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Journal Confirms New Verizon $15 Smartphone Plan
And that the new pricing changes are coming October 28
Yesterday a leaked Verizon memo surfaced noting that Verizon's finally unveiling their long-hinted at wireless data pricing shake up on October 28. Included in that shake up is a new $15 smartphone plan that's now been confirmed by the Wall Street Journal. Verizon smartphone users will be able to choose a $15 tier with a 150 cap, or a $30 unlimited tier. The Journal seems to suggest this could be a temporary holiday promotion as Verizon feels out pricing (read: sees how much you're willing to pay):
quote:
Verizon Wireless considers its $15 plan a holiday promotion and will look at how successful the plan is before deciding whether it will extend the offer permanently, the person familiar with the matter said. For now, the $15 option is seen as an affordable option that can better compete with AT&T's own tiered plans.
While Verizon's plan for a $15 150 MB capped plan is lower than AT&T's 200 MB option (and has a very steep $15/150 MB overage penalty), Verizon's higher-end plan will be $30 for unlimited usage -- compared to AT&T's 2 GB for $25.
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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

en102

Member

pushing for the higher end...

Is typical.
150MB is not much, unless all you do is text. Seeing that 'unlimited' (no *?) is the same price as overage, I see a really high hit on the 'unlimited'.

Too bad AT&T won't come close on the higher end. Some of us still have the 'unlimited' $30 on AT&T.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned)

Member

Re: pushing for the higher end...

said by en102:

Is typical.
150MB is not much, unless all you do is text. Seeing that 'unlimited' (no *?) is the same price as overage, I see a really high hit on the 'unlimited'.
Well I'm interested in a phone with wi-fi not data so these new plans would lower my bill by $15 a month since i'm no longer obligated to get a $30 data plan I don't intend on using. Personally data plans shouldn't be mandatory in the first place.
InfinityDev
join:2005-06-30
USA

InfinityDev

Member

Re: pushing for the higher end...

I'm guessing they'll make you pay full price for the phone to get the $15/mo plan or demand the $30/mo plan for a subsidized handset. This is Verizon we're talking about here.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned)

Member

Re: pushing for the higher end...

said by InfinityDev:

I'm guessing they'll make you pay full price for the phone to get the $15/mo plan or demand the $30/mo plan for a subsidized handset. This is Verizon we're talking about here.
That's not what they're saying.
InfinityDev
join:2005-06-30
USA

InfinityDev

Member

Re: pushing for the higher end...

Nothing in the WSJ report says you can get a handset for the same price with a 2 year $15 data contract that you can with a 2 year $30 contract. There is no mention of handset pricing at all, just that you can now get a $15 2 year contract instead of just a $30 contract. I would like to be pleasantly surprised.

What does this price change tell us? Tells me that smartphone sales have slowed down.

Anyway, the big win for this is if they let consumers slide up and down from $15/150MB to $30/lots at will. You can do this with minutes nowadays without having to rewrite your contract thanks to that Sprint settlement a while back, so this would be really nice.

It would also be great if Verizon gave the primary accountholder a way to set warnings and stop overages on any smartphone on the account.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned)

Member

Re: pushing for the higher end...

said by InfinityDev:

Nothing in the WSJ report says you can get a handset for the same price with a 2 year $15 data contract that you can with a 2 year $30 contract.
From VERIZON itself

Q: What are the new 3G data plan options?

A: Customers may choose from the following 3G Device Data plans:

3G Feature Phones -- $1.99 pay as you go or $15 monthly access for 150 or 150 MB ($15/150 MB overage) or $29.99 for unlimited monthly access.

3G Smartphones Plans – $15 monthly access for 150 MB ($15/150 MB overage) or $29.99 for unlimited monthly access.

Q: What happens to existing customers?

A: After careful evaluation of their data usage, existing Verizon Wireless customers can migrate to the new data plans at any time.


Now if you were FOCRED to have a certain plan then there wouldn't be any CHOICE now would there? Also if you notice in the smartphone plans a data plan is still required. You just have 2 chocies now.
InfinityDev
join:2005-06-30
USA

InfinityDev

Member

Re: pushing for the higher end...

My friend BF69, we are always forced into a data plan, unless you go prepaid. I wish it were all pre-paid with nice and low monthly fees that let you scale up and down as much as you want to use data -- really they'd make more money that way and people would like more choices.

Until they're official, a leaked memo is not final policy. The devil is in the details.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a Verizon subscriber because I like my phones to work and I like to be able to hear people if I'm going to pay money for a phone, so I doubt I'd switch carriers.
vlad1000
join:2005-05-19
Brooklyn, NY

vlad1000 to en102

Member

to en102
is verizon talking about lte pricing???

gigahurtz
Premium Member
join:2001-10-20
USA

gigahurtz

Premium Member

I personally like these plans.

