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Verizon Wireless Intros Share Everything Plans

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Re: Verizon Wireless Intros Share Everything Plans

#11

Post by evilduck »

smoyer wrote: post #2

We bought our family plan from Verizon when we heard rumors that the unlimited data tier was going away and it's worked well for us (there are currently 4 users in our household). We'd be paying quite a bit more with the new plan simply to support our data usage.

To offer a contrasting view, my wife and I switched to Verizon when the 4S debuted last fall so we didn't have a grandfathered plan.

For us, we can get the shared 4GB data plan for the same cost ($150) as we pay now for 2GB/each, except we gain unlimited voice and messages, and we gain mobile hotspots on both devices. Further, since I sit around wifi all day and my wife does not, she can now use "my" 3G data that I never really used before, effectively upgrading her data allowance.

Personally, I think it's a win. Maybe not for everyone in all situations, but we'll be converting our plan on the 28th for sure.

Re: Verizon Wireless Intros Share Everything Plans

#12

Post by e40 »

daniel_reetz wrote: post #8

This looks absolutely terrible, and my contract is coming up in July. Does anyone have a better alternative that is not AT&T?

T-Mobile has decent off-contract plans, and in my area they've got good coverage. I think that's the direction I'm going when my Verizon contract is up (2 smartphones + 1 feature phone for the kid).

Re: Verizon Wireless Intros Share Everything Plans

#13

Post by tortilla »

daniel_reetz wrote: post #8

This looks absolutely terrible, and my contract is coming up in July. Does anyone have a better alternative that is not AT&T?

Check out Red Pocket, they are an AT&T MVNO:

http://goredpocket.com/plans/

No contract but also no visual voicemail (iPhone).

Re: Verizon Wireless Intros Share Everything Plans

#14

Post by mdasen »

detst wrote: post #6

Why is there a $10 difference between "Jetpack/Netbooks/Notebooks/USBs" and tablets? You're paying for the data separately; there shouldn't be another fee, let alone a $10 difference between device types. And why is a smartphone $10 more than a "basic" phone when the difference, again, is data, which you're paying for separately and at an outrageous rate at that? This is baffling and completely unreasonable. On a pos…

I can explain why a smartphone costs more to add-on than a basic phone. If you buy an iPhone, you're paying $200 for a $650 phone. If you buy a random dumbphone, you're likely paying $0-50 for a $100-200 phone. As such, the carrier has a much smaller subsidy to recoup. If Americans bought phones without a subsidy, then data would be data. However, that isn't the case.

In the end, it probably comes out around the same. Over two years, you pay an extra $240 ($10/mo) while getting a $250-$350 additional subsidy up-front.

In terms of the price difference between laptops and tablets, I can't see a reason for that. At least the iPad is sold unsubsidized and so I can't see why they would want to charge more for it. Maybe they're assuming the laptop users will (due to the nature of having a full computing interface) use more data and that they'll make up the low add-on fee with additional usage. That logic seems a bit weak to me, but it might be what they're thinking.

Re: Verizon Wireless Intros Share Everything Plans

#15

Post by glesica »

This would actually make my current bill go up, without adding any additional services (aside from the free smartphone hotspot, which wouldn't get much use), and with less total data than we currently have.

The problem is that we don't use very many minutes or text messages. Those just aren't valuable services for everyone (especially the minutes).

I had high hopes for this when I first heard the rumors. Once again, Verizon proves that they don't "get it".

Re: Verizon Wireless Intros Share Everything Plans

#16

Post by pragmatic »

I highly recommend that you measure your actual data usage.

I'm on an unlimited plan and these data numbers look ridiculously low...at first.

Using 3G watchdog, my average usage over 5 months is about 505 MB per month.

With that said, this pricing seems a bit steep.

I pay $113 per month with one smart phone (Droid Bionic 4g) with unlimited data and one dumb phone for my wife. That includes the ridiculous fees + taxes.

With the new plan, I'd pay more $40 + $30 + $50 = $120 and still not get a "free" hotspot b/c the device would have to be on the plan ($20 + $10 for my laptop and kindle fire). This is of course before fees and taxes.

So Verizon had cooked up a price increase under the guise of "friendlier" pricing.

Re: Verizon Wireless Intros Share Everything Plans

#17

Post by pragmatic »

pragmatic wrote: post #16

I highly recommend that you measure your actual data usage. I'm on an unlimited plan and these data numbers look ridiculously low...at first. Using 3G watchdog, my average usage over 5 months is about 505 MB per month. With that said, this pricing seems a bit steep. I pay $113 per month with one smart phone (Droid Bionic 4g) with unlimited data and one dumb phone for my wife. That includes the ridiculous fees + taxes…

I've been contemplating going back to a dumb phone for some time. The problem is, the dumb phone models are all really crappy now. I've been looking for a new one for my wife, but you can't find anything that isn't pure crap. If one were paranoid, one might think the phone companies are doing this on purpose...

Re: Verizon Wireless Intros Share Everything Plans

#18

Post by ConstantineXVI »

glesica wrote: post #15

This would actually make my current bill go up , without adding any additional services (aside from the free smartphone hotspot, which wouldn't get much use), and with less total data than we currently have. The problem is that we don't use very many minutes or text messages. Those just aren't valuable services for everyone (especially the minutes). I had high hopes for this when I first heard the rumors. Once again,…

They get it. They get that no one's using their voice and SMS near as much as they used to, and need a convenient way to sell more of it (that won't even be used, likely).

Re: Verizon Wireless Intros Share Everything Plans

#20

Post by smoyer »

evilduck wrote: post #11
smoyer wrote: post #2

We bought our family plan from Verizon when we heard rumors that the unlimited data tier was going away and it's worked well for us (there are currently 4 users in our household). We'd be paying quite a bit more with the new plan simply to support our data usage.

To offer a contrasting view, my wife and I switched to Verizon when the 4S debuted last fall so we didn't have a grandfathered plan. For us, we can get the shared 4GB data plan for the same cost ($150) as we pay now for 2GB/each, except we gain unlimited voice and messages, and we gain mobile hotspots on both devices. Further, since I sit around wifi all day and my wife does not, she can now use "my" 3G data that I n…

I don't think it's a contrasting view at all ... perhaps we'll see those with the grand-fathered unlimited data plans stay with their current plans and those with metered plans will upgrade.

Either way I think this is a good move by Verizon. I like the idea that my ancient (Bell mind-set) wireless company is trying to compete with the more innovative new-comers.

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