What now?

[bucrepus]

Ok, so the Bionic is either a no show or a late releaser. I would GUESS tiered data will bite us before the BIONIC release, which makes a high powered video phone device kinda limited with CAPS on the data..
Question, is there another android 4G phone being released anytime soon even close to the BIONIC or TB specs that will be able to be 'rooted', (custom rom, that kinda stuff), or is the TB the only thing close before the data cap monster bites in a month or so? Since I was focused on the bio coming out I've gotten lost with all these other phones and their release dates. I would like a phone that could be rooted / customized like my droid, but all the locked bootloader crap has me more confused... Phones? Ideas? Thanks

 

[ffac789]

As far as I know, as long as you have an unlimited data plan prior to the release of said tiered plans, you should be able to keep it for the same price. Don't quote me on that though.

 

[rkeller62]

Usually, if you are buying a new subsidized phone you must select a current plan and cannot keep your existing plan if it is no longer offered.

 

[Hand_O_Death]

I actually like the theory that VZW may hold off on tiered to make a fair playing ground for the first LTE for each company. Since HTC, Samsung, and probably LG will all release one before tiered comes out, it would be nice if they waited for Moto to release theirs first so no one gets forced into a device they do not want.

Now that would be the "Nice" thing to do. More than likely, thier will be a set date (before iPhone5 is released) for tiered and we will be stuck if the Bionic is not out by then. I am sure we will hear something before hand and then have to decide if you want to do something as drastic as buying a Thunderbolt or Revolution, get locked into the unlimited, then wait for a phone you want, sell your phone and buy the other full price off contract and hope it works out financially for you.
or
Just get the tiered plan and deal with whatever they want to end up charging.

Either way I would wait and see what AC has to say. I am sure we will know before the dreaded tiered comes into effect. So we can wait until the last minute to get the phone we want.


(that or switch to another company.)

 

[oresteez]

What FFac is trying to say...is just buy the Bionic (or whatever phone you want) off contract and activate it with your current unlimited plan. Problem solved.

Sorry..HoD beat me to it

 

[sheba510]

If you are currently on an unlimited 3g plan you will not be able to carry it over to 4g plan. Verizon treats the 4g LTE plan as separate from the 3g plan. Bottom line is, if the 4g LTE plan goes to tiered pricing before the Droid Bionic is released, you will be put in a 4g tiered plan.

 

[the one and only M]

If you're looking for the same customization you had with the droid, go with the thunderbolt. Its been rooted and there's a bunch of ROMs and kernels already, with more on the way.

The DROID Charge is rumored to have a locked bootloader. And if the Incredible 2 is anything like the already released Incredible S, it will also be locked down.

 

[hdtechmachinist]

If you are currently on an unlimited 3g plan you will not be able to carry it over to 4g plan. Verizon treats the 4g LTE plan as separate from the 3g plan. Bottom line is, if the 4g LTE plan goes to tiered pricing before the Droid Bionic is released, you will be put in a 4g tiered plan.

Incorrect, I have a 4G Thunderbolt on an unlimited AllTel plan which I have had for years now on VZW with said plan and run 4G in a 4G area.
And when the next 4G Moto phone is dropped I'll be doing the same. Unlimited Alltel plan on Verizon 4G, all day long.
As long as I don't change my plan I can get phones at contract pricing.

 

[Droid800]

Incorrect, I have a 4G Thunderbolt on an unlimited AllTel plan which I have had for years now on VZW with said plan and run 4G in a 4G area.
And when the next 4G Moto phone is dropped I'll be doing the same. Unlimited Alltel plan on Verizon 4G, all day long.
As long as I don't change my plan I can get phones at contract pricing.

You're in the very small minority with that. Generally, with any carrier, if you upgrade your phone and it requires a different plan (which 4g phones do), you will be forced to accept the pricing structure.

 

[hdtechmachinist]

You're in the very small minority with that. Generally, with any carrier, if you upgrade your phone and it requires a different plan (which 4g phones do), you will be forced to accept the pricing structure.

Verizon doesn't have a specific 4G phone plan and even when they go to tiered plans it will be for all smartphones 3 or 4G. So for you to claim a 4G phone would require a "different" plan, that too would be incorrect.
Let's not mix up phones with 4G USB modem plans.

