Verizon Wireless Requires Data Plans For More Phones; Drops Price Of Unlimited Plans
Verizon Wireless has revamped its voice and data service pricing today with the big moves focused around dropping the price of its unlimited voice plans, and requiring a data plan for more of its devices. Existing customers won’t be affected by the changes, however, if they want one of the new offers, they may sign-up for it without having to extend their contract. Release.
The big changes:
– All so-called “3G Multimedia phones” will be required to have a 25 megabyte data package for $10 a month. (includes E-mail, games and the Internet for devices like the LG (SEO: 066570) Chocolate Touch, LG enV3, LG VX8360, Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Entice and the Nokia (NYSE: NOK) 7705 Twist.
– More basic phones that aren’t using 3G will continue paying $1.99 a megabyte or choose either the $9.99 or $29.99 data packages. Or if a consumer — and non-enterprise user — has a BlackBerry, Windows Mobile or Android phone, prices will remain at $30 a month.
– Verizon’s new Nationwide Unlimited Talk plan that now costs $70 a month, or $90 a month if you also want unlimited text, picture and video messages.
– Prepaid plans will cost just $5 more a month for the same postpaid offerings.
Stacey Higginbotham at GigaOm reports that the service plan changes are part of a goal to get people hooked on data before Verizon’s 4G network roll-out. In addition, the carrier also said it plans to reduce the number of devices it sells to 50 from more than 80 today, and to further reduce that number as time goes on.
The new unlimited plan will likely save people money who were previously signed-up for a $100 plan that did not include any text messaging. Now they can have both for $90 a month. Of course, all of these prices are before taxes and fees, so expect the really monthly cost to be moderately higher.
My prepaid provider gives me unlimited talk, texts and data for only $45 per month, who would want a contract when you can get prices like that from Straight Talk. They have cool phones as well, they range from $30 to $329 for the touchscreen Finesse and include qwerty phones and flip phones. Straight Talk is on Verizon’s network nationwide so their is no need to take out a Verizon contract.
I am so tired of all these optional features being required by cell phone companies. If I don’t want to get on the net with my phone, but need a QWERTY for texting, I should not have to pay for it! If others agree with me and Verizon has a hard time keeping customers, I will be glad. I am about to switch to Sprint, whose prices are not as high and if you do decide to pay for data, you get everything included. GPS, TV, Music, free calling to ALL cell phones in any carrier, all included. Plus, they already have 4G.
So my 2-year thing was up and I broke my phone. I wanted to buy a decent phone by LG. Little did I know that a data package was required and was something I did not want or need. So I asked which phones it was not required on, and I was not satisfied with any of those phones. They were all ugly and not very sophisticated looking. I knew I would not be happy with them. So I here I was, stuck.
BUT we finally found a corporate verizon store and they had some old EnV2 phones they were trying to sell. So I got one for $20 and it did not require the data package.
Moral of the story: See if they have old phones they want to sell or you can buy a new older phone model and bring it in. Unfortunately they will be running out of these pretty quickly in the stores and anywhere else the phones will cost more. So…
I went in to the Verizon store on January 11 to upgrade and sign a new contract. I specifically told the salesperson that I wanted a voice and text plan – no data. Yesterday I got my bill with the new “required” data plan. After 3 calls to 611 and two trips back to the store I was able to get it removed (actually the manager of the store was able to get it removed after I told him that his saleperson had misrepresented the phone to me and that I was about to call an attorney). In two days Verizon has managed to lower my opinion of them to the point where I can no longer recommend them despite their network coverage.
Yes, very annoying changes on Verizon. Today I went to get a new phone (w/ 2 year contract renewal) and there were a whole lot less nice phones to choose from than before. I can’t afford adding the data, really. Long term, I will definitely be looking into getting out of Verizon all together and into a network that gives me more control over what I actually buy. The “required data” give you less flexibility for a nice phone. For anything PDA/phone like you are locked into an extra $30/month or $720/two year contract. NOT COOL.
Yeah I think it totally sucks. Yet another example of a corporation scewing it’s customers once it gets cocky. In two months when my contract is up l will take my family plan and five lines to another provider.
My girlfriend recently broke the lcd screen on her EnV2 phone. She can get the “new every two” upgrade this week – so we decided to look at VZW phones over the weekend. Much to our dismay, only a small number of very basic phones are available without the required data package. Even if she were to replace her current phone with the newer EnV3, it would cost her an extra $240 over the contract term for a service she doesn’t use. That’s an increase of 25% on her bill! If she keeps the current plan, she will end up with an inferior phone – so it makes no sense to “upgrade” here (I am in the same boat with the Dare). We have started looking for different carriers with more competitive pricing, despite being happy with our service over the years.
I would think Verizon would rethink their ‘data’ plans for almost every phone they offer. Once they loose a customer, they are usually gone for good. It isn’t just about an extra ten bucks, it’s the principle. If you don’t need/use it why be forced to add it to your plan? I am way past my “upgrade” point and have been waiting to see if they change this stupid requirement. If not, I can go elsewhere.
It IS really nice to know I am not ‘owned’ by Verizon for a specific amount of time.
I AM FREE…………….can buy any phone anywhere with any plan – or not.
How did we allow all the phone companies to own us in the first place????????????????????