, myself included, have upgraded with Google Store Pixel 5s. Basically customer service can't give you a 5G sim until you have a 5G phone activated. But an old 4G sim will work just fine. Awesome, thanks. I figured that's how it would go. I wanted to buy the unlocked one because I used her upgrade to get my phone last year, and doing the whole switcharoo bullshit was getting old. Since it was post sale time, I went ahead and got the unlocked for the same payment as getting it through VZW. Her P3XL has a busted screen, so trade-in is pretty much nil, anyway even for that promo.
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Jan 13, 2021 04:31
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Just FYI: For anyone who bought a P5 semi-recently. If you go into the Play Store and select "Play Points," then "Perks," you get 600 free Play Points for buying a P5. It's enough for $6 in Play Store credit through redemption, and you earn more points every week by claiming them. Not sure if a similar promo exists for the P4a or P4a 5G. BIG HEADLINE fucked around with this message at 04:55 on Jan 13, 2021 |
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Jan 13, 2021 04:52
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Sweet thanks for the heads up. Is there any good use for play points
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Jan 13, 2021 05:01
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AlexDeGruven posted:Hey again, Duckman, Word, any store can activate a 5G sim free , or care will ship one free in 2 days.
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Jan 13, 2021 05:30
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Out of idle curiosity, does anyone know the reason 5G service requires a 5G SIM? I always assumed the SIM was basically a serial number to identify you as a customer, and I can't imagine why you couldn't just update a provisioning database somewhere to say "yeah sim 12346 can use 5G".
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Jan 13, 2021 06:28
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Empress Brosephine posted:Sweet thanks for the heads up. Is there any good use for play points Yeah, $6 of credit on the Play store or for movie rentals/ebooks. Weird Uncle Dave posted:Out of idle curiosity, does anyone know the reason 5G service requires a 5G SIM? I always assumed the SIM was basically a serial number to identify you as a customer, and I can't imagine why you couldn't just update a provisioning database somewhere to say "yeah sim 12346 can use 5G". For what it's worth, when my P5 had a 4G sim I was still getting the "5G" service, but that's more like "4.5G." To my knowledge, the 5G SIM is only necessary for access to the mmWave 5G that's VERY sparsely available. BIG HEADLINE fucked around with this message at 06:48 on Jan 13, 2021 |
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Jan 13, 2021 06:46
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Weird Uncle Dave posted:Out of idle curiosity, does anyone know the reason 5G service requires a 5G SIM? I always assumed the SIM was basically a serial number to identify you as a customer, and I can't imagine why you couldn't just update a provisioning database somewhere to say "yeah sim 12346 can use 5G". I’ll be honest, I have no idea.
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Jan 13, 2021 12:58
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I bought an iPhone 12 Mini...if I decide in the next couple days if I want to return it, I have to pay the $40 restocking fee or whatever (Best Buy). But if I end up exchanging it for say, a regular iPhone 12, will I also have to pay the Verizon activation fee again?
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Jan 13, 2021 16:28
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Duckman2008 posted:I’ll be honest, I have no idea. From what I remember, 5G SIM cards have newer encryption capabilities for IMSI, and they support the ability to utilize remote key rotation, which I don't think previous cards allowed. I also saw some notes about it somehow enabling over-the-air steering for 5G roaming, but I have no idea how that works.
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Jan 13, 2021 18:15
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Bob Morales posted:I bought an iPhone 12 Mini...if I decide in the next couple days if I want to return it, I have to pay the $40 restocking fee or whatever (Best Buy). But if I end up exchanging it for say, a regular iPhone 12, will I also have to pay the Verizon activation fee again? You won’t have a second activation fee no, just the re stock fee. Make sure they process it as an exchange and not as a return and re sale (which should be obvious, but yeah).
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Jan 13, 2021 18:39
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OK Duckman2008 I waited until today to see how the S21 stacks up, and I'm pretty settled on the Pixel 5 based on what I've seen. So my questions now are how often can I expect Verizon to do any kind of discounts. I guess I missed out on the November half-off sale that Bandire mentioned at the top of this page, but if I can avoid paying full price that would be cool. Obviously I don't have to buy it from Verizon but I don't see any deals anywhere else either, except $50 off at best buy which isn't all that much compared to half off sales. For others with the Pixel 5, is it a phone that can be used without a case without any real fear of breaking it? My current Droid Turbo has a ballistic nylon back and you just can't break that like a glass back.
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Jan 15, 2021 05:10
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Verizon was just doing a BOGO deal on the P5 (not sure if it's still active), and regularly has pretty generous trade-in deals with new lines. Trade-in deals for existing lines or flat discounts are less common, especially since we're past the holidays now. Maybe they'll stick some discounts on once the S21 is actually available to buy? The P5 has metal/epoxy back/sides which are quite durable. It'd be hard to crack it, but you can still scuff/chip it. Whether or not you use a case is largely up to how you feel about said scuffs and whether or not you like the "hand feel" of the phone. Personally, I like it, but I ended up throwing it in a cheap $5 ultra-thin case partially because I hate scuffs and dents in the corners from dropping it, and partially because the extra 1mm lip around the screen makes it easier (for me) to not trigger the swipe-as-back gesture when I mean to swipe to advance the page/list/whatever.
