iPhone 5 and unlimited data plan

[mfm77]

When it comes to unlimited plans, people really seem to be foolish. Why in the world would you pay full price for a phone just to keep the unlimited plan? Is it because you are using 50 GB per month, or is it because you lay awake at night worrying about how much data you have left on your plan?

The 4 GB share everything plan is $70. The 10 GB plan is $100. That's $30 per month more if you were to use 10 GB, which I doubt people are using. That's $360 per year more *IF* you really use 10 GB of data.

So you would rather pay full price (an extra $450) just so you can march around bragging about unlimited data? Seems just pound foolish to me....

Why do it? I don't think it's a matter of bragging at all; rather, it depends on your financial situation. I'm paying about $80 a month for everything: talk, text, and unlimited data (I get a 15% discount per month on my plan). You said the 4 GB share everything plan (for use with a smartphone) is $70, but you're forgetting the $40 "monthly line access" for the phone, which brings the monthly cost up to $110. For people who don't have to worry about paying more per month, that's fine, but for people who are looking to cut monthly costs, it makes more sense to pay more upfront and save monthly. Here's my personal math:

-$110/mo. x 24 mo (new contract) + $212 (new phone including tax) = $2852 over 2 years
-$80/mo x 24 mo (for comparison's sake) + $688 (new phone including tax) = $2608 over 2 years

The savings would be over $200 over 24 months. Sure, that doesn't add up to much per month, but savings are savings, right? Like I said, actual mileage may vary for each person.

 

[GingerSnapsBack]

When it comes to unlimited plans, people really seem to be foolish. Why in the world would you pay full price for a phone just to keep the unlimited plan? Is it because you are using 50 GB per month, or is it because you lay awake at night worrying about how much data you have left on your plan?

The 4 GB share everything plan is $70. The 10 GB plan is $100. That's $30 per month more if you were to use 10 GB, which I doubt people are using. That's $360 per year more *IF* you really use 10 GB of data.

So you would rather pay full price (an extra $450) just so you can march around bragging about unlimited data? Seems just pound foolish to me....

I'm not bragging. I'm being practical. For what it'd cost me to drop unlimited data to switch to a tiered plan, I'd save $500 on the phone, but my bill would go up nearly $50 a month. It's far cheaper for me to pay the extra money for the phone than to switch.

Verizon will probably force all of us with unlimited data to switch in the future, but until then, I'll be sticking with my unlimited data.

 

[Lynx]

I'm not bragging. I'm being practical. For what it'd cost me to drop unlimited data to switch to a tiered plan, I'd save $500 on the phone, but my bill would go up nearly $50 a month. It's far cheaper for me to pay the extra money for the phone than to switch.

Verizon will probably force all of us with unlimited data to switch in the future, but until then, I'll be sticking with my unlimited data.

As long as you dont sign a new contract I dont know how they can take that away from you without some negative reactions from the consumers!

 

[the one and only M]

Just ordered last night using this method. Going to receive the phones, activate them, then transfer one to my line. I wish they had nano sims in stock so I could avoid going to Verizon completely.

 

[GingerSnapsBack]

As long as you dont sign a new contract I dont know how they can take that away from you without some negative reactions from the consumers!

They can do whatever they want. They're Verizon. When that day comes, I could get mad and switch but my options are go back to Sprint and have an Apple branded paperweight due to no service or swap to AT&T and have tiered data as well. Unlimited data hurts Vzw's bottom line and they'll do whatever they can to get rid of it. They already have by telling those of us that have unlimited data either give it up or pay full price for a phone, knowing a lot of people will just give it up. Their next move if I had to guess would be take it away for good whenever we get a new phone, subsidized or not.

