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Who has the better grandfathered unlimited option, AT&T or Verizon?

As the customer, which company's grandfathered unlimited data policy do you prefer?

  • AT&T

    Votes: 56 46.7%

  • Verizon

    Votes: 64 53.3%
  • Total voters
    120
E

El3ctronics

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Mar 30, 2011
1,017
40
NYC
AT&T allows users to keep their grandfathered unlimited data but has the following restrictions:
  • No facetime over cellular
  • No tethering
  • Throttled after 3GB on 3G or 5GB on LTE

Verizon allows users to keep their grandfatehred unlimited data without restriction but doesn't offer an subsidy on new devices. That means if you want to keep your unlimited data on Verizon, you have to pay the full retail of any new device.

So which policy do you or would you prefer as a customer?
 
K

KoukiFC3S

macrumors 6502a
Jul 4, 2010
536
1
Definitely Verizon. I use about 20GB a month and my bill is $63 a month. No tiered plan would allow me to do that.
 
M

mpossoff

macrumors 68020
Mar 21, 2010
2,093
2
Philadelphia
AT&T because I just upgraded 4 lines and the cost was $800'ish and kept unlimited. With VZW it would have cost $2800'ish to upgrade 4 lines to keep unlimited.

The only thing that I don't like about AT&T
is you can get throttled. 3/4 lines in our plan consistently use over 3GB/5GB but never ever been throttled.

If I had only a single line I might prefer VZW.
 
boomhower

boomhower

macrumors 68000
Oct 21, 2011
1,570
56
Verizon without a doubt. Unlimited vs 5GB's with edge speed throttle is an easy decision.
 
B

bisnicks

macrumors regular
Feb 4, 2011
164
0
El3ctronics said:
AT&T allows users to keep their grandfathered unlimited data but has the following restrictions:
  • No facetime over cellular
  • No tethering
  • Throttled after 3GB on 3G or 5GB on LTE

Verizon allows users to keep their grandfatehred unlimited data without restriction but doesn't offer an subsidy on new devices. That means if you want to keep your unlimited data on Verizon, you have to pay the full retail of any new device.

So which policy do you or would you prefer as a customer?
Click to expand...

You can keep your unlimited through Verizon a couple ways. First, you could buy it outright for the full price. Second, you could simply use another family members upgrade and then activate it on your line. I did this and was able to get the subsidy and retain my unlimited data.

That being said, Verizon.
 
chakraj

chakraj

macrumors 65816
Feb 6, 2008
1,285
10
So Cal
Verizon wins because of no throttling and no restrictions on use (face time and such)

plus if you have verizon unlimited, you also have access to the unlimited hotspot for $30. ATT has no such item, you must loose unlimited to get hotspot on ATT = FAIL.
 
tymaster50

tymaster50

Suspended
Oct 3, 2012
2,833
58
Oregon
it really comes down to price vs speed. The money you save could easily pay for another full upgrade price phone. However some people only have $199 to spend.
 
chakraj

chakraj

macrumors 65816
Feb 6, 2008
1,285
10
So Cal
tymaster50 said:
it really comes down to price vs speed. The money you save could easily pay for another full upgrade price phone. However some people only have $199 to spend.
Click to expand...

and the price argument goes out the window if you use 20 gigs or more a month, in that case you get your costs back after 2 months on unlimited vs tiered data.
 
eastercat

eastercat

macrumors 68040
Mar 3, 2008
3,323
7
PDX
AT&T.
Verizon knows damn well that not everyone can afford to cough up $650+ for an off contract phone to keep their unlimited. So they prey upon those who only saved up $199 (or more) for the phone and forced them off unlimited.
That is a shi--y way to treat your customers, imo.
It's possible at&t might do the same, but verizon did it first.
 
chakraj

chakraj

macrumors 65816
Feb 6, 2008
1,285
10
So Cal
Whats the use of unlimited LTE throttled to 2g speeds.

Thats liek all you can eat (on one plate)
 
M

Myiphone7

macrumors 6502a
Nov 18, 2010
848
0
I personally would be irate if I had to pay $649 plus tax for my iPhone just because I decided to keep my unlimited data plan is almost as if they're trying to force me to switch to a tiered data plan

Ridiculous And glad I'm with AT&T

----------
eastercat said:
AT&T.
Verizon knows damn well that not everyone can afford to cough up $650+ for an off contract phone to keep their unlimited. So they prey upon those who only saved up $199 (or more) for the phone and forced them off unlimited.
That is a shi--y way to treat your customers, imo.
It's possible at&t might do the same, but verizon did it first.
Click to expand...

