Just bought a phone on Friday...ironically, while borderline drunk. Anyway, I did it then to avoid the hike in the ETF - but what really blows is that I wanted to try out the Droid. I don't know if I would like it...I may/may not have gotten used to the keyboard. The problem is that if you bought a phone prior to the 15th and ended up returning it afterward and getting a different phone, the new phone would have the $350 ETF. So much for trying to be proactive. I'm sure I'll be happy with the Tour, but I would have loved to not have to take the safe bet.

@Sean Have you been in a Mercedes with a Nav lately? Their entire system sucks- the usability sucks, he navigation itself sucks, the iPod hookup is absolutely baffling. I personally haven't used the BMW nav, but my Lexus navigation has just about everything I need with the exception of live traffic. My buddy has regularly used the Mercedes, BMW, and Toyota/Lexus navigation and always tells me when he gets into my car that the Toyota nav blows the other two out of the water.

On another note, I would be curious to hear about how the domestic navigation systems stack up against the foreign ones. Obviously Toyota/Lexus share one, as do Honda and Acura I bet, but does anyone absolutely love their GM/Ford/wheover else navigation that has used any of these other ones? My brother has a Tahoe but I haven't really used it...

With Verizon you can get the discounted price after 12 months on a 2 year contract and 10 months on a 1 year contract. You sure you aren't eligible?

If you know what phone you want, call the corporate number. The people in the call centers are always sooooo much more helpful...they're not the sketchy, slimy, cell phone salesman type. Not that everyone in the Verizon store is...but I've gotten in way more arguments in the store than on the phone. That's usually with service, though.

And at least with the Tour - if you bought it online or over the phone they would automatically give you the mail-in rebate instead of you having to mail it...and that also means you don't have to pay tax on the extra $100 (which in Chicago equates to about $11).

Thanks for the heads up - graduated in 08, but need to have one of my friends pick it up. I figured you guys wouldn't have it until later - Vista didn't come in until way after launch. How much are they charging?

Still waiting for them to give us the option to NOT let others know if we have read their message. Unless you can do this already...let me know if you can.

You don't get your sales tax back? That's kind of bogus. On a $50,000 Cadillac, that's about $5,000 in tax in Chicago...

I want it (soooooooo) ya gotta give it to me

Welp, this renders the update useless. The idea of being able to do everything on my Xbox coupled with the hope that maybe Netflix would finally get a good amount of content kept me continuing my Netflix subscription. Now: not so sure.

Congrats on the corporate sponsor - I actually love Verizon.

That being said, please tell whoever developed the creative to use the correct Engadget typeface. The whole kind of looking like the Engadget logo, kinda not sort of thing is an eyesore. Stick with what we know, yadig?