New Cell Phone
Over the last 6 months or so my cellphone usage has changed drastically. I went from barely using my phone at all and rarely texting to *gasp* actually having people call me (note the passive voice) and texting like crazy. Rather than continue to pay overages, I decided to look at getting a different plan and, as long as I'm looking at signing a new contract (I am not currently under a contract), I figured I'd look at getting a new phone as well, something with a qwerty keyboard. Further, while I've always been enamored of flip-phones, I've recently been exposed to slide phones and I've been converted. I like the whole "closed and you don't have to worry about pushing any buttons" thing -and- sliding open is so much faster/easier than flipping it open (which wasn't really a problem, but better is better). So I want a slide phone with a qwerty keyboard. Peachy!
I visited the major companies, most of whom have a store near where I work, and I asked for brochures and I played with the phones (most carriers offered one, singular, slide phone with a full keyboard). None of them came in "red" which isn't a big deal, but I love my red razr (except for the whole no keyboard thing), and I love my red ipod and continuing the theme would have been a plus in any phones favor. I asked questions about the plans and the rebates and got brochures to take with me.
Sprint was the only one that stood out.
Fairly uniformly across the board, plans started at 450 and I wanted a texting plan (in AT&T's case I would -have- to get the texting or I wouldn't qualify for the rebates on the phone). Sprint's price? $50. Everyone else? $60. Sprints slide/qwerty after rebate? $50. Everyone else? $100. Also, I already get a "lifetime" discount from sprint off my base plan for working for B&N. And if I order the phone online, I don' have to pay an activation fee. Seems pretty clear cut, right? I more than double my minutes, I get unlimited texting...
But...