Droid Bionic Not Released Before Tiered Data Plans!

[radgatt]

Tiers make tears :'(

 

[Cvballa3g0]

Also a comment on the "Average consumers." Most of them don't even know how much data they use per month.

 

[CBMC]

Of the above I agree completely.



This I disagree with.

As much as it saddens me, the reality is that VZW knows that the overwhelming majority of their customers will hear about the new plans from the store rep, will ask where they are at now, the rep will pull up their account and tell them, ?well over the last 5 months you used an average of 400MB of data so you will not see any changes to your account.?

Thus the average customer will sign a new contract and walk out the door happy that they got a shiny new phone.

The reality is that people on these boards use a ton more data than the ?average customer.? (The sad part is that very few of them will never even bother to realize that they should be mad that they are not getting a price cut as a result of it?)

-Suntan

I agree 100%. However, with Netflix and other streaming outlets becoming available, it is getting easier and easier to reach that 2gb. I would have guessed a 5gb cap @ the $30 level. (with the $10 per gb overage) Last month I streamed Netflix about 25 minutes per day and hit over 7gbs, not using the phone for much else . It is sad the way that data plans are reverting back to the aol days.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

 

[CBMC]

Delete. Repost.

 

[BigDFSU]

Grabbed this from another board.

 

[trailblazen]

I just got off the phone with a CSR and she had no clue about the leak. I was kind enough to point her in the direction of droidlife and it took her by surprise. She said those were the prices for the mobile broadband exactly but that if those are true that I need to do what I need to to keep my unlimited (yes we will get grandfathered) because she said that tiered IS coming but they don't have an exact date. I asked if I bought a charge on the 30th and if this leak does not come to fruitition if I can take my phone back and keep my NE2 and 2yr pricing as long as it is within the 14 days and she said I could. She actually suggested it if I was really concerned about locking unlimited. Looks like im grabbing a charge next thursday on my upgrade day and riding it out till the 7th.

 

[ShiZero]

^ This is exciting news. EVEN when renewing or upgrading? If this sticks, I'm sure a lot of us high-end users might be persuaded to stay with VZW.

Also, on the discussion of bandwidth-hungry apps and "average consumers" not having a clue what a Geebee means... you think Verizon hasn't taken that into consideration? You think they don't know for a fact that people will be hitting their data caps, never realizing it, and then be hit with overage fees or forced to pay extra for plans? C'mon guys, you know who you're dealing with here.

Call me a cynic, but I'll believe in corporate justice when I see it.

 

[Cruiserdude]

Now I'm really glad I picked up a Charge when I did, I guess many of you will be considering one as well. You won't be disappointed, it may not be the most powerful hardware around, but its still a great phone and it only chokes on the newest 3d paid games, which I and most of you probably don't care about anyway.

Regardless, yes Moto will be pissed about this, as I had said long ago, its only fair to allow all four device partners to have some time to sell their phone with unlimited pricing before switching to tiered. However, VZW cannot make any outright admittance that these plans are a step back, they have to act like its a new "feature". Also, their logic is likely along the lines that if Moto wanted to sell the Bionic with unlimited data, they should have completed it. Moto's failure to give VZW a flagship LTE device before the beginning of summer hurt them I'm sure, and I'm guessing Verizon feels its only fair for Moto to now suffer a bit as well. Remember that Verizon executives referred to Moto as being "akin to a preferred manufacturer at this point" before this whole Bionic fiasco.

But for those still holding out, all I can say is good luck. I've had my Charge for 3 weeks, and I've already used 5 Gbs of data. I download alot of apps and spend a lot of time browsing the web, but I haven't tethered or done much streaming apart from the occasional Pandora and Youtube, and I often use wifi around the house. Its true what they say about LTE using more data. I have dsl at home and its really slow (6-7Mbps down, <1 up) , so I didn't wanna be stuck using my phone on my home wifi all the time, when LTE is much faster (I get anywhere from 8-27Mbps down and around 5 up in my area). I'm sure we'll be able to upgrade off-contract, but unless you grab a 4G phone with unlimited data before July 7th, it sounds like you'll be SOL.

