iPhone 5 Verizon unlimited plan - keep your plan and get the new iPhone 5 for $199

Ars0n · Dec 29, 2012

Good evening fellow apple heads. I've been lurking the boards for quite some time, particularly recently since I've been researching different loopholes to somehow upgrade to the iPhone 5 at the subsidized price and still keep my unlimited plan which is grandfathered in with Verizon. Well I figured it out so I figure what better time than now to submit my first forum post. Here's my situation and what I did:

Currently have an iPhone 4S with the Verizon unlimited data nationwide talk/text and I do not have an upgrade until September 2013. I don't use an insane amount of data but I still would like to hold onto my unlimited status and not give in to this share everything plan. I seriously contemplated buying the iPhone retail and eventually going month to month w no contract but I decided that I'd rather not come out of pocket if I don't have to and I'm not interested in any other network than Verizon.

I simply added a line and ordered the iPhone 5 for 199 and when the phone comes I will swap the phone onto my current line (unlimited data) And then I will activate an old dummy flip phone for an additional 9.99 per month. Now, ill have two different upgrades coming (one every year) and - if 4G LTE is really as fast as I expect then I may end up getting a jet pack (add. 20/mo) instead of the dummy phone and essentially have the 4g service take the place of my home Internet -- which would really take advantage of the unlimited plan. I guess that would be Verizon's worst nightmare haha.

Additionally, i will sell my like-new 4S for close to 300$ and end up making $100 on this deal. Anyway, I hope this helps at least one other person.

From A Buick 8 · Dec 29, 2012

There is a long thread about using that loophole.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1439872/

I assume you had a family plan and that is how your were able to add a line. I had the indavivual plan so i am not able too add a line, had to pay full price.

Ars0n · Dec 29, 2012

From A Buick 8 said:
There is a long thread about using that loophole.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1439872/

I assume you had a family plan and that is how your were able to add a line. I had the indavivual plan so i am not able too add a line, had to pay full price.

I noticed that long thread but the reason why I started this one is because I did not / do not have a family plan. It's an individual plan and I just added a line. I do have the corporate data plan though - maybe that was why?

From A Buick 8 · Dec 29, 2012

Ars0n said:
I noticed that long thread but the reason why I started this one is because I did not / do not have a family plan. It's an individual plan and I just added a line. I do have the corporate data plan though - maybe that was why?

Maybe that is the difference, I was not able to add a line with just the standard individual line. It is weird my price per month changed slightly (cheaper) after I activated my new 5

Phoneinfo · Dec 29, 2012

I don't know why everyone is talking about keeping your unlimited data. You actually end up saving at least $20 a month by switching and getting 2gb. I got 4gb b/c I stream online quite a bit and I'm online all day and I've found that both my wife and I together don't add up to 1.5GB. Even if you switched and got 6GB...you still are probably saving $5 a month. People like saying they have unlimited...but look at how much you really use. You might be surprised, switch to the tiered plan and save yourself some $$.

Ars0n · Dec 29, 2012

Phoneinfo said:
I don't know why everyone is talking about keeping your unlimited data. You actually end up saving at least $20 a month by switching and getting 2gb. I got 4gb b/c I stream online quite a bit and I'm online all day and I've found that both my wife and I together don't add up to 1.5GB. Even if you switched and got 6GB...you still are probably saving $5 a month. People like saying they have unlimited...but look at how much you really use. You might be surprised, switch to the tiered plan and save yourself some $$.

When I did the math for the tiered plan I was not saving any money-- the $40 charge for smart phone and then $50 for 1gb alone is coming within 10 bucks of my current unlimited plan.

From A Buick 8 · Dec 29, 2012

Phoneinfo said:
I don't know why everyone is talking about keeping your unlimited data. You actually end up saving at least $20 a month by switching and getting 2gb. I got 4gb b/c I stream online quite a bit and I'm online all day and I've found that both my wife and I together don't add up to 1.5GB. Even if you switched and got 6GB...you still are probably saving $5 a month. People like saying they have unlimited...but look at how much you really use. You might be surprised, switch to the tiered plan and save yourself some $$.

