So I'm Looking to Lock in Unlimited and Get the Droid Bionic Later...

[rkeller62]

Well that sounds good for anyone already with a smartphone. Sucks for me. Im just going to wait til the last minute and hope we see the bionic released around the 4th of july (which i doubt) a few days before tiered data.

Or you could buy a used smartphone off eBay or Craigslist and add unlimited data to your plan before 7/7. This wouldn't affect your upgrade pricing, but should allow to keep unlimited according to the latest info.

 

[Tom74]

Or you could buy a used smartphone off eBay or Craigslist and add unlimited data to your plan before 7/7. This wouldn't affect your upgrade pricing, but should allow to keep unlimited according to the latest info.

Ya thats pretty much what i said in my first post. Then i went on ebay and realized peoples idea of cheap is still $150-200. Oh why did verizon have to complicate things right now.

 

[XDCX]

Then i went on ebay and realized peoples idea of cheap is still $150-200.

That might have been my fault - I posted in another thread that I was thinking about picking up a cheap Droid X. :-!

The reason I selected a Droid X is because it's a phone I may end up keeping for awhile. In your case, if you're just looking for a cheap phone to lock in unlimited data I'm sure there are better (cheaper) options.

A word of caution concerning Ebay - there are a lot of phones out there that have a "Bad ESN" which means they cannot be activated on Verizon's network. In most cases these are phones that were reported lost or stolen or still have an unpaid balance with Verizon.

If you don't want the risk of trusting someone on Ebay, you may want to buy from a larger company like Gazelle that sells used phones on Ebay - they guarantee you'll be able to activate their phones.

Final thought on Ebay - there's currently a 10% off coupon that applies to cell phones that remains valid until 06/26 - you may want to do some digging on Google and see if you can find an unused coupon code.

 

[Oxn]

For anyone attempting to ebay a phone and get a data plan without contract, you also need to becareful.

Because they can always say, well you never signed a contract, so you cant be grandfathered into something you were neevr contracted with.

Just something to be careful on, and gather more information before doing so.

 

[ShiZero]

For anyone attempting to ebay a phone and get a data plan without contract, you also need to becareful.

Because they can always say, well you never signed a contract, so you cant be grandfathered into something you were neevr contracted with.

Just something to be careful on, and gather more information before doing so.

I remember a few pages in one of these (now many threads, FFS guys) that someone posted the information that "Data plans are not contract-dependent, but features", which essentially makes them non-legal binding as far as I can tell. The PHONES on the other hand...

Now, what can happen is this, and see if this makes some sense:

- Hi, I'm a new VZW customer. I just got a new Motorola Razr and a simple calling plan. My early termination fee, because I have a simple flip-phone, is $150.
- 20 months later, I go to the Verizon store and see this amazing new phone called the Droid. I get one for myself, a $30/mo data plan, and now my early termination fee is $350 because the phone costs a lot more.

In this situation, your line IS contracted for a smartphone plan (the ETF is part of the contract which supposedly is different than the flip-phone contract), and you're paying the required Data plan. If it's true that they will grandfather existing customers into Unlimited for as long as they upgrade to a Smartphone, this is it. All stars are aligned.

Now consider here:

- Instead of going to the VZW store to get that Droid, you buy it from a friend for $300. Excitedly, you go home to activate that phone in place of your Moto Razr, choose a Data plan and begin using your new device, happy as can be.

In a situation like this, you are pretty much in a gray area. Your contract and ETF are still for a flip phone, and while you have a Data plan running monthly on your account it doesn't necessarily, in Verizon's eye, means that you have a smartphone. (Even if you physically do, contractually you do not.)

Plus there's the discussion of 3G and 4G, and all the speculation there. I think it's more useful to wait a bit more, be ready to pull the trigger if you have to, but wait on more info closer to D-Day.

 

[Hand_O_Death]

So far the VZW employees (for what it is worth) say that they do not differentiate between 3G and 4G, That it is just "Data". SO hopefully I will be able to upgrade from my DX to the Bionic after 7/7 like I believe a lot of people are concerned about. The fact that some of the pictures show training shots saying that all unlimited data owners can keep their unlimited while upgrading is at least a good sign if true.

 

[ffac789]

So far the VZW employees (for what it is worth) say that they do not differentiate between 3G and 4G, That it is just "Data". SO hopefully I will be able to upgrade from my DX to the Bionic after 7/7 like I believe a lot of people are concerned about. The fact that some of the pictures show training shots saying that all unlimited data owners can keep their unlimited while upgrading is at least a good sign if true.

That was actually a subject I was going to touch on. As far as I knew, and it sounds like they changed this, going from 3G to LTE is like signing up for a new data plan, even though (at this point in time) it's the same pricing and everything. So, upon upgrading to a LTE phone, you're actually changing your data plan to 4G, thus changing to 4G after tiered would put you in an unfortunate situation. Hopefully from the pics it seems that is not the case.

 

[m41surette]

Just found the below. So, looks like CloeHokie specified smartphones for a reason. Based on this, you will not be grandfathered in if you have a feature phone with unlimited data, only if you have a smartphone.

Trying to gather as much info about the upcoming 7/7 d-day along with keeping your unlimited data plan. This is what it says on my current bill.

BlackBerry EVDO for MB
Unlimited monthly megabyte

I would assume an older blackberry plan would fall under VZ's "existing smartphone customer" but would like verification if anyone has it? Thanks!

 

[Suntan]

One thing is pretty apparent. It looks like my wife is going to be stuck using a feature phone as the extra line on our family plan for some time.

-Suntan

 

[Oxn]

One thing is pretty apparent. It looks like my wife is going to be stuck using a feature phone as the extra line on our family plan for some time.

