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How to Upgrade to iPhone 5, Keep Verizon Unlimited Data?

I

itisme1760

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 18, 2008
253
7
California
How can we upgrade to the iPhone 5 on discount but keep the unlimited data plan we currently have? I have 2 other lines on my account on the family shared plan and they are both dumb phones. Could I upgrade one of the dumb phones to the iPhone and switch it over to my line? I don't want to switch to the shared data plan!

Looking for loopholes or workarounds to this.

Thanks.
 
itisme1760 said:
How can we upgrade to the iPhone 5 on discount but keep the unlimited data plan we currently have? I have 2 other lines on my account on the family shared plan and they are both dumb phones. Could I upgrade one of the dumb phones to the iPhone and switch it over to my line? I don't want to switch to the shared data plan!

Looking for loopholes or workarounds to this.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

The unlimited data is tied to your phone number, not the phone.
 
If I upgrade one of the dumb phones to the iPhone 5, I would have to choose a family shared data plan. Can I cancel that afterwards, reactivate the dumb phone and switch the iPhone 5 to my line?
 
itisme1760 said:
If I upgrade one of the dumb phones to the iPhone 5, I would have to choose a family shared data plan. Can I cancel that afterwards, reactivate the dumb phone and switch the iPhone 5 to my line?
Click to expand...

I don't think you can do that... Once you go to the shared data plans I don't think you can go back. Your options are

1. Pay full price
2. Wait for your upgrade
3. Use a friends upgrade.
 
Sorry guys, let me re-word what I'm trying to say.

I'm currently on older plan with 3 lines on it, my line has unlimited data, the other 2 lines are dumbphones with no unlimited data on it.

I can upgrade one of those dumbphone lines to an iPhone 5 and add a data plan (not shared) and get the iPhone 5 at subsidized pricing. After the phone ships, I can cancel the data plan I just added and activate the iPhone 5 on my line, which should activate ok and it puts the dumbphone in for another 2 year contract. Only downside to this is that the dumbphone won't be able to upgrade anytime soon, but this should make it so that I keep unlimited right?

Someone commented a post from a blog and said this:
"I work for Verizon..there are 3 ways to keep unlimited data….

1. Pay full retail for device
2. Upgrade a line that doesn’t have unlimited data, then switch new phone to line that has unlimited data. Do not do alternate upgrade..!
3. Add a line to your account to get new phone and then switch new phone to line that has unlimited data."
 
itisme1760 said:
Sorry guys, let me re-word what I'm trying to say.

I'm currently on older plan with 3 lines on it, my line has unlimited data, the other 2 lines are dumbphones with no unlimited data on it.

I can upgrade one of those dumbphone lines to an iPhone 5 and add a data plan (not shared) and get the iPhone 5 at subsidized pricing. After the phone ships, I can cancel the data plan I just added and activate the iPhone 5 on my line, which should activate ok and it puts the dumbphone in for another 2 year contract. Only downside to this is that the dumbphone won't be able to upgrade anytime soon, but this should make it so that I keep unlimited right?

Someone commented a post from a blog and said this:
"I work for Verizon..there are 3 ways to keep unlimited data….

1. Pay full retail for device
2. Upgrade a line that doesn’t have unlimited data, then switch new phone to line that has unlimited data. Do not do alternate upgrade..!
3. Add a line to your account to get new phone and then switch new phone to line that has unlimited data."
Click to expand...

I am going to assume that this will work since a couple of Verizon reps told me yesterday that it has been working with Android phone and this is what they advised me to do. The only hang up will be that you will need to get a nano sim from them because I believe the sim card is tied to the account you upgrade could be wrong on this as I have never messed with sim cards.
 
I am in the same position as the .original poster. I have 1 Droid X with unlimted data and two dumb phones. The dumb phone users my 90 year old mom and the other line is my husband. Mom has the phone for emergencies and hubby could care less about smartphone but would upgrade if it didn't cause the bill to skyrocket. Both dumb phones don't even have text features. Each dumb phone uses on average 15-20 min. A month. Each line costs me $13.81. I never run out of minutes and my bill is approx. $120 a month and that includes a modest discount I receive working for a particular company. My data use averages about 150 MB per month.

Is it worth it to pay full price for the new iPhone? Even if I do that to keep my unlimited data plan will my two dumb phones stay the same monthly rate. Both dumb phones are in fine working condition.

All the phones, according to My Verizon are ready/eligible for upgrade.

Thanks for any advice.
 
Last edited:
This has been asked on a different thread but has yet to be answered. I plan on keeping my unlimited data (I am on a family plan not shared but two other IPhones are not unlimited with no eligible upgrade). I just like everyone else have the option to pay full retail which would only allow me to order from the Verizon website itself. The 2nd option would be to add another line and just cancel it once I receive the phone. Two questions I have about option two is.....