So you pay less than $69 a month

Phoneinfo · Dec 29, 2012

No I don't pay less than $69 a month. I have the family plan. And I pay less now than when I had unlimited. And I have 4gb. You would rather ADD a line, pay $10 extra a month for that line to keep your unlimited? $10 is an extra 2gb of data. Unless you use 8gb a month...it's crazy to add lines and jump though all these hoops to say you have unlimited.

From A Buick 8 · Dec 29, 2012

Phoneinfo said:
No I don't pay less than $69 a month. I have the family plan. And I pay less now than when I had unlimited. And I have 4gb. You would rather ADD a line, pay $10 extra a month for that line to keep your unlimited? $10 is an extra 2gb of data. Unless you use 8gb a month...it's crazy to add lines and jump though all these hoops to say you have unlimited.

I did not add a line, but even if I did add a line and pay $10 extra a month I would still be paying less than the new shared plan with 2gb of data.

The new shared plans are only "cheaper" if you have more then 1 line. For a single line they are in no way cheaper.

Ars0n · Dec 29, 2012

Phoneinfo said:
No I don't pay less than $69 a month. I have the family plan. And I pay less now than when I had unlimited. And I have 4gb. You would rather ADD a line, pay $10 extra a month for that line to keep your unlimited? $10 is an extra 2gb of data. Unless you use 8gb a month...it's crazy to add lines and jump though all these hoops to say you have unlimited.

That's not what I did though. I added the line to get the iPhone for 200 instead of 650 and I kept unlimited because I can always switch to tiered share plan but never will be able to go back to unlimited ever. So now I have an upgrade coming up every year instead of 2 and if I want to switch to a jet pack I can basically cancel my home Internet and use unlimited 4G as the slave provider. On top of that I made $100 selling my 4S. All in all I think that's worth 10 bucks a month

----------

From A Buick 8 said:
I did not add a line, but even if I did add a line and pay $10 extra a month I would still be paying less than the new shared plan with 2gb of data.

The new shared plans are only "cheaper" if you have more then 1 line. For a single line they are in no way cheaper.

Exactly. Was $50 or so more expensive for me to go to shared data and actually even if I combined with my wife, the bill was cheaper by 20 bucks. Not worth it to me

Phoneinfo · Dec 29, 2012

Ahh I see. I get that. I always see the blog postings about how they are trying to keep their unlimited data when you end up paying more in the long run by adding lines. However, I see what you did. You wanted to get the phone early for $199.

Ars0n · Dec 29, 2012

Phoneinfo said:
Ahh I see. I get that. I always see the blog postings about how they are trying to keep their unlimited data when you end up paying more in the long run by adding lines. However, I see what you did. You wanted to get the phone early for $199.

Exactly. Too Impatient to wait until sept of next year

also I use the iphone hotspot for my wifi only iPad so I really want the 4G as the 3G is too slow

einmusiker · Dec 29, 2012

Phoneinfo said:
I don't know why everyone is talking about keeping your unlimited data. You actually end up saving at least $20 a month by switching and getting 2gb. I got 4gb b/c I stream online quite a bit and I'm online all day and I've found that both my wife and I together don't add up to 1.5GB. Even if you switched and got 6GB...you still are probably saving $5 a month. People like saying they have unlimited...but look at how much you really use. You might be surprised, switch to the tiered plan and save yourself some $$.

well thanks verizon rep but I use WAY more than 2gb per month and anybody that actually want's to use their device the way it is meant to be used also does

SLC Flyfishing · Dec 29, 2012

einmusiker said:
well thanks verizon rep but I use WAY more than 2gb per month and anybody that actually want's to use their device the way it is meant to be used also does

I use my 5 whenever I want, wherever I want. I am on a shared plan with 7 iPhones (including mine) and we usually only use about 2 GB of data per month between the lot of us.

