DROID BIONIC Jelly Bean Update

[Tom in Bristol]

You know, it might be a good thing, because now you can keep your eyes on the road...

Unless he's sitting on a train on the way to NYC! (I'm sure you thought of that)

 

[zachthebomb13]

I use about 3-4 gb a month myself. I will really miss the option of watching Netflix during my commute to and from work. It is clear it is all about the $$. smart phones were made for data and now they want to severely cap you or make you pay dearly to keep that data. The writing is on the wall with my bionic it's lagging alot, speakers don't work with headphones and now the charging port is acting up. I'm most likely going to grab the galaxy s4.

Let's compare to something we all do, eating. Let's say we go to McDonald's, and we all like chicken McNuggets. I myself can eat 20 of them without breaking a sweat. But my wife, well she eats 4 and is done. Should we be paying the same price? No, I should be paying more because it costs more. That is the way of the smart phone. Data isn't an unlimited resource. Sure, they have a lot of it; but, McDonald's has a lot of chicken nuggets too. Now that data is becoming the main variable, that's what is costing them the most money. So, for those that use more, they charge more. Just like I pay more for my 20 McNuggets than my wife does for her 4. Just my opinion. I'm not an employee of Verizon, but I am a business man. I know that they need to make these kind of choices for themselves AND their customers.

 

[zachthebomb13]

Unless he's sitting on a train on the way to NYC! (I'm sure you thought of that)

I did.

 

[zachthebomb13]

Really I only had a contract with the "Death Star,"

I will never think of AT&T the same... lol

 

[Laurel Raven]

I'd imagine that "2GB average" all the carriers like to tout will probably be 3GB or 4GB by the time the year is over. But then again, you have customers that barely use 500MB per month.

This i disagree with, based on what i know of users and my own use. I barely use one gig a month, and I'd call myself a power user. Most people don't really use that much on their phones outside of text, Facebook, and maybe email.

My own two cents, take it for what it's worth.

RTFM is Known to the State of California to Cause Cancer

 

[Manofsteel927]

You know, it might be a good thing, because now you can keep your eyes on the road...

I am on the train

 

[Manofsteel927]

Unless he's sitting on a train on the way to NYC! (I'm sure you thought of that)

Tom you nailed my commute right on the head. It's nice to watch a show on Netflix and relax

 

[Laurel Raven]

Let's compare to something we all do, eating. Let's say we go to McDonald's, and we all like chicken McNuggets.

I think a better comparison would be soda. Which McDonalds now charges the same for regardless of size or number of refills.

RTFM is Known to the State of California to Cause Cancer

 

[zachthebomb13]

I think a better comparison would be soda. Which McDonalds now charges the same for regardless of size or number of refills.

RTFM is Known to the State of California to Cause Cancer

Why soda? Soda could be minutes and texts. They aren't the main course, like minutes and texts are no longer the main focus with smart phones.

 

[Laurel Raven]

Why soda? Soda could be minutes and texts. They aren't the main course, like minutes and texts are no longer the main focus with smart phones.

Because, like soda, giving out more costs almost nothing. Like soda, data is almost pure profit margin past a certain point.

RTFM is Known to the State of California to Cause Cancer

 

[zachthebomb13]

Because, like soda, giving out more costs almost nothing. Like soda, data is almost pure profit margin past a certain point.

RTFM is Known to the State of California to Cause Cancer

You have any proof or data for that statement? Just curious.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

 

[moonlightinwhite]

Let's say we go to McDonald's, and we all like chicken McNuggets. I myself can eat 20 of them without breaking a sweat. But my wife, well she eats 4 and is done. Should we be paying the same price? No, I should be paying more because it costs more.

I think a better comparison would be soda. Which McDonalds now charges the same for regardless of size or number of refills.

VZW isn't producing soda OR nuggets...they're providing a delivery method for them.

For all intents and purposes, the pipe is only so big. In the most basic of terms, it doesn't cost VZW whether folks are pulling 1% or 99% of the total available bandwidth at any given time. The closer they get to full capacity, though, the less room there is everyone else. The data limitation isn't really about the amount of data in a month, it's an attempt to maximize efficiency by effecting a change in the habits of power users (ie. you don't want to pay more, so you reduce your usage and free up space in the pipe) and then generating revenue (which can be used for enlarging the pipe) using those who choose to take up more space.

Certainly, it's more complex than that, but you get the gist. It's not the nuggets and it's not the soda; you're paying for the delivery truck that gets the foodstuffs from the wholesaler to the restaurant so that you can chow down.

