Droid on Sprint > iPhone on ANY network. My phone can do ANYTHING and more than an iPhone can do, and I got it for free. Battery dying, no problem...swap in another and throw the battery on a wall charger. Low on memory...I got a 32GB MicroSD on eBay for $11, shipped!! 4G...software update and it's done, instead of buying another obnoxiously overpriced iPhone. iPhones are for sheep who follow along with what everyone else is buying. Not to mention AT&T is SCREWING those who wanna leave...you asked for it.

Next caller.

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The Incredible is pretty cool, but I still need a phone w/ an actual keyboard, hence why I stayed away from iPhones and the HTC Pro or the EVO 4G. Besides, a faster processor doesn't always guarantee a faster phone. The Snapdragon is quick, but about 10 minutes of rooting our phones will get us there just as easily...it's already happening since the EVO 4G software is available for download. Us guys who love to mod anything from cars to phones won't take long

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m5james...Don't take it personally..its just a post about at&t..This isn't about your phone is much better then my iphone so at&t sucks...Get a grip..phones are phones, 2yr contracts are what they are...thats it.

I'm not taking it personally at all man, I just saw the writing on the wall. People have been jailbreaking iPhones and using them on other networks for years just to get away from AT&T. The fact that AT&T is doing this is insulting, but it's just business to them because once you're gone, you'll probably never come back. I don't blame them for getting a pound of flesh before people leave in droves.

I was in Reno this weekend and my aunt and cousin were complaining about the service, and I practically started laughing when they told me what they pay a month for service...calls, a data plan, etc. I just think it's funny how people defend their decisions, even if they know it wasn't a wise one. When I told them I pay $100 for unlimited everything shared between two phones, my uncle jumped in and said that he's ditching his BB and the whole family is already planning on dropping AT&T all together. I'll have to warn them about what AT&T is trying to pull on it's "loyal" customers.

Per the article, Sprint (rocks ) and T-Mobile still have their ETF's set at $200, which is still too much IMHO. I'm waiting for the day when ETF's starting getting really bad and lawmakers get involved.

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What is so hard to understand here? Yes, the ETF was increased for certain smartphones. They were also lowered for non-smartphones. The smartphone is a much more expensive device, so why shouldn't there be a differential in the ETF? Why should someone that is not purchasing a smartphone be saddled with the same ETF as someone that opts to buy a smartphone?

The bottom line is that all U.S. based cellular providers subsidize the consumer purchase of the handset in exchange for agreeing to a 2 year contract. Without the ETF, what is to stop someone from buying a device at a subsidized rate and turning around and canceling the service and selling the device for a nice little profit?

The point of the ETF is to ensure that the cellular provider is able to recoup the handset subsidy over the term of the agreed upon contract. And if you need to terminate early, you know upfront at the time you purchase the device what the ETF is. Further, if you don't like paying an ETF or being locked into a contract, you can purchase an unsubsidized phone and simply pay for service month to month with no contractual obligation. Pretty simple.

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Xoutpost.com - where you come for the information but stay for the friendships

Your argument makes no sense. This does not apply to those currently under contract. Only to those entering into a new contract.

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Xoutpost.com - where you come for the information but stay for the friendships

Verizon's ETF on smartphones is $350 and AT&T's is $325, so I'm not following you here. Unless you are saying that because AT&T's ETF is lower that it will keep people from switching?

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Xoutpost.com - where you come for the information but stay for the friendships

Well I paid extra to get out of my T-Mobile contract so I could get an iPhone with AT&T

Haven't looked back...

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12 X5 M - 06 X5 4.8iS - 03 X5 4.4i - 03 M5 - 02 X5 4.6is - 99 M3 Dinan S3 - 98 M3 - 92 850i-6 - 92 850i - 91 325ix - 89 M3 2.5 - and a few parts cars

I absolutely agree, and I understand why they do ETF's. Signing a new 2yr contract is why I got my phone for free, otherwise I would have had to pay $200+ for my phone. I've had two Treo's for years..upgraded and custom ROM's, hacked software, etc so I was happy. Ironically, the only reason why I "upgraded" to a Droid phone is because the speakerphone on my 755p blew 2 days after I cancelled the insurance. Fortunately, since I've been using my Treo's for so long (they always got the job done...stream music and video, internet, IM, apps galore (just not a "store" to find them)), so I had no reason to change. SInce I hadn't changed in so long, I had two $50 credits for each one of my phone lines, then a $100 rebate for buying the Moment and I was out the door w/o spending a dime.

"AT&T says it will raise the penalty for canceling your new two-year smartphone contract early to $325, starting June 1"

The way that I read the story is that they're increasing the ETF amount for both renewing and current owners in an attempt to deter them from leaving to other carries. Maybe we're both right. Either way, as far as I know, I'm still at $200 w/ Sprint, but I have absolutely no reason to leave.

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