Verizon's not known for simplicity when it comes to plan selection (actually, most carriers aren't) -- currently, individuals can choose from Basic, Select, Connect, and Premium plans in a variety of voice bucket sizes, each featuring different text message and data allowances. It looks like that's about to change, though, on leaked slides showing that the current postpaid individual plan structure will be completely wiped out and replaced with just six options on the 18th of this month, down from 16 prior. Overall, the move is a trade-off -- unlimited voice pricing will come down a whopping 30 percent, while
data packages will now be required on all but the most basic handsets. Comparing all-you-can-eat packages from all the major carriers, this slots Verizon $10 below AT&T but still well above Sprint and T-Mobile, same as always. Prepaid is getting tweaked, too, with all postpaid plans magically turning into prepaid for $5 more per month minus Friends & Family numbers. It's a thorough restructuring from a company that doesn't move very fast or very often, and it'll be interesting to see if (and how) the other guys respond.
posted January 14th 2010 7:28PM
@fatslug
This is fraking stupid. I have wifi access most of the times. Stupid basterds trying to rake more money from everyone. And they advertise as if they are saving customers money. I have a $70 family plan (2 lines) with att. I don't see any difference in the price for the cheaper end.
@jmk443
But we like the device consolidation that a smartphone brought. You want we should have to go back to carrying two devices? I don't get this intolerance for people who simply want a converged PDA-phone and who don't appreciate being forced to pay $30/mo. for the privilege. That's so hard to understand?
Bye bye, Verizon, my carrier for seven years.
If you don't want to pay for a data plan, buy an (non-carrier branded) unlocked smartphone on a GSM carrier straight from the manufactuer's website/distributor. Its as simple as that.
Didn't realize this news wasn't out yet. I was up for a replacement but couldn't afford 30 bucks a month extra for a smartphone, so I went for the env touch. (meh).
..Anyways I was told the env touch required a 9.99 /mo data plan. I was cool with that, so I went ahead and got it.
only problem: the Verizon employee told me it was an unlimited data plan. I'm at 24.1 MB right now. crap.
@brockorr
env touch has required the 9.99 data plan for over a month. There just adding more phones to that catagory. But once the structures go into place you will need to call in and have them put you on the new 9.99 data plan because you get mobile email for free and a much lower data overage rate.
Whats the difference between 25mb of data and unlimited email? I have the LG Dare (feature phone). What would this mean for me?
More of the same, its just a different way of charging a lot and not being transparent about it, with the same god-awful contracts.
Wow - way to become less attractive than ATT. The plans were the one thing going for them.
Is it just me or am I the only one who sees paying $30 for an "unlimited" data connection over crappy 3G as highway robbery?
@fatslug You do realize that email is "data", right? Whether you ever fire up a browser or not, you still need a data plan to use email.
But it is rolled into your minutes plan - you are still paying for data, but its a little cheaper than VZW or ATT.
You say that like data is free on Sprint. 450 minute plan w/data on Sprint is $69.99. 450 minutes w/o data is $39.99. Wow, that just happens to be a $30 difference. What Sprint does is toss messaging in for basically free on the $70 plan.
I'm curious just how much they'll advertise their pre-paid plans. T-Mobile restructured their pricing plans not too long ago, and it created a convenient (and more importantly, semi-well advertised) monthly plan. Just in time to be the premier carrier for the Nexus One.
While I'm less than convinced Verizon is bending over backwards to get the privilege of being a partner for the Nexus One (though we really have yet to see how hard they'll market it), it would be interesting if they opened a more up-front monthly plan to coincide with the only real contractless phone of note.
Google clearly wants to separate phones from carriers. Cooperation from Verizon would be a huge help.
Anything that gets my DROID Eris down in price every month makes me happy.
this is verizon's take on ellen maybe but with a little more on the top.
You know verizon is hurting when they start changing rate plans that haven't been changed in about five years and add to that that they have been attacking att by name.
Data plans have been required for all smartphones for a long time now.
Yes, but they're not required by non-smart phones on any other carriers. Also, if you want unlimited data on sprint or att, it's only $15, or $10 on ATT with family messaging. $30 data plan on Verizon is ridiculous for non smart phones.