I guess this is why Google is so supportive of Sprint for still offering unlimited, un-throttled data. They promote using the cloud for everything instead of local storage, but good luck when your data cap is only 2gigs a month. Its too bad they don't own their own 4g network though, whenever Clearwire decides to end ties or that they can't handle unlimited Wimax anymore, Sprint customers aren't gonna be happier than we are now.

 

[Friend-O]

Grabbed this from another board.

Oh, wow...if that's true, I'm going to be one happy camper!

 

[trailblazen]

Oh, wow...if that's true, I'm going to be one happy camper!

I'll believe it when I see it. I am covering my a$$ and getting a charge just incase because I have a hard time trusting it. If it turns out to be true and I see the fine print then I will be able to take back the charge and retain my NE2 and 2yr pricing (already talked to a rep about it as long as I am within my 14 days). But I just have a feeling it will not go as nicely as some are hoping so I am preparing for the worst.

 

[apcman]

I don't think vzw will be that undercut by AT&T. I bet those ones are fake or maybe there will be smaller baskets. Tiers are coming in terms of pricing but I don't think 2gb for $30 is right. There might be a 3g and 4g differences as well, I would not get scared over cost till a reputable source comes out with more details.

 

[Hand_O_Death]

I don't think vzw will be that undercut by AT&T. I bet those ones are fake or maybe there will be smaller baskets. Tiers are coming in terms of pricing but I don't think 2gb for $30 is right. There might be a 3g and 4g differences as well, I would not get scared over cost till a reputable source comes out with more details.

Agreed. I personally think that $10 per Gig would be fair. 3 GB for $30 would be enough for me I am assuming.

 

[Jman123]

So how do you know that the Bionic will not be out before the tiered data plans???

 

[ZonicTH]

Question.
Regarding 'Note 1'
*Note 1 ? We have also been told that this is for both 3G and 4G smartphones and that there are not separate plans depending on device. So if you are under contract currently, you should be fine and don?t need to run out and buy a 4G phone just to lock in as we?ve seen other sites seem to want to suggest.

Does this mean there's no need to go out and buy a 4G phone at the moment to lock in unlimited 4G?

By this I mean, I have a 'regular' unlimited data plan on a Droid Incredible. So, if I were to upgrade to the Bionic, I should have the 4G data, as the existing unlimited plan?

 

[testt]

Question.
Regarding 'Note 1'
*Note 1 ? We have also been told that this is for both 3G and 4G smartphones and that there are not separate plans depending on device. So if you are under contract currently, you should be fine and don?t need to run out and buy a 4G phone just to lock in as we?ve seen other sites seem to want to suggest.

Does this mean there's no need to go out and buy a 4G phone at the moment to lock in unlimited 4G?

By this I mean, I have a 'regular' unlimited data plan on a Droid Incredible. So, if I were to upgrade to the Bionic, I should have the 4G data, as the existing unlimited plan?

Yes

 

[Cruiserdude]

Question.
Regarding 'Note 1'
*Note 1 ? We have also been told that this is for both 3G and 4G smartphones and that there are not separate plans depending on device. So if you are under contract currently, you should be fine and don?t need to run out and buy a 4G phone just to lock in as we?ve seen other sites seem to want to suggest.

Does this mean there's no need to go out and buy a 4G phone at the moment to lock in unlimited 4G?

By this I mean, I have a 'regular' unlimited data plan on a Droid Incredible. So, if I were to upgrade to the Bionic, I should have the 4G data, as the existing unlimited plan?

That's one way of interpreting a repost on a blog of something some woman at VZW supposedly told someone after he learned of some leaked data that has yet to be officially confirmed. It also goes against what others have said, and even so, I haven't heard anything saying that you'll be able to upgrade at 2-year pricing and keep unlimited, just that you may be able to buy something full retail and run it on an existing unlimited 3g plan. Even that isn't confirmed though, and I certainly wouldn't count on what she said.

