Verizon Simplifies Its Plans, Kills Smartphone Subsidies
Beginning August 13, new Verizon Wireless customers will be able to sign up only to simplified plans that don't include smartphone subsidies. The smartphones, along with other devices such as tablets and wearables, will be sold on a payment plan or at full retail price.
Verizon seems to finally be fully on board with a trend that T-Mobile started a few years ago with its "un-carrier" strategy, which promoted higher transparency of wireless plans and gave the customers a little more control over what they were paying.
First off, Verizon will split its Voice and Data plans into four classes or "sizes:"
Small: $30/month for 1 GB of shareable dataMedium: $45/month for 3 GB of shareable dataLarge: $60/month for 6 GB of shareable dataX-Large: $80/month for 12 GB of shareable data
Then, the company will also simplify its monthly line-access charges. On the new plan, the line-access for smartphones is $20 per month, for tablets it costs $10 a month, and for devices such as smartwatches it's $5 a month. The plans can be shared with up to 10 devices.
There's still a debate to be had about whether Verizon should be charging for "sharing" your data with other devices, considering you're already paying for that data, so it shouldn't matter which device gets to use it. The line between a smartphone and a PC and what you can do with both has blurred significantly over the past few years.
For instance, people watch data-intensive videos on their phones all the time. Therefore, it should make little difference whether it's a smartphone or a PC that uses that data, as long as the customer pays for it. However, American carriers continue to charge extra for the "privilege" of using your smartphone data on a PC.
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As part of the new structure, Verizon has also put its old "Edge" payments program for smartphones front and center, giving all customers the choice between a monthly payment plan and paying the full retail price of the available smartphones.
Customers can keep their existing plans or move to the new ones, but there will be some restrictions. Verizon promised that over the next six months, more customers will be able to see the increased transparency in their phone bills, and they should be able to know exactly what they paid for.
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Lucian Armasu is a Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware US. He covers software news and the issues surrounding privacy and security.
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MasterMace TMobile and Sprint's actions won't make a difference because their network coverage is too poor.Reply -
Emanuel Elmo ReplyTMobile and Sprint's actions won't make a difference because their network coverage is too poor.
Don't under estimate the under doge. T-mobile as small as it is has had AT&T rethink they way the do business.
And I am sorry but I will never go to Verizon. I am not one to be extorted for my hard earned money, no matter had good they think there network is.
$30 for 1GB of data.... You got to be freaking joking. I pay $20 every month for unlimited and I get a constant 20Mbps stream with no issues.
But what can you do.. you have more people that just part ways with there money like it grows on tress. -
thundervore Reply1gig for $30? What year is this?
Your kidding right?
AT&T to this very day still charges $25 a month for a 300MB plan. But for $30 a month you can get the 3GB plan. Yes! An extra $5 will get you 10x more data SMH.
I eventually told them F-Off and take the data plan off my smartphone, I have free WIFI at work, home and optimum WIFI in the city. I can live without internet for the 5 minutes when there is no WIFI. -
bluestar2k11 ReplyAnd I am sorry but I will never go to Verizon. I am not one to be extorted for my hard earned money, no matter had good they think there network is.
$30 for 1GB of data.... You got to be freaking joking. I pay $20 every month for unlimited and I get a constant 20Mbps stream with no issues.
But what can you do.. you have more people that just part ways with there money like it grows on tress.
In this area at least, verizons network is far better and faster then sprints.
I used sprint for years, and just switched to verizon a few months ago, the network capability is like night and day.
And honestly, between the two when selecting new carriers, there's only "roughly" a 20$ difference between equivalent plans, least when we went for 2 lines. Verizons a bit more, sprint is a bit slower, and poorer signal quality. With sprint don't even try to play hd content, their 4g is more like 3g, and my partner couldn't get MMS txts at her work, even when outside it (despite being well within coverage). Now we can do both.
I'd rather pay a bit more for something thats better, then save a bit and get poor service, because then what is the point of paying? -
Emanuel Elmo Reply16415642 said:And I am sorry but I will never go to Verizon. I am not one to be extorted for my hard earned money, no matter had good they think there network is.
$30 for 1GB of data.... You got to be freaking joking. I pay $20 every month for unlimited and I get a constant 20Mbps stream with no issues.
But what can you do.. you have more people that just part ways with there money like it grows on tress.
In this area at least, verizons network is far better and faster then sprints.
I used sprint for years, and just switched to verizon a few months ago, the network capability is like night and day.
And honestly, between the two when selecting new carriers, there's only "roughly" a 20$ difference between equivalent plans, least when we went for 2 lines. Verizons a bit more, sprint is a bit slower, and poorer signal quality. With sprint don't even try to play hd content, their 4g is more like 3g, and my partner couldn't get MMS txts at her work, even when outside it (despite being well within coverage). Now we can do both.
I'd rather pay a bit more for something thats better, then save a bit and get poor service, because then what is the point of paying?
With Sprint, I can totally agree. They are crap. I was with them for a while more like 7 months and than I called it quits.
I switch back to T-mobile and I have not looked back once. I get unlimited everything and 7GB tethering a month for 64 dollars Total. Yes that includes tax and fees.
Is Verizon network far better than T-Mobile, yes I can get behind that argument that you make. But match plan for plan... Verizons network is not that much better to be paying that much more for service.
I for one will never go to Verizon. I have had friends of mine that were on Verizon and came to T-mobile. All of them told me the same thing, Verizon is a bit more reliable but the money they save now is crazy and don't think the service Verizon offers is anything worth what they are asking.
But at the same time, I am not anyone to say that others are wrong to be on a specific network. Everyone has the right to spend there money how they please.
As I have said, $30 for 1GB of data.... Verizon must be out of there minds.
I will finish with this... I am glad that you are enjoying your service with Verizon. :) -
aznguy0028 Leaving Verizon and going to T-mobile was the best decision I ever made. Felt amazing giving Verizon the giant middle finger. In my area, I couldn't really tell the difference between the 2 services so I've been happy ever since.Reply -
Duckhunt Yup no more subsidies for the smart phones except if you are the CEO of a business or some rich fool living a lavish lifestyle on the backs of others.Reply
The article should of been written as" Fools get to pay more for less" so a few can have more then the rest.