As an iPhone user, I use on average about 100-150mb a month. I have never gone over the 200mb threshold and I do not adjust my usage at all. I just can't imagine going over the 2GB limit, let alone anything higher than that. Granted, I know some people stream Pandora all day and that does play a big factor in your monthly usage, but for the average person these plans are more than sufficient (although I would prefer 200mb over 150mb) and I'm not sure why Verizon didn't match the 200mb to begin with.

MovieLover76
join:2009-09-11
Cherry Hill, NJ
(Software) pfSense
Asus RT-AC68
Asus RT-AC66

MovieLover76

Member

Re: I personally like these plans.

Usage varies wildly, I used to use about 200 - 300mb a month, until I got tired of listen to my phone chime at me every half hour when it was downloading work email, once I set my email to manual, I dropped down to 50 - 100mb usage a month and I haven't changed a single habit.

Though I don't listen to streaming audio either, and maybe once or twice a month I'll stream a movie trailer or something when I'm not on wifi.

Duramax08
To The Moon
Premium Member
join:2008-08-03
San Antonio, TX

Duramax08

Premium Member

Re: I personally like these plans.

I use about 300-800mb a day :|
neufuse
join:2006-12-06
James Creek, PA

neufuse

Member

Re: I personally like these plans.

on a smart phone? seriously?

Duramax08
To The Moon
Premium Member
join:2008-08-03
San Antonio, TX

Duramax08

Premium Member

Re: I personally like these plans.

mywi ftw.
Happydude32
Premium Member
join:2005-07-16

Happydude32 to gigahurtz

Premium Member

to gigahurtz
I'm 7 days into my billing cycle with Sprint and have about 3/4 of a gig polished off so far. I do stream Pandora and Sirius XM a lot, but my data usage also includes a lot of web surfing, NASCAR In Car audio, live NFL RedZone streaming and Sprint TV on occasion.

MovieLover76
join:2009-09-11
Cherry Hill, NJ
(Software) pfSense
Asus RT-AC68
Asus RT-AC66

MovieLover76

Member

Re: I personally like these plans.

It's simple really, I'm an audiophile who can considers it settling when I listen to 256kbps AAC, streaming audio sounds like pure garbage to me.

My tastes in video are the same, HD Audio and HD video on a 50inch screen at home, why would I watch video on a 3.5 inch tiny phone. Streaming video is even worse than streaming audio in my opinion.

My smartphone I only use for calls,email, texting, facebook, light web browsing, games and maybe watching a movie trailer or two when I'm out and my friends are trying to decide what movie to see.

aaronwt
Premium Member
join:2004-11-07
Woodbridge, VA
Asus RT-AX89

aaronwt

Premium Member

Re: I personally like these plans.

said by MovieLover76:

It's simple really, I'm an audiophile who can considers it settling when I listen to 256kbps AAC, streaming audio sounds like pure garbage to me.

My tastes in video are the same, HD Audio and HD video on a 50inch screen at home, why would I watch video on a 3.5 inch tiny phone. Streaming video is even worse than streaming audio in my opinion.

My smartphone I only use for calls,email, texting, facebook, light web browsing, games and maybe watching a movie trailer or two when I'm out and my friends are trying to decide what movie to see.
I use my smart phone also for weather, traffic, news, Netflix, etc. All those easily add up to more than 150MB a month.

gigahurtz
Premium Member
join:2001-10-20
USA

gigahurtz

Premium Member

Re: I personally like these plans.

I use all of those and don't ever come close. The audio streaming and video streaming is the key here.
Happydude32
Premium Member
join:2005-07-16

Happydude32 to MovieLover76

Premium Member

to MovieLover76
We are a mobile society. Would I rather watch video on one of my HDTVs? Yup. Problem is I'm not always home. Having the entire internet in my pocket at all times on a 4.3" screen is a dream come true for me. I don't use my smartphone for calls very much. I have a real cell phone for that. My Evo, like the iPhone when I had it, is just a toy, a mobile internet device. My real cell phone is a Nextel Motorola i680 fully ruggedized phone. I stream Pandora and Sirius XM in a loud 5 ton diesel truck for 10-12 hours a day using a cassette adaptor and a cheap Sony stereo in the truck that has a short in the right speaker, sound quality is not my concern, keeping myself entertained during the work day is.

Exodus
Your Daddy
Premium Member
join:2001-11-26
Earth

Exodus

Premium Member

Cheaper than current prices, or am I wrong?

