lost my Verizon Wireless unlimited but...

[sweenish]

PS yeah T-Mobile is great

Wife's sister and her husband just switched down here in Detroit Metro, because they had been annoyed by Verizon a while ago (and from my understanding, it was partially their own fault anyway) and they go to Europe a lot and Verizon phones just don't work over there rolleyes.

So they let the plan with unlimited data and $5 texting go and didn't bother to resell it to someone (shoot, he works as a software engineer at a pretty big internet/software/tech firm -- guarantee someone there would have taken it) so Verizon crosses another unlimited plan off the list.

Then they go to T-Mo, and lo, mysteriously calls start dropping when talking to them now. Of course, they don't even think to consider it could be their stellar new carrier

Nice anecdote.

My story is the opposite. Saving $50/month from Verizon, getting more than double the data, have the phone I wanted (Nexus 5 32 GB), faster speeds by a factor of 3, and have never dropped a call. I'm very much down with T-Mobile. Verizon is only an option when there are no other options.

Look, you must be absolutely wrong and I must be completely right because my anecdote says something different and is newer.

Never try and argue a point with a one-off story.

 

[bearxor]

No one's cell phone experience should be taken as absolute unless they live in the same area as you.

I wouldn't switch to TMobile right now because of the large pockets of EDGE. I can't even get HSPA+ in most of my home area. But that doesn't mean TMobile is bad, necessarily. I'm sure if I used my phone as a phone, TMo's 2G coverage would be just fine. If I lived closer to Charlotte, TMo would be more of an option.

Looking forward to see what the LTE map looks like at the end of 2014 though, with the promise to get 50% of it's EDGE network on LTE by EOY.

 

[rh71]

Ok I'm not going to be hating on someone who have thought it out and choose to be under contract because they think it's best for them, but really?

How bad is it in your area that the best coverage you get only gets you 1.5 Mbps on 4G LTE? That is absolutely terrible!

Have you tried AT&T on 4G LTE in your area recently or was that knowledge from a decade ago? Around the Midwest AT&T never got me less than 25-30 Mbps. Average is about 40 Mbps.

That's why someone told you to cancel your home internet, because unlimited on 4G LTE is usually as fast if not much faster than your home internet and you could just use that.

The 1.5Mbps was inside my house at my computer where I sit all day, at that specific moment. I just ran it again and got 11/5. That also goes to show you how volatile it can be. But I've never had a dropped call and VERY rarely do I not find a 4G signal around town. I am on a FB group for my town that has over 2400 members who discuss everything from best plumbers to best cell phone carriers. The consensus is that T-Mobile has no 4G signal in many places and AT&T is pretty much on par with them. Some ask if they should switch away from VZW for the good deals that T-Mo has these days and you can guess the overwhelming response to that.

Best coverage doesn't mean optimal speeds, just the best service that we have available to us.

 

[mnewsham]

The 1.5Mbps was inside my house at my computer where I sit all day, at that specific moment. I just ran it again and got 11/5. That also goes to show you how volatile it can be. But I've never had a dropped call and VERY rarely do I not find a 4G signal around town. I am on a FB group for my town that has over 2400 members who discuss everything from best plumbers to best cell phone carriers. The consensus is that T-Mobile has no 4G signal in many places and AT&T is pretty much on par with them. Some ask if they should switch away from VZW for the good deals that T-Mo has these days and you can guess the overwhelming response to that.

I'm on AT&T in DC (not quite long island but similar enough) and I regularly get 30-50Mbps download and 5-15Mbps upload. This is in my house, not particularly close to any cell tower, I have 3 bars out of 5.

I would be pissed if I was stuck on 3g speeds!

 

[cronos]

Well, it could have the best coverage to the places he travels. It could also, judging from the sound of his pricing, simply not be worth switching. Much the same way it simply isn't worth me switching from AT&T at the moment.

As for Verizon's LTE speeds, they are pretty bad now. In my home area, I only get 3-5Mbps on Verizon LTE. I don't get AT&T LTE there, but HSPA+ gives me 4-6Mbps. It's consistently ahead of Verizon's LTE. Except the upload speeds, which are usually <1Mbps on AT&T and around 3-4Mbps on Verizon LTE.

I definitely would not suggest anyone to switch *from* the carrier that gets them best coverage. Coverage should be number one priority.

The 1.5Mbps was inside my house at my computer where I sit all day, at that specific moment. I just ran it again and got 11/5. That also goes to show you how volatile it can be. But I've never had a dropped call and VERY rarely do I not find a 4G signal around town. I am on a FB group for my town that has over 2400 members who discuss everything from best plumbers to best cell phone carriers. The consensus is that T-Mobile has no 4G signal in many places and AT&T is pretty much on par with them. Some ask if they should switch away from VZW for the good deals that T-Mo has these days and you can guess the overwhelming response to that.

Best coverage doesn't mean optimal speeds, just the best service that we have available to us.

