Verizon Unlimited data users, next phone choice?

[PowerYoga]

Thinking next note whenever it comes out. Don't have a need to upgrade.

 

[bearxor]

^ what was the disaster with the GNex? Sales numbers? Timely updates?

Also, can I get details on how to keep the unlimited data? I can't just upgrade to another of their 2-year contract phones? If that's the case, I'm just going to keep my GNex as it still works perfectly fine. Not really a latest-and-greatest kind of guy, especially @ $500.

The Galaxy Nexus was just severely mishandled by Verizon. Verizon still demanded that Google preload some VZW apps (not that they couldn't be disabled/removed), they had to certify releases so they were delayed from regular Nexus releases and Verizon limited applications that could be installed from the Play Store (Google Wallet).

It just wasn't a real Nexus phone on Verizon. And I don't think Google is interested in building a Verizon-specific Nexus device again any time soon.

If you have unlimited data on Verizon, if you use a subsidized upgrade you will be forced to choose a new plan. Look at your usage. If you don't use more than 2-4GB of data, it could be the same price per month or maybe a little bit cheaper to move to a share everything plan, depending on your minute usage. You can get unlimited text/voice and 2gb of data for $100 a month. Even if you were on the most basic voice and texting plan with unlimited data that gave you 450 minutes you would still be at $90.

Every situation is different and everyone's usage varies. Make the best decision for you. I will say that if you are on the cheapest plan they used to offer and you decide to keep it and buy a new phone outright, like a SGS4, you'd pay $650. But, if you switched to the share anything plan and bought a SGS4 subsidized, the net cost would still be pretty high. $200 for the phone and $240 in the extra $10/mo in service. That's not much difference to keep the unlimited data.

But yeah, for used phones your choices are pretty limited. A SGS3, DNA, iPhone 4S and RAZR HD would keep you around the $300 range. A Lumia 928 would bump you in to $350-ish range. A Note 2 would put you at about $400.

If you have a GNex, nothing that really runs below $300 is worth upgrading to. Unless you want to switch to Windows Phone. You can get a Lumia 822 for under $200 and a HTC 8X for under $250, usually.

 

[vshah]

i would go for the htc one in a couple weeks.

 

[NutBucket]

Also, can I get details on how to keep the unlimited data? I can't just upgrade to another of their 2-year contract phones? If that's the case, I'm just going to keep my GNex as it still works perfectly fine. Not really a latest-and-greatest kind of guy, especially @ $500.

Basically you're never going to get another phone subsidy and keep unlimited data.

 

[notposting]

Used the upgrade on my wife's line about 2 months ago and upgraded to the Lumia 928. Love it, unlimited LTE is niiiiiice.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

The Galaxy Nexus was just severely mishandled by Verizon. Verizon still demanded that Google preload some VZW apps (not that they couldn't be disabled/removed), they had to certify releases so they were delayed from regular Nexus releases and Verizon limited applications that could be installed from the Play Store (Google Wallet).

It just wasn't a real Nexus phone on Verizon. And I don't think Google is interested in building a Verizon-specific Nexus device again any time soon.

If you have unlimited data on Verizon, if you use a subsidized upgrade you will be forced to choose a new plan. Look at your usage. If you don't use more than 2-4GB of data, it could be the same price per month or maybe a little bit cheaper to move to a share everything plan, depending on your minute usage. You can get unlimited text/voice and 2gb of data for $100 a month. Even if you were on the most basic voice and texting plan with unlimited data that gave you 450 minutes you would still be at $90.

Every situation is different and everyone's usage varies. Make the best decision for you. I will say that if you are on the cheapest plan they used to offer and you decide to keep it and buy a new phone outright, like a SGS4, you'd pay $650. But, if you switched to the share anything plan and bought a SGS4 subsidized, the net cost would still be pretty high. $200 for the phone and $240 in the extra $10/mo in service. That's not much difference to keep the unlimited data.

But yeah, for used phones your choices are pretty limited. A SGS3, DNA, iPhone 4S and RAZR HD would keep you around the $300 range. A Lumia 928 would bump you in to $350-ish range. A Note 2 would put you at about $400.

If you have a GNex, nothing that really runs below $300 is worth upgrading to. Unless you want to switch to Windows Phone. You can get a Lumia 822 for under $200 and a HTC 8X for under $250, usually.

None of that really bothered me with Verizon's GN. What killed it is the 2-3 hour battery life sometimes on an extended battery. Im pretty much plugged in all day.

The plan is also tying me down right now too. Im on a family plan with 700 minutes and we're hitting our cap every month. I use too much data to switch over. Really considering switching to Tmobile and selling off my unlimited plan.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Oops. Thought N4 was gonna come out for Verizon.

I'm on a rooted Galaxy Nexus and this may be the last real Nexus.

If the HTC One is the same price as an iPhone off contract, I'll have a hard time deciding.

Does anyone know if the One will get a slight upgrade before release?

 

[anxi80]

Hold out hope that something changes and they carry the next Nexus (ha!). Otherwise stick it out with my Gnex. I got in on the free extended battery deal from Sprint so that helps. CM 10.2 has my phone running nice again so there's real no big sense of urgency at the moment.

 

[Dumac]

My contract ends in a year, so we'll see where both the mobile providers and handset landscape is then.

If possible, I'd like to jump ship from Verizon to somewhere less stifling. Maybe T-Mobile or something.

It is either that or pay $600-700 for a good phone.

 

[rh71]

Basically you're never going to get another phone subsidy and keep unlimited data.