Mass misinformation in some of these forums.

 

[DolfanCole]

Verizon doesn't have a specific 4G phone plan and even when they go to tiered plans it will be for all smartphones 3 or 4G. So for you to claim a 4G phone would require a "different" plan, that too would be incorrect.
Let's not mix up phones with 4G USB modem plans.

Mass misinformation in some of these forums.

Do we know for sure that there will not be separate plans? I'd love for that to be the case, but I haven't seen anything that states officially that that'll be the case.

 

[Oxn]

EVeryone can go home today, nothing to see here.

Market is closed, so no new news will have a chnace of releasing today, go get some sleep.

 

[DolfanCole]

EVeryone can go home today, nothing to see here.

Market is closed, so no new news will have a chnace of releasing today, go get some sleep.

Then maybe I can finally get some work done today.

 

[Oxn]

Such a slow day, this forum usually gets me through my work day. Sigh.

 

[rutkind]

So I had this I idea so that I can try to ensure that I can get the unlimited 4G.

Could I buy any of the 4G phones available before the tiering starts but then exchange that phone for the Bionic if it is released after the tiering and still be able to keep the unlimited?

 

[BigDFSU]

So I had this I idea so that I can try to ensure that I can get the unlimited 4G.

Could I buy any of the 4G phones available before the tiering starts but then exchange that phone for the Bionic if it is released after the tiering and still be able to keep the unlimited?

You get 14 days from when you get the new device to exchange it. So for that idea to work you would need to have the Bionic hit stores within 14 days of the switch to tier plans. If Verizon is going to switch to tiered before the Bionic is released then you can bet they are going to do it in a way that prevents people from exchanging in that way.

Now you can sell your phone on ebay or something along those lines and make a good chunk back, but expect to end up paying a bit more when all is said and done.

 

[Castor Troy]

Such a slow day, this forum usually gets me through my work day. Sigh.

I can juggle if you need some cheap entertainment....

 

[Hand_O_Death]

I can juggle if you need some cheap entertainment....

I'll get my chainsaw

 

[Cruiserdude]

I actually like the theory that VZW may hold off on tiered to make a fair playing ground for the first LTE for each company. Since HTC, Samsung, and probably LG will all release one before tiered comes out, it would be nice if they waited for Moto to release theirs first so no one gets forced into a device they do not want.

That's what I keep saying is the most likely scenario. I have no actual information to back up this theory, but again it just doesn't seem fair to allow some manufacturers to sell their phones with unlimited data for awhile, and the others to have only tiered plans when they release. I'm sure Moto wouldn't like that one bit, and VZW has previously said that MOTO is their preferred manufacturer. So I would EXPECT that VZW won't hit us with tiered until the Bionic gets a chance to hit the market for at least a few weeks.

However, if true, this would have been proposed back when they assumed the Bionic would be ready to launch by now. They may not push back the changeover date due to the delay, and may even consider that Moto can blame themselves for missing the opportunity to launch with unlimited data. Then again, you have to remember that VZW can't actually come out and admit that unlimited is better, tiered has to be referred to as "an improvement to allow them to serve all of their customers better". So they may try to deny the fact that launching with unlimited data is even an advantage.

Verizon has also made it pretty clear that they do not plan to allow iPhone 5 buyers to select the unlimited option, and the iPhone was apparently the reason they decided to end unlimited in the first place. VZW cannot push back the launch of the iPhone 5, as it will still launch on ATT when it is ready, and they won't be left behind. So if current reports of delays are wrong, and the iPhone 5 actually does launch in September, any other devices that haven't launched yet are just going to have to suck it up.

Just another reason Big Red was a lot better off before they got the iPhone.

 

[Droid800]

Verizon doesn't have a specific 4G phone plan and even when they go to tiered plans it will be for all smartphones 3 or 4G. So for you to claim a 4G phone would require a "different" plan, that too would be incorrect.
Let's not mix up phones with 4G USB modem plans.

Mass misinformation in some of these forums.

Except that they will when tiered pricing comes out. And I can guarantee that you won't be keeping your unlimited plan if you decide to upgrade after tiered pricing takes effect.