Verizon users - smartphone fee?

[CurseTheSky]

Hi guys,

About a year ago, I got my Blackberry Tour for free when a friend upgraded and got a 2-for-1 deal. I'm actually not very impressed with the phone - it's not bad by any means, but it seems far too business oriented for my tastes. One of the things that bugs me the most is the $25-30 / month "Blackberry Email and Web" charge.

I've toyed with the idea of selling the phone and grabbing something like a Droid, Nexus 1, HTC Incredible, etc. Does Verizon charge a smartphone fee, similar to the Blackberry email and web fee, for every smartphone they offer? In short, and I still going to be paying an extra $30 a month if I buy an HTC Incredible?

Thanks.

 

[herkulease]

yes, they are all smart phones so it'll cost you 30 bucks per month on top of your voice plan.

 

[CurseTheSky]

Even with an unlimited data plan?

That blows.

 

[herkulease]

Even with an unlimited data plan?

That blows.

I don't remember the various unlimited plans verizon offers. I don't have an unlimited plan so I wouldn't know.

You have a blackberry now and you're paying for the 30 bucks for data already.

so nothing will change if you swap out the blackberry for a droid,n1, incredible or any other smart phone.

It sucks I know.

 

[tatteredpotato]

What I find more ridiculous is the $10 "Multimedia Phone" added to just about any half desirable phone they make, which includes just 25MB a month of data.

 

[shortylickens]

What I find more ridiculous is the $10 "Multimedia Phone" added to just about any half desirable phone they make, which includes just 25MB a month of data.

They got tired of people buying multimedia phones, not getting any data plan (which is stupid) using about 25 megs of data, then screaming at the Customer Rep for an extra hundred dollars on their phone bill which they could not comprehend.

 

[AstroManLuca]

They got tired of people buying multimedia phones, not getting any data plan, and not making any more money from them than they did from people who still had 3-year-old RAZRs.

Fixed.

Look, some people are stupid, and I can see why companies would want to require a data plan for smartphones that are based entirely around data use. But some of Verizon's so-called "3G multimedia" phones don't even have proper web browsers. The LG VX8360, for instance. It's just a standard flip phone. Why should that require data? Or the Samsung Alias 2.

I can understand with phones like the enV Touch or Samsung Rogue, I guess. Although $10/mo for 25 MB is pretty crappy.

 

[Anubis]

One of the driving factors for me to move to a full on smartphone was that 10$ BS charge i would have been hit with on my env2, i never used a single meg of data on it. With the discount i get from work im only paying 5$ more a month for a droid then i would have been paying if i kept my old phone.

Its really stupid, Its really hard to find a 1/2 decent phone now thats just a fucking phone. Some people don't need or want anything more then calls and voicemail, and every phone going to some sort of touch screen interface sucks as well. it hasn't happened yet but its getting close

 

[Anubis]

Even with an unlimited data plan?

That blows.

yes

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/splash/plansingleline.jsp
prob have to put your zip code in for that but its pretty straight forward

 

[AstroManLuca]

yes, they are all smart phones so it'll cost you 30 bucks per month on top of your voice plan.

Even with an unlimited data plan?

That blows.

Just to clear up any confusion, the $30/mo on top of the voice plan IS the unlimited data plan. All smartphones from Verizon (and practically all smartphones from every other carrier) require an unlimited data plan, which costs $30/mo regardless of what you do.

Anubis, as for "phones that are just phones," there are at least a few good ones from Verizon that don't require the extra $10/mo for data that you'll never use. The Samsung Intensity is a decent messaging phone and the Motorola W766 is pretty good too. Oh, and the W766 doesn't require a data plan despite being listed in the "3G Multimedia" section of their site. Also, all Verizon phones with push-to-talk are able to be used without the data plan.

 

[Anubis]

i know there are a few, its just annoying for those that dont need anything fancy like my mom who hasent upgraded her phone sine 2007 because she gets confused by all this shit

 

[AstroManLuca]

I know, it's complicated as hell and my parents are in the same situation. They're on phones that were free in 2007 and I honestly don't think there's anything that represents an improvement over what they have.

They're considering several ways of saving money, but they're all so complex that they just can't handle it. It's going to take a long session of sitting down with them and sketching it all out to figure it out.

 

[sswingle]

Even with an unlimited data plan?

That blows.

The 30 a month IS the unlimited data plan though....

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

You know why they tack on all these data plans now? Because people want free phones. Yet they want touchscreens, QWERTY keyboards, etc. The only way to make your phones free is to make you pay more per month. Thank goodness there exists a market for unlocked phones, and this may become a reality for VZW when LTE finally comes.

Stupid CDMA/GSM fiasco.

 

[AstroManLuca]

You know why they tack on all these data plans now? Because people want free phones. Yet they want touchscreens, QWERTY keyboards, etc. The only way to make your phones free is to make you pay more per month. Thank goodness there exists a market for unlocked phones, and this may become a reality for VZW when LTE finally comes.

