# unlocked phone from Costco which one to buy ?



## lonewolf (Jun 12, 2012)

Never had a cell phone. Was looking to buy a cell phone from Costco they have Acer Jade z, Acer liquid z410 @ store on line they have motorla moto g 2nd generation. Which one any thoughts ?


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## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

Phones are like computers...they are all basically the same, yet zealots want you to believe their brand is special. In 99% of the cases, it probably doesn't matter which phone you get, as you won't even use 10% of its capabilities, nor will you bother to learn how to before you decide to "upgrade" it for something better.

As long as you want to basically phone or text, there isn't a lot of difference amount smart phones...if you want a particular game (not a purpose of a phone), you may need to be more selective.


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## fatcat (Nov 11, 2009)

staples.ca is a better place to buy unlocked phones
http://www.staples.ca/cellphones/directory_cellphones_20051_1_20001?fids=144100&rpp=24&pn=1&sr=true

i like the moto-g a lot and have had a couple of them


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

From all the reviews I have seen, Moto phones are offering very good value for money. Moto also has also been good about keeping their phones up to date with software updates.


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## none (Jan 15, 2013)

I think I'm going to buy a used 5C off craigslist. seems like a better idea to spend $200 on a awesome phone rather than $1300 on a super awesome phone.


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## janus10 (Nov 7, 2013)

3 years ago I bought a cellphone at Costco. It was the Samsung Galaxy IIs and the promotion was it was free on a 3 year contract AND you got $225 in Costco gift cards. 

The OS was a bit flaky and the phone was underpowered. It was frustrating. This year I replaced it, at Costco, with the Samsung Galaxy S6. What a massive difference. I love this phone and it is rock solid and fast. So, no, all cellphones are NOT the same.

Now, I did have to pay for this phone where they paid me to take the previous phone. Sometimes free is expensive.


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## bgc_fan (Apr 5, 2009)

none said:


> I think I'm going to buy a used 5C off craigslist. seems like a better idea to spend $200 on a awesome phone rather than $1300 on a super awesome phone.


Just watch out for a scam where they report their phone missing after you've used it for a while. It ends up blacklisting tour phone.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

none said:


> I think I'm going to buy a used 5C off craigslist. seems like a better idea to spend $200 on a awesome phone rather than $1300 on a super awesome phone.


You came to your senses!

I still remember the days when people were trying to convince me that you could buy a new iPhone every year and sell it for basically the new price after a year or two...


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## lonewolf (Jun 12, 2012)

Just a Guy said:


> Phones are like computers...they are all basically the same, yet zealots want you to believe their brand is special. In 99% of the cases, it probably doesn't matter which phone you get, as you won't even use 10% of its capabilities, nor will you bother to learn how to before you decide to "upgrade" it for something better.
> 
> As long as you want to basically phone or text, there isn't a lot of difference amount smart phones...if you want a particular game (not a purpose of a phone), you may need to be more selective.


 Maybe it is like the ski industry. A factory that makes the cores, a few factories that make the edges & bases then shipped to different manufactures where they make the skis then different cosmetics & useless marketing gizmos are put on the skis such as anti vibration or put binding mount points a little forward or back, then sell basically the same ski for prices all over the map saying each ski does different things. The game was played this way do not know if it still is.


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## Brian K (Jan 29, 2011)

From what I have seen (and that is limited) most newer Android phones are probably similar. Some may have crappy battery life, some a poorer keyboard/touch interface etc.
I wouldn't buy an unlocked phone from China though regardless of the OS. Stick with a name brand. My Samsung S3 is known for it's poor battery life and the AMOLED screen sucks outside - it's not very bright. My old Blackberry was MUCH better and I really miss the physical keyboard. I'm not an Apple fan because I don't like bending over forward for Apple and their proprietary connectors and high prices etc. 
If you're not worried about having the latest phone, look for specials from the discount carriers (Koodo, Virgin etc) and you can probably get something that is "almost free".


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## none (Jan 15, 2013)

andrewf said:


> You came to your senses!
> 
> I still remember the days when people were trying to convince me that you could buy a new iPhone every year and sell it for basically the new price after a year or two...


Yeah, still have to find the price point I want. I think the easiest is to compare the buy-out price on apple.ca compared to what I can get off craigslist. A new 5S costs $670 from apple.ca and I can get a pretty decent used one for about $300 (some phone protectors make them look practically new minus some battery wear). I think that price point makes more sense. $1300 on a friggin phone is just silly. Being a single dad I just can't justify it - I should use that money to take a vacation with my kid.


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## Brian K (Jan 29, 2011)

Try looking at those phone repair places in the malls. I've seen a few there for sale. Young-uns bring in their phones to get fixed, they're too expensive to fix (for them) so they leave them there because they just go get a new phone on a contract. Might be worth having a look.


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## lonewolf (Jun 12, 2012)

Brian K said:


> I wouldn't buy an unlocked phone from China though regardless of the OS. Stick with a name brand. QUOTE]
> 
> A lot of bikes are in China with cheap wages it would not surprise me if China made some of the best bang for the buck bikes.


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

Brian K said:


> I wouldn't buy an unlocked phone from China though regardless of the OS.


I'm struggling to think of a single brand of smart phone that's not from China. Aren't almost all of them made there? I think some of Samsung's phones are made in Vietnam and Korea, but others are made in China; I believe all iPhones are made in China, same for other brands of smart phones.


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## Brian K (Jan 29, 2011)

Yes brad - they are mostly made there - I haven't been living in the dark ages. I have been buying lots of things directly from China via Aliexpress and some things are decent for the dollar, you have to be very wary of what you get from there. My brother bought a knock-off tablet from China and it is a horrible example of something that should be fine but isn't worth it. Designed in North America is probably the difference.


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## AirPro (Mar 31, 2014)

Upgraded to a Moto-g last year and would recommend it. Great feature set for the price and does everything I need. I rarely don't have WiFi available so it's used mainly as a mobile WiFi enabled device. 7-eleven Speak Out = $25/year allows me to send a few texts each month and the remainder goes on the 911 fee.


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