Koodo "Happy" Tab

That's fairly standard this boxing day/ black Friday season it seems. The other carriers have similar get a phone for a higher price plan or a low cost plan without a phone as options. There are some deals out there but it YMMV for them and mainly on the pixel phones for the best phone deals. 

I hate to say it, but you will get better deals as a new customer. I would suggest you to check out your nearest big-box retailer, such as Walmart or Best Buy, and look for a deal that fits your needs. It would be best to do it as soon as possible, since the special offers are only available for a limited time. 

I don't get recommend getting a phone from any carrier. They sell Above retail pricing and when they discount it with a tab it gets added as a tab bonus which acts like a contract penalty charge. When possible buy phones outright, or buy used. 

You would have to be sure you’ll stay for 2 years with the same carrier if you take any of those deals. They sdo basically lock you in with the tab buyout costs. 

I was all ready to get a new phone, but then as I went through the purchase process I realized I would have to “upgrade” to a new plan (no significant change in features, just price). When I factor in the extra cost of the new plan, that “deal” they were offering no longer looks so attractive. In the past I’ve found the deals to be pretty good, especially for refurbished phones, but now the super-cheap options aren’t really all that cheap. I figure a new phone will likely last 4 years (typical for me), so an extra $10 a month for the new plan works out to an extra $480 if I were to use the Tab approach.

That is correct, unless you can get a better price in the future at some point but that is no guarantee.