Can I even buy a new phone outright?

[JF11]

I want to buy a new phone outright so I dont have to change my plan and I see zero option of doing so online. At first I wanted the Galaxy s7 for pre order to get the VR headset realizing later it's just for signing a new plan. I was thinking okay well I still want to buy the phone. this was my conversation with telus.

Me "I want to buy the s7" telus "sure sign a 2 year plan". me"without signing a plan" "sure, sign up for a new plan and then when you get the phone just buy it out" me "what happens to my old plan?" Telus "oh that will be cancelled" ....

Then I'm thinking okay let me look at the galaxy s6 and again NO option to buy the phone outright. Is this some kind of joke?

[NFtoBC]

The availability to purchase phones outright from Telus depends entirely on the contract they entered with the manufacturer, in this case, Samsung. It appears that newer Samsung phones are not available for outright purchase even from Samsung Canada.

You might be able to open a new account to acquire the phone, then cancel, and pay the buy-out costs to get the phone you desire.

[JF11]

So your competitors offer to buy it outright and telus doesn't? Isn't this quite inadequate?

[NFtoBC]

I'm not sure who you are addressing in your previous post. This Neighbourhood is inhabited by customers, just like you. We have no insight to Telus business plans, and no connection to the internal workings of Telus. We volunteer to share knowledge about Telus products and services which we have gained by experience or surmise.

IF you can find the phone elsewhere,  buy it and insert your current SIM, keeping your plan. That's what many iPhone and Blackberry users are doing just now.

[Nighthawk]

Telus does give the option to buy it outright but doesn't say there aren't strings attached. I suspect the other carriers have the same hidden strings. Also, btw, The S7 apparently comes from Samsung UNLOCKED but locks to one provider the second the SIM card is inserted.

Samsung is very tightly tied with the cellular carriers. If the phones do appear for sale unlocked, expect them to have a steep price tag and be from a third party source. Samsung seems to hate it's end users.

I chatted with Samsung sales support. The ONLY device they are offering unlocked in Canada is the Galaxy Grand Prime, and it's a huge load of garbage...

If you want an unlocked device, I'd say start with a Nexus device. Can be bought direct from Google. They at least get software and security updates in a timely manner from Google, including new OS releases before anyone else. The Nexus 5S is overpriced at Canadian carriers: Nexus 5S > Telus Price: $630 (Only 16GB!!!! wtf?).  Google Play Price: $499/$524 with tax (32GB!) The Nexus 6P has the same price for 32GB at Telus and Google, but Google also offers them up to 128GB.