our last two phones (one flip, one slab) were bought at retail, and at a reasonable price--same or less than verizon's "payments" would have totaled, as unlocked 'universal' (works on any carrier) devices. all future ones will be the same.
we're also eyeing an mvno that offers service on all three major carrier networks and lets you mix-and-match and switch between them.
i had the spindle adapter to put on a stack of 45s, and also a simple disc that fit down it and just allowed one to sit on the turntable at a time. i didnt' need to use these snap-in adapters.
mint does have an upgrade path from one major version to the next. the upgrade tool might not be available immediately upon the release of the next version, but in your case it has been around awhile.
in my rural part of the u.s., the telco only sells dsl to a max of 10 mbps (and as slow as 384kbps if you're at the end of the signal's reach--at which point they also charge you more for the shit-tier speeds).. even if you're literally next door to their central office.. and even if they don't have fiber down your street (which is their reasoning for the artificial limit--to push people towards fiber so they can pull the copper).
when i worked for an 'authorized agent', our payments from the carrier were based on number of signups or contracts, and not at all on the cost of phones associated with them.
i suck with the number row, too, because i was ill and in the hospital during that part of the term i took a typing class during high school. text i can do at ~ 100wpm and i'm a monster on 10-key, standard or inverted. while i am getting better in the decades since, the number row and the symbols on it still slow me down.
gonna call those turds tomorrow to make sure the one phone we got from one of their retailers is unlocked. and then removed (again) about us purposefully paying full retail for it to avoid payments and a contract, and having the agent forge (!) a contract for it anyway after-the-fact (for a dollar) so they could get the commission.
you must complete the quest with your love on a holiday, during the hours of 7 and eleven, while carrying a diamond shamrock. it has to be a kwik trip and you must travel in a circle, k?
it's your fault. you're the one that left the best part on top.