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Canceling your Nexus One? You might be $550 poorer

January 12, 2010
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Turns out picking up a Nexus One from T-Mobile with a contract could be quite costly, that is, if you cancel your plan. As it turns out, on top of any fees that might incur if you cancel after the 14-day trial period, Google is charging an “Equipment Recovery Fee”:

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Nexus One vs iPhone, Droid & Palm Pre – Total Cost of Ownership

January 5, 2010

Today is Nexus One launch day and we decided in typical BillShrink fashion, we would take a look at the overall total cost of ownership of the Nexus One vs. iPhone vs. Droid vs. Palm Pre. This is the first time that any phone has been available for purchase unlocked and available for purchase at a discounted rate with a T-Mobile Contract.

As the smartphone wars continue to heat up the Nexus One is entering a marketplace that is currently dominated by the iPhone 3GS with and gaining popularity of the Droid by Verizon Wireless.

So, here is what you’ve been waiting for, our total cost of ownerships comparison of the Nexus One up against the rest!

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Deals of the Day – BlackBerry Bold 9700 for $0.01

December 23, 2009
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BlackBerry Bold 9700 for $0.01 from Amazon.com with a new AT&T service plan. Limited time with free activation! (A $36 savings). The Bold is a pretty decent phone (not withstanding the current BlackBerry outage), 3G HSDPA/UMTS, Quad-band GSM, GPS, BlackBerry OS 5.0, 2.44 inch display (480 x 360), backlit QWERTY keyboard, video, bluetooth, and much much more features.

iriver Lplayer 4 GB Video MP3 Player for $40 at Amazon.com. Seriously, it’s not always about the iPod. If you just want a no frills MP3 player that won’t burn a hole through your pocket, the iriver Lplayer will do the job nicely (and with portability too). Plus, its 60% off!

GiiNii 7-Inch Analog Picture Frame for $30 from Amazon.com (seriously what’s up with Amazon and ridiculous deals?). Yeah, a digital photo frame may be a cliché gift, but for $30 you really can’t go wrong. 480 x 234 resolution, 5-1 memory card slot with a secondary SD card slot, and USB connectivity to most digital cameras and PCs.

Asus Eee PC 1005HA Black for $261.75 from Microsoft Store.  I’m not sure where they got the $261.75 number from, but this is a stellar deal for a tried-and-true netbook.  1.66GHz Intel Atom Processor, 1GB memory, 250GB HD, 10.1″ LED backlight display, up to 7 hours of battery life, 3 USB ports, & Windows 7 Starter.  Rock on cheap computing. Rock on.

Nexus One: Google Phone confirmed with some details

December 12, 2009

The rumors are over and the sources have confirmed, the Google Phone that has been talked about for some time now, is going to be released with the name Nexus One. The story that confirmed this was posted on WSJ a couple hours ago. It turns out that the phone will be developed by HTC for Google.

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The 2009 Holiday Smartphone Gift Guide

December 2, 2009

The holidays are just around the corner.  If your best friend, spouse or relative is hungering for fast Internet, GPS navigation, high-res photos and instant Twitter updates, then a cable-knit sweater this year just won’t do. We’ve selected the perfect smartphone for everyone on your holiday shopping list, from the gadget loving techie, to the always connected communicator, check out the graphics below for our holiday smartphone gift ideas.

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What would it take for a Google Phone to beat out the iPhone?

November 18, 2009

Google Android Mascot If you’re a smartphone or gadget enthusiast, you’ve no doubt heard about the confirmation of the Google Phone. Of course, we’re not talking about a Google Android-powered phone by HTC, Motorola, etc. — but a pure Google branded phone, designed from the ground-up by Google (and so far, rumored to be manufactured by LG).

Though a few people are scratching their head on why Google will compete directly with their customers (such as the recently released Motorola Droid), an updated post from TechCrunch speculated that Google’s upcoming phone will be data or VoIP-only. Regardless if its VoIP-only, it would be immensely interesting to see how a pure Google Phone will disrupt the increasingly competitive smartphone market.

Are you a current iPhone loyalist? Or did you recently signed on to Motorola’s Droid? Although none of the details on what the phone will feature has been revealed, what would it take for you to switch? Do you prefer a touch-screen only phone? Or would you only consider the Google Phone if it has a full QWERTY keyboard? Feel free to share your thoughts below.

Droid Launch: Is This The Start of The Android Revolution?

November 6, 2009

With its large, vibrant 3.7 inch WVGA (854 x 480 pixels), the Motorola Droid hits the shelves today, ready for the Android-hungry masses. Beyond its sharp display, the Droid comes with free turn-by-turn GPS, a fast Web browser, 5.0 megapixel camera — the Droid may just yet live up to its buzz and hype.

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Droid vs iPhone 3GS vs Palm Pre vs MyTouch 3G: Total Cost of Ownership

October 28, 2009

After months and months of blogger buzz and a heavy veil of secrecy, the new Motorola Droid by Verizon Wireless is set to launch within days, just in time for the holiday season.

The Droid enters into a smartphone marketplace dominated by the Palm Pre with Sprint and the ever-popular iPhone 3GS with AT&T. But how are consumers supposed to compare the offerings?

BillShrink.com is here to help! While sticker prices are roughly comparable between smartphones, each offers its own particularly generous features. Below is an apples-to-apples comparison graphic that examines the true cost of ownership, select features, and cell phone plans of each phone.

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The two party system. You get screwed no matter who you vote for.