Got it. It is pretty terrible overall then. Like I said above, coverage should be your number one priority. There's no reason to switch if it gets you something worse.

I guess I'm pretty lucky that AT&T has a BTS in the building where I live. The damn thing is just 4 floor up from my apartment

 

[notposting]

My speedtests for cellular will vary widely on Verizon LTE. Comcast cable is more consistent, but can still vary. In all reality though, neither one ever really has any sort of practical problem.

I can remember dropping to 1X coverage (equivalent to EDGE I guess) and crawling on my old Droid. Hitting refresh hoping it might help. Same with home internet or dialup, or holding up your cell phone. Now I can just turn on tethering and our son can stream video on our tablet when we are on a roadtrip or if we have to bring him somewhere (doctor office or something). It's crazy.

 

[Insomniator]

6GB for 30 bucks on Verizon is not a bad deal contract or not. I get an employee discount + verizon is by. far. the best service in the area so I would never switch anyway.

That said, I'm still never going to give up unlimited. I got a used droid DNA for $250 last year... I'm sure I'll be able to find a GS4 or similar for the same price next year. I don't mind being a gen behind if I get unlimited 4G LTE anywhere I go.

Also, if I did give up and tie to a contract... I sure wouldn't pay $200 for a phone still. Shouldn't the Note be cheaper online?

 

[destrekor]

6GB for 30 bucks on Verizon is not a bad deal contract or not. I get an employee discount + verizon is by. far. the best service in the area so I would never switch anyway.

That said, I'm still never going to give up unlimited. I got a used droid DNA for $250 last year... I'm sure I'll be able to find a GS4 or similar for the same price next year. I don't mind being a gen behind if I get unlimited 4G LTE anywhere I go.

Also, if I did give up and tie to a contract... I sure wouldn't pay $200 for a phone still. Shouldn't the Note be cheaper online?

A chief reason the Moto X was so alluring to me - it wasn't asinine off-contract, is a terrific phone, and I got to keep my unlimited data.
I still run my Developer Edition on the stock ROM, but it is unlocked with a custom recovery and it rooted, so I can use the built-in tethering by removing Verizon from the process as well.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

you could have sold the unlimited contract to someone for a few hundred $, bought a new phone at full price, then moved to an MVNO. (mobile virtual network operator) such as Aiowireless.

http://www.aiowireless.com/shop/plans.html

Or any other MVNO that strikes your fancy and services your area.
Aiowireless uses AT&Ts network so you would just need to buy an AT&T phone. For $60 per month you get unlimited talk and text and 5GB of 4G data. $10 more for every GB extra. So $70 a month for your 6GB you are currently getting from verizon for I am assuming close to $100 or more.

I sold my contract for $300.

 

[rh71]

Shouldn't the Note be cheaper online?

Amazon has the $199 right now also for 2-year renewal, but I went to BB to actually see it before deciding. Luckily the chica there knew about the 6GB and informed me.

Swappa sells mint condition (not even new) for over $500. VZW's site is $299. Not sure what other reputable sources there are...

 

[lothar]

You traded your unlimited to Verizon for $200? That's crazy.

 

[MrSquished]

man i used to think i needed unlimited and wanted to hold onto it for dear life. but then i actually kept track of my mobile data usage. turns out between wifi at home, wifi at work and wifi hostpots through optimum online, i generally needed 2gb or so of mobile data. i pin my listened to google music to my phone via a playlist, use offline map caching, etc... and there you go. don't need even close to as much data as i had thought by just being ignorant.

it makes a lot of sense for some people to get rid of unlimited instead of holding onto it like some holy grail that can't be breached god forbid. folks, take a look at your actual usuage and then figure it out. don't just say the holy word unlimited and leave it at that.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

I used over 45 gb of unlimited LTE last month.

I stream my music and watch netflix at the gym while running.

I will never give up unlimited. I'm still on a GS3 and I'm shopping around to see what I want next. I'm thinking a used GS4 because of the existance of GPe Roms. I would try out an HTC one, but the removable battery/SD card of the GS4 is huge.

We've really reached the point of "good enough"

 

[openwheel]

Does that involve parking it on another line? I don't have another data line. Curious, but no big deal... to be honest I use less than 2GB a month anyway. I believe I also have 72 hours to undo this if I wanted.

No, no 2nd line needed. Straight upgrade with option to keep existing plan. Sorry.

This is my 2nd go around with Verizon unlimited data. The 1st time I sold it for $250 and went to StraightTalk because I never used over 2GB/month. Then I realized how stupid I was, and I got unlimited again, I am not giving it up until Verizon forces me to.

 

[rh71]

^ you didn't provide any details there and I know it wasn't possible "straight up" as I had asked and tried multiple sources. Some details would help.

You traded your unlimited to Verizon for $200? That's crazy.

No not just $200. If I buy a Note 3 for full price + tax and sell my unlimited plan for $150 (and the hassle of doing that), I'm still looking at paying $550-600 out of pocket. Instead I paid $200 out of pocket and still have never used any more than 3gb in a month. The thought of dropping to only 2gb allotted data for the $30/mo. was the big hindrance.

