What happens to my Droid after contract expires?

[slalomx]

I am wondering after my contract expires and I upgrade to the latest and greatest, what will still work on my Moto Droid?

Will I still be able to use wifi in conjunction with apps that use wifi to connect to the internet? Will the Market still be available to download new apps?

Will I still be able to use Navigation via the GPS, or will that not work since the phone will no longer have a cellular connection?

 

[Darkseider]

It turns into a pumpkin

 

[hookbill]

I am wondering after my contract expires and I upgrade to the latest and greatest, what will still work on my Moto Droid?

Will I still be able to use wifi in conjunction with apps that use wifi to connect to the internet? Will the Market still be available to download new apps?

Will I still be able to use Navigation via the GPS, or will that not work since the phone will no longer have a cellular connection?

You could still use wifi, receive market updates using wifi. GPS however requires data and unless you manage to have a huge wifi area of some sort that would no longer work.

I'm kind of wondering why you mention your contract agreement. If you chose to you could keep your Droid beyond your contract period and go to a month to month billing system. You don't have to sign another contract.

 

[dylanthecat]

I would think it would do everything that it does now while in airplane mode. Nav won't work since it can't download maps unless your car is a wifi hotspot.

 

[naman919]

+1 to what Bill said.

It's yours to keep and will simply be an iPod Touch. Wifi, but no data connection via the cellular company so Maps and some programs will be limited.

 

[rgn2000]

The other thing to mention is apps. For example if you buy another Android Phone you won't be able to tie both phones to same gmail account.

I am thinking if you want to keep your gmail account and port it to the new phone (so you will have your apps, especially paid ones) you might need to do a hard reset on the old phone and then I am not sure you will be able to do anything much without a cell service. I think Droid-Life or a similiar site mentioned how to get beyond the setup without cell service. You will then probably create another gmail address with your old phone and you will start from scratch with apps and if you bought any you would have to rebuy.

 

[naman919]

The other thing to mention is apps. For example if you buy another Android Phone you won't be able to tie both phones to same gmail account.

This is 100% false. I have three droids right now, long story short they're asurion replacements with hardware flaws but the third is perfect (just have to mail the other two back today).

I have activated two of them, one at a time, and downloaded apps via my account on two of them with no issue. I just tested the deactivated phone over wifi and it will download my paid apps while logged into my gmail account. So both phones, the wifi only and the activated phone are currently logged into my gmail account and will download apps.

So aside from any cellular data required to apps, the deactivated droid you will have will function similar to an iPod Touch. You have apps that work over wifi and a nice media player.

 

[dylanthecat]

I think you just committed software piracy though.

 

[naman919]

Not if I'm only using one copy at a time. I paid to enjoy one copy. I have one set of hands and only use one phone. I was simply reloading my replacement phone.

Also, the OP isn't going to upgrade from a Droid1 to a Droid1. He will likely upgrade to completely different hardware, and the apps are hardware specific depending on screen resolution, and i'm sure other specifics. My point being, he won't have two of the same phone, but if he were to upgrade and keep his gmail account, the apps previously bought for the old phone should be accessible on the old phone via wifi only.

*shrug*

 

[dylanthecat]

I agree with you to an extent. If you are just reloading onto a new phone, sure, but if you keep one of the old ones and someone else uses it that is a different story. I guess it depends on the actual software agreement. We have CAD programs here that only allow one installation on one machine at a time. Just installing it on another before deleting it off the current one is a violation. i am glad though you did verify the un-activated Droid will work with wifi. I think we will see a lot of un-activated Droids being used in the next year.

 

[Mamaperk]

While waiting to send back my droid to vzw in march I was getting gmail via wifi and vzw 2.1 update reminders ... I had my replacement droid with battery cover on it and used it normally while my old droid sat charging my second battery ... That only lasted a couple weeks while we deadly with my FILs funeral and then I shipped it back to VZW. Not sure if that helps but I was definitely still syncing my gmail and getting the update notifications.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

 

[naman919]

I agree with you to an extent. If you are just reloading onto a new phone, sure, but if you keep one of the old ones and someone else uses it that is a different story. I guess it depends on the actual software agreement. We have CAD programs here that only allow one installation on one machine at a time. Just installing it on another before deleting it off the current one is a violation. i am glad though you did verify the un-activated Droid will work with wifi. I think we will see a lot of un-activated Droids being used in the next year.

yeah, i'm a structural engineer and we have software like that where you "check out" a license. Agreed with all of the above. My Droid will be the best PMP ever when it's retired.

 

[dolpns13]

you mean your verizon contract? why would anything happen if it expires? You just go month to month.

 

[naman919]

i think he is talking about the hardware and if it will still be usable.

 

[streetkid]

I asked a similar question in another thread.. just seems sad that such a cool device will probably just be shutdown and thrown in a drawer never to be used again. Might make a good coffee table gadget.. especially if we can get some home automation things going with it.