Verizon's upcoming tiered data plans are forcing my hand. The leap into a smartphone.

[boozie]

I'm thinking of doing this as well. Bring Verizon-compatible hardware to a Verizon store, open a new account (with data), and make sure that the rep notes on your account that you'll be using your 2-year contract discount on another phone in the future. As far as I can tell, it's allowed by Verizon.

http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php/1347618-new-contract-now-discounted-phone-later

That thread is from 2008. I am looking into this exact same thing because the current 4G phones are underwhelming. I called the store and talked to a rep and she told me she didn't know and that they haven't been trained on it yet. Maybe she was just covering her butt. My situation is slightly crappier because I will have to buy a used smartphone and bring it into the sore by July 7th to lock in. Probably will just hit up craigslist since I can't risk getting screwed on shipping.

Or I'll just get a crappy 4G phone and be done with it.

 

[de8212]

I'm thinking of doing this as well. Bring Verizon-compatible hardware to a Verizon store, open a new account (with data), and make sure that the rep notes on your account that you'll be using your 2-year contract discount on another phone in the future. As far as I can tell, it's allowed by Verizon.

http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php/1347618-new-contract-now-discounted-phone-later

That would be great if it's doable. i can get an older verizon phone to use until Bionic or whatever else is around the corner.

 

[de8212]

Can I activate an account and get the data plan if I have a phone that's not a "smart" phone?

 

[Tristicus]

Can I activate an account and get the data plan if I have a phone that's not a "smart" phone?

My Voyager Titanium was not a "smart phone" and I had data on it.

My chat with a Verizon rep:

Beverly: Hello. Thank you for visiting our chat service. May I help you with your order today?

Tristan: I had a few questions about changing plans and upgrading my phone.

Beverly: I'd be happy to assist you.

Tristan: I'm currently on a family plan, and want to switch over to my own plan with my own monthly bill. I was wondering if charges would incur to drop me and add me to my own plan?

Beverly: You can start your own account, but to do it online, you will have to choose your plan, phone, features, accessories, and then continue to checkout. You will need a temporary new number for the order process.

Beverly: You can replace the new number with your existing number once you have activated the phone by calling customer care at 1-800-922-0204.

Tristan: So would I be able to leave my family plan I have now, and switch over to a new plan, free of charge?

Tristan: The family plan would still have two other lines on it, just not mine.

Beverly: Right. There is no charge for you to move from their account to your own.

Tristan: Awesome! And I would be able to keep my same number, correct?

Beverly: Yes, but you will have to choose a temporary new number with the order process online at this time. You can replace the new number with your existing number once the phone is activated by calling customer care.

Tristan: Okay. I would probably do this at a store locally. Would the same process apply?

Beverly: The store phone prices will be much higher than those you see listed online. The stores have mail in rebates you have to deal with.

Beverly: It could take about 6 to 8 weeks to get a mail in rebate back.

Beverly: Online has instant discount prices.

Tristan: Oh okay.

Beverly: So, you do not have to wait for a mail in rebate when you order online.

Beverly: Do you have a phone choice in mind for your order already?

Tristan: I really want to get the Samsung Galaxy S 2. Currently I have the Fascinate, the Galaxy S 1, so I was wondering if I could use that initially on the plan, then switch over to the GS2 when it launches with my "2 year upgrade"?

Beverly: You would only be able to order from the choices we have available at this time. You will have 14 days to do an exchange, if a new release phone becomes available.

Tristan: So could I use my current phone for the time being and upgrade when the Galaxy S 2 comes out?

Beverly: Sure, but you would have to do so at the local store or customer care at 1-800-922-0204 can setup the account with your own device. When you order online, you have to choose a new or preowned device to setup an account.

Tristan: Oh I understand. I would love to get a new phone right off the bat, and I've been looking at a few like the Droid X2, but I really want to wait for the Galaxy S 2.

