contracts
Networks
Verizon To Double Early Termination Fee
12:55AM Mark Wilson | Now, you can sign a new contract with Verizon, pick any phone and then ditch the service for $US175. But according to a leaked doc, those days are numbered. More »
Computers
12:36PM Nick Broughall | It’s been a while since Vodafone ignited the incredibly slow burning “free laptop with 24 month wireless data package” revolution by giving away a Dell Mini 9, but now Optus has joined the fray with Samsung to offer a free NC10 to subscribing mobile data customers. More »
Optus Offering Samsung NC10 Netbook For $0 Upfront
12:36PM Nick Broughall | It’s been a while since Vodafone ignited the incredibly slow burning “free laptop with 24 month wireless data package” revolution by giving away a Dell Mini 9, but now Optus has joined the fray with Samsung to offer a free NC10 to subscribing mobile data customers. More »
Networks
Free Advice: Watch the Mail and Opt Out of Verizon Sharing Your Personal Data
3:43AM Jack Loftus | Verizon is currently sending out notification letters chock full of legalese to its customers. Here’s a summary: You have 45 days to opt out or you “agree” that Verizon can share your personal data. More »
Deals
3:47PM Nick Broughall | Remember Vodafone’s Dell Mini 9 Deal? The one where you got a free Mini 9 for $0 upfront on a 24-month contract? Well, Voda have just made the deal sweeter (though still not sweeter than buying the Mini 9 upfront and adding a 3G data plan) by dropping the monthly repayments to $60 a month. On top of that, they’re also offering “three months free access) where new customers will be credited for the 5th, 6th and 7th month of their 24-month contract.
UPDATE: Voda’s PR has informed me, with some mathematic evidence, that it is actually cheaper to buy the Mini 9 this way rather than buy the notebook outright and add Voda’s 3G data plan, even without the three months free access, by about $100. That makes this even more appealing! More »
Vodafone’s 5GB Dell Mini 9 Deal Now $60 A Month
3:47PM Nick Broughall | Remember Vodafone’s Dell Mini 9 Deal? The one where you got a free Mini 9 for $0 upfront on a 24-month contract? Well, Voda have just made the deal sweeter (though still not sweeter than buying the Mini 9 upfront and adding a 3G data plan) by dropping the monthly repayments to $60 a month. On top of that, they’re also offering “three months free access) where new customers will be credited for the 5th, 6th and 7th month of their 24-month contract.
UPDATE: Voda’s PR has informed me, with some mathematic evidence, that it is actually cheaper to buy the Mini 9 this way rather than buy the notebook outright and add Voda’s 3G data plan, even without the three months free access, by about $100. That makes this even more appealing! More »
Computers
2:00PM Nick Broughall | Just the other day it was announced that Dell was partnering with AT&T in the US to offer a Mini 9 Netbook with a mobile data contract. Now David Flynn over at APC is reporting that Dell and Vodafone are shacking up in Australia to offer a free Mini 9 netbook on a $70 contract for 24 months. The deal includes 5GB of mobile data each month, and is expected to be announced next week and be available in December.
Doing a bit of maths, you’re still better off buying the Mini 9 up front and then adding the Vodafone 5GB data pack with USB modem for $40 a month (it works out about $120 cheaper). But sometimes convenience is everything, isn’t it?
Head on over to APC for a full cost breakdown of the bundle, and if you’re in the market for both a netbook and a wireless internet contract, maybe hold off for a week or two until we receive the official announcement…
[APC Mag] More »
Dell And Vodafone To Sell 3G Netbook Bundle For $0 Upfront
2:00PM Nick Broughall | Just the other day it was announced that Dell was partnering with AT&T in the US to offer a Mini 9 Netbook with a mobile data contract. Now David Flynn over at APC is reporting that Dell and Vodafone are shacking up in Australia to offer a free Mini 9 netbook on a $70 contract for 24 months. The deal includes 5GB of mobile data each month, and is expected to be announced next week and be available in December.
Doing a bit of maths, you’re still better off buying the Mini 9 up front and then adding the Vodafone 5GB data pack with USB modem for $40 a month (it works out about $120 cheaper). But sometimes convenience is everything, isn’t it?
Head on over to APC for a full cost breakdown of the bundle, and if you’re in the market for both a netbook and a wireless internet contract, maybe hold off for a week or two until we receive the official announcement…
[APC Mag] More »
Phones
Motorola Legal Contract Won’t Let You Hawk $US2000 Aura Phone on eBay
12:00AM Matt Buchanan | Motorola’s $US2000 exquisitely crafted Aura phone is a perfect eBay item: Rare, ridiculously expensive to start, it would fetch a small fortune. Which is exactly why Motorola is reportedly requiring buyers to “sign into a contract that states they can’t sell it on eBay.” More »
Networks
Verizon May Offer Contract-Free Service on September 21st
8:20AM Sean Fallon | According to an inside source at BGR, Verizon is looking to offer a contract-free service starting on September 21st. Unlike their EasyPay plan, pre-payment is not a requirement. Therefore, users could terminate their service without penalty and make upgrades freely as long as they pay full, unsubsidised prices for phones (or bring in their own devices) and are willing to pay the activation fee (no exceptions). It is just a rumour at this point, but does a contract-free Verizon plan with no equipment discounts and mandatory activation fees sound appealing to you? [BGR] More »
Networks
How to Get Out of a Mobile Contract Without Paying an ETF in Many Not-So-Easy Steps
5:30AM Adam Frucci | If you try to get out of your mobile phone contract without paying one of those blasted (and newly illegal in California) early termination fees, you’re going to need a meticulously planned and researched counterargument for everything they throw at you. It’s not a small undertaking, and you’ll meet hostile resistance every step of the way. But it is possible. More »
Phones
iPhone 3G AT&T Activation Details: Doing It at Home is Possible, But Requires a Promise
3:39AM Jason Chen | The two things we previously heard about iPhone 3G activation on AT&T–mandatory in-store activation and a penalty if you don’t activate within 30 days–seemed to contradict each other. Not anymore. Apple Insider has just heard through an internal memo that people can actually leave a retail store without activating their iPhone 3G as long as they’ve signed a form saying that they intend to register with a 2-year service plan within 30 days. The retail guys would then input the IMEI number of your phone into their machines, which would enter AT&T’s Death Star tracking machine to allow them to know whether or not you’ve properly activated. Now it all makes sense. [Apple Insider - Thanks Joel!] More »
Networks
