The used and refurbished cell phone market keeps looking better and better… Remember that article we wrote yesterday? Lots of unanswered questions and hints at moving plans to cheaper services. Well, Verizon finally opened up and released the full details on the changes they will be implementing. Some of the things we mentioned yesterday have changed and the one question I had was answered. That question was, what if I am already upgraded to unlimited 4G LTE date? The good news is I can keep it… The bad news though…
May 18
Mar 02
Why was my phone free and now I have to pay so much? Fine print says "with new account".
You recently got your new phone for free on a promotion at your local phone store. 3 months later you were drunk and left your phone in a taxi cab. The next day you proceed to go into your local Verizon store only to find out your phone is going to cost you $599.99 to replace the device. The sales person in the store says you are not eligible for an upgrade on your phone for another year and 9 months! The sales guy says the only reason you received your phone for free was because you agreed to a 2 year contract with your phone carrier. Oh no, what am I going to do you think to yourself.
Oct 03
So it seems some department stores are already hanging up their Christmas decorations, and you know what that means! That’s right, new gadgets being announced and released rapid fire for the next couple months. We here at TheBlueDot.net are passionate about all things electronic, so we wanted to show off the few new goodies we are keeping our eyes on.
Kindle Fire
The iPad has been dominating the tablet market even though there are dozens of other cheaper tablets to choose from. The problem was there wasn’t a big marketable name slapped on to the other tablets to compete with such a powerful brand. This is where Amazon and the Kindle Fire comes in. Touting the Android OS, the Kindle Fire (priced at a comfortable $199) may actually shake things up a bit in the tablet world. It has the Kindle brand behind it, and the price point is two fifths the price of the iPad. Why spend $500 on a tablet you may or may not use when you can get one for $200 that may do the exact same thing. It only boasts 8GB of storage, but with the ability to sync your data online it may not matter. We here at TheBlueDot can’t wait to get our hands on it and give it a whirl.
iPhone 5
Of course Apple has something around the corner, they always do. Apple has yet to announce the iPhone 5, or even release many details on their new phone. But everyone has been making guesses on what it may have, and what it probably will have. A better camera, better screen, Near Communication Technology and much much more. We don’t have much information on this up coming phone, like everyone else. But we will be keeping a close eye on the official announcement. Before the announcement, and after, you cantrade in your old iPhones to TheBlueDot to help with your new iPhone purchase.
Microsoft updates
though these are separate things, they are both much needed updates. The Kinect has been a hot buy for the XBox 360, even though it lacks a library. The biggest fault though is in it’s lack of interface with the 360 dashboard. The Kinect Dashboard is incredibly limited, leaving almost no reason to wave at your device and use it over a controller. But that may soon change within the next few months. Massive updates to the software will add more menu options and , hopefully, better video control.
The other update coming out of Microsoft is Mango for the Windows phones. That’s right, there is another smart phone OS choice out there, just not one that has made any waves, until now. The Mango update has an alleged 500 feature additions, which is just too many to list here. The biggest change is to it’s better social media integration, which is a must have in the smart phone world. Reviews are already starting to spill out, so give them a look and consider the Windows OS phones when looking for a new phone.
Ice Cream Sandwich
No, not the dessert, the OS update for Android. Well, not all Androids. All Androids released this past year (and a few beyond) will be getting the much anticipated update by Google. Ice Cream Sandwich hasn’t been released yet, but leaks have made their way to the general public. Most f the updates seem to be superficial, but there are a few menu updates and multitasking updates that many will be happy to see. We’ll wait for a bit more information, but so far none of the Google updates have let us down.
We’ll try to keep you all updated as more and more news trickles out on all these devices and updates.
Jul 26
Looking to buy a new phone? Eligible for a new contract? Hate the phone you just purchased? Looking to switch service providers? If you answered yes to any of these questions – The BlueDot is here to help. The BlueDot now will buy used cell phones and other consumer electronics. In comparison to others paying cash for phones we are paying double or more in some cases. If you find a better price elsewhere online we will most likely meet the price or even beat it. We want your used cell phones!
If you used phone does not have any trade-in value we will recycle the phone for you free of charge.
Let your friends and family know about us. Do not let your used phone gather dust in your drawer. The longer you wait the less your phone will be worth over time.
Fill out a trade in form for your used cell phone here – http://www.thebluedot.net/tradein
Jul 12
Consumer Reports, one of the most influential product review magazines, has decided not to recommend Apple’s latest iPhone to consumers. The magazine giant, around since 1936, said the device has significant issues involving reception.
“When your finger or hand touches a spot on the phone’s lower left side — an easy thing, especially for lefties — the signal can significantly degrade enough to cause you to lose your connection altogether if you’re in an area with a weak signal.”
Apple has acknowledged that this is a reoccurring problem with their new device. They chalked the problem up to faulty software, but Consumer Reports seems to doubt that. The side rail on the housing of the phone is designed to be an antenna. Placing your fingers on it can disrupt your signal. Realistically, where else are you supposed to put your fingers? Apple has announced a software update to be released in the coming weeks, but has yet to fess up to any hardware issues.
The magazine offered a potential quick fix to those who have already purchased the phone and are experiencing problems. “An affordable solution for suffering iPhone 4 users: Cover the antenna gap with a piece of duct tape or another thick, non-conductive material. It may not be pretty, but it works.” Somehow, I don’t think that will go over well with consumers who just shelled out top dollar for the latest, greatest technology.
The magazine did give the phone high marks for its display and the phone’s camera, calling it the best they’ve seen on any phone. It also offers high praises for the devices improved battery life over its predecessor and several of the new features including the front facing camera.
The magazine says they will not recommend the device until “a permanent—and free—fix for the antenna problem” is delivered by Apple, until that time, they recommend purchasing the older, 3G model. If this influential publication’s review isn’t a wake-up call for Apple, I would expect a lot of angry consumers.
Sources: ConsumerReports