I pay $30/mo for data right now. So, I either continue paying what I pay now, for the same package, or I can elect to go to a cheaper package, right?
banner
Premium Member
join:2003-11-07
Long Beach, CA

banner

Premium Member

I like my current $15 unlimited plan

Thanks for the heads up Karl & BBR for informing me about the $15 unlimited plan before it got yanked. I plan on sticking with it.

thegeek
Premium Member
join:2008-02-21
right here

thegeek

Premium Member

What happened to the "buckets of data" mentioned before?

I get it, Verizon wants to make lots of money off of every customer. So does every other business in the world. Sure, Verizon is more greedy than most, but they can be and people still flock to them.

But what happened to the "buckets of data" that was talked about in the past? These tiered ideas are absolutely stupid as the lower tier offers litterally no value to the customer and only serves to line the pockets of Verizon. Why don't they just offer a plan like $10 for every 2GB you use? Rediculous price? Yes. Sensical for for everyone? Yes. But this is how a "bucket of data" is logically structured. Buckets are equal sized.

I guess their idea of buckets are a thimble and then that big hole in Russia.

gdm
MVM
join:2001-06-15
Mchenry, IL

gdm

MVM

Re: What happened to the "buckets of data" mentioned before?

This is for 3G pricing not LTE. Which the supposed buckets of data is for LTE.

thegeek
Premium Member
join:2008-02-21
right here

thegeek

Premium Member

Re: What happened to the "buckets of data" mentioned before?

They'll do the same shit with LTE. But at much worse pricing.

cableties
Premium Member
join:2005-01-27

cableties

Premium Member

More money, less value

Verizon KNOWS from its customer data (an you thought they weren't collecting) that these plans force you into one of two choices: Alot for alittle, or Alot more for alot (but with unlimited limitation).

Let me pay per packet. It can be done. Or per 100MB.

Make it $10/500MB $15/1GB, $20/2GB, $30/5GB. More choices, happier users.
rmdir
join:2003-03-13
Chicago, IL

rmdir

Member

Re: More money, less value

Exactly what does unlimited mean? There is usually an asterisk next to it and type so small you have to have a microscope to read it. Unlimited like T Mo where once you hit the soft cap they throttle you down to super slow speeds?
elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA

elray

Member

Steep?

There is nothing "steep" about their $15/150MB overage charge - you're paying the same rate as the bucket you exceeded. Verizon should be lauded for crossing this hurdle. In the past, all overage rates were punitive, charging several times the base rate.
This is a major milestone for Verizon. They should be lauded, not jeered.
JazzJRabbit
join:2003-09-27
Wheaton, IL

JazzJRabbit

Member

Re: Steep?

said by elray:

There is nothing "steep" about their $15/150MB overage charge - you're paying the same rate as the bucket you exceeded. Verizon should be lauded for crossing this hurdle. In the past, all overage rates were punitive, charging several times the base rate.
This is a major milestone for Verizon. They should be lauded, not jeered.
Yeah, except if you go over 150MB you essentially end up paying same $30 as unlimited plan costs, but can only use 300MB. Hmmm... $30 for 300MB or $30 for 5GB... Yes, I know, you pay extra for the plan flexibility, but the price disparity seems a tad too high. This is just another cash cow designed to bleed every last cent from the customer.

$10/500MB $15/1GB, $20/2GB, $30/5GB plans from cableties makes a lot more sense to me as a consumer, but, *gasp* that's would give consumers actual choice instead of faux one, and telcos can't have that...
elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA

elray

Member

Re: Steep?

said by JazzJRabbit:

said by elray:

This is a major milestone for Verizon. They should be lauded, not jeered.
Yeah, except if you go over 150MB you essentially end up paying same $30 as unlimited plan costs, but can only use 300MB. Hmmm... $30 for 300MB or $30 for 5GB... Yes, I know, you pay extra for the plan flexibility, but the price disparity seems a tad too high. This is just another cash cow designed to bleed every last cent from the customer.

$10/500MB $15/1GB, $20/2GB, $30/5GB plans from cableties makes a lot more sense to me as a consumer, but, *gasp* that's would give consumers actual choice instead of faux one, and telcos can't have that...
I submit that you're looking at this through the DSLR Forum Power-Users prism. I know its hard to fathom, but the majority of data plan subscribers will not exceed 150MB.

The VZW plans reflect the perfect compromise that offers the average user a low-cost plan, and offers the power user, in this case, "unlimited" use. If "unlimited" means 5Gb, as the trend goes, then thats more than 30x the volume at only twice the price.

Long before the majority of subs start to use more than 150MB, you'll see VZW adjust the buckets to 200MB, 250MB, etc, to prevent mass overages and the discord that would accompany them.

VZW isn't "bleeding" the consumer. Consumers voluntarily seek out VZW and are wiling to pay a premium rate for the perceived (or actual) quality of service.