 

[Axlerod1]

I'm the data hog i guess. I just hit 21g and I'm only in the second week of my Billing cycle. My average use is usually 47 to 48 gigs monthly. To far out for cable service. To many trees for satellite. 4g Lte service works just fine.
I think i will just buy my phones from here on out. I love my unlimited data.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

 

[SamuriHL]

And as I said before, get ready to lose unlimited by the end of next year...

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk HD

 

[drstrangelove5]

I wouldnt really have a problem giving up my unlimited if the equivalent to what I'm currently paying is comparable. 30 a month gives me unlimited data, but if I sign a new contract 30 is 2 gigs. That is absolutely insane. I would think 2 gigs a month should be 10$ . If that were the case and there actually was an financial incentive for me to switch I might actually do it. Let's say if they completely subsidize an S4 or w/e.
The way the new contracts are designed you pay the same amount for far less. I don't really use much data compared to some maybe 2-3 gigs a month, so if saving money was a viable option I might do it, but its not.

To the data discussion. The users are the only ones affected by congestion. It costs essentially the same for VZW to have 10 or 100 people connected to a tower. The way I see its like you own 10 shares of a company for 10 dollars. Then that company asking you to sell and rebuy 5 shares for 20 dollars. Its still worth a 100$ but a much crappier deal.


Fortunately I was able to interpret these feelings correctly: loss of essence.

 

[zachthebomb13]

I wouldnt really have a problem giving up my unlimited if the equivalent to what I'm currently paying is comparable. 30 a month gives me unlimited data, but if I sign a new contract 30 is 2 gigs. That is absolutely insane. I would think 2 gigs a month should be 10$ . If that were the case and there actually was an financial incentive for me to switch I might actually do it. Let's say if they completely subsidize an S4 or w/e.
The way the new contracts are designed you pay the same amount for far less. I don't really use much data compared to some maybe 2-3 gigs a month, so if saving money was a viable option I might do it, but its not.

To the data discussion. The users are the only ones affected by congestion. It costs essentially the same for VZW to have 10 or 100 people connected to a tower. The way I see its like you own 10 shares of a company for 10 dollars. Then that company asking you to sell and rebuy 5 shares for 20 dollars. Its still worth a 100$ but a much crappier deal.


Fortunately I was able to interpret these feelings correctly: loss of essence.

Do you have any other phones on your plan? I think that's where the real savings start.

Sure, whether there are 10 or 100, it costs the same. But that's not the only cost. They build new towers, and constantly improve. That cost money too.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

 

[zachthebomb13]

I'm the data hog i guess. I just hit 21g and I'm only in the second week of my Billing cycle. My average use is usually 47 to 48 gigs monthly. To far out for cable service. To many trees for satellite. 4g Lte service works just fine.
I think i will just buy my phones from here on out. I love my unlimited data.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

I'd start looking for alternatives now, they won't let that continue. When your contact ends they aren't legally obligated to keep you.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

 

[drstrangelove5]

Do you have any other phones on your plan? I think that's where the real savings start.

Sure, whether there are 10 or 100, it costs the same. But that's not the only cost. They build new towers, and constantly improve. That cost money too.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

I should have clarified that. Just me on my plan. I can't speak for the family plans just the solo one.

Fortunately I was able to interpret these feelings correctly: loss of essence.

 

[SmilinBob]

The way the new contracts are designed you pay the same amount for far less.

I'm with ya, the new Verizon plans are terrible and there doesn't seem much recourse. My wife and I are grandfathered on unlimited until early 2014, when the party all ends. We use our phones almost exclusively for streaming music at work 6-8 hours per day (airwave radio doesn't penetrate the walls). She streams Pandora, I listen to Soma.fm using the lower bandwidth ACC stream. She regularly racks up 30-35GB, I hit around 25GB. We don't stream Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, or use the connection at home (we have 35Mb Cable).

I don't understand how people can have smartphones and not use the connection for more than 2GB/mo. I guess some folks just like having the convenience of the phone but use it very seldom. And the carriers are so full of **** - they advertise all the neat high bandwidth uses you can enjoy but either all have data caps or begin throttling you at a certain point. Stream Netflix in HD! for a single 2 hour movie, that is - for your month of allotted bandwidth.

And shout out to Sami - been following this thread for a long time but generally just a lurker. Thanks for all the info and time and effort into keeping us all updated. The discussion changing to Unlimited Data always gets my dander up though. At this point I can seriously see myself going back to a flip phone when all the carriers go to a Data Prevention Policy with capped data all around. No thanks.

 

[SamuriHL]

You won't be able to do that, either. VZW is going to *aggressively* move to VoLTE starting next year, as well. No more 3G. Everything is going to happen over LTE going forward.