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Should I Give Up Unlimited Data Plan?

D

dbalch

Member
Need some advice.

My 2 year old Samsung Fascinate just died. I need a new phone. I am grandfathered in to an unlimited Verizon data plan.

If I sign a new contract with Verizon in order to get a new subsidized phone, I lose my unlimited data plan.

If I pay up for a phone, new or used, I can keep my unlimited data plan.

The problem is I don't want to spend a lot of money on a new phone, and I don't want to buy an out of date old phone.

Can I buy an non subsidized phone for a reasonable price, say $150, that has 4G and Android 4.0?
 
dbalch said:
Need some advice.

My 2 year old Samsung Fascinate just died. I need a new phone. I am grandfathered in to an unlimited Verizon data plan.

If I sign a new contract with Verizon in order to get a new subsidized phone, I lose my unlimited data plan.

If I pay up for a phone, new or used, I can keep my unlimited data plan.

The problem is I don't want to spend a lot of money on a new phone, and I don't want to buy an out of date old phone.

Can I buy an non subsidized phone for a reasonable price, say $150, that has 4G and Android 4.0?
Click to expand...

You can, BUT I think you're pretty much going to be limited to budget Chinese phones, i.e. forget Samsung, Motorola and HTC. Also the choice might be very limited, given that Verizon Wireless is a CDMA/EV-DO carrier.

TBH I thought you could keep the grandfathered-in unlimited plan with Verizon, even when renewing a contract. Unless they've changed it? That was the whole point of being grandfathered-in, it meant you could keep the unlimited data AFAIK.

How much data do you actually use? Do you need unlimited?
 
Your cheapest bet for a 4G, Android 4.0 phone on VZW is going to be the Nexus probably, but it's still going for over $150 for the most part. But you should be able to find one for $200 or $225 (I am actually selling mine for that currently).

mike - VZW ended being grandfathered in for unlimited. You can only keep it if you don't renew your contract. Of course, two years after they ended it, I see them ending it altogether, as they don't have to worry about breaking contract terms to do it. :p

P.S. I moved this to the Verizon forum. Thanks for understanding. :)
 
OutOfPhase said:
You can pick up a Droid Bionic on Ebay or Craig List for under $200 sometimes under $100 (such as this Motorola Droid Bionic - 16GB - Black (Verizon) Smartphone with 32 GB SD Card 723755000230 | eBay. You can also check out our classified section here AF Classifieds

Just remember when buying a new phone you want to have the carrier check the ESN to make sure it is clean. You just have to get the ESN from the seller and call in this case Verizon to verify it is clean.
Click to expand...

Forgot about the Bionic! Good call.
 
mikedt said:
You can, BUT I think you're pretty much going to be limited to budget Chinese phones, i.e. forget Samsung, Motorola and HTC. Also the choice might be very limited, given that Verizon Wireless is a CDMA/EV-DO carrier.

TBH I thought you could keep the grandfathered-in unlimited plan with Verizon, even when renewing a contract. Unless they've changed it? That was the whole point of being grandfathered-in, it meant you could keep the unlimited data AFAIK.

How much data do you actually use? Do you need unlimited?
Click to expand...

Thanks for everybody's help.

I have never gone over the 4G limit, even though I do no management of data use. So it's not like giving up the plan will cost me money. I just hate to give it up. What if some killer app comes out in the next few years that sucks up data? On the other hand, I think at some point Verizon is going to change my plan anyway.

So, it's quite a puzzle for me. I can get a Rzr M for $50 with a new plan and it looks like I have to spend close to $300 to get the equivalent and keep my unlimited. That's alot of money. They are even selling that crappy old Fascinate used for $80!!!!
 
AntimonyER said:
Your cheapest bet for a 4G, Android 4.0 phone on VZW is going to be the Nexus probably, but it's still going for over $150 for the most part. But you should be able to find one for $200 or $225 (I am actually selling mine for that currently).

mike - VZW ended being grandfathered in for unlimited. You can only keep it if you don't renew your contract. Of course, two years after they ended it, I see them ending it altogether, as they don't have to worry about breaking contract terms to do it. :p

P.S. I moved this to the Verizon forum. Thanks for understanding. :)
Click to expand...

What do you mean they will end it anyway? That's one of my concerns. I pay up for a no contract phone and Verizon cuts me off unlimited anyway a year or two from now.
 