Stupid CDMA/GSM fiasco.

Only problem is you can't opt out of those extra charges by declining a free phone. You could buy a Verizon Alias 2 without a contract used or new and Verizon would still require you to have the worthless data plan.

T-Mobile is the only carrier that gives you the choice. All the others will give you all the free phones you want but they keep piling on more and more required fees. These days it doesn't matter if you want a free phone or not, you may as well get one since it's the only bone they'll throw you.

 

[CurseTheSky]

....something tells me my girlfriend and I need to march down to Verizon to get our plan straightened out. She's "grandfathered" into an older family plan (Premium, or something like that) which specifically includes 700 minutes, unlimited text, and unlimited data for ~$110 / month. When I got the Blackberry, they said we needed to add the $30 / month for data, so we're paying $30 / month on top of that.

Ugh, looking at their plans though, it looks like the unlimited talk + text plan is $99 / month anyway, so even if we do fix the plan and get a lower rate, we'd be saving $10 / month at best. You have to pay to play, I guess.

Hmm, she also has a USB 3G modem with Verizon for $60 / month. With the way their smartphone data plan is worded (Feature, 3G Multimedia or 3G Smartphones), I wonder if we can get that cheaper.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Verizon used to have four tiers of family plans - Basic, Select, Connect, and Premium. Basic was just airtime minutes, Select had minutes + unlimited text, Connect had minutes + unlimited text + unlimited data, and Premium had VZ Navigator on top of all that.

Unfortunately, they have since switched to an a la carte plan structure, meaning the basic family plans either ship with just talk or talk + text, and each line has to get its own data plan. That means you're most likely paying more than you should - Select, Connect, and Premium plans were priced based on 2-5 lines, not 1.

Another thing is the new unlimited talk plans they are promoting now are only unlimited airtime minutes. Data is still $30/mo extra.

 

[sswingle]

....something tells me my girlfriend and I need to march down to Verizon to get our plan straightened out. She's "grandfathered" into an older family plan (Premium, or something like that) which specifically includes 700 minutes, unlimited text, and unlimited data for ~$110 / month. When I got the Blackberry, they said we needed to add the $30 / month for data, so we're paying $30 / month on top of that.

Ugh, looking at their plans though, it looks like the unlimited talk + text plan is $99 / month anyway, so even if we do fix the plan and get a lower rate, we'd be saving $10 / month at best. You have to pay to play, I guess.

Hmm, she also has a USB 3G modem with Verizon for $60 / month. With the way their smartphone data plan is worded (Feature, 3G Multimedia or 3G Smartphones), I wonder if we can get that cheaper.

The $30 rate is specifically for phones only. No way they are going to let you lower a modem to that rate.

 

[boomhower]

If you or your GF could live with a Pre they are now offering overdrive for free and you could drop the modem all together.

 

[CurseTheSky]

Ugh... $30 per phone? That's highway robbery.

So we'd be looking at $100 / month for 700 minutes + unlimited text (she insists on unlimited texts), $10 for the second line, and $30 for data on each phone... a grand total of $170. And that's without the modem.

 

[boomhower]

Ugh... $30 per phone? That's highway robbery.

So we'd be looking at $100 / month for 700 minutes + unlimited text (she insists on unlimited texts), $10 for the second line, and $30 for data on each phone... a grand total of $170. And that's without the modem.

Which is why I am with Sprint, $110 a month for the same service, except you get 1600 minutes and anymobile. Add a line $15.

 

[hanoverphist]

The $30 rate is specifically for phones only. No way they are going to let you lower a modem to that rate.

not only that, they will now charge you 30 extra to tether. so, if youre using it to tether with their software you will be charged 60 a month for the access to your laptop, just like it was the USB 3g modem.

 

[whoiswes]

Which is why I am with Sprint, $110 a month for the same service, except you get 1600 minutes and anymobile. Add a line $15.

THIS. Combine the Sprint 5 line consumer family plan with a 25% corporate discount (there are literally hundreds of discounts available) and I'm paying just under $30/line/month. This is with 1500 shared minutes, unlimited mobile-to-mobile (on any network) and unlimited data on all 5 lines.

Verizon and AT&T absolutely rape you...TMo isn't much better but at least they give you a few extra options. Sprint, for all their stupidity and bumbling, has provided us very good service (can't remember the last time I dropped a call, honestly) for a great price.

YMMV.

 

[sswingle]

not only that, they will now charge you 30 extra to tether. so, if youre using it to tether with their software you will be charged 60 a month for the access to your laptop, just like it was the USB 3g modem.

Plenty of tethering programs out there, this is a non issue.

 

[hanoverphist]

Plenty of tethering programs out there, this is a non issue.

its an issue if they discover youre tethering without paying :awe:

and ya, i know about the other progs, i have tested a few on my winmo phone.