My carrier has an updated model of my device for sale cheap, very cheap. I'm happy with the model I have now except that it just isn't fast enough and it is getting a bit rickity after 2 1/2 years of use.

The new BB device coming to the US seems to have a wee bit of time go yet before it is updated to be up to snuff and maybe have Bridge, etc. Right now its' major benefit seems to be 4G and lots of Apps. I do everything through the browser so Apps don't bother me one way or the other.

So, my question is: Why not just replace my old phone with the newer model? It would give me 4G vs. 3G and a physically new machine. All my old accessories would still work, making the deal relatively even better. Then, when the bugs get worked out at things settle down, upgrade.

Replace or Upgrade?

Is the sale price the contract price or out of contract price?

The way you phrase it, it sounds like you want to buy a device, then upgrade that device (with contract renewal) at a later date. When is your contract renewed?

Oy..

Since I'm out of contract now I assume they will get me for a new one. But since the last time I was in the store they differentiated between Replacement and Upgrade maybe not. What I would get is just a later model of what I own.

Since I'm not carrier shopping does it make a difference?

Since there seem to be several new devices hitting the market in the next months it might be to my advantage to be flexible, as long as the old one hangs in there.

I would probably wait it out, if it were me. The Z10 is a good device, but it will be a really good device later this year after BlackBerry pushes out a few updates.

No.

Agreed.

I'm looking for effective communication function as economically as feasible. That may mean, and often does, not using the latest technology. In this case I could use essentially my tried and tested phone, after all it has lasted 2 1/2 years, with the main difference that it has the 4G protocols.

Then later, when the dust settles, get a Z or Q Blackberry, or maybe one of the other offerings. As long as the carrier doesn't charge me some big fee for the change then it seemed to me to be an economical way to go.

Make sense?

The reason I ask is most carriers often subsidize the prices of the devices when you sign on for a multi-year contract. So if you get the same device, you will be stuck with that device for the term of your contract, unless you want to pay full retail price for a new device.

If you buy the device off contract, then you can use that device for the time being and use your upgrade to get a new device at a subsidized price.

Carrier shopping doesn't make a difference. Most carriers offer discounted (subsidized) prices for current customers to lock them into another contract.

So, if I understand, it really depends on what the carrier will do with the contract, economics, and not on technical things. That was my thought but wanted some input as a reality test. Don't know yet just what I will do. Guess my old device will tell me when I have no choice.

As an aside, I've been doing some web surfing research. It is interesting that there don't seem to be, at least I haven't found them, any sites for other kinds of phones that are like this one. Most I've found are more surface use kinds of places, not into details like the Blackberry sites. Makes one think us Blackberry users are more than a wee bit different.

I take that as a compliment.

No positive or negative intended. Just an observation of what appears to be.

Do you have one?

One what?

It was in response to a post that was subsequently deleted.

"Do you have a Z10" is the properly phrased question.