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WSJ: Verizon confirms $30 unlimited data plan - for now
Verizon will offer a $30 unlimited data plan, the Wall Street Journal confirmed this morning, similar to the original plan that AT&T offered when the iPhone was originally introduced. This comes after a couple weeks of speculation. "I'm not going to shoot myself in the foot," said Lowell McAdam, the carrier's chief operating officer. Engadget, however, is showing that Verizon is doing away with its tiered data plan option entirely. This offers another incentive not only for new iPhone customers, but luring over current AT&T users who are on the fence about whether or not to switch. AT&T has had capped-tier data plans since June, but those iPhone customers with older contracts had their unlimited data plans grandfathered in. Update: The WSJ updated its blog to say that the unlimited data is a limited-time option, and that Verizon will be moving to tiered pricing in the near future. [via MacRumors]
Megan Lavey-Heaton01.25.2011
Verizon tweaking low-end data plans, using '3G' distinction to upcharge for LTE
Well, that didn't last very long at all: looks like Verizon is killing off its $15 150MB data plan for smartphones altogether, instead corralling folks into the $30 unlimited option. Of course, with the proliferation of data-hungry smartphone apps on Android (and soon, the iPhone), 250MB per month of usage is becoming less and less reasonable by the day, so we can't say we're terribly surprised. Meanwhile, the $9.99 25MB feature phone data option is getting a bump up to 75MB with $10 per 75MB overage, a slight drop from the 20 cent / MB overage that those customers deal with currently. Finally, you'll notice that the $30 unlimited plan is now qualified as applying to "feature phones and 3G smartphones," not merely "smartphones" as they were before -- a nod to the fact that Verizon's upcoming LTE handsets won't be eligible for the same pricing. What, did you think you were going to be blazing on your ThunderBolt at 20 or 30Mbps without a care in the world? [Thanks, anonymous tipster]
Chris Ziegler01.24.2011
Sprint increasing 3G data plan pricing by $10/mo, calling it 'premium data'
Oh, Sprint, you sneaky devil. The nation's third-largest carrier just announced that it's tacking on an extra monthly $10 "premium data" charge to its 3G Everything data plans -- in effect, charging 3G phone owners the same total price that Evo and Epic owners pay now for 4G service. It's especially weird because Sprint's hidden the price increase in a press release entitled "Smartphones Drive Wireless Data Explosion" that initially appears to be about increased use of data before shifting abruptly into a defense of the additional charge and potshots at tiered data plans -- we know no one wants to talk price increases, but let's have some gumption, guys. Existing 3G Everything plan holders won't see their rates go up until they "upgrade or activate another smartphone," which doesn't sound great for family plans, but we'll get some clarification on that and let you know. Either way, we'd say picking up a non-4G Sprint phone just got real silly. PR after the break.
Nilay Patel01.18.2011
Virgin Mobile abandons unlimited data in favor of throttled 5GB plan
Well, it was fun while it lasted, but it looks like Virgin Mobile customers in the US will soon have to make do without their truly unlimited $40 data plan. Starting on February 15th, that will be replaced with a new plan that gives you 5GB of unhindered data use, and throttled bandwidth for anything used beyond that limit. For its part, Virgin says that most customers who use the BB2Go plan for "internet surfing and reasonable downloading will likely not be impacted/notice any difference," but we're sure there's plenty of folks out there that will beg to differ. As you may recall, T-Mobile also introduced some bandwidth throttling of its own this past year, but it actually did so in lieu of overage charges, which is a bit easier to accept than throttling slapped on top of a once unlimited plan. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Donald Melanson01.13.2011
T-Mobile UK backs down a bit, limits 500MB fair use policy to new and upgrading customers
Alright, folks -- if you've already got a T-Mobile UK account in your back pocket, you can breathe a sigh of relief, because that ugly new data cap doesn't apply to you. It took the operator just a day to realize that putting a hazy "fair use" restriction of just 500MB per month on existing accounts wasn't going over too well with its customer base, so they've conducted a "further review" and decided that they'll instead only be applying the rule to new and upgrading customers as of February 1 only. We wouldn't call this an outright win by any stretch -- the policy is still enormously restrictive, vague, and a pretty clear-cut disadvantage of the competition-reducing Everything Everywhere hookup, and it looks like they'll still end up tagging you as soon as you try to upgrade your plan or your hardware anyway... but we'll take whatever reprieve we can get. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Chris Ziegler01.12.2011
Verizon reportedly ready to offer unlimited data plans on iPhone
Still not believing that Verizon Wireless will introduce a CDMA'd iPhone for its network tomorrow? We can't say we're completely sold either, but it's getting harder and harder to fight off the emotions pointing to "yes." The Wall Street Journal has followed up on its earlier reports by suggesting that not only will VZW soon carry Apple's iPhone 4, but that it will make no changes to its data plans once that happens. Of course, it's not like anyone actually expected Big Red to do such a thing, but it's definitely one more reason for heavy users to consider Verizon Wireless over AT&T. Grandfathered customers notwithstanding, AT&T users who buy a new iPhone 4 are hit with a few tiered data plan options, with the largest ($25 / month) being capped at 2GB. With Verizon, $29.99 per month nets you "unlimited" data, though you could run into issues if you routinely suck down more than 5GB -- a rather typical 'gotcha' in the American cellular space. The real question, however, is this: will the Verizon iPhone be compatible with Verizon's $14.99 / month (150MB) plan, and moreover, will it ever be upgradable to handle the LTE network we heard oh-so-much about just days ago? Bookmark our liveblog and tune in tomorrow to find out!
