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| The Box |
In February I qualified for a new phone upgrade and so I started to think about which phone I wanted to get. There were only two real options: iPhone 4 or some Android. My iPhone 3GS was still in good condition, and no I din't really need a new phone but I figured I was due for a new toy, so why not.
I decided against the iPhone 4 and go for an android, mostly because I felt that I had done everything that could be done with the iPhone and if I was going to get a new phone it might as well be actually new.
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| This was my iPhone battery image |
At the time I had decided that the best android phone available was the HTC Desire HD, and so I enquired as to how much it would cost me to upgrade. However, as luck would have it, on my way to buy the HTC phone I saw the Samsung Nexus S in a random store, and I was reminded of its existence. The phone hadn't officially come to Singapore but it could still be bought, for about an arm and a leg, and so seeing as this phone was superior to the HTC [in my opinion] I decided to do some searching. I found on the google that there were rumors that the Nexus S would come to Singapore in the first quarter of the new financial year, so I figured I would wait out these rumors and hang on to my money, which isn't too easy for me.
One day a colleague of mine casually mentioned that the Nexus S had arrived in Singapore with all three mobile operators, after making sure he wasn't playing with my emotions I decided to check the closest store to see if it was in stock.
The plan was simple, wait after work, ask if they had the phone in stock, nod approvingly if they did, go back home, transfer all the stuff out of my iPhone, and then purchase the phone to following day. So after work I showed up the store, but was met with news that they were out of stock, I asked if there was a nearby store that still had stock and they told me that there was one not too far away, and so I went.
The plan was still the same, although I was a bit rattled by news that the phone was out of stock, I didn't expect there to be that much demand for the Nexus S, especially given the amount of iPhone users I saw every day. With these thoughts running through my head I made it to store #2 fairly quickly. I looked around the store and noticed no display models, not a good sign. However, this was possibly done on purpose to test fair-weather buyers because after asking the cashier he told me that they did have the Nexus S in stock.
I asked how much it would cost me to get the phone given my eligibility for a new contract and the fact that I could trade in my iPhone 3GS. I was informed that the phone would normally cost me $348 but after inspecting my phone and assessing the value at $300 [not too bad for a one year old phone] all I would have to pay would be $48.
"Very well good sir, I shall return tomorrow to acquire the device," is what I wanted to say. However, what came out of my mouth was something a bit different.
I asked the cashier if he could start all the paperwork as I frantically emailed myself all my notes and made evernote notes containing screenshots from soundhound and pictures I had taken with the phone. After all the paperwork was done they took my iPhone and factory reset it in front of me, which was very comforting, not that I had anything to hide.
So I left the store with a new phone in my pocket, a big smile on my face, and only a small dent in my wallet.
It may be cheap but I'm squeezing two posts from this event, the next will be an actual review of the phone.
One day a colleague of mine casually mentioned that the Nexus S had arrived in Singapore with all three mobile operators, after making sure he wasn't playing with my emotions I decided to check the closest store to see if it was in stock.
The plan was simple, wait after work, ask if they had the phone in stock, nod approvingly if they did, go back home, transfer all the stuff out of my iPhone, and then purchase the phone to following day. So after work I showed up the store, but was met with news that they were out of stock, I asked if there was a nearby store that still had stock and they told me that there was one not too far away, and so I went.
The plan was still the same, although I was a bit rattled by news that the phone was out of stock, I didn't expect there to be that much demand for the Nexus S, especially given the amount of iPhone users I saw every day. With these thoughts running through my head I made it to store #2 fairly quickly. I looked around the store and noticed no display models, not a good sign. However, this was possibly done on purpose to test fair-weather buyers because after asking the cashier he told me that they did have the Nexus S in stock.
I asked how much it would cost me to get the phone given my eligibility for a new contract and the fact that I could trade in my iPhone 3GS. I was informed that the phone would normally cost me $348 but after inspecting my phone and assessing the value at $300 [not too bad for a one year old phone] all I would have to pay would be $48.
"Very well good sir, I shall return tomorrow to acquire the device," is what I wanted to say. However, what came out of my mouth was something a bit different.
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| This is closer to what I said |
So I left the store with a new phone in my pocket, a big smile on my face, and only a small dent in my wallet.
It may be cheap but I'm squeezing two posts from this event, the next will be an actual review of the phone.
