Sad to see this forum so dead. Everyone has been raving about the mpx200 so much and the i600 hardly gets any mention :? I dont know about where you guys are, but in my area Verizon has better coverage then any other provider... easily. The mpx200 are pretty much identical in feature, the only difference being looks and price. The way I look at it though, even if you can get something comparable for much cheaper with a different carrier, what good is it if it doesnt work most places around you?
I've been thinking about trying out t-mobile, cause they are better around here then att. I had t-mo ages ago when they were voicestream, and Im hoping it got better since then. Then I realized if I had to get a mpx without the rebates and such, I would still be paying $400... then I would need to unlock the phone, and start/activate a new t-mo account
Then, if the rumors that t-mo is coming out with the mpx220 in the next 5 months, I wont be able to upgrade without paying the full retail price AGAIN.
I opted to not extend my contract with verizon 2 more years and instead bought the phone on ebay. My contract already doesnt end until november of 04, but I have 3 lines and I can drop one any time I want without a termination fee. I got an okay deal on ebay (about what you would pay w/ activation from verizon) so I figure I can always sell the phone and get most of the money back, and start a t-mobile contract any time I like, and still be eligible for the discounts. Plus, I reckon its only a matter of time before the i600 is hacked and the stupid app-lock is removed.
Anyway. I had the money sitting in my paypal account so it wasnt that big of a loss to my bank account anyways
And fyi, I paid $575 shipped for the phone, WITH a 256mb sd card and a the optional leather swivel case. By the time you paid $499 at verizon, paid shipping and taxes, bought a 256mb sd card, and bought the case you would be over my price. Just bought tonight... shipping monday.
Wish me luck