Verizon's May 22nd Announcement

[paintdrinkingpete]

They will be announcing the DNA replacement phone.

Not sure if you're stating fact or speculation, however that is seems plausible. I kind of expected Verizon to get some version of the HTC One, albeit rebranded as a "Droid" of some kind.

 

[DreamSTi]

Not sure if you're stating fact or speculation, however that is seems plausible. I kind of expected Verizon to get some version of the HTC One, albeit rebranded as a "Droid" of some kind.

Blackmanx posted about it last night, I consider him a pretty reliable source

 

[jroc]

Really?!?

I mean, I get emails every time a new phone comes out saying, "upgrade now!", but no one has ever called me and asked me to change plans.

Do you use a lot of data? Are they actually saying, "we'd like you to get rid of your unlimited plan" or do you mean that they just try to get you to upgrade your phone (and thus upgrade your plan in the process)?

Lol, I figured leaving out some details was gonna cause confusion. It would save me between $40 and $100 to go to the share plans.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Android Central Forums

 

[ibcop]

I hope its the beginning of their Installment Plan. I talked to a CS rep the other day, was trying to get the GS4. All she said was it hasnt been started yet. Usually talking about things that hasnt been started yet gets met with "I dont know anything about that," etc. Verizon has been calling me trying to get me to get rid of my unlimited data plan. I asked the last person about the installment plans and she said.....I dont know anything about that....you would need to contact another dept.

Device Payment Program FAQs | Verizon Wireless

 

[Fable]

Also one of the reasons that the reps don't know that much about it is that its something for their brick and mortar stores as I understand it. One of the reps I was asking questions to was nice enough to find the fact sheets they are given but told me that I would need to do it through a retail chain and couldn't do it on the phone. Course at 12 months with like 700 including tax, you are looking at like 58 dollars a month added onto your bill. At that much I just balk at paying it monthly.

 

[ibcop]

Also one of the reasons that the reps don't know that much about it is that its something for their brick and mortar stores as I understand it. One of the reps I was asking questions to was nice enough to find the fact sheets they are given but told me that I would need to do it through a retail chain and couldn't do it on the phone. Course at 12 months with like 700 including tax, you are looking at like 58 dollars a month added onto your bill. At that much I just balk at paying it monthly.

But it will work out nicely for some people that can't fork over seven hundred beans at a time.

 

[Averix]

As someone earlier mentioned, maybe it is a Voice over LTE announcement. Since the GS4 is out there as of tomorrow, maybe it will be the first phone capable of it. As for CDMA going away, they can't. What would happen when you went outside of LTE range? If the phone is capable of using LTE Voice in an LTE region and shutting off the CDMA radio until it loses LTE, that would be something worth announcing.

 

[viper31573]

I'm telling you, I read last week about the 22nd and a Verizon version of HTC one. I'll be very surprised if its not. Can't remember if it was drippler or appy geek where I saw it.

 

[viper31573]

not where i read it, but here is a thread about it on xda HTC One to Verizon on May 22 - xda-developers

 

[Pakbackr]

Look closely at the 'Save the Date' graphic...clearly a background of brushed aluminum...clearly the HTC One announcement!

 

[ericinaz]

I find it hard to think it would be the DNA replacement / the One. Verizon has the free DNA program running up to today. This means all these free phones have 14 days before Verizon can wright them off pass the return and exchange period. They put a lot of thought in phone price reduction and free units to ensure time passes between series of phones so they don't get a huge return dump. Plus they don't release two flag ships at the same time. It's the GS4 spot light right now on their eyes. They see how many units are moving internationally and want some of that action. Then they will roll with their Droid version of the One by the 1st of June

Posted via Android Central App

 

[infinity12402]

I find it hard to think it would be the DNA replacement / the One. Verizon has the free DNA program running up to today. This means all these free phones have 14 days before Verizon can wright them off pass the return and exchange period. They put a lot of thought in phone price reduction and free units to ensure time passes between series of phones so they don't get a huge return dump. Plus they don't release two flag ships at the same time. It's the GS4 spot light right now on their eyes. They see how many units are moving internationally and want some of that action. Then they will roll with their Droid version of the One by the 1st of June

Posted via Android Central App

if they were to announce it, it could be just that. an announcement. they dont have to release it right away. they could release it 2-4 weeks from now if they want

 

[Jennifer Stough]

if they were to announce it, it could be just that. an announcement. they dont have to release it right away. they could release it 2-4 weeks from now if they want

I agree with this. There is normally a span of time between an announcement and a release (minus iPhone, who seem to be good about releasing shortly after announcement). If it were announced now, it would probably be another month or so before release. No one who purchases an s4 or DNA before two weeks prior of release would be able to exchange it. I guess we will really have to wait and see, though.

Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Android Central Forums

 

[PhiPsi32]

I think Verizon is going to let people keep their unlimited data if they want to. They have to like the fact that a person has to pay full retail in order to get a new phone and keep the unlimited.

Sent from my Sony Xperia P

That's true BC if you do that you are basically surcharging yourself on a subsidy.

Yes, the subsidy is baked into the monthly rate. Buy a handset at full price and you are kicking extra $$$$ to VZW. However, I expect the number of grandfathered accounts are small as percentage of the total subscriber base. And it's been about two years since VZW went to tiered data plans. So I expect the customers interested in subsidized handsets have already changed contracts, and the holdouts are still holdingout. In essence, VZW subscribers have already divided themselves into two camps (on contract and out of contract).

They will be announcing the DNA replacement phone.

Not sure if you're stating fact or speculation, however that is seems plausible. I kind of expected Verizon to get some version of the HTC One, albeit rebranded as a "Droid" of some kind.

I'm guessing that there will be an HTC handset with a form factor similar to the HTC One, eventually. It may look the same, but I don't think it will be a "One" for VZW.

Device Payment Program FAQs | Verizon Wireless

Nice catch. This is good info. I'll be very curious to see what the financing terms are (i.e. interest rate).

As someone earlier mentioned, maybe it is a Voice over LTE announcement. Since the GS4 is out there as of tomorrow, maybe it will be the first phone capable of it. As for CDMA going away, they can't. What would happen when you went outside of LTE range? If the phone is capable of using LTE Voice in an LTE region and shutting off the CDMA radio until it loses LTE, that would be something worth announcing.

VoLTE seems like a good bet as consumer trials could start in the next 3-6 months with the first roll out in 2014. The real kicker here (in conjunction with the off contract phone payment plans) is what happens to subscribers grandfathered on unlimited data? Granted the CDMA networks will stay up for a few years at least. But at some point everyone will be pushed to VoLTE. The grandfathered plans will literally cease to exist. What happens then? Is it the true death for unlimited data? We'll find out.

 

[DestinedtoGame]

I really can't wait for this announcement!!! It will either put me in a great mood tomorrow or a really odd funk.

 

[SDNick484]

I wouldn't be surprised if Verizon announces another top of the line phone of either HTC, Moto, or LG tomorrow just to steal some thunder from Samsung and limit their supplier power. It's not in Verizon's best interest to have any one manufacturer dominate their phone sales, and if any manufactuer is in position to do it, that would be Samsung.

The other, more unsettling possibility might be announcing the end of unlimited data. I agree with PhiPsi32 that the vast majority of unlimited data users such as myself are currently no longer on a contract, and we're definitely the minority by a large margin. Since we're no longer on contract, this means that if Verizon ends unlimited data, we couldn't use it as an excuse to cancel the contract without paying the ETF so there's no real penalty for Verizon. Sure they'll lose some folks, but quite frankly the heavy users of unlimited data are probably the people they want to get rid of anyway. Heck, I actually wouldn't mind that so much as it would make my decision to get the GS4 a lot easier as I'd just take the subsidised price instead of debate whether it's worth the risk to pay full retail and possibly find out that unlimited data is going to end soon anyway.

 

[ibcop]

Nice catch. This is good info. I'll be very curious to see what the financing terms are (i.e. interest rate).

No interest per se, but they do charge a $2 fee each month. So if you spread it out over the 12 months, you'd pay them an extra $24.

 

[ChuckG73]

I have a feeling that the Verizon announcement will be a let down....

 

[Parafly]

As someone earlier mentioned, maybe it is a Voice over LTE announcement. Since the GS4 is out there as of tomorrow, maybe it will be the first phone capable of it. As for CDMA going away, they can't. What would happen when you went outside of LTE range? If the phone is capable of using LTE Voice in an LTE region and shutting off the CDMA radio until it loses LTE, that would be something worth announcing.

The LTE range is supposed to match the CDMA range by end of this year, although I still don't have LTE at my house. I can see it creeping down the highway though, every week I can go a little further on LTE before the switch ...

 

[Parafly]

Sure they'll lose some folks, but quite frankly the heavy users of unlimited data are probably the people they want to get rid of anyway. Heck, I actually wouldn't mind that so much as it would make my decision to get the GS4 a lot easier as I'd just take the subsidised price instead of debate whether it's worth the risk to pay full retail and possibly find out that unlimited data is going to end soon anyway.

I don't think so. First off, they wouldn't schedule a press conference / announcement to say they are 100% canning unlimited data. That would just come under teh covers from them quietly. No need to make a show out of it.

Secondarily, I think you guys are really the biggest moneymakers for Verizon, even with unlimited data and using a lot of data. Reason: you are paying a phone subsidy as part of your bill every month but you aren't taking the phone in order to keep unlimited. You are "worth" probably $15 - $20 extra per month than your monthly bill might indicate .