Darren Murph01.10.2011
WSJ: Verizon iPhone will offer unlimited data
We've been wondering for the past day or so what the distinguishing features of the Verizon iPhone might be. Will it come in colors? Aside from VZW's respectable network and CDMA technology, how will the iPhone experience on Big Red be different? If the Wall Street Journal is right, there'll be a big difference in the service plans: unlimited data. The paper cites a source familiar with Verizon's plans saying that an unlimited data option will be available. By comparison, AT&T moved to a capped tier this summer, which angered some users who preferred the unlimited option. [via Business Insider]
Michael Rose01.09.2011
MetroPCS tweaks LTE plans: $40 gets you unlimited talk, text, and web*
Ah, there always has to be fine print, doesn't there? Don't get us wrong -- $40 for unlimited talk and text alone is still a pretty fantastic deal in the scheme of things -- but in tweaking its LTE service plans today, MetroPCS has made the data situation just a little confusing. Technically, the $40 plan also includes unlimited web access plus YouTube... but at the $50 price point, you get 1GB of "additional data access" for features that aren't covered under MetroPCS' definition of "web browsing." You also get turn-by-turn navigation, international text messaging, access to corporate email accounts (another arbitrary distinction that we'd kind of like to see go away), and audio / video features through the carrier's MetroSTUDIO service. At $60, you get unlimited access to MetroSTUDIO including 18 channels of on-demand video content. MetroPCS' lowest-cost LTE offering had previously been $55, so it's a step in the right direction -- but pro-net neutrality? Yeah, not so much. Follow the break for the press release.
Chris Ziegler01.03.2011
Three's The One Plan serves up all-you-can-eat data in the UK
Unlimited data. No, for real this time. While US carriers are tripping over each other to claim the death of uncapped data allowances, the UK's 3G-only network operator is bringing them back like a pair of retro sneakers. Three's grandly titled The One Plan takes all limits and fair usage gotchas away and just lets you suckle bandwidth to your heart's content. And that explicitly includes tethering your phone to your laptop and using it as a 3G modem -- very classy. New and old customers will benefit from this, meaning that if you're already on this plan you're in line for a free upgrade. The offer's effective now and contracts start at £25 a month with a minimum term of one year. We'll be highly impressed if Three's network, never mind this deal, survives a full year of being bashed over the head by iPlayer streams and YouTube uploads, but here's hoping, eh?
Vlad Savov12.15.2010
Laptop data plans: comparing LTE, WiMAX, and HSPA+ by speed, price, and value
Now that Verizon's gone official with its LTE pricing for an initial launch in some 38 markets this Sunday, we wanted to take a quick look at how it compares to the other players in the laptop data market -- after all, how much you're paying month to month can be just as big of a determining factor (if not a bigger one) in choosing a carrier than the speeds you're seeing. So how do Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T, Clear, and Rover stack up? Let's break it down.
