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If you want to get in with Verizon’s current data plans but aren’t a current smartphone subscriber, you better hurry up an get with the program before the rumored July 7th change to new tiered pricing. The date isn’t certain, but a Verizon spokesperson has confirmed that the new data plans uncovered yesterday will indeed go into effect this summer. If you are a current subscriber, you may be in luck, however, as DroidLife has uncovered some info that suggests your old data plan (unlimited data included) will be grandfathered in past the cut-off date. What’s more, those same data plans should even live on through contract renewals and upgrades for as long as you are a Verizon subscriber.
The writing is on the wall, but take it as a rumor for now. We won’t know exactly how Verizon’s new data plans will shake out until they become official.
[via DroidLife]
I was wondering about this. I know that typically existing customers are grandfathered in when changes like this are made, but that doesn’t mean that they HAVE to be. Good to know that I can wait a bit to upgrade without worrying about losing my unlimited plan.
If they don’t grandfather you in, they’re legally required to waive your ETF, and the loss of unlimited data coupled with no ETF means they’d lose mos of their smartphone subscribers to Sprint within the month.
While I’m hoping that unlimited 3G transitions into unlimited 4G, I don’t follow your logic. If you are finishing one contract and entering into a new 2-year agreement, why would Verizon have to waive an ETF if you just entered into a new agreement with them? Your current contract doesn’t entitle you to future contracts with the same service levels and pricing, or they would be lifetime contracts rather than 2-year contracts.
If you are finished with your contract there is no ETF. He was saying, that if they didn’t honor your contract, by upping you price while in the middle of your term, there is no ETF.
“New Lines require new pricing”
So basically you’re fine as long as you never plan to change your plan. Guess that’s good for the college kid whom marriage isn’t on the radar and has no kids (by the time they are the landscape will have changed) but for the family this plan will bite back quick.
Thems the ropes I guess.
If they dont grandfather you in , you are allowed to break your existing contract due to the change in terms.
Perfect, my family plan is maxed out. All with unlimited data. Seems that I’ll be paying 29.99 til, well forever. Bc vzw is the only carrier good enough to suit my needs
If I already have unlimited 3g on a Droid X, do I need to buy a 4g device before the 7th to keep unlimited 4g or can I wait for the Bionic?
this is what I want to know too…
You’re already paying for LTE–the plans are the same. You don’t need to upgrade. (Don’t hold me to that, but it’s what all of the leaked data says).
I’d rather my 5GB (NOT unlimited) plan wasn’t grandfathered in, so I’d have a legal reason to not have to pay an ETF when I dump my last overpriced line from Verizon’s greedy ass.
Where exactly do you get a 5 Gig plan? Verizon doesnt offer one yet….
Unlimited plan caps out at 5 Gig…..read the fine print.
No in fact they do not. Internet rumor is still a rumor. Unlimited is unlimited. They only recently ‘reserved’ the right to throttle the top top % of data hoggers, which to date no ones ever been reported as affected.
Actually it doesn’t. Nor does it say it in the “fine print”. The word cap is NOT in the plan AT ALL. The only thing in the plan, and I quote, is “if you use an extraordinary amount of data and fall within the top 5% of Verizon Wireless data users we may reduce your data throughput speeds periodically”. Now, I can tell you I routinely go ovor 5 gigs, and have never been capped or throttled. Get your facts straight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQwXsgdFNrI&feature=youtube_gdata_player
That is the UGLIEST phone I have ever seen. BTW, the battery life sucks on it compared to my Charge. So do the speeds,camera, screen,storage……
This would be hilarious if you were actually joking, instead you are the joke for even stating that. Droid charge?? LMAO!!!!!!!
Yeah, the Charge gets great battery life, has a beautiful screen, and takes phenomenal pictures. It also has 3 times the storage as the Evo. Let alone, LTE, wich is 3 times faster than WiMax.
As of right now the Droid Charge probably has the best battery life of any Android phone.
Samsung has always had decent cameras. The multimedia parts of Samsung phones have been nice dating back to Win Mo days.
Too bad for those who overreacted yesterday and immediately cut their Verizon ties.
Best quote of the Day………
I have (2) 3G unlimited data plans right now, I know that I want to have a 4G LTE device/data plan in the future so I decided to grab the Charge last night, my wifes upgrade is up on 7/6 so she will also grab a 4G device so that we are both locked into the 4G unlimited for “life”, its been confirmed that your current data plan that is in place BEFORE the update to tiered pricing will be grandfathered in, if your currently on a 3G data plan and have future plans to get 4G, I would advise you do it now.
3G data WILL NOT grandfather you into 4G data
Explain how you know that, or are you just speculating?
its been confirmed by “trusted” people over on howardforums, they have had a perfect track record for years. other than that, I can tell you about “my friend” that works for verizon corporate, but we all have one of those.