 

[templetonryecy]

Why do it? I don't think it's a matter of bragging at all; rather, it depends on your financial situation. I'm paying about $80 a month for everything: talk, text, and unlimited data (I get a 15% discount per month on my plan). You said the 4 GB share everything plan (for use with a smartphone) is $70, but you're forgetting the $40 "monthly line access" for the phone, which brings the monthly cost up to $110. For people who don't have to worry about paying more per month, that's fine, but for people who are looking to cut monthly costs, it makes more sense to pay more upfront and save monthly. Here's my personal math:

-$110/mo. x 24 mo (new contract) + $212 (new phone including tax) = $2852 over 2 years
-$80/mo x 24 mo (for comparison's sake) + $688 (new phone including tax) = $2608 over 2 years

The savings would be over $200 over 24 months. Sure, that doesn't add up to much per month, but savings are savings, right? Like I said, actual mileage may vary for each person.

Good post. Agree.

 

[Lynx]

They can do whatever they want. They're Verizon. When that day comes, I could get mad and switch but my options are go back to Sprint and have an Apple branded paperweight due to no service or swap to AT&T and have tiered data as well. Unlimited data hurts Vzw's bottom line and they'll do whatever they can to get rid of it. They already have by telling those of us that have unlimited data either give it up or pay full price for a phone, knowing a lot of people will just give it up. Their next move if I had to guess would be take it away for good whenever we get a new phone, subsidized or not.

I am saying the negative backlash Verizon would get from just forcing people to change their plans would outweigh the positives. As long as they give people the option to somehow keep their unlimited data they will be fine, but take that option away and it will get ugly for VZW. I can already smell the lawsuits.....

 

[GingerSnapsBack]

I am saying the negative backlash Verizon would get from just forcing people to change their plans would outweigh the positives. As long as they give people the option to somehow keep their unlimited data they will be fine, but take that option away and it will get ugly for VZW. I can already smell the lawsuits.....

Those of us still holding on to our unlimited data mean nothing to Verizon compared to the millions of those already on tiered and that's where Verizon is making their money right now - off of those capped data plans.

If they want to take it away, they will. Lawsuits or not.

 

[Lynx]

Those of us still holding on to our unlimited data mean nothing to Verizon compared to the millions of those already on tiered and that's where Verizon is making their money right now - off of those capped data plans.

If they want to take it away, they will. Lawsuits or not.

Thats exactly the reason they WONT do it. So few people are on unlimited data plans the negative effects wouldnt be worth it. We are the people they want to keep the most. The ones who constantly purchase phones, accessories, etc etc.

 

[zrxoa1]

Just ordered last night using this method. Going to receive the phones, activate them, then transfer one to my line. I wish they had nano sims in stock so I could avoid going to Verizon completely.

I don't think you will need a new sim, Verizon can deactivate them over the phone now, I'll bet they can also switch the number assigned to that nano sim.


Sent from my tricked out Iphone!

 

[mfm77]

I realized today that I don't have to get a Share Everything plan when I upgrade at the discounted price. Rather, I can buy a set amount of data & include a hotspot, too. 7 GB of data plus a hotspot would come out to $50; that should be plenty of data, even if I tether my iPad and use more streaming apps (Netflix, Amazon, Hulu), right?

 

[Joe McG]

Why do it? I don't think it's a matter of bragging at all; rather, it depends on your financial situation. I'm paying about $80 a month for everything: talk, text, and unlimited data (I get a 15% discount per month on my plan). You said the 4 GB share everything plan (for use with a smartphone) is $70, but you're forgetting the $40 "monthly line access" for the phone, which brings the monthly cost up to $110. For people who don't have to worry about paying more per month, that's fine, but for people who are looking to cut monthly costs, it makes more sense to pay more upfront and save monthly. Here's my personal math:

-$110/mo. x 24 mo (new contract) + $212 (new phone including tax) = $2852 over 2 years
-$80/mo x 24 mo (for comparison's sake) + $688 (new phone including tax) = $2608 over 2 years

The savings would be over $200 over 24 months. Sure, that doesn't add up to much per month, but savings are savings, right? Like I said, actual mileage may vary for each person.