How exactly is the iPhone designed to be used? What might I be doing wrong?

macher · Dec 29, 2012

Ars0n said:
That's not what I did though. I added the line to get the iPhone for 200 instead of 650 and I kept unlimited because I can always switch to tiered share plan but never will be able to go back to unlimited ever. So now I have an upgrade coming up every year instead of 2 and if I want to switch to a jet pack I can basically cancel my home Internet and use unlimited 4G as the slave provider. On top of that I made $100 selling my 4S. All in all I think that's worth 10 bucks a month

With adding the line you also have to figure in the $9.99 for the additional line to add.

evilrt · Dec 30, 2012

macher said:
With adding the line you also have to figure in the $9.99 for the additional line to add.

exactly. i dont understand why people are calling these switches loopholes as if verizon has no clue.

From A Buick 8 · Dec 30, 2012

macher said:
With adding the line you also have to figure in the $9.99 for the additional line to add.

For a single person it is still cheaper then the new share everything plans.

TheNakedMan · Dec 30, 2012

I don't have a family plan....just an individual...guess there's no hope for me.

From A Buick 8 · Dec 30, 2012

TheNakedMan said:
I don't have a family plan....just an individual...guess there's no hope for me.

I was in the same boat, I just payed full price for the phone. Just think of it as an extra $19 a month to keep the unlimited.

If you stay below 2GB a month then you might be better off going with the new shared plans, but I doubt it.

TheNakedMan · Dec 30, 2012

I roughly use 300 megs, at the highest I used 600 megs. On Wi-Fi I use 3-4 gbs...

I pay 68 dollars with my discount...so no reason to upgrade to what I've been told will be 82 a month.

I'm thinking of buying a 4S off craigslist for 200 bucks instead.

From A Buick 8 · Dec 30, 2012

TheNakedMan said:
I roughly use 300 megs, at the highest I used 600 megs. On Wi-Fi I use 3-4 gbs...

I pay 68 dollars with my discount...so no reason to upgrade to what I've been told will be 82 a month.

I'm thinking of buying a 4S off craigslist for 200 bucks instead.

I thought you wanted the 5 (since that is what the thread is about), but if your happy with the 4s than that is a better route.

On the 5 with LTE being more than twice as fast as my home wifi and no wifi at my work, I will be pushing 3gb of data this month.

TheNakedMan · Dec 30, 2012

I currently have an iPhone 4. I want a 5...and trying to figure the best way to avoid paying 650...or at least helping the pain a little.

From A Buick 8 · Dec 30, 2012

TheNakedMan said:
I currently have an iPhone 4. I want a 5...and trying to figure the best way to avoid paying 650...or at least helping the pain a little.

When is your contract up, with the small amount of data you use you can get a 300mb plan for $80 a month, or 1gb for $90 ( plus tax and fees).

If you have LTE in your area though I bet you use more data. Is there someone else you know that might have an upgrade you can use, it,is rare but some on her have used that route.

TheNakedMan · Dec 30, 2012

I think I'll just pay the $650. Makes the most sense, especially since I plan on doing a little travel overseas.

My contract is up March, 2013.

From A Buick 8 · Dec 30, 2012

TheNakedMan said:
I think I'll just pay the $650. Makes the most sense, especially since I plan on doing a little travel overseas.

My contract is up March, 2013.

That is what I did, I bought the 32gb model so I paid $100 more plus I bought AppleCare +.

So far it is a great phone, activated it on Christmas day love the look, feel and the LTE.

I just hope that Verizon keeps the unlimited data plans going for at least 2 more years.

iPhone 5 Verizon unlimited plan - keep your plan and get the new iPhone 5 for $199

macrumors newbie

macrumors 68040

macrumors newbie

macrumors 68040

Attachments

macrumors newbie

macrumors newbie

macrumors 68040

macrumors newbie

macrumors 68040

macrumors newbie

macrumors newbie

macrumors newbie

macrumors 68040

Suspended

macrumors 68040

macrumors regular

macrumors 68040

macrumors member

macrumors 68040

macrumors member

macrumors 68040

macrumors member

macrumors 68040

macrumors member

macrumors 68040

Our Staff