Have you been on the fence about the Nexus S? Maybe this will get you to take the plunge. Best Buy will be offering any version of the Nexus S (for T-Mobile, AT&T, and Sprint) for free. The catch? You have to sign a two year agreement (new line or upgrade) with the respective carrier. The offer is good specifically from tonight at 11:00pm CST and August 3rd at 11:59pm CT. Plenty of time to make your decision, right?
Source: Best Buy
rht_rv says:
huge upgrade from my backflip(even though it is running quite well with CM 7), I wanted to wait for the SGS II, but this is enticing.
shahid99 says:
I would suggest every1 to just pass this. There are now better phones than nexus s and with much more better battery life. Although if u care about updates than u should grab one
4given_p8ntblr says:
not to mention price lol
circleinsidebox says:
what's better than a nexus with much more battery life
on att/sprint
i have both, the only phone i'd trade my nexus for on att would be the infuse and the galaxy II variant (within) for sprint if it ever comes out
lrn2swim says:
i might just do this, not sure if i'm eligible for an upgrade though.
rgktexas7#ac says:
Could one take up this deal, use the 30 day exchange phone time to switch to an HTC Evo 3D, and have the price of the Nexus S deducted from the HTC Evo 3D? Basically making this deal BestBuy selling Evo 3Ds for cheap. Any thoughts?
1LoudLS says:
yes this would work out great, except for when you go to return it, they scan the receipt, see that you paid $0 for the phone, and then will give you that $0 to use toward the new phone.
if you buy anything on sale and then the price goes up and you return it, you will not get more money back, just what you paid.
is it really to much work to just buy what you want, does everything always have to be a scam of some sorts?
turbofan says:
AMEN!! I mean seriously... whatever happened to honesty?
rgktexas7#ac says:
No, everything doesn't have to be a scam. If I could get a phone for a lot cheaper, I would be stupid not to. It's not dishonest to do that if it did indeed did work. But thank you for clearing it up.
1LoudLS says:
how is accepting more money than you paid when you return an item not being dishonest?
the good news is that you really could get a phone for a lot cheaper, free is actually a lot cheaper than a lot of other phones. actively searching for a way to "bend the rules" is pretty much what scamming is all about.
rgktexas7#ac says:
I was checking to see what the rules were, not trying to bend the rules. Once I learned of the truth I wasn't bummed out or anything. Doing that, if it was allowed, wouldn't be the same as getting too much change and not giving it back.
SweetBearCub says:
Meh. The up-front price is not what matters - What matters is how much you pay per month, in my opinion.
For what postpaid users pay, ethically, they should get the use of any phone of their choice with overnight shipping, for the life of their contract.
I'll just stick with a hacked Epic 4G on prepaid.. 10 cents/minute for phone calls in & out and MMS messages in & out (both rarely used), unlimited data (within reason) for 35 cents per day, and unlimited text messages via Google Voice.. :-)
hoosiercub says:
Sounds incredibly tedious and nerve-wracking to have to consider charges per anything on a mobile broadband/communication device.
hoosiercub says:
Would consider this if Verizon had picked up a version of the Nexus S and use it as a temp. Til I get my next upgrade in June of '12. Alas.. everyone got the NS but VZW.
turbofan says:
If you did this, you would no longer have an upgrade in Jun '12...
jas2743 says:
So as soon as I read this post, I went and started reading reviews. I read roughly 200 reviews, they told me one thing. Do not get this phone. You all can read the reviews yourself, but to me there is one thing that absolutely stops me from getting this. It offers no sd slot. Good luck to everyone who does decide to get this phone.
dwaynewilliams#WN says:
Its absolutely the best smartphone I have ever owned. The only issue I ever had with it was that it had a weak 3G/4G signal, but the last update fixed that. It has been flawless ever since. I would definitely recommend it to anyone.
circleinsidebox says:
the nexus is the best phone i have ever owned thus far in my android experience which ranges from the htc aria,samsung captivate,galaxy s....nexus looks the best, it's the fastest, i could go on and on but you're someone that needs an sd slot as if it's the single most important thing on a cell phone lol, good luck with that mentality
mlett says:
Good to know. I have a Captivate and love it and my wife was thinking about getting my phone too since it is now free, but with this deal she got the Nexus S.
