Verizon killing unlimited data plans plus iPhone 5 news and more LTE cities

[zerocool84]

Verizon's been telegraphing its intent to drop unlimited data plans for nearly a year, and despite the fact that LTE smartphones launched with all-you-can-eat options, those plans haven't changed one bit. Reuters reports that Verizon will finally nix the megabyte buffet this summer, replacing it with a fully tiered data pricing scheme, though CFO Fran Shammo also floated the idea that tiered data could open up an avenue for family data plans. We've never really enjoyed sharing minutes, so we doubt counting our kilobytes will be much fun, but we suppose there's always room for Verizon to pleasantly surprise us with a really low price for mobile web browsing. Right? By the by, Fran also reiterated claims that the next iPhone will be a global device, and said that when it launches on AT&T, it'll hit Verizon stores at the very same time.

We knew the data plans were going tiered since AT&T already did that and whatever one of the big two does the other always follows and everyone was wondering if Verizon was getting the iPhone 5 at the same time as AT&T and looks like it is, plus it'll be a world phone which is always awesome.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/19/verizon-finally-killing-unlimited-data-plans-this-summer/

Verizon Wireless customers will be able to jet on to the LTE network in nine new cities, taking advantage of lightening-fast speeds on their HTC Thunderbolts and 4G mobile hotspots. The expansion includes Mobile and Montgomery (AL); Greater Fairfield and New Haven (CT); Gainesville, Pensacola, and Tallahassee (FL); Fayetteville-Lumberton (NC); and Bryan-College Station and Temple-Killeen (TX). We also have access in Albany, though VZW has yet to confirm launching LTE in New York's capital city. The carrier has also expanded coverage in Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, New Orleans, and Philadelphia, so if you haven't been able to connect in the past, dust off that enable-4G button and give it another shot. This week's additions bring the list of LTE cities to 55, so we're just over the 35 percent mark towards the carrier's goal of 147 cities by year's end.

More LTE goodness.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/19/verizon-adds-4g-lte-to-nine-more-cities-expands-coverage-in-chi/

 

[RockinZ28]

Was Verizon ever really unlimited? Everything I read said unlimited *up to 5GB*. Was that just on the 3G? Was 4G truly unlimited?

Disappointing nonetheless, not eligible for an upgrade until January and was planning on going with the latest and greatest 4G phone. Calculated mlb.tv uses 1.8GB/hr. So just watching one game alone would already put me over 5GB.

Doesn't seem like the extra speed will be worth the money if Verizon's caps are as weaksauce as AT&T.

 

[Ns1]

you can pry my unlimited data from my cold dead hands

<---grandfathered ATT

 

[Anubis]

hurry for going backwards more speed that you cant even use

 

[RockinZ28]

Any insight as to if I have the "unlimited" currently with 3G, if it's possible when I renew my contract and get 4G, it will still be unlimited?

 

[foghorn67]

I hope the top tier is 5GB. The 2 GB limit on at&t is really weak. I blow through 3 GB easily.

sent from the future using Tapatalk

 

[destrekor]

Was Verizon ever really unlimited? Everything I read said unlimited *up to 5GB*. Was that just on the 3G? Was 4G truly unlimited?

Disappointing nonetheless, not eligible for an upgrade until January and was planning on going with the latest and greatest 4G phone. Calculated mlb.tv uses 1.8GB/hr. So just watching one game alone would already put me over 5GB.

Doesn't seem like the extra speed will be worth the money if Verizon's caps are as weaksauce as AT&T.

Yes it was truly unlimited, provided to stuck to the ToS... which means using the data only as they allow, which for the regular data plan is fairly open, basically tethering without paying them to do so is the main thing they look for. If you go over 5gb and you are tethering, they'll investigate and correctly determine you tethered. If you go over 5gb and didn't tether, they'll likely investigate but not find the evidence they are looking for, and most likely will never say anything to you.

And if you do pay for tethering, you are only permitted 5gb of data through tethering - but I think data through the phone itself remains unlimited.

 

[cheezy321]

I hope the top tier is 5GB. The 2 GB limit on at&t is really weak. I blow through 3 GB easily.

sent from the future using Tapatalk

My regular use is about 1.5 - 2 GB's. It all depends on how much I listen to Pandora that month.

With that being said, I am planning a switch to Verizon once my AT&T contract is over. I hope they put the cap at 5 GBs. I am pretty resigned to the fact that I will never have truly unlimited internet thru my phone. Frown town.