My wife has a dumbphone with no data and now considering an iphone5. I've had the unlimited data for myself on the same family plan, and since that's not available, I was hoping she'd be able to switch to a 2GB plan at whatever price. I guess that's not possible without me losing the unlimited since we have to go to the share everything together?

 

[bearxor]

My wife has a dumbphone with no data and now considering an iphone5. I've had the unlimited data for myself on the same family plan, and since that's not available, I was hoping she'd be able to switch to a 2GB plan at whatever price. I guess that's not possible without me losing the unlimited since we have to go to the share everything together?

You could only switch certain lines to the share everything.

 

[s44]

S4 dev edition

 

[Crono]

Oops. Thought N4 was gonna come out for Verizon.

I'm on a rooted Galaxy Nexus and this may be the last real Nexus.

If the HTC One is the same price as an iPhone off contract, I'll have a hard time deciding.

Does anyone know if the One will get a slight upgrade before release?

I think the One is supposed to get 4.2.2 soon, no idea when it will get 4.3. I'm on 4.2.2 using TrickDroid, and it's as stable and smooth as you can get. Same for 4.1.2 on stock before that. I'm not worried about updates and haven't been worried on Jellybean. There isn't the same reason for Android users to stress over updates as pre-Jellybean when both hardware and software were buggy and laggy as hell. It's still nice to get the latest updates, of course, but I'd expect the One to get up to 4.3 at the very least.

Go for the One. I'm fairly OS/ecosystem/platform agnostic, and just comparing as many phones as possible, the HTC One is easily the best. Android is more than smooth enough now to compete with the iPhone, and the ecosystem mature enough. Throw in all the hardware advantages (they even out-retina-ed Apple! ), the unique features like two awesome front-facing speakers and infrared remote built in (S4 has this as well), premium Apple-like build quality, and a host of camera features and low-light performance, and you have a clear winner.

The only big reason to get an iPhone is if you are tied to iOS specific apps for work or some other reason. Android is starting to command a lot more development simply because of market share. There are some smaller reasons to get Apple, like their support is pretty good, you don't have to worry about updates, they hold their value fairly predictably, iOS is still the most consistently smooth, FaceTime, etc., but none of those features are reason enough (in my opinion) to choose it over a high-end Android phone which has more features, is more open to customization, and very nearly as smooth.

Plus the new iOS 7 might get some nice animation/physics in the overhaul of the UI, but it still looks simultaneously ugly and stale right now, like it was designed by a clown. Apple has lost a bit of it's edge.

 

[podspi]

You could only switch certain lines to the share everything.

Unfortunately, I don't think this is true. I have a friend who went through the same thing (she used over 10gb a month on unlimited) -- called CS, went into a VZW owned retail location, etc. Everyone told her the same exact thing: If one phone has the share everything plan, it "infects" all the other lines.

 

[bearxor]

Well that sucks.

In that case, you could always open a second account under your wife's name or something.

 

[Crono]

Looks like 4.3 is out OTA for HTC One GPe and S4 GPe.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7199/...or-htc-one-and-galaxy-s4-google-play-editions

I expect custom ROMs with it shall follow in the next few days, and the carrier versions... well, who knows with them.

 

[notposting]

My wife has a dumbphone with no data and now considering an iphone5. I've had the unlimited data for myself on the same family plan, and since that's not available, I was hoping she'd be able to switch to a 2GB plan at whatever price. I guess that's not possible without me losing the unlimited since we have to go to the share everything together?

She will be able to add the $30 2GB plan, no problems.

Only switch to the Share Everything if the usage/cost equation would work in your favor.

edit: just did this with our America's Choice II family plan, used the upgrade on wife's line for Lumia, did the 2GB plan, activated the phone on her line first, then put her flip phone back on the line, and got a new SIM and had them activate that SIM for my line.

Still on our old plan, I have my grandfathered family plan, data, and text package.

Only thing I have left now is get the free SE SIM for NFC purchases from them, supposedly ISIS will roll out nationwide relatively soon. I would love me some magic phone purchasing ability.

 

[rh71]

don't want to hijack anymore but last question... I see t-mobile still has reasonable plans unlike vzw. They say my gnex is compatible with a $10 sim card switch. True? Bought from vzw store for $250 with 2yr contract... it's not locked? I assume their 4g lte is just as good.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

don't want to hijack anymore but last question... I see t-mobile still has reasonable plans unlike vzw. They say my gnex is compatible with a $10 sim card switch. True? Bought from vzw store for $250 with 2yr contract... it's not locked? I assume their 4g lte is just as good.

No Verizon Gnex never had a GSM band.

 

[bearxor]

As far as I'm aware, the Verizon Galaxy Nexus doesn't have any HSPA support. Only CDMA 850/1900 and LTE 700.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

i would get whatever you find at a good price on craigslist. even last generation phones like gs3 and droid razr hd are terrific phones and if you can get one for $200-250 then id get t

 

[sgrinavi]

Kinda interested in a W8 phone for my next go-around.

 

[Joe1987]

i would get whatever you find at a good price on craigslist. even last generation phones like gs3 and droid razr hd are terrific phones and if you can get one for $200-250 then id get t

This. shop craigslist at the end of the month, when $ for rent/bills is short, and you can get a great deal.

 

[bearxor]

Kinda interested in a W8 phone for my next go-around.

I think (really, really hope anyways) that WP8.1 will bring it.

 

[mastorpaz]

Same boat as OP, thinking maybe S4 or wait for droid maxx. HTC One looks nice, but non removable battery seems like a bad idea since on both OG droid and GNex after one year batteries really tanked for me. Any hints on what to keep an eye on if buying used? Not sure how activation works since its not just "stick the sim card in" like on GSM.