Best Buy offering DROID pre-orders as of today, automates the mail-in rebate
By Paul Miller 
posted October 29th 2009 10:03AM
posted October 29th 2009 10:03AM
posted October 29th 2009 10:03AM
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Great device from the most poorly managed and most likely crooked company in America which is Motorola. Google should just take over the company, dump all of the current management and integrate it into the rest of their business. Motorola's other divisions seem to be holding steady, but their cellphone division is a disaster and likely to damage the Droid in some unfathomable way. I'm sure the Droid body was a Motorola design.
@JSK
Thanks!
Silly question: is this the unsubsidized price? I already have a Verizon plan and just want to buy and use this phone with my current plan.
I just called Verizon and asked about the same thing. I was pleasantly surprised in finding out that I'm eligible for an early upgrade, which means I could get the 2 year contract price (it does of course mean extending out another two years), even though my contract doesn't expire until the end of May 2010! You may want to call Verizon if you're more than a year into your contract and see if you're eligible too. I also found out that I become eligible for regular upgrade on January 16, which means $100 of the 2 year contract price.
Good on Best Buy for doing this.
Mail-in rebates are usually a kind of con; it's a way for the carrier to pocket extra money through inertia (you forget to send the rebate in) or logistics (the envelope is 'returned to sender' for unexplained reasons, or you miss the rebate cut-off date).
I rag on BBY for a lot of things, but this is actually very consumer friendly of them.
I'm in the market for a new touchscreen smart phone, and currently I have BlackBerry Pearl 8100 from T-Mobile. I was thinking of getting a BlackBerry Storm 2, and look like Droid also caught my attention. Chose, chose and chose, but I guess I'll just wait to see what happen next...
Hurm - the press released stated beginning TODAY you could preorder at the Best Buy Mobile website BUT that site says it won't be live for a few more days?!? WTF!? http://www.bestbuymobile.com/
Just walked in to a Best Buy brick and mortar to attempt a pre-order. I talked with a Best Buy mobile employee, and they poked around on a computer for about 20 minutes, then told me they couldn't find the SKU# for the preorder. They took my name and phone number down on a post-it note (gosh...) and said they would call me back when the phone became "available" for pre-order.
Some people are special. Tell them to check employee news.
BBuy employee got back in touch with me, and my pre-order is all set up. For whatever reason, I don't have to mess with the giftcard, its just going to show up as a pre-payment on my credit card.
Just got off the phone with BB in CA...confirmed that I'm eligible for a new every 2 discount and it should apply, but that they were still getting briefed on the details for Droid (store opened 15 min ago). Took my name/number to call me back. HURRY.
ugh. been trying to call the BB's over here in NYC and no one is picking up their phone. either they are really busy or they don't even bother taking phone calls.
i just wanna know if the stores are in fact taking pre-orders and if my new every 2 discount will apply.
If I'm correct - the model number BBY9LD and the BB SKU is 9553501.
http://phandroid.com/2009/10/22/motorola-droid-599-at-best-buy-arriving-october-24th/
Just pre-ordered mine @1pm. Apparently I was the first person they'd seen today asking about it. Took them about 10 minutes to find the SKU for the pre-order. Price for pre-ordering was $52.50 and confirmed the total price when released would be $199.99 w/contract.
The Devil is always in the details, I have been reserving my Judgement about the Android OS until now. The Droid OS limitation has been exposed. And this will be its death kneel until it is resolved. The 512mb rom is limited to 256mb for app storage. Let me repeat that for laymans, you only can install 256mb worth of apps! The 16gig micro sd does not and will not suport app storage. Oh boy, Google we have a problem! http://androidandme.com/2009/10/news/google-fails-to-address-app-storage-issue-with-droid-and-android-2-0/
Apparently you're a little dense and have never operated an Android device before as this has been the case with ANY Android phone..
I'm getting the phone because of its practical uses, not really for games. Would this be a deal breaker if I don't plan on playing games?
It's clear you are probably a paid a shill/troll, but in either case you are certainly an idiot.
Only the core (read: less than 1MB) portions of an app have to be installed in the 256MB internal memory. The rest of the app can be stored on the 16GB SD card. This means you can easily have hundreds of very complex and large apps installed on an Android phone, just like the iPhone. Also, as others have mentioned, this has been the case since day one on all Android phones, and it was designed this way intentionally. It's primary purpose is to prevent piracy of paid Android apps. It's not some oversight by Google. Apple accomplishes this same thing on the iPhone by not letting you replace or upgrade your memory. Did I mention you are an idiot?
My blackberry does this (only 128mb system memory), but it doesn't do a good job of storing stuff on the SD card. Anything on the SD card is extremely slow. It's a tricky thing to accomplish and I hope google does this well. I will wait to see this aspect before buying.
Where exactly can I actually preorder?
The mobile site isn't even up yet... lol
Guess I have to go to the store?
Does anybody know if Verizon is going to be offering a truly unlimited data plan, like AT&T did with the iPhone? Otherwise, the 5GB plan they currently offer could pretty easily be blown through with this phone.