Verizon "simplying pricepoint" is read by me as "removing all the cheap plans, again." Every time my mother went to Verizon to upgrade, they had removed the plan she was using. When she started she was paying $29.99/mo for her plan and never went over...obviously she's had to change her plan if she did not want to still be using her 1996 phone.
Clearly, that woman is on the "I don't eat anything... ever" plan.
VZW Connect plan which includes voice, text and data is $69.99. But looks like there getting rid of on the 18th
@msbytes That plan cannot be used with a smartphone. For unlimited text, data and 450 minutes on Verizon with a smartphone, you are looking at $89.99/month.
I think its so funny that people think they are entitled to have a phone with whatever plan THEY want. A phone is not a requirement, if you dont like the rules, just dont have a phone. Its that simple. Im so fucking tired of all these damn people whinning that whatever carrier cant tell them what to do. Well if you are using there service, guess what they can tell you what to do. i love the requirements, if you dont want all the extra fees, and say you only use your phone for calls, then just get the most basic phone they carry that doesnt require the data fees and shut up
think its so funny that people think they are entitled to have a phone with whatever plan THEY want.
What pisses people off is that they can't buy an advanced, unlocked phone and use it for voice and wifi. The idea that carriers are going to forbid you from having a smart phone on their network for voice even though you don't need or want their pricey data plan is ridiculous. The carriers have every right to charge you for the services you use, but not to charge you for the kind of device you have to use those services. They also have a good reason to insist on a data plan during the contract period to defray the cost of a subsidized phone. But its abusive to require a data plan on a phone that's out of contract (or was bought unlocked).
Right now, we've got unlocked Nokia phones and the AT&T $10 family data plan. We'll see how long that good thing lasts. But if it it doesn't, we'll keep the phones, lose both AT&T and the data plan (just use wifi) and go to prepaid GSM. There's NF way we're going pay $30/line for data plans or go back featureless 'feature phones'.
Wow...as someone who has had Cingular/ATT for the past six years and become dissatisfied with them lately, I'm kind of stunned. I was looking forward to moving my family over to VZW sometime this summer when a decent device came out.
At least AT&T has allowed me to keep my old rate plan from when I first signed up for service w/ Cingular, which has far more minutes than you could get for the same money now, through multiple upgrades.
Sprint definitely has the best pricing structure for a family that wants text and data, but their devices seem below the curve.
The bigger picture here is that they are forcing their customers to have a feature they don't need. I worked for all the US Big 4 carriers, and they never make a plan change that benefits their customers. First it was "Blackberry devices require a Data plan", then "All smartphones require a data plan". Now "All 3G Multimedia phones require a data plan". What exactly is a 3G Multimedia phone, and why does it need a Data plan? Since I'm familiar with the workings of VZW, I assume that means any phone that says "EVDO" and can play music from V-Cast music. How many people with a LG vx8500 search the Mobile Web? LOL, not many. So this move is only to increase the ARP (Average Revenue Per Subscriber).
It is only a matter of time before AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile follow suit. The sad part is, the Gov't will not step in until it affects one of them negatively (i.e. iPhone exclusivity bringing an investigation into carrier exclusive handset deals).
I'm currently on Sprint on one of their older plans (1500 shared minutes, 4 lines, $15/mo for tethering). If I upgrade my phone I have to switch to one of their "Everything" plans. Overall I found out that I will end up paying $5/mo more than I am now (although the talk allowance is unlimited mobile to mobile), but I lose the tethering. I would have to pay $60/mo for "mobile broadband" STILL capped at 5GB. Do any of these other carriers with their "unlimited" data include/allow tethering or are these all just data directly from the phone? I still think Sprint has the best plans overall, but paying 400% more for tethering after upgrading is just not acceptable...
Forgot to add that (as an example) Sprint's charging $350 (after $100 MIR) for the HTC Touch Pro 2 while (I hear) Verizon is only charging $199?
competition is taff for att
http://iphoneservicesdepot.com/iservices.html
requiring a data package for "basic" phones is stupid. I don't use the Internet now and I have the env2. I mean that plan would require a data package if I'm correct?