-Suntan

whys that?

 

[trailblazen]

Trying to gather as much info about the upcoming 7/7 d-day along with keeping your unlimited data plan. This is what it says on my current bill.

BlackBerry EVDO for MB
Unlimited monthly megabyte

I would assume an older blackberry plan would fall under VZ's "existing smartphone customer" but would like verification if anyone has it? Thanks!

Thats what I said in another thread is that when I called and asked about going from my BB Storm 2 to a Android/Bionic they said they were not sure it would be the same since it was a BB unlimited data plan moving to the normal android data scene hence why I jumped on a Charge last night because after that conversation yesterday afternoon I didn't want to even chance loosing my unlimited. If by some chance it comes out before the 7/7 (and we should hear something closer to that if the rumor is true) I will have time within my 14 days to take my charge back.

 

[m41surette]

Thats what I said in another thread is that when I called and asked about going from my BB Storm 2 to a Android/Bionic they said they were not sure it would be the same since it was a BB unlimited data plan moving to the normal android data scene hence why I jumped on a Charge last night because after that conversation yesterday afternoon I didn't want to even chance loosing my unlimited. If by some chance it comes out before the 7/7 (and we should hear something closer to that if the rumor is true) I will have time within my 14 days to take my charge back.

Thanks for the response. Sounds like I have the same dilemma as you did. Hopefully some information will come out for BB users and their data plans before 7/7 or I will probably have to get a current LTE phone on 7/6? Exactly 2 weeks remaining to hope for something concrete I guess...

 

[Jasper]

Existing customer rules (grandfathering):

Just as we reported yesterday, existing customers get to keep their current data plans. No length of time has been set for this, but as of now, it’s “forever.”
Current customers will also keep their unlimited data plans after renewing contracts and upgrading phones after July 7.
As long as you lock into an unlimited $29.99 data plan before July 7, you get to keep it for the foreseeable future.

New customers and new lines:

All new customers as of July 7 will have to fall into one of the tiers listed above.
If you are an existing customer and add a new line after July 6, you will also be subject to the tiers.
Even if your entire family plan has unlimited data, your new lines after July 6 will still be subject to tiers.
If you were looking to add a new line, now would be a good time.

3G vs. 4G data:

There is no difference between 4G and 3G data plans. All of the new tiers will fall in at the same price and do not care if you are using a 3G or 4G device.
This is the same for current customers with unlimited data plans. You will see no change.

Verizon Shares Tiered Data Pricing During Employee Training, Confirms Everything We Already Told You - Droid Life: A Droid Community Blog

 

[Hand_O_Death]

Yep, after I read that earlier, I am glad I can just relax and wait for the next phone I want to be released, with no worry about having to settle to get a 4G phone before 7/7. Now do I wait for this Bionic a few people are teasing about coming in a few weeks or wait longer?

Guess I will need to see some official specs. How about the rest of you?

 

[bworley50]

Yep, after I read that earlier, I am glad I can just relax and wait for the next phone I want to be released, with no worry about having to settle to get a 4G phone before 7/7. Now do I wait for this Bionic a few people are teasing about coming in a few weeks or wait longer?

Guess I will need to see some official specs. How about the rest of you?

No....don't wait. The Bionic is "the end of waiting," Remember?

 

[testt]

Can't decide on whether to buy the Charge now or but later and wait and see if something comes out before or after tiered prices. That way I would be able to trade in the Charge, while keeping unlimited.

 

[Hand_O_Death]

No....don't wait. The Bionic is "the end of waiting," Remember?

BAH! Your right, what was I thinking? For some strange reason I had totally forgotten that slogan. Almost like it had slipped my mind in the last six months or something.

 

[DerekMorr]

I'm currently an AT&T customer. I'd like to switch to Verizon and get a Bionic, but I want unlimited data. I'm wondering what my options are.

Let's say that I buy a VZ LTE phone before 7/7. When the Bionic is released, can I buy it (presumably at full price) and "swap it out" with the other VZ phone? How would I do that? On a GSM-based network, I'd just swap the SIM card. I'm assuming I'd have to swap the LTE sim card, but what about the CDMA functionality?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Oxn]

I'm currently an AT&T customer. I'd like to switch to Verizon and get a Bionic, but I want unlimited data. I'm wondering what my options are.

Let's say that I buy a VZ LTE phone before 7/7. When the Bionic is released, can I buy it (presumably at full price) and "swap it out" with the other VZ phone? How would I do that? On a GSM-based network, I'd just swap the SIM card. I'm assuming I'd have to swap the LTE sim card, but what about the CDMA functionality?

Thanks in advance.

Yes if you lock in right now with a Droid Charge, you can buy a Bionic whenever it releases AT FULL PRICE, and replace it.

Just go into your local VZW store, and it can be done in a few minutes.

 

[ShiZero]

I'm currently an AT&T customer. I'd like to switch to Verizon and get a Bionic, but I want unlimited data. I'm wondering what my options are.

Let's say that I buy a VZ LTE phone before 7/7. When the Bionic is released, can I buy it (presumably at full price) and "swap it out" with the other VZ phone? How would I do that? On a GSM-based network, I'd just swap the SIM card. I'm assuming I'd have to swap the LTE sim card, but what about the CDMA functionality?

Thanks in advance.

CDMA phones have an ESN which is kind of like a computer's Mac address - it's unique to each device. If you buy the Bionic off of Ebay or at full price, you can then activate its ESN on your line (Deactivating the Charge in the process) and press *228 on the Bionic to activate the device on VZW's network.

Not sure if you could just swap the Sim card, but I've heard you can go to the VZW store to get a new one. Swapping should work though.