I was leaning towards the HTC Touch Pro 2 before Google announced the arrival of the the Nexus One - a "superphone" with a 1 GHz processor, 5 MP camera, turn-by-turn GPS, and 3.7" touch screen. That's not a phone; that's a desktop computer the size of a phone. I went to Google's website to order it, and here's when all the frustration began. As an existing T-Mobile customer, with or without a contract, it's pretty much impossible for you to get the phone for $179. Here's why:
Existing T-Mobile Customer with a Contract
If you're an existing T-Mobile customer with a contract, you don't qualify for the discounted $179 price. Breaking out of your contract is very expensive, so don't even bother. This is typical practice so no surprise here.
Existing T-Mobile customer WITHOUT a Contract
If you're an existing T-Mobile customer and your contract has expired, like me, then good news, you qualify for an upgrade with a new 2-year contract and a discounted price. Yippy! But good luck trying to order it on the site. It's impossible. I've been trying since they started selling the phone a couple weeks ago. All I get is a message telling me that it can't reach the T-Mobile server and to try again later.
Google Has No Customer Service
I wanted to call customer service, but there is none from Google. They're revolutionizing customer service by not having any. They want you to search their site for answers. It's like saying they're gonna revolutionize search by not giving you a search box. It's pretty stupid. I searched their support section, and it looks like pretty much every T-Mobile customer who qualifies for an upgrade all get that message. Because Google has no customer service, all these frustrated users end up calling T-Mobile and HTC.
T-Mobile Does Not Support the Phone
I called T-Mobile a couple weeks ago. The service rep said the only way to get the phone is through Google's website. They don't support the phone. If you have any questions/problems regarding the phone, you'll have to contact Google (which has no customer service). Perfect. A dead end.
Cheapest Option is to Pay Full Price - $530
I called another service rep a couple days ago, and he broke it down for me. Because I have a family plan with my wife, I don't qualify for the upgrade. If I get a new plan, I would have to get two plans - one to qualify for the Google upgrade price of $179 for myself, and another separate plan for my wife. Over two years, that extra plan would cost me about $1000. In the end, the cheapest way for me to get a Google phone is to pay the full price - $530.
I'm sure the Google Nexus One is a great phone. But is it worth $530 when you can get the Droid, iPhone, or any other top-of-line smartphone for about $200 with a 2-year contract? For me, the answer is no.
I went to T-Mobile and got the HTC Touch Pro 2 for $269 with a 2-year contract. I can also trade in my ancient T-Mobile MDA for $100 from HTC, which cuts the final price down to $179. That's pretty good for what's considered to be the best Windows Mobile phone on the market right now. So far, it's an awesome phone - slick, fast, and solid.