In general, I think people are foolish about wanting to hold on to unlimited plans. Most people don't use more than a few GB per month but will run through a wall to keep their unlimited data plans.

P.S. If a few 10's of dollars per month is really gonna hurt, then I don't know where you are pulling $688 from...

 

[the one and only M]

I don't think you will need a new sim, Verizon can deactivate them over the phone now, I'll bet they can also switch the number assigned to that nano sim.


Sent from my tricked out Iphone!

What? This is news to me. I thought that once deactivated, a sim cannot be reused.

 

[stockandroidguy]

I do wonder when unlimited data will dissapear all together

 

[johndhynes]

In general, I think people are foolish about wanting to hold on to unlimited plans. Most people don't use more than a few GB per month but will run through a wall to keep their unlimited data plans.

P.S. If a few 10's of dollars per month is really gonna hurt, then I don't know where you are pulling $688 from...

I pay $40/month on AT&T. That's $10 for talk and $30 for unlimited data, and don't pay for SMS. I could save $10 by going to the cheapest plan, but always go over 300 MB. 301 MB costs the same as 3 GB or unlimited. I have gone over 3 GB but never have to worry about getting charged for it, so that's why I hold onto it. I buy a new iPhone for $199 every year and sell my old one to pay for it.

 

[Joe McG]

I pay $40/month on AT&T. That's $10 for talk and $30 for unlimited data, and don't pay for SMS. I could save $10 by going to the cheapest plan, but always go over 300 MB. 301 MB costs the same as 3 GB or unlimited. I have gone over 3 GB but never have to worry about getting charged for it, so that's why I hold onto it. I buy a new iPhone for $199 every year and sell my old one to pay for it.

I was referring to the Verizon customers paying full price for the iPhone 5 to hold on to Unlimited data.

 

[Icyhot1966]

I paid full retail price, and gladly did so, to keep my unlimited. Why?? Because Verizon's 3G is slow enough that if I want to watch something on YouTube or Netflix, most of the time I will say....I will just wait until I get home on my WiFi so it won't buffer. And I still use 3GB a month.......

Now, with 4G, there will be no waiting.....so I, and others as well probably, will use more data over 4G because you can do more over 4G. I actually live kinda in the country and the fastest DSL speed I can get is roughly 2Mbps (I know, don't laugh) but I have about 2 bars of 4G here and I get around 5-6Mbps. So when I get my iPhone 5, I'll use 4G and not Wifi. So my data use will be even more. I predict I will use somewhere between 6-8GB per month with the new iPhone.

 

[Peligro911]

I don't use hardly any data im mostly on wifi its not a big deal if I lose it but I'm not going to voluntary just give it away if there is a way for me to keep it without buying full retail ..

 

[LSglock89]

I don't use hardly any data im mostly on wifi its not a big deal if I lose it but I'm not going to voluntary just give it away if there is a way for me to keep it without buying full retail ..

Yeah, I was in the same boat. However I did end up tossing it away. My data usage over the last 6 months has been 800mb...and I haven't went over 1gb. So I'll be okay with 2gb. It's really only a matter of time before they force your hand, in my opinion.

 

[Joe McG]

I paid full retail price, and gladly did so, to keep my unlimited. Why?? Because Verizon's 3G is slow enough that if I want to watch something on YouTube or Netflix, most of the time I will say....I will just wait until I get home on my WiFi so it won't buffer. And I still use 3GB a month.......

Now, with 4G, there will be no waiting.....so I, and others as well probably, will use more data over 4G because you can do more over 4G. I actually live kinda in the country and the fastest DSL speed I can get is roughly 2Mbps (I know, don't laugh) but I have about 2 bars of 4G here and I get around 5-6Mbps. So when I get my iPhone 5, I'll use 4G and not Wifi. So my data use will be even more. I predict I will use somewhere between 6-8GB per month with the new iPhone.

Just wait. Verizon can and will start throttling the top data users. Then the people who paid full price for the phone are gonna flip. However, they have no obligation to provide unlimited data at top speeds.