Verizon: Buying a full price phone????

I am kind of in the same boat as you. I have sprint and I am thinking about buying a phone at retail price. So let's say you are eligible for an upgrade, then they give you the subsidized price for the phone at $200 (let's say) then you have the two year contract which pays for the Internet and things like that. But a chunk of the money you pay a month is also paying off the rest of the price of the phone. So let's say the phone costs $450, the carrier takes $250 of the price away so you only have to pay $200 up front. But to get that price they gave you, you are locked into a two year contract with them. (which essentially means if you want to leave the carrier you have to pay a ridiculous amount of money to terminate your contract early. It's just a way for them to keep people on their network) But during your monthly bills you pay back the cost of the phone and then some. The only time I can think of wanting to pay full price is if you got a phone, but then decided you wanted a different phone. Your contract is not up so the carrier will make you pay the full retail price. Like for me I got my HTC Hero a year ago, and I got it with the subsidized price you get when you are eligible for an upgrade. Which started my 2 year contract over again. Recently the HTC Arrive came to sprint and I want that phone. So in order to get that phone I have to pay the full retail price. But if I do that I still pay what I am paying now (unless I downgraded from a smart phone). My contract is still on track though so if I bought the HTC Arrive I can still get un upgrade in 1 year. My two year contract does not start over. Buying retail price for the phone does not lock you into a contract as well, so if you do not like being locked to the carrier by a contract buy the phone at full price. I hope that answered your question!

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there isnt a pro really... if your in a contract and you want a knew phone you can go buy a new phone full price and it will start your contract over. But if your up for and upgrade right now, paying full price on a phone would just make you pay more,