Beverly: I can understand that. You are welcome to check back with us if we have any new releases. We will be glad to help you with ordering. Does this information help you with how your account setup will work?

Tristan: Absolutely. You've been very helpful. Thank you.

Beverly: My pleasure!!!!!!!

Beverly: Glad I could help!

Beverly: Do you have any other questions for me?

Tristan: Nope, that is all. I appreciate your help.

So what I'm going to do is get a new plan, then upgrade when the GS2 comes out.

 

[davestar]

Tristan: I really want to get the Samsung Galaxy S 2. Currently I have the Fascinate, the Galaxy S 1, so I was wondering if I could use that initially on the plan, then switch over to the GS2 when it launches with my "2 year upgrade"?

Beverly: You would only be able to order from the choices we have available at this time. You will have 14 days to do an exchange, if a new release phone becomes available.

Tristan: So could I use my current phone for the time being and upgrade when the Galaxy S 2 comes out?

Beverly: Sure, but you would have to do so at the local store or customer care at 1-800-922-0204 can setup the account with your own device. When you order online, you have to choose a new or preowned device to setup an account.

unless i'm missing something, your exchange with the verizon rep (particularly the bolded part) doesn't inspire me with confidence that you'll be able to use the 2-year upgrade discount later.

 

[Tristicus]

unless i'm missing something, your exchange with the verizon rep (particularly the bolded part) doesn't inspire me with confidence that you'll be able to use the 2-year upgrade discount later.

"So I can use my phone until -"

"Sure, at the store"

She was saying you couldn't do it online.

 

[the DRIZZLE]

Is it really worth paying $30/month for a feature you're not going to use just to get a slightly better phone? Just get a smart phone now.

 

[Tristicus]

Is it really worth paying $30/month for a feature you're not going to use just to get a slightly better phone? Just get a smart phone now.

Um, the Galaxy S 2 blows everything out of the water that is currently on the market from what I've seen. Slightly better is a massive understatement.

 

[davestar]

ooooh, sounds like if you come to verizon with a compatible phone as a new customer, you can start a month-to-month plan, get grandfathered in for unlimited data, and then sign up for a 2-year plan and get a phone discount when the good LTE phones come out later this year:

http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php/1721887-Can-You-Be-Grandfathered-On-A-Non-Contract-Phone

 

[the DRIZZLE]

Um, the Galaxy S 2 blows everything out of the water that is currently on the market from what I've seen. Slightly better is a massive understatement.

How much faster is it in % terms? It's not even going to have LTE.

 

[Tristicus]

How much faster is it in % terms? It's not even going to have LTE.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdy-3ci7eVY
% I have no idea. The only LTE area (if it even has it) is an hour from me and I'm rarely there. Dgaf about it right now.

 

[the DRIZZLE]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdy-3ci7eVY
% I have no idea. The only LTE area (if it even has it) is an hour from me and I'm rarely there. Dgaf about it right now.

I'm not going to watch a 20 minute video about the difference between sense and blur. My point is in day to day use I don't think you notice enough difference to warrant $30 for an indefinite amount of time. Even if you weren't paying the $30 I think the benefit of having a smart phone for the next few months outweighs the marginal improvement between two phones.

For people that already have a smart phone, the cost/benefit analysis is different.

 

[Tristicus]

I'm not going to watch a 20 minute video about the difference between sense and blur. My point is in day to day use I don't think you notice enough difference to warrant $30 for an indefinite amount of time. Even if you weren't paying the $30 I think the benefit of having a smart phone for the next few months outweighs the marginal improvement between two phones.

For people that already have a smart phone, the cost/benefit analysis is different.

I have a Fascinate, I'd be using that until I upgrade to the GS2. So that doesn't apply to me. Since it is already out elsewhere, I'd assume it'll drop here fairly soon.

 

[anxi80]

However, if you are currently using a basic (feature) phone with an unlimited plan and you upgrade to a new Smartphone, you will be required to move to one of the new usage based data plans.

link

 

[the DRIZZLE]

I have a Fascinate, I'd be using that until I upgrade to the GS2. So that doesn't apply to me. Since it is already out elsewhere, I'd assume it'll drop here fairly soon.