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Jan 15, 2021 05:25
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DrDork posted:Verizon was just doing a BOGO deal on the P5 (not sure if it's still active), and regularly has pretty generous trade-in deals with new lines. Trade-in deals for existing lines or flat discounts are less common, especially since we're past the holidays now. Maybe they'll stick some discounts on once the S21 is actually available to buy? But then I'd be required to have a second line I don't need for however long, not sure that would even save much money if I'm paying for an unused line. Or am I misunderstanding something? Also I don't see that deal on the website so it might be over. My current phone definitely wait until after the end-of-year deals ended to poo poo itself.
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Jan 15, 2021 05:30
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pik_d posted:But then I'd be required to have a second line I don't need for however long, not sure that would even save much money if I'm paying for an unused line. Or am I misunderstanding something? Are you upgrading or switching to Verizon ?
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Jan 15, 2021 05:32
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Duckman2008 posted:Are you upgrading or switching to Verizon ? Upgrading, but my current phone popped up as worth $0 when I tried to see how much I could get for it on the site. Edit: Est. trade in value: $0.00 
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Jan 15, 2021 05:33
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pik_d posted:But then I'd be required to have a second line I don't need for however long, not sure that would even save much money if I'm paying for an unused line. Or am I misunderstanding something? Nah, you're understanding it correctly. But it's a good deal if you're a two-phone household. For a solo line, yeah, it's a waste of money.
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Jan 15, 2021 07:51
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Duckman2008 posted:Yeah, your plan is now grandfathered and you won’t find a cheaper plan. If you aren’t going over 2GB keep this plan. I have this same plan (Small 2 GB). My total bill is $60/mo, with the data being $35, my phone line being $20, and $5 in fees and taxes. Can I upgrade my phone without losing the plan? Either way, when the Verizon site says the Start Unlimited plan is $70, is that just for data or is that data + phone line? In other words, assuming the taxes/fees are the same $5, would my new bill be $75 or $95? edit: Thanks! surf rock fucked around with this message at 15:47 on Jan 16, 2021 |
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Jan 16, 2021 15:30
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surf rock posted:I have this same plan (Small 2 GB). My total bill is $60/mo, with the data being $35, my phone line being $20, and $5 in fees and taxes. You can upgrade your phone without changing plans. A lot of promotions require unlimited, so you likely won’t get a phone discount. Start unlimited for one line is $70 as long as you have autopay with checking account, otherwise it’s $80. That’s total. So, comparison wise, that 2GB plan is a total of $55, so start with autopay would be $15 more at $70 (before tax). If you want to move to unlimited while getting a phone, check with customer care, there are a lot of trade in promotions right now on the account level, although of course mileage varies. Just FYI, Unlimited plans offer discounts if you are military, teacher, nurse or first responder.
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Jan 16, 2021 15:42
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surf rock posted:I have this same plan (Small 2 GB). My total bill is $60/mo, with the data being $35, my phone line being $20, and $5 in fees and taxes. The last time I wanted to upgrade my phone but keep my old plan with Verizon, I was able to do so by just buying the phone outright. Hopefully that still works.
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Jan 16, 2021 15:43
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@Duckman2008 do you have anything that can help me here? I'm guessing not since there's nothing on the Verizon site, but my hand is being forced by my phone getting worse.pik_d posted:Upgrading, but my current phone popped up as worth $0 when I tried to see how much I could get for it on the site.
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Jan 16, 2021 15:50
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pik_d posted:@Duckman2008 do you have anything that can help me here? I'm guessing not since there's nothing on the Verizon site, but my hand is being forced by my phone getting worse. I forget what phone you have , but if it’s an older phone it probably just is what it is unfortunately , you may not get a promo.
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Jan 16, 2021 22:39
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Duckman2008 posted:I forget what phone you have , but if it’s an older phone it probably just is what it is unfortunately , you may not get a promo. It's a Motorola Droid Turbo which came out in 2014, so that probably counts as an older phone.
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Jan 16, 2021 23:03
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pik_d posted:It's a Motorola Droid Turbo which came out in 2014, so that probably counts as an older phone. Yeah.....that was a good phone but you aren’t gonna get a trade in on it at this point. Sorry 😞
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Jan 17, 2021 04:18
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Duckman2008 posted:Yeah.....that was a good phone but you aren’t gonna get a trade in on it at this point. Sorry 😞 I did not get a trade in for it, I did get my money's worth given I had it for 5-6 years though, so I can't really be upset with that. Just hope this Pixel 5 can last as long.
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Jan 17, 2021 04:22
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