Ratsttam

I have a vent-mounted holder for my phone. It has pandora, gps, etc… The radio, using aux in, is basically a glorified “volume” knob for me…

It’s not a layaway in the respect you get it the same day, not when it’s paid off.
It’s a LOT less expensive than those rent to own companies, which come out to 100% interest (299 90 day price, ~600 over the whole term, NOT including live service!)

And yes, that price includes a full 2yr warranty (and I believe they exchanged them in the 60 or 90 day window if they failed), so that right there is worth the extra 40 over the “buy it all right now” price.

Sadly, with the red rings of death, a lot of people are on their 2nd and 3rd 360’s by now.

419 for the 4gb+kinect + 120 for live @ 2yr. Still Ouch.
Not everybody has 360 up front for a game system. 100 & 15/mo is a lot more reasonable. It’s actually less than paying up front and paying off that credit card each month over 2 years. They also keep the warranty for the two years on it. I’ll do 40 extra over two years for the warranty alone!

This pricing structure may very well sway me to get one now. I’m a father of two young boys, and the high price of the xbox (or really any console, wii excluded) has been a huge turn off. Add to that having to pay for Live just to steam Netflix (which has it’s own pay), and it’s price is way off the wall for a small family. Small up front price I can absorb into my budget without hurting, and if I’m going to pay for a Live subscription at $60/yr ($5/mo) +240 over the rest of the contract. Yes, it’s a bit more over the two years (299 no contract +120 live [2yr worth] = 420, OR 99 + 240 + 120 = 459 over two years). 40$ “interest” over two years, isn’t much at all for subsidizing it. Rent one from your major rent-to-own company, and you’ll pay 600 over the two year period, not including the Live service!

My refrigerator has the freezer on top. In fact all the refrigerators I’ve had the past 30 years, have had the same basic functions and layout. The newer ones have better compressors and insulation, making them more efficient.
There’s models with the freezer on the bottom, and some with it on the side. Some with ice makers (and the more advanced water dispensers) . But for me, the good old freezer on top design works. Am I missing out that my new fridge doesn’t have an ice maker, or a fancy temperature display? Sure. Does it matter at the end of the day when I just want to grab a cold coke from in there? Not at all.

I guess what I’m trying to say, The device is going to improve internally as a matter of course. Big changes like a larger screen, would be akin to swapping my fridge with a bottom freezer. I’d be confused at 2am when I go to get a glass of ice water, when I can’t find where the ice tray has gotten to. Apple’s found what works, and there’s no reason to change it radically from that. Add new features like folders last year, and a revised notification system this year. Who knows what they’ll have next year, but rest assured that things won’t be a big enough change that you’ll have to THINK to do what you are doing, when you go to do it.

AND T-Mobile US is the only one that offers a small discount when you are not under a contract. Sprint, Verizon, AT&T, the bill is the same if you buy your phone outright and not have a contract, or if you’re under contract with a subsidized device. Really, not worth it. Even the discount on t-mobile barely makes up for what you pay up front for a new phone.

As per s4gru.com the LTE rollout is VERY agressive. There are several sites up and live (although with a tower identifier that tells the phone it’s not available). This keeps the phones off until the launch date. They’re also upgrading the 3g services as they go along too, so it looks like the next year or so is going to be rough for us Sprint users, but the changes will be very good in the end.

When you want or need a keyboard, or two, the thinness of the phone becomes irrelevant. Even the Razor got thicker and was said to feel better to a lot of people when it was released in the Maxx version. I personally have an Epic 4g (Galaxy S Slider) with a 3500mah extended battery. Sits nearly 3/4" thick, and feels GREAT in my hand, like there’s actually something to hold onto.