Best buy in Portland OR (SE 82nd) = fail. I went into the store, they knew nothing about no pre-orders. Damint. I'm dying to reserve this phone somewhere, I MUST HAVE IT ON RELEASE DAY!!!!!!
Alright everyone, just give Bby Mobile a chance. I work for them, and I've been trying to get mine pre-ordered today too. We just got the info today. We now have the flyers in our Employee News. The pre-sale SKU is not packaging out a gift card yet. It takes just a lil bit of time to get it right.
Prices are:
$199 for a new line
$199 for add a line (2-5)
$199 for upgrade
$749 for outright
We do price match, that includes New Every 2 offered from VZW. Go to your local Bby Mobile store and get this thing pre-ordered soon.
$749? Damn thats high!
i preordered mine on Friday. I want to have BB price match VZW with my $50 NE2 discount. What proof or documents shoud I bring to make the process easier on everyone?
I need to find out if I can use my rewardzone certificates on this... I have $35 that start expiring in december... not much, but $165 is less than $200...
I walked into the local Verizon Wireless and asked what's the word with the Droid. They laughed, and said, what's that, Star Wars?
Stupid robots!
Ran to Best Buy and put my money down this morning, I am all set to get my Droid.
I still prefer the iPhone because it has gone some iterations and it's available now.
I wish I had the network.
Ok so just to clarify, if I wanted to go into Best Buy and upgrade my verizon phone to the droid, how much would it cost total?
It depends on your contract's status. If you qualify for a yearly upgrade (which it's likely you do) then you should be able to pay the 2 year contract price of $199, which will also require a 2 year contract renewal. If you're eligible for the New Every 2 upgrade, then you should get either $50 or $100 of the 2 year contract price along with a contract renewal. If you don't qualify for any upgrades, then you'll have to pay the full retail price of the phone.
can someone answer if its a world phone, ie does it have a sim card as well?
So I walked into the my local Best Buy store ( Around 1:56 PM PST ) and walked right up to the "Mobile Phone" area of the store. I asked about the Motorola Droid phone. The two individuals working in that area knew what I was talking about. (I was shocked.) An started filling out the paper work asking me all of the normal questions. They said they should have the phone in on Nov 6th. I was the first person to pre-order the phone at that store. So I should be getting a phone. I don't know what sort of deal Best Buy has with Verizon or Motorola. I can say that Verizon Wireless should have offered the same pre-order arrangement. I Don't know or care if I get the phone on 11/06/09. I just care that I was able to pre-order the phone. This has been the only time I have been happy after leaving Best Buy. When I have had to talk to a employee.
does anybody know if the qwerty keypad letters/numbers light up? would have trouble typing in dark. maybe i could use the virtual keyboard in the dark if the keypad doesnt light up?
Think Verizon will let you get the upgrade pricing if you're 10 months into an existing additional line contract of a family plan if you're adding the data plan? It'd be 30 additional bucks a month for them, if they let me upgrade early; I'm not paying full retail.
I thought Sprint was in competition with Verizon Verizon is crushing you Sprint lets go
ok so i preordered 2 phones for me and my sis tonight at a BB. went in, talked to a rep, signed this binder that already logged a bunch of droid preorders before me, paid 50 bucks + tax for each phone, received 2 gift cards that are going to be used towards the final purchase.
the rep told me they'll call me to come in and get the phones when they are released, which is probably 2 days before actual release date.
ok so i preordered 2 phones for me and my sis tonight at a BB. went in, talked to a rep, signed this binder that already logged a bunch of droid preorders before me, paid 50 bucks + tax for each phone, received 2 gift cards that are going to be used towards the final purchase.
the rep told me they'll call me to come in and get the phones when they are released, which is probably 2 days before actual release date.
I went to Best Buy Mobile today and they had no idea what I was talking about.
The girl said they wouldn't be starting for a few weeks, almost after VZW.
I even called VZW beforehand, so my plan will switch over next Friday.
I left very unhappy.
wicked!
BBMobile had no idea what the phone even was and insisted that it was for Sprint. Went to a full BB and their mobile dept. knew the entire process - fill out a flyer, buy gift cart walk out with paper saying to return on release date. But they do collect phone numbers so maybe it could be earlier. BB Mobile needs to get their act together.
Sorry if this has already been answered... searched for it but couldn't find it...
1. Will Best Buy allow you to use an upgrade from another line like the VZ corporate stores do? My line isn't eligible for an upgrade, but I have 2 other lines on my family plan that are. I do it all the time at the corporate store, but I've never tried it at a 3rd party store.
2. Can I get a 1 year contract at Best Buy?
Thanks!
Yes I too have pre order the phone from best buy, but here the catch they dont know whether they will be able to fill the pre orders that they have, i am third on the list, and the woman told me if they only get 2 phones that i would have to wait, they pre order by selling you a gift card with your deposit and when i said well i want it refunded since i thought my chances will be better at my verizon store at 6 am they said they dont give refunds on gift cards, what a rip off. Best buy sucks, i will never do business with them again.
Any speculation on how many DROID each Best Buy is getting? 5? 10? 20?
Jason