TBH, its all really speculation at this point, but going on how verizon has handled plan changes in the past coupled with the “inside” information that has been leaked, it was good enough for me to use my upgrade now instead of rolling the dice and *hoping* that 3G unlimited would equate to 4G unlimited.
imho, its not work risking, at least not for me.
im not a data hog by any means, I use pandora, download apps, and open the occasional email attachment and im over 2G a month in usage.
My wife streams Pandora 6 hours a day, and barely scratches 2 gigs.
Yeah but some people are heavy data intensive but don’t use their data up because they are connected to WiFi all day. That’s how I roll since my work has free WiFi.
He’s making it up. There are no such things as LTE plans. All data plans are the same.
not making anything up, what part of “speculation” dont you understand?, there is enough doubt that verizon WILL differentiate between 3G and 4G (even though common sense would tell you a data plan is a data plan) that it just wasnt worth it to me to risk it..
It wasn’t worth it to me (and loads of others) to roll the dice and see what happens, all I know is that I would be PISSED if when I bought my 4G phone after July only to find out that 4G wasn’t grandfathered in.
do what you want.
Yes, but right now the 3G and 4G plans are the same. Hence the grandfathering in.
Acutally Hoagie is correct. Base on consumer and what the see .. there’s no difference between 3g to 4g plans. But in the computer system there is a difference.
remember back when thunderbolt came out and people had to use 2 sim cards to get the phone to work when doing add a line to move the tbolt to the existing line?? thats cuz there’s a difference between 3g to 4g in the system.
if you want 4g unlimited data .. better upgrade soon.
Well I was gonna run out and get myself the Thunderbolt but I guess I can hang on to my Droid Incredible a little longer :)
I am with ya on that one!
I have totally been looking online all day to find the best Thunderbolt price. I was dreading having to buy that piece of crap, but now I’m praying that this rumor is true.
PLEASE SOMEONE CONFIRM THIS!
Piece of crap? Mine works just fine with MR2+MR2.5(radio) … if you don’t have one you might want to just not talk trash.
I’m sorry, you’re right.
A single core processor with mediocre call quality and a 2 hour battery life SOUNDS AWESOME!
The only thing you got right there is the single core. Now, how many dual cores are there on the market? 3….
Called a Verizon rep. and she confirmed what the article is saying. As long as you have a current data plan, it stays with you.
+ 1
The Incredible is still an amazing phone and can go head to head with most smartphones coming out today! My next phone will be the Nexus whatever with Android 3.2 and a quad core processor :D
Am i the only one who is happy about tiered data? Everywhere i go has wifi why should i have to pay extra. This will give me a nice opportunity to get Verizon which was still too expensive even with a 15% discount from my work.
Pay extra? The 2GB tiered plan is the same price as current unlimited.
Indeed….anytime Verizon has a chance to do the right thing they screw it up. They could have made their tiered plans $10 for 1 GB, $20 for 2GB, or something like that. Instead its basically the same price for less. I’m a bit perturbed by this as I was hoping they might offer a $10 or $15 tiered plan I could put my wife on since she doesn’t use much data…instead it looks like I’ll be paying $60 data for our two phones forever
Verizon did say they were thinking of family data, there is still hope on saving money at some point.
It all seems counter to the point. a 900 min with friends, unlimited texting, and Data costs you about 121 dollars on Verizon. On sprint you can get 450 min with unlimited calling to any mobile. Unlimited texts, and Data for about 70. 70 vs. 121. I think when it concerns family plans Verizon is fine, but for an individual its simply out of hand. So I think I will go over to Sprint and give it a shot. I am just tired of the stress. Tired of the last gen hardware for LTE devices, but most of all. Tired of paying an arm and a leg. I figure it is worth a shot. Even when Verizon passes Sprint is 4g coverage I think I am better off not getting screwed every month by Verizon. Love the Network but the leadership is taking the company in a direction I don’t like.
You compare the prices on a plan with half the minutes?
VZW is 700 minutes, unlimited VZW calling, with nights & weekends starting at 9.
Sprint is 450 minutes, unlimited mobile to mobile calling (who the F still uses land lines?) and nights starting at 7pm. With four people using phones instead of landlines I had a TOTALof 250 minutes on my 1500 minute family plan.
I don’t know the number of minutes I’d use on a VZW plan, but my Sprint minutes go a LONG way.
Again, you are comparing prices on a plan with half the minutes.
Sorry NIsme, but he’s got you beat here. The number of minutes Verizon offers doesn’t matter when Sprint offers you Unlimited calling to any mobile.
