I "Killed" My Android

Well, not exactly. After dropping it several times over 2+ years, even my protective case could not save it this time. It fell out of my pocket while working and instead of falling at an angle like it usually does, it fell straight down on concrete shattering the screen. To my surprise, the phone is still working but it is almost impossible to read text messages, e-mails, use my address book to find phone numbers, etc.

So, my questions to you...
1) Can I deduct the cost for a new phone on my taxes?

2) Should I stick with Android or switch over to the trendy iPhone? Does it really matter for mystery shopping?

P.S. I am out of contract with AT&T so I am a free agent. I do have insurance on the phone but with a $125.00 deductible and they choose what phone to replace it with.

Finally, funeral services for my Android will be held on April 1, 2013.

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“I'm the one that's got to die when it's time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to.”
~ Jimi Hendrix

“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” ~ Mark Twain

“To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.” ~ J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

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More About Cell Phones and Smart Phones

For non-techy people like me, the iPhone is fantastic. People I know who use Androids would not give them up for anything. Phone insurance sucks IMHO. I had some after purchasing a phone about 7 or 8 years ago that actually cost more than my iPhone 3. I used it once and got a phone I liked, but that was before the smartphone days. The 2nd time they sent me a phone that was piss poor compared to the one that got broken. You can get such a good deal now that $125 for them to choose your phone isn't really worth it.

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.

Agree completely with Lisa

If you liked your Android, I would stick with Android.

AFAIK, you can claim the new phone as a tax deduction. I got a new phone this year and use it a LOT for MSing, and I am deducting it.

I thought I was up on my Internet acronyms but what the *ell is AFAIK?

Even I could figure that one out

Shop2LiveinFL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I thought I was up on my Internet acronyms but
> what the *ell is AFAIK?

As Far as I Know.

I love my iphone and I am relatively new to it (had a Blackberry forever). My daughter went from a Blackberry to an Android and she loves it and just had to get a new phone and stayed with Android.

Liz

I have never heard of that one. And I bet LisaSTL went to Ask.com.

I was a Blackberry user who turned Android and I think I will stick with Android. I think the little green guy is cute. Isn't that the most important thing when buying a new cell phone? A cute little green guy? :-D

You lost the bet. Figured it out all by me onesies.

Out of contract? I'd probably get a new phone.

Another possibility of replacing your phone ~ homeowners insurance? Depending on the deductible, it could be worth considering.

Sorry, sorry! I think I've spent too much time on message boards. I am not a social person in real life.

I've been an iPhone user for 4-1/2 years. My daughter switched to the Samsung Note - really big for a phone, but smaller than a tablet. I'm out of contract and thinking about switching to droid also. The iPhone worked well for ms'ing, but who knows, maybe the droid would be better. You can deduct the phone and allocate the monthly plan usage.

Not my circus - Not my monkeys @(*.*)@

~Polish Proverb~

You can only fully deduct if you use the cell phone only for MS purposes. If it is your only phone line, you are probably out of luck in terms of deducting the phone. If you have a landline as your primary phone, it appears you can deduct a percentage of your phone based on percent of business uses.

It is one I would be careful about because it can be one of those audit flags.

get the new galaxy s3 for a phone, or if you dont mind something bigger get the galaxy note II coming out in october, makes entering reports a breeze with the included stylus.

Whatever you do, dont go to the iphone after having android.

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There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots
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When you try to please everybody, you end up pleasing nobody

If I were you, I'd pick up as many cell phone shops as possible to learn about your options and make money. You may as well.

Your phone is a deductible business expense. I like the Androids. I used to be the marketing manager for a company that was very high tech. When I was due for a phone 2 years ago, I put out a query to my very techy contacts to find out which phone they felt was best. Most everyone agreed, "Droids Rule."

Good luck!

I think it is a personal thing, and MrsFrank offers sound advice. Having both the iPhone5 and an Android in the house, I would say that FOR ME the Android is plenty. There is no way that I would use or understand all of the features of anything 'fancier'. I'm pretty basic, as is my technological knowledge. Talk, text, internet, voice recorder, stopwatch, Angry Birds....that's enough for me.

your phone is not 100% deductible and you can only deduct the portion of it that you use for business vs personal. Proceed with caution with this deduction as if you take too big or more then the avg, you will get flagged by their computer system for an audit.

Key to avoiding audits these days is to make sure your deductions are in line with others for your income level this way you bypass their automated computer checks.

I love my iPhone and iPad and the way they work together. My son is all android ( he's more techy than me...). My husband works in information security with a large corporation - he far prefers the security of the iPhone and iOS, and that is their company standard. I can't imagine life without my iPhone now! But the green guy IS cute ...

I have been doing cell phone shops but it is for one company. I have never even seen an iPhone in their stores. I think I will stick Android, not use the insurance, and sign a new 2-year contract.

As far as writing off my cell phone, it gets REAL confusing. I work full-time for a company that basically requires you to have a cell phone but they do not pay for it. (Don't even get me started!) So between my real job and my MS'ing, I can honestly say that my cell phone is used quite a lot for business. Until this past Spring or Summer, I did have a landline that was never used so I cancelled it.

The only way anyone could get my Android off me is to pry it from my cold, dead hands. =DD

Mrph!

There are instructions on the web on how to replace a screen from (well) pretty much any phone, however, I would strongly recommend against it (you can Google youtube for this with your model and "replace screen"

. It is seriously difficult to do, very messy, and definitely not guaranteed to fix the underlying issue (if it has any). You'll also pay about 2/3s the cost of replacing it with a new phone. IMO, not worth it.

So sorry it dropped. My case looks like I took it with me to some war-torn country.

Sending the best,

Jen

I have a nasty scratch on my defender case for the IPHONE. I sent my son to my provider to buy me a new one. They told him that he didn't need to buy one since it was still under warranty. He texted me, and I told him to buy one anyway because I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to find the receipt. Do they sell him one? No. They just print out a receipt for him!! You need to go to the webiste, and fill out a form......Then a while later, you get an email giving you "further instructions." Take a picture of the case, from this angle and that angle. Making sure that the "incident number" is in the subject line of the email with the pics attached. I did that. Just the next day I got an email thanking me for my order of a new case. So, I guess they are sending me a new one, but sheesh!! When did replacing something get so complicated??

Robin

Silver certified, I shop in Cities in NM and TX that no one has ever heard of.

I disconnected my landline a few months ago and it will most likely bite me in the butt at tax time. Meanwhile I'm saving $720 plus a year so it may all come out in the wash.

Robin, I don't know what a defender case is, but I swear by my Otterbox. I've had it just shy of two years, it looks great and has saved my phone on several occasions.

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