 

[gsaldivar]

I suppose this was inevitable with the amount of people trying to make their tethered smartphone their primary home internet connection...

 

[Fingolfin269]

I'd love to see a global iPhone on VZW this year. It would actually make me consider picking one up.

 

[Slick5150]

I'm on Sprint. Your capped data plans amuse me.

 

[Fingolfin269]

I'm on Sprint. Your capped data plans amuse me.

I'm on Sprint. I've never come close to any point of usage that would make me even notice.

 

[s44]

Any insight as to if I have the "unlimited" currently with 3G, if it's possible when I renew my contract and get 4G, it will still be unlimited?

Sure, if you renew for a Thunderbolt/Charge/Revolution before this hits.

Otherwise, of course not! That's the whole point of this exercise.

 

[OS]

i am on a 1 year vzw contract, i supposed that one went the way of the dinosaur

 

[Anubis]

I suppose this was inevitable with the amount of people trying to make their tethered smartphone their primary home internet connection...

you really think the number is that high?

 

[RockinZ28]

Sure, if you renew for a Thunderbolt/Charge/Revolution before this hits.

Otherwise, of course not! That's the whole point of this exercise.

Oh snap, think I just found a way to upgrade early at discounted price. So the HTC Thunderbolt, best Verizon phone with 4G currently? Anything new on the immediate horizon, as in before the unlimited data ceases to exist lol?

 

[boomhower]

Oh snap, think I just found a way to upgrade early at discounted price. So the HTC Thunderbolt, best Verizon phone with 4G currently? Anything new on the immediate horizon, as in before the unlimited data ceases to exist lol?

Toss up between it and the Charge. The Charge seems to have better battery life.

 

[RockinZ28]

Toss up between it and the Charge. The Charge seems to have better battery life.

Hmm, on May 26th LG releases the Revolution.

My main concern is being able to root the phone and use wifi tether for my Asus Transformer though.

 

[Red Storm]

And this is precisely why I got the Droid Charge (and unlimited 4G/data) earlier this week.

 

[dingster1]

Decisions decisions...I'm up for upgrade in August... do I wait or do it now???Currently on a Fascinate, son has a BB, he's getting kicked off to VM and my mom on an old flipper....What to do what to do??

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Hmmm, guess it's time to settle on the Charge, TB, or Revolution and lock in on unlimited 4G soon.

While I strongly dislike the TB battery life, rootable and custom ROM is a huge thing for me. AFAIK, the Charge doesn't have that ability (also the plastic is meh, metal frame>plastic frame). I don't know if LG is usually rootable and custom rom capable.

 

[Kabob]

This greatly upsets me. Although if the cap is high enough that I won't notice, I suppose it's alright, but I still think it's ridiculous. Seriously, if Sprint does get the iPhone (as that other post speculated) I'm switching day 1.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Edit: This is from my friend's Facebook. I believe he uses a iPhone 3GS.

 

[Red Storm]

Hmmm, guess it's time to settle on the Charge, TB, or Revolution and lock in on unlimited 4G soon.

While I strongly dislike the TB battery life, rootable and custom ROM is a huge thing for me. AFAIK, the Charge doesn't have that ability (also the plastic is meh, metal frame>plastic frame). I don't know if LG is usually rootable and custom rom capable.

The Charge can be rooted, but there's no ROMs yet since it's just been released.

I definitely agree on the metal > plastic, but the upside is you have a much lighter phone. The screen is better, and the battery life is better.

 

[s44]

While I strongly dislike the TB battery life, rootable and custom ROM is a huge thing for me. AFAIK, the Charge doesn't have that ability (also the plastic is meh, metal frame>plastic frame). I don't know if LG is usually rootable and custom rom capable.

You have it backwards. The TB is rootable only because of sheer luck in the devs' stumbling across a method quickly. (The Inc S/2 still hasn't been perma-rooted.) No Samsung has a locked bootloader or system partition, so they're completely customizable out of the box. Obviously Thunderbolt development has rather a head start.

The Charge also has a better battery, screen (much better), and camera. Only downside is the slow stock filesystem, but if you're customizing any Voodoo kernel will fix that. I'd guess about a week until these are released.

Might as well wait for the Revolution, though. The LG radio might do even better for battery.

edit: TB is also cheaper, but with Amazon offering the Charge for $200 on renewal, not by that much