Question About Verizon Smartphone Data Plans

[MDE]

Verizon offers two choices for a smartphone data plan, "Email and Web for Smartphone" which is $30 a month, or the $45 "Unlimited Data Usage." What the heck is the difference?

 

[lokiju]

The $45 is meant for businesses.

According to statements released by Verizon the plans shouldn't differ as far as what you get.

Well I guess I stand corrected and that is complete shit.

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/181590/verizon_droid_tethering_will_cost_you.html

Guess I won't be getting a droid.

Well crap, I have no clue what's true anyone.

Such mixed info out there.

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/181590/verizon_droid_tethering_will_cost_you.html

 

[California Roll]

It's really pretty simple. It's $30 / month for a data plan. They put the 5gb cap in there so you don't tether and use your phone to download gigs of porn. It's impossible to use 5gb a month for browsing and emails (I've tried).

It's $15 extra a month to use an Exchange server. This does suck but only effects you if you use an Exchange server at work. This won't effect most, if not any, of the personal users.

If you want to tether your phone there is an additional cost which I can't remember right now.

 

[destrekor]

It's really pretty simple. It's $30 / month for a data plan. They put the 5gb cap in there so you don't tether and use your phone to download gigs of porn. It's impossible to use 5gb a month for browsing and emails (I've tried).

It's $15 extra a month to use an Exchange server. This does suck but only effects you if you use an Exchange server at work. This won't effect most, if not any, of the personal users.

If you want to tether your phone there is an additional cost which I can't remember right now.

negative.

It's free to use an Exchange server if you have a personal billing account, versus a corporate billing account. If you work for somewhere and use an Exchange server, but happen to be paying for the phone yourself with a personal bill, you get all the Exchange access you can handle included for $30/month.
The $45/month plan that specifically states it includes Exchange server access is directly aimed, and required, for business accounts, where the phone bill is picked up by the business.
Everything data related you want to do is included in the personal $30 package. Now, whether you have Exchange server access is a different situation, and if you are paying for your phone but have Exchange server access, feel free to use it.

Tethering, if using it officially, costs extra no matter what.
There are ways around it, such as creating a personal wi-fi router on your phone and using your phone's data connection. I don't know the details as I've never needed to do it, but have looked into it.

 

[KillerCharlie]

That doesn't seem right. The 450 minute plan is $40. How come that plus the data plan is $80, not $70?

 

[misle]

That doesn't seem right. The 450 minute plan is $40. How come that plus the data plan is $80, not $70?

I just got on Verizon's website and added 450 plan ($40) and data ($30) and it said monthly payment is....$70.

Of course, thanks to our wonderful government, there are tons of taxes added on to that as well.

 

[KillerCharlie]

I just got on Verizon's website and added 450 plan ($40) and data ($30) and it said monthly payment is....$70.

Of course, thanks to our wonderful government, there are tons of taxes added on to that as well.

Wow, this is very interesting. When you are on the "select a plan" page you cannot select voice and data plans separately. There is only a a 450 minutes + email and web for $80. However, if you just select the $40 voice plan and hit okay, then you have the option of adding the data plan on the next screen - for $30. Are there any differences between these (besides $10/month)? I don't see any.

$70/mo plus a 25% discount through work makes this very appealing.


edit:
I looked up what it says for adding the plans the two different ways:

VOICE:
* Unlimited Calling to all Verizon Wireless Customers
* Unlimited Night & Weekend Minutes
* No Domestic Long Distance Charges
* Data sent or received (incl. Mobile Web advertising) is $1.99/MB. Learn More
* Access to Mobile Web
DATA:
* Access up to ten POP3 and IMAP email accounts, including Yahoo!® Mail, AOL® Mail, Windows Live® Hotmail®, and Verizon.net.
* Easy email account setup.
* Unlimited Web Browsing
* Voice Usage: Per your voice calling plan.


VOICE+DATA:
* Allowance of Voice Minutes
* Data usage from within the National Enhanced Services and the Extended National Enhanced Services Rate and Coverage Areas
* Data Access for Email
* Unlimited Calling to all Verizon Wireless Customers
* Unlimited Night & Weekend Minutes
* No Domestic Long Distance Charges


They don't say the exact same thing, but they should be the same, right?

 

[KillerCharlie]

Does anyone understand their data plans? I'm still not getting this. Say I want 450 voice minutes and a data plan (for a Droid) and no texts. Like I said above, there are two ways to do this. What gives?

Edit: I posted here: http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?p=13202438#post13202438