Yeah that makes sense then.

 

[bearxor]

I'm going to throw 2 cents in here.

First off, if you've never had a smart phone you shouldn't be fretting too much. The VAST majority of people don't use over 500MB. Don't let the audience here skew you. I consider myself a petty heavy data user and unless I go wild (and I mean crazy wild) streaming SiriusXM or Netflix, I stay under 1GB.

My advice would be to not worry too much about the data usage. I think overages are like $10/GB which isn't INSANE.

Secondly, and I know I'm going to get some people up in arms with this, just get an iPhone. It's just about the best all-around good phone and makes an AMAZING introduction to people from feature phones without making you feel overwhelmed like Android phones will tend to do. Use it out for a couple of years and you'll have so much of a better idea of what you'll want in your next smartphone and you'll feel like a much more informed person when you go shopping for it.

Playing with a phone for an hour in the store can not even begin to help you understand how a phone and it's features incorporate themselves in to your daily life.

So my advice would be to wait for an iPhone 5 launch and not even worry about data plan pricing at this point.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Streaming Sirius and pandora while your driving is so crazy...

 

[bearxor]

Streaming Sirius and pandora while your driving is so crazy...

I know you're being sarcastic, but I stream SiriusXM EVERY WEEKDAY to/from work (about 1h15m total) along with my other regular usage and have yet to go over 2GB on a normal month. My wife has a speaker dock at her desk at work and streams Sirius 4-6 hours per weekday (varies). She doesn't go over 1GB on average.

Even when I was streaming Netflix during the same trip (re"watched" all of BSG that way!) I didn't go over 4.

Although I will say that the refurbished SkyDock that Sirius has on it's site right now for $80 is tempting. That would you get you all of the satellite channels. The only thing kind of holding me back is that the SkyDock app doesn't look like its being kept up to date from the looks of the reviews.

 

[Zen0]

I'm a long-time verizon wireless customer who's put off upgrading his phone for ~6 years now.

I've never had a smart phone.

Verizon just recently announced that if you want to get grandfathered in to the unlimited data and avoid tier pricing you have to get in before July 7th.

So it seems I have to look at getting a smartphone now.

What i'd most likely use it for:

- A phone.
- I don't text very often..
- A camera/video camera for convenience - this would be fairly nice to have.
- video-- if it's possible to use my netflix subscription to watch stuff while I was on the bus.
- email checking

Things I'm not 100% clear on:

- I have a wireless network at home and at work, does this mean I'd only need to use 3g or 4g data pipes when I'm not somewhere there is an existing accessable wireless network?

- It looks like only one of the 4g phones has a netflix app (is it really that limited by device? do any 3g verizon phones allow netflix access?)

- Is the speed difference between 3g and 4g great enough that I'd want to choose between one of the three 4g phones available now? Or would I be happy enough with 3g to do things like watch netflix on the bus.

- If I do have a 4g plan, I'd use the 3g network when the 4g isn't available depending on where I am, right?

- Coincidently it looks like a droid3 is releasing on July 7th, I wonder if they'd let you use the old dataplan if swapping over.

- I guess one option is to just get a very cheap smartphone, upgrade to data before july 7th and use my 2 yearupgrade on a newer phone after that date. Is this possible?

You could have had free phone service for the last 6 years if you just used your upgrades and sold the phones and used your old phone.

 

[SparksIT]

Any word of whether you will be able to keep your unlimited data plan going from a 3G only phone to a 4G phone after the 7th of July?

I have an HTC Incredible, and my eligible upgrade date is June 30, 2011, and I'm not really looking to upgrade to any of the current 4G phones, none really impressed with any of them, but I don't want to lose my unlimited data plan.

Also where are going to chat with a Verizon Rep? I don't see the option on the Verizon webpage.