Again, if you want to make sure you get locked into unlimited LTE for the forseeable future, your best bet is to grab a Charge now (or T-Bolt or Rev if you hate battery life ). A few things here and there seem to suggest that you may have other options, but its not likely and the majority of what we've heard suggests that you will only be grandfathered with your current plan. They may allow you to upgrade at 2-year pricing and keep unlimited, to get people to re-sign, but most likely you'll just have to go full retail. Even if they do allow it, which is unlikely, I don't expect you'd be able to switch from 3g to 4g.

None of this info has actually been confirmed, which means the plans may not yet be completely finalized, or possibly this info is incorrect (though not likely). Still, it may be correct at this time when it leaked, but may change before it becomes "official". We here in the Bionic forum are certainly no strangers to that. So if you wait you may find out there's a way to keep waiting, but we haven't heard anything reliable to suggest that's the case, and it honestly wouldn't make much sense if they truly are as committed to this tiered thing as they claim. So wait if you want to, but the safe call at this point would be to grab an LTE phone and unlimited data with your upgrade while you still can.

 

[XDCX]

If Motorola were smart......

Based on what I've read so far it appears Verizon customers who have a data plan on their 3G device will be grandfathered with unlimited data.

It seems to me if Motorola were smart they'd offer a "100% Trade-in Guarantee" for any customer who purchased a Droid X2 and wanted to upgrade to a Bionic. The customer would just be responsible for paying the MSRP difference between the two phones. Granted, there would be some restrictions but the goal of the program would be to get customers into a 3G plan with a Motorola device before the 7/7/11 deadline.

It's not like the X2 is flying off the shelves and it would be better than losing customers to HTC and Samsung.

Maybe there's a better solution, but if Motorola's management team does nothing but sit on their hands watching customers defect for other brands I'll think even less of them than I do now.

 

[Cruiserdude]

Based on what I've read so far it appears Verizon customers who have a data plan on their 3G device will be grandfathered with unlimited data.

It seems to me if Motorola were smart they'd offer a "100% Trade-in Guarantee" for any customer who purchased a Droid X2 and wanted to upgrade to a Bionic. The customer would just be responsible for paying the MSRP difference between the two phones. Granted, there would be some restrictions but the goal of the program would be to get customers into a 3G plan with a Motorola device before the 7/7/11 deadline.

It's not like the X2 is flying off the shelves and it would be better than losing customers to HTC and Samsung.

Maybe there's a better solution, but if Motorola's management team does nothing but sit on their hands watching customers defect for other brands I'll think even less of them than I do now.

But they can't just admit the DX2 was a place-holder, and eat the cost of buying them all back after a month or so. The whole reason for releasing the DX2 seems to be as a way for them to re-coup the cost of all the extra 4.3" pentile screens and Tegra2 processors they had on order for the Etna, so I don't see them taking them back, then what will they do with them?

I also don't see Verizon being too happy about them giving even the average customer an obvious method of circumventing the tiered data plans for the Bionic without having to pay full-retail, not after the hot water they're already in for delaying the device in the first place.

I agree that Moto needs to do something, but they have to work with Verizon, and they can't effectively throw any more money away. They'll probably just hope the Bionic, Photon, Xoom LTE, and Droid 3 are enough to get them back on their feet, regardless of carrier plan changes, and try to have their **** a little more together in the future.

 

[fundragon]

Based on what I've read so far it appears Verizon customers who have a data plan on their 3G device will be grandfathered with unlimited data.

That's exactly what my local Verizon reps told me back in March, when I was looking at getting a Thunderbolt... They claimed that the unlimited data plan is the unlimited data plan, I would be grandfathered in to unlimited 4G regardless of whether I had 3G or 4G when tiered pricing hit.

 

[fundragon]

T-Mobile might be considered unlimited, but don't forget that they will throttle you waaayyyy back once you hit the high-speed cap that you are paying for.

Verizon is reserving the right to do this also, in their current contract.

I bought a Charge last month, upgrading my 6-year-old flip phone. The data contract that Verizon had me sign basically said that if my data usage was in the top 5% in any given month, Verizon had the right to throttle my data performance.