I completely agree but let's not give AT&T any ideas ;)
 
T

Tiptizzle

macrumors 6502
Apr 22, 2011
382
2
Myiphone7 said:
I personally would be irate if I had to pay $649 plus tax for my iPhone just because I decided to keep my unlimited data plan is almost as if they're trying to force me to switch to a tiered data plan

Ridiculous And glad I'm with AT&T

----------



I completely agree but let's not give AT&T any ideas ;)
Click to expand...

Well, you don't really have unlimited with AT&T because anything over 3GB (or 5 GB on LTE) is pretty much unusable. Well, I guess you can DL your email at that speed. That would make me irate.
 
cg006

cg006

macrumors regular
Oct 1, 2012
191
51
I bit the bullet and got a 16gb that i paid full price for. Have unlimited 4g + Unlimited 4g Hotspot + 450 minutes+ 1000sms plus warranty.. paying around $116.. and i managed to add a work discount now that will make it change form 13% to 22%.. i am a happy camper.

Apple iMessage saved me $10 bux since most of my friends have iphones. I am around Day 18 of 30 for my billing cycle.. already pushing past 4gb with "light" usage.... tethering when i have it in the car so my friends onboard can connect, facetime calls, streaming pandora. At work we have wifi (gonna be about 5mbps shared pipe for EVERYONE soon) and my 4g signal is crap (downtown NY). With the freedom towers completed soon... hopefully verizon will drop a few lte antennas there and i will be able to use my lte with sweet speeds from where i sit (17th floor) . Around the building in other sections i can easily pull 5-13mbps.

And since my tethering is unlimited... i will share with my peeps around me.

----------

The highest data usage i had was around 30gb when i had my htc thunderbolt and was at my old building (we moved last year). i had great LTE coverage. on a crap day id still get around 5mbps
 
boomhower

boomhower

macrumors 68000
Oct 21, 2011
1,570
56
cg006 said:
I bit the bullet and got a 16gb that i paid full price for. Have unlimited 4g + Unlimited 4g Hotspot + 450 minutes+ 1000sms plus warranty.. paying around $116.. and i managed to add a work discount now that will make it change form 13% to 22%.. i am a happy camper.

Apple iMessage saved me $10 bux since most of my friends have iphones. I am around Day 18 of 30 for my billing cycle.. already pushing past 4gb with "light" usage.... tethering when i have it in the car so my friends onboard can connect, facetime calls, streaming pandora. At work we have wifi (gonna be about 5mbps shared pipe for EVERYONE soon) and my 4g signal is crap (downtown NY). With the freedom towers completed soon... hopefully verizon will drop a few lte antennas there and i will be able to use my lte with sweet speeds from where i sit (17th floor) . Around the building in other sections i can easily pull 5-13mbps.

And since my tethering is unlimited... i will share with my peeps around me.

----------

The highest data usage i had was around 30gb when i had my htc thunderbolt and was at my old building (we moved last year). i had great LTE coverage. on a crap day id still get around 5mbps
Click to expand...

Shared tethering for the office? Really?
 
Applejuiced

Applejuiced

macrumors Westmere
Apr 16, 2008
40,672
6,533
At the iPhone hacks section.
eastercat said:
AT&T.
Verizon knows damn well that not everyone can afford to cough up $650+ for an off contract phone to keep their unlimited. So they prey upon those who only saved up $199 (or more) for the phone and forced them off unlimited.
That is a shi--y way to treat your customers, imo.
It's possible at&t might do the same, but verizon did it first.
Click to expand...

I agree.
Plus AT&T unlimited 3G and hspa+ is way faster than CDMA 3G.
They do have the FaceTime over cellular advantage but hope soon a jb can take care of both the tethering and FaceTime over 3G on AT&T.
Not many can afford to pay $700 upfront for a cellphone.
 
mattopotamus

mattopotamus

macrumors G5
Jun 12, 2012
14,666
5,879
I am shocked by the results so far. I have at&t and think the verizon unlimited is way, way better
 
Scott6666

Scott6666

macrumors 65816
Feb 2, 2008
1,489
939
Does it matter?

It's not like you can get on an unlimited plan anymore. If you have one great, you have what you have; if not you can't get one.

Jeez, this is like comparing penises in the shower. If you like the other guys better, it's not like you can get that one.

Pointless.
 
BFizzzle

BFizzzle

macrumors 68020
May 31, 2010
2,443
0
Austin TX
Scott6666 said:
Does it matter?

It's not like you can get on an unlimited plan anymore. If you have one great, you have what you have; if not you can't get one.

Jeez, this is like comparing penises in the shower. If you like the other guys better, it's not like you can get that one.

Pointless.
Click to expand...

not going to ask how you came about that analogy o_O
 
S

Sixth Street

macrumors regular
Oct 7, 2007
108
11
As someone on an AT&T unlimited plan, I would trade it in a heartbeat for a Verizon unlimited.

Anyone that wants to, please PM me!
 
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