Yes, that is the huge risk, especially if you buy a high end phone. It really comes down to how much data you use.
 
dbalch said:
Thanks for everybody's help.

I have never gone over the 4G limit, even though I do no management of data use. So it's not like giving up the plan will cost me money. I just hate to give it up. What if some killer app comes out in the next few years that sucks up data? On the other hand, I think at some point Verizon is going to change my plan anyway.

So, it's quite a puzzle for me. I can get a Rzr M for $50 with a new plan and it looks like I have to spend close to $300 to get the equivalent and keep my unlimited. That's alot of money. They are even selling that crappy old Fascinate used for $80!!!!
Click to expand...

You have to worry about what works for you today, not some possible killer app years down the road. Just remember, because Verizon has you currently grandfathered doesn't mean that they can't change their minds tomorrow, it's in the TOS.
 
dbalch said:
What do you mean they will end it anyway? That's one of my concerns. I pay up for a no contract phone and Verizon cuts me off unlimited anyway a year or two from now.
Click to expand...

The bright side, if you do it, you will at least have an upgrade you can use again for a new phone to drown your sorrows :p
 
You also need to think about when Verizon switches over to VOLTE and if the data used is going to go against your data plan. I don't think it will, I think it will be like text's and not count against it but you never know.
 
Given how anti consumer they are, it might not be an absurd prediction that the day VoLTE goes live, that's the day they yank all unlimited, regardless of contract status.
 
I have no doubt that Verizon will end unlimited data in the next couple of years. Since it sounds like you are the only one on your plan you should be okay to go to a tiered data plan. Unless you watch video 24/7 you probably wouldn't go over anyway. I stream music at least 8 hours a day and still only use probably 3 GB a month but I'm one of 5 phones on my plan so I paid through the nose for a new phone and kept the unlimited.
 
You can go to the VZW website and you can see your data usage for six months and get an average. Look at the plan options and see how much the tiered plan that best suits you costs in comparison to what you're paying now. Also, ask yourself if the speed of your phone has an effect on how much data you use. If you feel like, a faster phone will make you use more then you probably want to get a plan that will offer more data than your average usage.
 
I am in the same boat as far as the phone is concerned. I really want the new Note 2, but my students tell me I'd be crazy to give up my unlimited data plan as "when you get that larger screen you're going to use more data."

Also, and I hate to appear ignorant, but I'm not sure I understand VoLTE and how it will affect me and my Verizon plan. I don't have a WiFi network at home (spouse is against it, he runs wires everywhere) and I live in a small town, so it's not omnipresent.

OK, I'm old, so could one of you youngsters explain this to me?
 
VoLTE is what Verizon is going to use for phone calls in the future. VoLTE will use the LTE lines which is what we use data on for those of use with 4g phone. As far as how VoLTE is going to affect us Verizon user nothing has been release on how it is going to be billed (either by minute or by data).
 
Yep, that is the gorilla in the room. How is Verizon going to treat minutes/texts when they switch over to VoLTE. Based on the actions of the past few years, I am not optimistic it will be favorable to their customer's wallets.
 
The share everything plans almost hint at them moving towards only charging for data. What better way to make more money than to include minutes and texts as data. Texts are small so that wouldn't be a big deal, but voice could cause you to up yourself by a tier.
 
They would be stupid to start charging for calls/texts. They would see a mass exodus from their company. Mobile phone companies in general had better really watch how they handle things in the immediate future. They are already gouging the living daylights out of us compared to what we used to pay. If they push too far there will be a back lash from the 'adults' that still pay the bills. I have made it very clear to my kids that I'm about as far into our phone bill as I'm will to go. I love having a smart phone and consider myself a power user but I'll pull the plug on the whole damn think just I did with television 10 years ago!
 
It only in the US and Canada that carriers get away with this. If a European carrier tried what Verizon does, they'd already be out of business.
 
I'm actually looking toward to T-Mobile's 4G rollout. If their coverage and speed is good, and they keep their unlimited data plan, I'd really think about making the switch. As long as they have good phone options, of course! I don’t feel any kind of loyalty to Verizon, we just have a business agreement, and if someone offers me a better deal, I'll take it. And with how Verizon has been going, it is becoming hard for someone to NOT offer a better deal!
 
Since T-Mobile is GSM, as long as another GSM phone is compatible with their frequencies, you can use it. With Verizon, we aren't nearly as lucky.
 
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