Comments on: How I got my BlackBerry Bold for $30

Don Reisinger bought a BlackBerry Bold from AT&T for $30 by trading in his iPhone 3G via the BlackBerry Trade-up Program. Here's how you can save a bundle too.

[ryan_t_moreau]

the link should actually be http://blackberry.tradeups.com

[carguy622]

I'm hesitant to enter into contract again with AT&T though. Plus the RIM trade-in program doesn't even list the Nokia N96. They only give you ~$80 for an N95 8GB as a comparison. I think I'll stand pat for now.

Now your wife is stuck with her phone for two years (or until the contract on your line is up), unless you want to pay full price or buy unlocked, which I suspect you don't...I hope you got her consent on that ;)

[Get_a_life_Leo]

RIM has been doing well adding subscribers - albeit at significant expense. Wonder what happened to the iPhone? Presumably, AT&T will sell it as a refurb.

I'm ditching my Blackberry for a new iPhone in July. Guaranteed I won't get as good a deal :-(

[ripvan80]

Your iPhone is dispensable, yet it brings the highest value in trade-in.
I guess that says a lot about Apple versus Blackberry quality.
Actually the key to a smart phone's value is its ability to synch with home/office computers.
And the net work. And the App Store. And the funny Mac versus PC ads.

[El_Segfaulto]

Does it say a lot about quality or perceived value? Just because a shiny object is adored by the masses doesn't make it the best product out there.

[Angmarr]

IE the i -pod

[mymeta]

highest value hmm
yet go to cellforcash.com
and you will see that currently you get $240 for bold in return, while iphone 3G 8GB gives $150 in return

okay yeah highest value

[markphillip]

Quite nitpicky, but I'm guessing you're being taxed on the $399, not the $27. Resulting cost will be around $60, not $30.

[bleekerbaby]

OR you could have sold your iPhone on Craigslist for $400 and MADE a profit.

[amd0505]

OR unlocked your Iphone(which is easy), then sold it on Ebay for $500 or $600. After that, buy whatever phone you want. Pointless article...

[JerryRiggg]

That is good information to know. I'm a Sprint customer with an Instinct and I'm dying for the Blackberry Storm which Sprint doesn't carry at the moment but I'm hoping they will get it soon. I have to stay with Sprint because of a place I travel to frequently and Sprint is the only carrier that has coverage there. And besides, their plans are cheaper than AT&T and Verizon especially when you include data. And oh yeah, the Storm is a world phone which will work perfectly for my european trips. So here I am, waiting, waiting, waiting and of course Sprint and RIM are mum on whether Sprint will even get the Storm or a reasonable facimile but hey, I have time and I'm not in a hurry and I'm not going to settle for some poor substitue for what the blackberry can do. But your info is good to know. When the time comes I'll be getting two Storms, hopefully for $30 a piece or less.

[El_Gringo_Guapo]

I can't imagine using a Blackberry; it looks like something Bill Gates would've carried maybe five years ago.

[jefflac]

I can't imagine not having push notifications on email and multi-tasking applications... to each his own.

[Jonathan Monahan]

@jefflac That's funny my iPhone makes a funny noise when I get an email. Oh that's Push!

[wesisw_]

My Nokia also makes a funny noise when I get an e-mail. Does that mean it gets push e-mail too? Awesome!

[dvaughn007]

I find it interesting that you want to "escape from Apple's grips" and yet you have placed yourself firmly in RIMs stranglehold. Does anyone else remember the great Blackberry outtage?

And while you say you only paid $30 for it, you also gave up a piece of hardware that would cost you several hundred dollars to replace. Your net cost for this Bold is effectively $400 more (the cost of the iphone 3G).

[DVSD91]

OMG REALLY???



You gave up a phone that launches complete programs with a single click icon for a OLD TECHNOLOGY (not even open sourced) Blackberry! This just shows the divide between people who know how to compute and those whom don't.



If you look on ebay / craigslist people are tradeing Bolds for iPhones and paying hundreds!!!



Enjoy your mobile only webpages, a super small non-touch screen, and clitchy O/S. But since you don't understand O/S architecture, you don't mind!!!



Only good thing is you only paid $30 for it (even though you trade the greatest phone ever made in) cause that is all that phone is worth!

[Editors' note: Personal attacks deleted]

[longklaw]

That's nice to know. I'm thinking about getting a Blackberry myself.

[mdub311]

Jeez Dan,

You could have bought a refurb model and MADE money on this transaction.

[Alex Alexzander]

I switched from the iPhone to the BlackBerry curve. I also might get a Bold or an 8900 Curve.

I'll take the BB over the iPhone any day of the week, and twice on Sunday's. Don't get me wrong, the iPhone is nice. I bought an iPod Touch and I use it for exactly what I wanted. I real-time stock app, a currency calc, bloomberg, and a few other apps. I run the batter dead by the time the market closes. But who cares, it's not my phone. It's an accessory, and that's all I want from it.

The BB has a better portfolio app, which is not realtime, but it truly understands the concept of selling and buying a stock out of the portfolio cash. I find it a better app, but for different reasons. RIM did have an outage, but I swear, Active Sync is not that great. I've had 4 phones that use Active Sync and none of them are as reliable for email as the BlackBerry. I can also multitask and the battery lasts far far longer than the iPhone. Easily 4 to 5 times longer. And it's replaceable.

What I did like about the iPhone is not the phone or email. So an iPod Touch is fine.

[johnqh]

Sell the iPhone on craigslist, you can get at least $350.

But wait, you upgraded your wife's line, so now you are paying $30x2=$60/month data access on your two lines, and you have only one Blackberry Bold (which I assume you are using). What phone does your wife use? Does she use the data connection?

If she doesn't, then you just signed contract to pay $30x24=$720 (+tax and fees) extra for the additional data line which you don't use.

[C0mmanderB0nd]

So basically you burnt your wife's upgrade so I hope she enjoys here old phone for the next year or 2. I am sure you wife is thrilled about that......

And as others have said you might want to try that thing called "Craig's list" next time to sell your "like new" iphone, you could have made more money and not had to sign a 2 year contract.

I really can't wait to read your next article now (for a laugh), what do you have on deck???? You could always go to the apple store and drop a couple of grand $$$ on a mac book and then get Dell to let you trade it for a $300 net book and tell us all what a great deal that is!

[nowimcool]

The title misleading, it should read, "How I traded my Iphone for a Blackberry Bold".

[NeonLemmyKoopa]

Alot of trouble, but it seems like it was worth it in the end!

[caffemacchiato]

"The power of doing anything with quickness is always prized much by the possessor, and often without any attention to the imperfection of the performance." Austen

[go_live]

try selling your Bold in a year. You won't get the $30 you just spent not to mention the time and hassel that you put up with just to get a "Deal." Next time, just send my your unwanted iPhone.