FormerIphoney says:
This phone not coming to vzw doesn't bother me..... As long as nexus prime steps up to the plate.
CaCHooKaMan says:
tempting.. but no 720p video recording and external SD is enough to make me wait for the SGS II
crxssi says:
There is nothing "Free" about it. Free means no cost, period. If you have to sign a contract, then you are paying for it over two years.
It should read "no down payment phone". Otherwise, I got my car for "free".
Mptrh336 says:
Your analogy is foolish. You pay for a service from the carriers. A service that is seperate from the phone that operates on it. You own the phone it just requires a service agreement for two years. They're not going to reposess your phone as they would your car for non payment. It is what it is.
jimmycinla says:
Sorry, but this statement is even more foolish.
Of course they are going to repossess, its called an ETF.
-j
jaiblevins says:
repossess means to take away the phone. All they will do if you cancel is charge you a fee. you still get to keep the phone, and can probably sell it to defray the cost of the ETF.
jimmycinla says:
No, carriers repossess the monies they put up for handsets by way of the ETF. Whether they charge an ETF or require the handset to be returned both parties end the same, carrier with most of their money back and you with no phone, whether you sell it or, if the carrier chose to do it this way, the carrier.
Yoshiaka13 says:
Alright I've been messing with various Android devices and fixing issues with friends androids ever since the g1.hence why I stayed on my WebOS device for 2 years even though I get my upgrades from sprint once a year. I finally made a decision to come to the android platform and settled on the nexus s. No skins to make the phone act weird or slow it down etc. updates will also come sooner. Now if your a spec junkie this phone isn't for you. Doesn't record in high def.(um ok honestly how often does one actually record enough video and watch it later? Maybe half dozen times during a contact?)...actually the thing people do with phone cameras most is take pictures.and this phone takes better pics then the evo3d..proven.. Next up no sd card slot.. So.. 90% of you own a computer upload your pics. I have not met many people that actually have maxed out their non-sd card devices... Unless they filed it with fart apps. Lastly its not dual core... So. The hummingbird chip it has is fast.. Really fast and because of no skins like htc sense, touch wiz, motto burp, etc means with a single core hummingbird this phone hums along fast. This is also the first android device I haven't had to root.. Cause most thethings people want off an android device isn't even on here. look past the specs and actually try one out. I did.. I tried out allot of android devices and in the end this is the cleanest and best one I used. Especially after that sprint/google/samsung update last week. I can only imagine a gsm version would run better then my sprint version. Just saying... Hope I didn't start anything. Sometimes I get tired of spec trolls.. Specs are nice but in the end its about how well a device runs and how reliable.
experiment 626 says:
Great post.I really wish Verizon had allowed a Nexus S on their network.
Wolfsv says:
I agree. This sounds like a decent phone. It may not be cutting edge, but it seems awfully fast, and definitely an upgrade from my Pre. Oh good bye Pre...what fond memories we've made.
jaiblevins says:
terrific post. Well thought out, and well written. I just upgraded from the Captivate to the Nexus S, and it is way smoother and faster. I love my Captivate, but I had to root it and install CM7, in order for it to really run the way I wanted it to. The Nexus S is the device that I have wanted my Captivate to be! Can't wait for the Nexus Prime, now that I have seen the power of a truly stock Android device!
rangeyrd@gmail.com says:
I love this phone -- of course I bought it yesterday for $99 at Best Buy. Guess I'm going to make a phone call this morning about a refund, or return.
1LoudLS says:
you can just go into the store and do a price match, BB's price match police is 30 days (for most products)
you might even be able to have them credit it back to a card if that is how you payed (non-debit)over the phone if you have the receipt with you.
Saneless says:
Wow, lots of slamming people who actually have data storage needs.
Sorry I'm not 12 years old, I actually have pictures of my kid, videos of her, and videos FOR HER to watch. And I have a couple movies of my own in case I'm out somewhere in an airport, bored.
As for music, I want a decent amount of it. I can't guarantee I'll always have an internet connection (will YOU have it in the middle of Wyoming while visiting relatives?). I'll need that on my phone.