1. Do or will they force me too change over to a family share plan instead of a regular family plan.
2. Is the $375 or $350 (however much the ETF fee is) the only fee I would have to pay upon opening. Or is there just the one time activation fee I would have to worry about and other fees I am unaware of?
 
ja2ed said:
This has been asked on a different thread but has yet to be answered. I plan on keeping my unlimited data (I am on a family plan not shared but two other IPhones are not unlimited with no eligible upgrade). I just like everyone else have the option to pay full retail which would only allow me to order from the Verizon website itself. The 2nd option would be to add another line and just cancel it once I receive the phone. Two questions I have about option two is.....

1. Do or will they force me too change over to a family share plan instead of a regular family plan.
2. Is the $375 or $350 (however much the ETF fee is) the only fee I would have to pay upon opening. Or is there just the one time activation fee I would have to worry about and other fees I am unaware of?
Click to expand...

There is a workaround of adding a sub account and then having it merged into the main account. You will be paying the $36 activation fee as well. $200+$350+$36=$586. Is this massive headache worth $65? If your willing to pay the ETF to cancel the line than just buy the darn thing outright and be done with it. If memory serves you also have to pay for a months service if you go the ETF route as well.
 
boomhower said:
There is a workaround of adding a sub account and then having it merged into the main account. You will be paying the $36 activation fee as well. $200+$350+$36=$586. Is this massive headache worth $65? If your willing to pay the ETF to cancel the line than just buy the darn thing outright and be done with it. If memory serves you also have to pay for a months service if you go the ETF route as well.
Click to expand...

Not really concerned about saving money just wanted to try and pre order through apple's website this time around. Also If they really do indeed give me more charges then the ETF than I guess I will have no other option than to just pay full retail through Verizon. By the way last year my experience pre ordering through Verizon wasn't as smooth as what I am hearing about apple's site (not talking about traffic wise).
 
Upgraded to Iphone 5, no change in data plan

Alright, I did some searching around to see if anyone was luckily able to do what I did.
I am on an old Alltel plan with Verizon. I have grandfathered in unlimited data on my "FAM FRIENDS & FAMILY10 SMARTPACK 500" from alltel.
I have so far ordered the iphone and "accepted the new terms and conditions"
I placed the order over the phone with verizon.
I attempted the order online with Apple.com and online with verizon.com but both prompted me to change my data plan.
Simply ask the verizon rep to try and run your order though without any data plan modifications. My guy was pretty cool so it went rather smoothly.
I'm attaching the order confirmation/terms and condition details page.
Obviously I could have faked this info, but that would be a waste of my life and not constructive to this thread at all.
I'll try to update when I get the phone in my hands and actually on the line.
I took out the order number and my phone number just cause I don't know what y'all can do with that info.
Capture.PNG

Capture2.PNG
 
LGats said:
Alright, I did some searching around to see if anyone was luckily able to do what I did.
I am on an old Alltel plan with Verizon. I have grandfathered in unlimited data on my "FAM FRIENDS & FAMILY10 SMARTPACK 500" from alltel.
I have so far ordered the iphone and "accepted the new terms and conditions"
I placed the order over the phone with verizon.
I attempted the order online with Apple.com and online with verizon.com but both prompted me to change my data plan.
Simply ask the verizon rep to try and run your order though without any data plan modifications. My guy was pretty cool so it went rather smoothly.
I'm attaching the order confirmation/terms and condition details page.
Obviously I could have faked this info, but that would be a waste of my life and not constructive to this thread at all.
I'll try to update when I get the phone in my hands and actually on the line.
I took out the order number and my phone number just cause I don't know what y'all can do with that info.
Image
Image
Click to expand...

Ummmmmm.... It says 2GB email and data.
 
Believe it or not...i just upgraded to an Iphone 5 last night. The guy at the verizon store said umm. I need to point something out to you. And under the list of features mine still says UNLIMITED data, email, web for 29.99. He said it must have been some type of glitch because he told me it did not bring anything up that required him to switch my plan over to 2gb data. I am on my familys plan 1400 unlimited text/picture mail. We have 4 phones on it for each device being 9.99. So i guess you could say i got "lucky" or slipped through the cracks.
 
Doing the math I still save money paying full retail

I am with Verizon and happy with their coverage. Here is the math for me (Excel spreadsheet from current bill). 2 iPhones and one regular line for a child. Insurance on both iPhones. Currently, Nationwide Share 700 ($66.50), 3 Line Access fees ($30), Unlimited email and Web on 2 iPhones ($60) and miscellaneous surchares and taxes. Total current monthly bill. $187.85. If I switch to Share Everything Plus … Monthly line access ($110), 6 gb shared data ($80), same misc surcharges and taxes. Total monthy bill $219. The difference would be a savings of $31.15 per month. Multiply by 24 months of contract, subtract the $450 difference in cell phone price for a 64 Gb iPhone 5, and I end up with a savings of $297 over two years and keep unlimited data on my iPhone 5. Of course, I’m not too worried about sharing data since my wife doesn’t really use much. The only way I come out losing is if I only get 2 Gb worth of shared data. Really????!!!!! I will probably go through that in a couple of days when I first get the iPhone 5 and use strictly 4GLTE. By the time I paid for overage charges I'd be several hundred dollars in the hole and unable to keep unlimited access. There is a reason Verizon wants to move people off of unlimited data.
 
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