That being said, I’m a Verizon customer and would not switch to Sprint as I think its 3G speeds are too slow.
Verizon offers unlimited minutes to verizon mobiles, that is a quarter of the phones Sprint offers it to. Now add in the friends and family, and you can call ANY number without touching your minutes…
So even considering the amount of “free” minutes equal by having to change your family and friends all the time, why would I pay 121 vs 70 a month. $51 more isn’t worth verizons coverage
So even considering the amount of “free” minutes equal by having to change your family and friends all the time, why would I pay 121 vs 70 a month. $51 more isn’t worth verizons coverage
@ Guest, at least be honest with the prices. You added eleven to Verizon, and left ten off of Sprint.
Verizon’s 900 minute plan, with data, comes to 110 a month.
Sprints 450 minute plan, with data is 80 a month.
Now, keep in mind, that with Sprint any landline you call WILL use those minutes. That means ANY school, hospital, store, business, house is going to eat away those minutes. With Verizon, that isnt the case. You can call ANYONE without using your minutes. Wanna call your grandma for 2 hours at her house, you can, without using your minutes. Wanna call her doctor, and make arrangements for medical care, you can, without using your minutes. Want to call the nursing home, and complain about the care she gets, you can without using those minutes. Want to have a parent teacher conferance on the phone with you childs teacher? Guess what….
Hold Up, to the comment below regarding price between VZW and Sprint. I have an epic 4g, and have the 450 any mobile plan. My bill is $109 a month after tax and insurance. Granted I was paying over 160 a month w VZW before switching but saying it’s a $70 plan is a straight up lie.
No, he’s making the argument that those minutes last longer due to more “free minute” options.
More “free” minutes? In theory, you can have unlimited minutes with the friends and family…
Nlsme…you have no life…that’s all.
Troll much? Seriously you don’t know shit about my life.
Don’t underestimate unlimited mobile to mobile. its a huge minute saver. Not to mention the nighttime minutes start a full two hours earlier on sprint. its the difference between having to get unlimited voice and getting only a few hundred minutes for some
Dont underestimate the unlimited mobile to mobile to VZW either, considering they make up a LARGE chunk of mobiles. Also include the 10 Friends and Family(wich can be changed ON A DAILY BASIS), and there is a large chunk of anyones calling, including landlines, wich, contrary to Guest’s beleifs, a lot of people still have.
I can only stand behind my own record on this … which is i vacuumed minutes on Verizon paying overages monthly until i went to an unlimited plan. When the EVO came out I jumped, and have sat on their default 900 minute plan consuming only around 400 a month. This is because as a consultant, it’s simply impossible to have everyone on my friends and family … whereas everyone has a mobile and so that’s easy to control.
Micromanaging my calling circle isn’t an option.
How is it NOT an option? It is really easy, and can be done from your phone….Not everybody has a mobile, and even the ones that do, dont make all their calls on it. And you paid overages? Verizon allows you to jump up to the next level plan, so it is nobodies fault but your own that you paid overages.
Verizon has already stated that they want to eventually eliminate 3G from their network. In that same token, there is no difference in unlimited plans for 3G/4G service.
VZ may be releasing the Bionic around the same time as this goes into effect, thinking people are waiting for the release of the most awaited phone and that’s where they’ll nab you. I honestly don’t think VZ wants to lose customers because of this new data plan so I feel confident they will compensate in some other way (like voiding the line charge or something), otherwise lots of people will jump ship and thats not what they want. No sense in getting in a tither about something thats not fact yet.
“What’s more, those same data plans should even live on through contract
renewals and upgrades for as long as you are a Verizon subscriber.”
Or until they decide to change the terms again.
As with any carrier….
This is not correct. I just got off the phone with a Verizon rep. I had sent an email to verizon yesterday asking if i could keep my unlimited plan indefinantly as long as i don’t upgrade and just buy phones at retail price. They said that regardless of how a new phone is bought upgrade or no upgrade getting a new phone on an unlimited plan will initiate a plan review where the capped plan will replace the unlimited plan. As to that i said that i will no longer by a Verizon customer very soon.
Qestion: So as long as I’m on contract I’m fine?sounds too good to be true and I get mylasst NE2 on 7/9/11 so if I upgrade after do I still get to keep my unlimited data? Also if phones on my exsisting plan want a smartphone at a later date will they have to get tiered data if they’re upgrading from a feature phone? Sorry just curious about my situation. I guess I will be on my mom and dad’s plan FOOR-EV-VER! (Squince voice from sandlot)
I am not an attorney, but when you change phones you have technically changed your contract. You will be at Verizon’s mercy to honor any old agreement.
Call, e-mail and let them know what your thinking good or bad, they will
lose market share as new and existing subscribers run to a different
carrier that are not as greedy.