Go ahead and defend a phone that IMO, wasn't actually an upgrade over my Nexus One and doesn't meet my storage needs. It's not for me nor the others who aren't interested. If you're fine with the limitations, more power to you, but some of us have needs beyond what this phone is offering.
Yoshiaka13 says:
Um I'm also over the age of 12 and have a kid. I have a nexus s.. I have pics on here of my kid and videos.. Lots of them. Not even close to maxing out. As for traveling. I do allot of that also all over the country. And yes I hit dead areas in the middle of no mans land while listening to music. But most tech people also travel with a lap top or netbook not like that matters however I own an mp3 player to listen to my music onwhy waste the space on a smart phone for a large library of mp3s even if it has an sd card.
Just saying.. Always seemed like common sense to me.
rangeyrd@gmail.com says:
Well I'm way past 12 as well -- old enough to know that there isn't a perfect phone for every single person. This phone has more than enough room for me, so for me it's pretty darn great.
I hadn't realized how heavy my evo was until I started using this one -- it's nice and lightweight and so responsive. And I had it rooted before I went to bed last night -- a record for me.
And the 3d effect on the apps list will just have to do for 3d for me --- I couldn't get a signal on the evo3d in my home. I can actually make a call from my living room -- a concept that escaped the evo3d.
So no slamming from me -- to each their own -- the beauty of all the cell phone choices we have.
tuxpower says:
Went to a local Best Buy to check it out. The $0 deal is only for new and two-year upgrades only. If you're an early upgrader like me, then you'll have to pay $299 plus tax. I walked out w/o it... oh well...
mlett says:
My wife has been considering upgrading her phone from the BB Curve and I was thinking the Nexus S would be great for her when it came to AT&T for $99 and now with it free, it's a no brainer. She got it this morning at Best Buy.
cujoe says:
I just called my local best buy .. they said i have to pay a sales tax of $40 when i get the phone. Is this correct?? Anyone else come across this? :/
jaiblevins says:
some states (like California) require you to pay sales tax on the retail price, even on a "Free" phone. Fortunately, Oklahoma does not require this.
warpdrive says:
while I'm glad that a few people love this phone, as a soon to be new to android user, I can not buy this device or even think of getting it for free.
here are just some of my reasons:
before I talk about the phone, I just can't take a chance on getting a phone from BB due to the HUGE fees that I would be charged if I can't stand owning the device. a return would not only cause me to pay more for the phone if I cancel the contract, but I'll probably have to pay a restocking fee as well.
that alone will keep me away from buying from BB normally, regardless that this is a "free" phone.
now let's talk about the phone:
first off, this is so last years tech.
single core 1ghz, 25% less memory then new and top end phones, no SD card slot...and now no tethering with the gingerbread update, so a stock android that needs to be rooted.
sorry, but this sounds like a great phone for grandpa, not a high end user like myself.
while it will be awesome for many, I just can't throw away my upgrade for the next two years on last years tech.
while I just don't see the nexus prime comming out even by Dec of this year, there are far better phones out right now that have dualcore, more ram, an SD slot, higher res screens, and so on.
I'm holding off my upgrade for the EVO 3D or the SGSII. I'll hold off until Sept when I can see both phones and then deside.
in this case, "free" is not free. the cost of giving away my 2 year upgrade for a last year phone and a BB contract is not worth it in my eyes.
lrn2swim says:
Damn. Just went into pick one up, sold out everywhere and online. Shoulda went in the morning.
rangeyrd@gmail.com says:
There are no restocking fees for returning cell phones to Best Buy within 30 days, except for iphones - and that's not Best Buy's choice as I understand.
I took my evo 3d back at day 28 and got every penny back --- including the instashield thing, the warranty, sales tax, everything and they had my upgrade reset for me by phone. And they even reactivated my palm pre -- which I hadn't used in at least a year -- as a favor.
In California the sales tax is based on the $699 (or was it $799-whichever it's crazy) retail price -- and there is no way around it.
I went back to BB today and without much trouble they handed me back $99.99 in cash. They kept the $50 in sales tax darnit!
I am so happy I signed in to androidcentral this morning before I left for work, or I'd have never known about the sale. Thanks!
Incrediboy says:
Got mine today..like it!
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