I started this thread so people like me who don't want to spend 500 for a new modern phone nor lose their ample data plan at the same time know that there is a 6gb plan out there without having to pay more a month. The only negative then is that we're signed on for 2 more years. No big deal to me or others who never plan on leaving VZW anyway.

 

[openwheel]

As I said, I upgraded straight up and kept my unlimited data. It is too late for you anyway since you lost unlimited data already.

I have purchased S4 fir $240, Note 3 for $360, G2 for $200 and iPhone 5 for $250 and all in perfect cosmetic and working condition. I wouldn't encourage any unlimited data user to give it up for Verizon's lame subsidies. Smart phones are fast depreciating products.

Essentially you traded unlimited data which is worth $200+ anyway for phone subsidy. A trade in favor of Verizon. I know you have good intention in mind but I have to disagree with you on the value you have gained for taking the 6gb plan. Your current usage may suggest only 3gb per month, but now you are bound to your limited usage pattern. I used to use only 200mb, now can use 5gb in one day. Unlimited data gives me real freedom to use the phone the way it was meant to be used.

 

[Zaap]

6GB a month is plenty for most mere-mortals who spend most of the time near wi-fi (work, home) or just don't download things constantly with their phone.

My wife and I both share 4GB a month and we hardly ever use that much data.

 

[sze5003]

On HTC website you can order an m8 check keep plan and upgrade, pay $199. Have phone shipped to you. Take the sim out when it gets to you and then turn it on, go to Verizon and ask for a nano sim. You will have unlimited still but contract gets extended 2 years.

 

[openwheel]

There you go, one of few ways to upgrade and keep unlimited

 

[sze5003]

There you go, one of few ways to upgrade and keep unlimited

You could also do it online at bestbuy's website but they patched it forcing you to select one of the new plans. HTC hasn't patched it yet so anyone wanting a new HTC one you can do that. I would buy one today but I need a root canal Monday so I hope they don't patch it by the time I'm able to get one.

 

[bearxor]

There you go, one of few ways to upgrade and keep unlimited

These are usually glitches that aren't always guaranteed. Got my mom a LG G2 on unlimited for $150 last year due to a glitch. The only guaranteed way I know of to get a smart device on subsidy would be to keep a dumb phone around to use your upgrades on.

 

[sze5003]

These are usually glitches that aren't always guaranteed. Got my mom a LG G2 on unlimited for $150 last year due to a glitch. The only guaranteed way I know of to get a smart device on subsidy would be to keep a dumb phone around to use your upgrades on.

Well some newer phones have the stuff programmed for the plan in the nano sims. As soon as you turn on the phone with the nano SIM inside your unlimited plan switches to the shared data plan model because you chose upgrade on the website and entered your phone number and account info.

As long as you have the phone shipped to you and don't turn it on when it gets there then that plan won't get activated unless the online website does that process when you order. This is assuming that you remove the sim first and go get a new one that matches your account from the store.

But I have heard of people getting glitches and losing unlimited data this way. There are few sites you can order and it doesn't ask about account info.

 

[cmdrdredd]

These are usually glitches that aren't always guaranteed. Got my mom a LG G2 on unlimited for $150 last year due to a glitch. The only guaranteed way I know of to get a smart device on subsidy would be to keep a dumb phone around to use your upgrades on.

I've heard that some people have lost unlimited as soon as they changed the device on whatever line they had unlimited on. I wonder if this is true cause I've upgraded my second line and swapped the numbers before in order to upgrade my phone to a GS3 and put the GNexus to my second line.

 

[sze5003]

I've heard that some people have lost unlimited as soon as they changed the device on whatever line they had unlimited on. I wonder if this is true cause I've upgraded my second line and swapped the numbers before in order to upgrade my phone to a GS3 and put the GNexus to my second line.

If you do it at the store yea you loose it unless you have two lines and the upgrade is on the second line, you can upgrade that second line and swap out the sim card from your phone that is on unlimited. To do this it's better to do it online than in store. Use the upgrade on the second line and just swap sims from your old phone.

I'm on month to month with Verizon now since contract has been over. I pay 83 bucks a month with a corporate discount, 450 min, unlimited text and data.

I want to get an m8 and replace my HTC one but I don't want to extend the contract two years with the HTC website trick I mentioned earlier. I mainly wait until I can snag a phone I want off contract from swappa for $300 or so, whatever it costs assuming it's quite new.

I use a lot of data in the car streaming music and at work since I won't trust my company's WiFi. Hell they monitor everything you do on the pc I'm not signing on to their free WiFi.

 

[openwheel]

The Best buy online upgrade had been working for couple years and the loop hole just got blocked few days ago. This kind of talk is sometimes forbidden on public forums though. I don't know about Anandtechs position on this

I have also seen reports that retention upgraded phones and kept customers unlimited data. There have been multiple ways to take phone subsidy without giving up unlimited.