Help a smartphone newb

[Linflas]

I have been with Verizon since 2003 and looking to replace my now ancient RAZR v3 with a smartphone. I have narrowed my choices down to either the Droid Bionic or the HTC Thunderbolt. The only change I plan on making to my plan is adding the $30.00 2GB a month required data plan. Am I correct in assuming that as long as I am around WIFI I can use that for all the phone's data functions and not really use the 2GB per month except when there is no WIFI available? I just want to make sure I understand how these work when it comes to the data plan part as I received some rather ominous messages about things like NationalAccess Roaming, Mobile Web for MB etc being disabled with my plan which from what I can tell have to do with Verizon's Mobile Broadband service and don't affect what I can do with the phone and a WIFI connection.

 

[AstroManLuca]

If you're on a WiFi connection, then none of the data you use will count against your 2 GB monthly allowance.

Regarding the NationalAccess Roaming thing, I think that's just referring to your ability to roam on other networks' towers for data within the US. As long as you stay inside the country, you can roam for free on compatible towers because Verizon has agreements (just like how Sprint users can roam on Verizon towers for free).

 

[zinfamous]

yeah, I just made the upgrade to a smartphone, too, and had the same questions.

I don't yet have a data plan, so I've been relying on Wifi when I have it (which is most everywhere for me) for internetting.

I would also suggest waiting until the end of October/November? for some of the supposed new phones coming out--I think Verizon is getting Nexus Prime? not sure...

but seeing as how they aren't getting the official Samsung GS2, it appears that they are getting an unofficial one with the same guts, + access to the only LTE network in the US....which should be really nice.

those that know what's going on will likely correct me if I am horribly wrong.

 

[s44]

I would also suggest waiting until the end of October/November? for some of the supposed new phones coming out

Absolutely not. Dude is on a RAZR. The Bionic is sci-fi stuff compared to that.

 

[zinfamous]

Absolutely not. Dude is on a RAZR. The Bionic is sci-fi stuff compared to that.

meh, so was I...well, not as old as Razr, but my 2 year-old Behold with barely functioning "music player" ability was nothing to praise.

going from that to SGSII like I did, is well...probably the same type of leap.

I don't see much of a reason to not go top shelf if you are willing and able.

 

[s44]

It's just that you're condemning him to two (or possibly more!) months with a RAZR. The difference between having a smartphone and not having one is bigger than the difference between any two models.

 

[Linflas]

meh, so was I...well, not as old as Razr, but my 2 year-old Behold with barely functioning "music player" ability was nothing to praise.

going from that to SGSII like I did, is well...probably the same type of leap.

I don't see much of a reason to not go top shelf if you are willing and able.

Honestly I thought about waiting but as others in other threads have pointed out there is always something better coming in just a couple months. Right now I can get $100.00 in addition to my upgrade pricing on a phone and that ends at the end of the month.

 

[zinfamous]

Honestly I thought about waiting but as others in other threads have pointed out there is always something better coming in just a couple months. Right now I can get $100.00 in addition to my upgrade pricing on a phone and that ends at the end of the month.

very true. You always have to weigh that.

here's what pushed the decision for me (you might want to consider it?)

--I got an offer for a Chase Freedom card at the same time--I usually toss these things out, however:

--$250 cash back with first purchase = win!
--1% on all purchases, 5% cash back quarterly with certain categories
--no annual fee
--0% interest for 12 months.

This ($250 free) allowed me to go with an unlocked high end, super awesome phone for a bit more than the subsidized price (~$100 more), but pick provider (*sort of...), and whatever non-contractual (cheaper) plan I want.

Win, and cheaper in the end.



*being in the USA, of course there is no real "choice" of provider, in the way that carriers "own" certain bands. My international SGS2 has full functionality only on ATT (3G+ bands are at 1900; with TMo, they are at 1700?). So, currently using my TMo SIM, the fastest I can have is Edge, though WiFi works perfectly fine (I sitll don't have a data plan, though I can alter mine for the exact same price I pay now--$44--and add in 200mb/month data...but that's still Edge)

And of course, this phone won't work with Sprint/Verizon. ...I don't think it will work with Sprint, right?

 

[Linflas]

That sounds like a deal but I don't want another CC, I have a good one from my Credit Union. I ended up getting the Droid Bionic, of course I am totally lost with it right now, can't wait to get home where I can really mess with it a bit. First chore is to figure out how to get my phonebook off my RAZR and on to the Droid. Then I have some pictures on there I need to finally figure out how to get off of it without paying Verizon a fee. I found some stuff to try after a search for that so should be easy enough to do.

 

[zinfamous]

hopefully, you can just transfer your contacts from your phone to storage, then transfer that to the internal phone memory on the Bionic.

Chances are, though, whatever snazzy contacts and phone book settings the Bionic has will not be implemented into your old phone book.

 

[Linflas]

hopefully, you can just transfer your contacts from your phone to storage, then transfer that to the internal phone memory on the Bionic.

Chances are, though, whatever snazzy contacts and phone book settings the Bionic has will not be implemented into your old phone book.

Well it was a lot more "fun" than I expected. It would have been a lot easier if I had backed them up with Verizon's backup app before the phone was deactivated. In the end though I got them all but for now the pictures are in limbo. I have to find an XP machine and use a bunch of old hack tools to break into my phone as Verizon locked away a lot of the RAZR's features that would allow me to just copy them off the device.