Chris Ziegler12.01.2010
Verizon trials unlimited text and data cellular plans for preferred customers, starting at $70 a month
Sure, Verizon's pushing tiered data plans in public, but it's simultaneously expanding its unlimited offerings behind closed doors -- yesterday, the wireless carrier launched a promotional plan with 450 minutes, unlimited text and unlimited data for $70 a month. Before you jump at the chance to lower your monthly bill, however, we should warn you that this is very much a limited trial: Verizon will check its computers to verify that you were sent a promotional email before letting you into the deal. Furthermore, the offer doesn't ring up as a new plan in Verizon's computer system, but rather an amalgam of the company's existing $60 Talk and Text plan and its $30 unlimited data plan, with a $20 credit applied to your bill each and every month. The upside of that is that selected customers can basically add unlimited data to any Talk and Text plan they choose for an extra $10 monthly, but the downside is that it's far too early to call the promotion a portent of things to come. See the full offer at our source link... or in your inbox, we suppose. [Thanks, Sam]
Sean Hollister11.06.2010
T-Mobile offering unlimited tethering 'this holiday season' as $15 add-on
This one comes as no surprise, but T-Mobile has announced today that the availability of tethering and WiFi hotspot capabilities for "select smartphones" in its lineup in time for the holidays -- and as is often the case with Big Magenta, they're offering the service at a much more aggressive price point than its larger competitors: $14.99 a month on top of your $30 unlimited data plan buys you unlimited tethering on T-Mobile's glorious HSPA+ network (and in its non-HSPA+ areas as well, of course). We still don't know whether this'll start to roll out on November 3rd as was rumored, but that'd be a nice way to get into the holiday spirit, wouldn't it? Don't get us wrong -- we'd prefer if they offered it for free as part of your $30 package, but in our post-apocalyptic world of streaming video and incessant browsing on the go, that just wasn't gonna happen. Separately, T-Mobile is also announcing an alternative to that $30 smartphone data: a new 200MB plan clocking in at $10 on a new two-year deal or $15 a month without a contract extension. As you might imagine, tethering isn't available with this one -- we suspect it's just an answer to the new fad adopted by AT&T and Verizon of offering a tiny-bucket data plan alongside your regular gluttonous-bucket package.
Chris Ziegler11.01.2010
Verizon's tiered data plans go live, including $30 for a smartphone buffet or $15 for 150MB
It's October 28th, and Verizon's full suite of data plans have changed just as foretold -- if you want to save a few bucks, you can revise your megabyte-munching lifestyle right now. There's no need to fear for unlimited 3G smartphone data, as it's still available for the usual $29.99, but that plan's no longer required when buying a new Droid, as you can opt for a new $14.99 plan if you can bare to live with just 150 megabytes. We'll spare you the full breakdown on mobile broadband plans -- as you can find it at our original post right here -- rght down to that promotional 3GB MiFi and Fivespot plan for $35 a month. [Thanks, Cody W.]
Sean Hollister10.28.2010
MetroPCS turns attention away from unlimited momentarily, launches Walmart-exclusive bucket plans
A quick check of MetroPCS' site reminds us what these guys are all about -- unlimited voice, data, and messaging for less than you'd pay with any of the big guys -- but it looks like they might be exploring a shift in strategy with a handful of new prepaid packages that have launched exclusively through Walmart stores. For $20 you can get 500 minutes and 500MB of data, while moving up to $30 gets you 1,000 minutes and just 100MB of data -- both plans include unlimited messaging -- while a third plan for just $10 nets 200 voice minutes and unlimited incoming texts. Unsurprisingly, the packages aren't available with either MetroPCS' smartphones nor with the Craft, its just-launched LTE handset -- but considering how modern phones of both the smart and not-so-smart variety are emphasizing data and text features over voice, we wouldn't be surprised to see the regionals start to experiment more and more with interesting buckets.
Chris Ziegler10.19.2010Verizon's tiered data plans hitting October 28, smartphones still getting unlimited option?
We'd told you back in July that Verizon would migrate away from unlimited data and toward a tiered model very quickly; turns out it wasn't quite as quickly as we'd thought, but as Ivan Seidenberg said last month, it's still going down. We've now been tipped that the switchover is expected on October 28, and this is how it all shakes out: Smartphone owners will choose between $15 for 150MB with $0.10 / MB overage, or $29.99 for unlimited access. This stands in contrast to AT&T, which offers another 50MB (for a total of 200MB) at the $15 price level or 2GB for $25 with no unlimited option. As we've already seen with the MiFi-equipped iPad, there'll be $20, $35, and $50 tablet plans for 1GB, 3GB, and 5GB, respectively, all with overage of $10 per gigabyte. There will also be a $80 plan for 10GB with the same overage rate. MiFi, FiveSpot, and integrated netbook / notebook modem owners will choose between $50 / 5GB and $80 / 10GB plans. The MiFi and FiveSpot will also have access to the tablet-centric $35 / 3GB plan as part of a 90-day promo. All of these plans have overage priced at 1GB for $10. Feature phones will need to choose between $1.99 "pay as you go" (though it's not clear what that means -- could be unlimited at $1.99 per day, but we really don't know), $15 for 150MB, or $29.99 for unlimited. The old $9.99 / 25MB option will be killed off. USB modem pricing remains unchanged at $39.99 for 250MB or $59.99 for 5GB. We'd say this means Big Red is strongly discouraging folks from buying these right now. Notably, this is just 3G data pricing -- the company says it'll announce 4G plans closer to the launch of its 4G network. Existing customers can stay grandfathered on their existing plans if they so choose, just as AT&T's been playing it. Thing is, the fact that Verizon is preserving its unlimited smartphone option is a big deal -- it'll be interesting to see if it twists AT&T's arm hard enough to bring it back. Follow the break for Verizon's full internal Q&A. [Thanks, Jay] Update: We're being told that the $1.99 pay as you go option on feature phones is simply the current $1.99 / MB option. Thanks, anonymous tipster!
