So there are loyalists out there, in every capacity. As Taylor postulated yesterday to the masses, manufacturer or mobile OS loyalists exist. In fact, if you’re one of those folks that denounce every other platform while single-handedly praising your favorite, which may make you a fan boy. But let’s not go there. Let’s look at a loyalist branch out there that doesn’t get a lot of attention – the carrier loyalist. Sure, they’re out there, and people voice their opinion from time to time when we talk about phones, but for the most part, the conversation is always about the phones. Then again, the conversation about carrier loyalists may not pop up all that much because there may not be (m)any of you out there. So, how likely are you to switch carriers?
Carriers like to think that they’ve, for lack of a better term, got you “trapped.” How? The obvious way: with those contracts. Back in the day, you used to be able to find a one-year term contract just as easily as a two-year contract, but the former has gone the way of the Dodo bird. Of course, there’s the fact that you get your shiny new device, whether it be a smartphone, netbook, feature phone, tablet, or mobile hotspot for a cheaper cost. Subsidizing phone price tags isn’t a new thing, and it’s probably not something that will go away any time soon – it’s good to feel like you’re getting a deal. But, you’ve got to sign that new, two-year contract to get that deal.
And that’s why you’re trapped. Because, within all that fine print in that contract you’ve just signed, you’re not allowed much room for maneuverability. Specifically, if you want out of the contract after 30 or 14 days (depending on carrier), then you’re going to have to pay. It’s an option, sure, but not the best one. Now, I’m not going to go into how the fine print can work to your advantage, too, but there are some of you out there who have figured out the “loopholes.” That’s just a fact.
What’s also a fact is that new phones are coming. Certainly, if you’re an Android fan, then you know that the next “latest and greatest” device is right around the corner. The inexorable nature of this means that signing a new, two-year contract is something of a burden, especially if you’re someone who keeps an eye on the leaks and rumors on the Interwebz. If you are one of “those people,” then you probably know of at least two other “latest and greatest” devices coming down the pipe, which may make you hesitate to sign a new contract to get what’s out right now. That’s perfectly understandable. What’s also understandable is your inherent desire to have what’s latest and greatest right now, right now. Meaning, you want to buy it, even if that means you’re prepared to drop your hard earned cash for the full retail price, no subsidization in sight.
But how likely are you to switch carriers to get that new device? If you’re currently on Verizon, would you be willing to switch over to, say, AT&T just to get your hands on the latest device that they’re releasing? Or, if you’re on T-Mobile, would you be willing to drop your current rate plan to get your hands on what Sprint is offering? Sure, they’ve all got their “perks,” whether it be plan pricing or wireless coverage or customer support, and just like a phone you may take all of those things into consideration when you sign that dotted (or solid, in some cases) line.
A lot of people started switching to AT&T when the Apple iPhone was an exclusive device for them. A lot of people switched to Verizon to get their hands on the Motorola DROID when it hit network waves. And there were people who switched to Sprint to get the HTC EVO 4G. And when Google launched Android, there were even some people out there who switched to T-Mobile to get their hands on the HTC T-Mobile G1. There are some phones out there that drive the populace to switch carriers, no matter how they have to do it. And it just comes down to how much you’re willing to pay to slip out of the confines of one contract, just to put yourself into the belly of another one.
And then there are some of you out there who are die-hard carrier loyalists; the ones that don’t care what other phones are going to other carriers, because you’re not only happy with your phone, but you’re even happier with your carrier. So where do you stand? Are you a carrier loyalist? Or how willing are you to switch carriers, to get the phone you want? Let me know in the comments below.
