Verizon Wireless on Tuesday confirmed it will begin offering pre-orders of the HTC 10 starting from April 29.
The actual launch of the handset is not expected until some time in early May; Verizon did not outline a hard date. Moreover, it’s not clear what price Verizon plans to tap the phone with as it stopped short of any real concrete details. As a reference, the unlocked HTC 10 can be had from HTC’s website for $699.
To sweeten the deal, Verizon has a number of promotions available for current and prospective customers. For instance, the carrier will give buyers three months of HBO Now, offer credit for trading in old phones, will pay off early termination fees for those who switch from another provider.
Customers interested in trying out the HTC 10 can swing by a Verizon retail store starting from April 29 to get some hands-on time with the phone.
Be careful of the switch-over promotions. They are essentially bait and switch. I took advantage of the promo when it was up to $650. I was told in the store than I would get the remaining balance minus the trade credit I received. 650-260=390. Then I was told I would only receive $175. Because the remaining balance of the phone I traded in was only $435. I was never explained to in the store, by Verizon, that’s how the promotion broke down. In fact, to make sure I wasn’t making an assumption, I asked and was told explicitly that was how it should have broken down. (650 minus trade in credit)
In reality, you’re better off buying the phone outright with a credit card and paying that off. This way you own the phone immediately and you have the ability to sell it without the worry of the phone being blacklisted down the road. (Sites like Swappa won’t let you list a phone that is financed with a carrier, unless it’s PIF.)