Chris Ziegler10.18.2010T-Mobile to intro $10 data plan for smartphone data lightweights?
It's getting pretty clear that T-Mobile is rethinking its mobile data strategy, what with all the prepaid plans, data throttling and WiFi calling going on, and TmoNews says it isn't done shaking things up -- the carrier will reportedly introduce a 200MB data plan specifically for smartphone owners at $10 a month. Before you voice your hatred of tiered data pricing, know that Magenta will reportedly retain the existing $30 unlimited data plan, unlike its blue-and-white rival, and customers who pick the cheaper option will apparently be able to upgrade on the fly. If and when the option debuts in November, it could make that next batch of smartphones all the more accessible. Perhaps you'll be able to afford an LG Optimus T for the young'uns after all.
Sean Hollister10.18.2010
T-Mobile's Passes prepaid data plans leak out
We've been saying prepaid data plans are going to be the next big wave in mobile, and it looks like T-Mobile's getting on board -- we were just sent this employee training sheet detailing the upcoming Passes plans. All of T-Mobile's mobile broadband products are eligible, which is nice, but the plans themselves are a bit lame -- $10 gets you 100MB of data or a weeks' access, whichever comes first, $30 gets you 300MB or a a month's worth of access, while $50 nets you 1GB or 30 days. That's an odd blend of tiered data pricing and prepaid limits, and it compares poorly to T-Mobile's standard $39 / month data plan with a 5GB cap. But hey -- flexibility isn't cheap. Expect to see this one launched at CTIA for October release -- the docs say the new plans will arrive with a new Jet USB modem and a prepaid SIM card retail package as well.
Nilay Patel10.06.2010Verizon CEO confirms plans for tiered data pricing
We told you so. The Wall Street Journal has updated its recent article detailing disclosures from Verizon Wireless chief Ivan Seidenberg, and the latest news is as bad as it is predictable: VZW plans to consign unlimited data plans to the annals of history over the next four to six months, to be replaced by tiered, consumption-based pricing. Seidenberg says Verizon's prices will surely differ from what AT&T recently introduced, noting that his company values data differently to the competition -- though he wouldn't say whether that means costs will be higher or lower. Either way, Droidsters, enjoy your last few months in the unlimited sun. [Thanks, Tyler]
Vlad Savov09.24.2010
Sprint CEO hints unlimited data could end if usage gets crazy
So far, Sprint's been steadfast in its commitment to keeping caps off its data plans -- a big selling point since AT&T's moved to tiered pricing and Verizon has threatened to do the same -- but the laws of supply and demand sadly still exist, and Sprint CEO Dan Hesse knows it. In speaking at the Emerging Technologies Conference at MIT today, Hesse mentioned that his company "can offer unlimited as long as the usage is reasonable," suggesting that a glut of extremely heavy users (you probably know who you are) could ultimately mean he "can't afford to do that anymore." Torrenting off a tethered EVO is fun, yes -- especially when you're on WiMAX -- but just remember: it might ultimately come back to bite you.
Chris Ziegler09.22.2010
Verizon officially announces prepaid smartphone data packages
After a flood of leaks, Verizon's just officially announced its prepaid data plan for smartphones. The new 3G Prepaid data package will offer smartphone users "unlimited" data for $30 a month, while feature phone users can score 25MB of data a month for $10 with a 20-cent-per-meg overage fee -- all contract-free, of course. The prepaid smartphones include all of Verizon's Android phones, the Pre and Pixi Plus, as well as most recent BlackBerrys, which is a pretty solid list of choices -- and you can sign up for them today or online on September 28. Of course, you're still on the hook for a full price phone and a voice plan (and there's no mention of texting), so whether or not this works out to be a deal is up to you, but we're definitely seeing the prepaid data market start to significantly heat up, and we like it. PR with full device list after the break.
Nilay Patel09.02.2010