I didn't lose my unlimited data plan a couple months back when I upgraded with a subsidized phone. But, when I added a line the same day I only had the 2GB option.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Verizon Introduces 'Share Everything' Service Plan for Up to Ten Devices
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I didn't lose my unlimited data plan a couple months back when I upgraded with a subsidized phone. But, when I added a line the same day I only had the 2GB option.
Current VZW plan: 3 smartphones and a dumb phone. Total cost is $180 (before discount and taxes). Data plans are unlimited, 4GB, and 2GB on the three phones.
New plan, with 8 GB shared data: $240, with 10G shared data: $250.
Doesn't seem like a good idea. I don't think anyone was asking Verizon for this.
New plan, with 8 GB shared data: $240, with 10G shared data: $250.
Doesn't seem like a good idea. I don't think anyone was asking Verizon for this.
Maybe my earlier reading of this was off, but I take it that you do not have to take this new plan if your renew/upgrade a phone. People with unlimited will lose it with a subsidized upgrade, but (at least for now) I think they are letting existing customers get two more years with the old plan structure.
The part about you have choices to me says you can either:
1. Keep your current plan (700 minutes, 1500 minutes, ect.) and convert from unlimited data to a 2GB (or higher) cap.
2. Get a share everything plan.
If they are letting unlimited customers do this, I'd presume they'd allow other customers to do so as well. The difference may be that a new customer can't choose one of the old plans. Losing unlimited data sucks, but I think this is the only immediate impact for existing customers, hopefully this can be clarified.
The part about you have choices to me says you can either:
1. Keep your current plan (700 minutes, 1500 minutes, ect.) and convert from unlimited data to a 2GB (or higher) cap.
2. Get a share everything plan.
If they are letting unlimited customers do this, I'd presume they'd allow other customers to do so as well. The difference may be that a new customer can't choose one of the old plans. Losing unlimited data sucks, but I think this is the only immediate impact for existing customers, hopefully this can be clarified.
I think you've figured out the economics on this one:
-Handset subsidy plus billing/setup costs in the handset charge--that's why iPad is a small fee too.
-Throw in unlimited voice/text because at this point that's free to Verizon, or low cost so as not to be worth charging for per use.
-Charge for data as appropriate (well, 2x what's appropriate).
Isn't this for "family plans only"? Or are they getting rid of single line plans?
From the looks of this, I will be saving money...a LOT of money....per month. This seems like a fair deal for 2 - 3 users that don't need crazy amounts of data. If they force single line users into these plans, that's when it becomes absurd. Let me indulge:
Current Family Plan w/ 2 lines
1400 minutes / Unlimited Text Family Plan = $120
Unlimited Data = $30 x 2 = $60
------------------------------
Total = $180
Future Plan w/ 2 lines
Unlimited Minutes / Texts = $80 ($40 per smartphone)
4GB of Data = $70 (2GB per user)
------------------------------
Total = $150
So.....I'd be saving $30 total, but losing my unlimited data. That seems like a fair trade off for most people (except power users). Everyone is so up in arms about this, but I was happy when I saw this
. Am I missing something? Please let me know if I'm "not reading the fine print". This does not include taxes or other charges.
From the looks of this, I will be saving money...a LOT of money....per month. This seems like a fair deal for 2 - 3 users that don't need crazy amounts of data. If they force single line users into these plans, that's when it becomes absurd. Let me indulge:
Current Family Plan w/ 2 lines
1400 minutes / Unlimited Text Family Plan = $120
Unlimited Data = $30 x 2 = $60
------------------------------
Total = $180
Future Plan w/ 2 lines
Unlimited Minutes / Texts = $80 ($40 per smartphone)
4GB of Data = $70 (2GB per user)
------------------------------
Total = $150
So.....I'd be saving $30 total, but losing my unlimited data. That seems like a fair trade off for most people (except power users). Everyone is so up in arms about this, but I was happy when I saw this
. Am I missing something? Please let me know if I'm "not reading the fine print". This does not include taxes or other charges.
Last edited:
Wow.
I switched from Verizon to AT&T years ago because I'm NOT on a family plan, and they were costing me way too much money. For 900 minutes + 200 text messages, I was paying $75/mo (I needed more than the 400 minutes, and the only other option at the time was 900, which was way more than I needed) - with my corporate discount - for a cheap flip-phone that was physically falling apart by the time my contract was up (and it'd already been replaced once). You read that right, a flip-phone. Not even a dumb phone, just a basic flip-phone. For $10/mo more, I was able to get an iPhone with unlimited data, and more roll-over minutes than I can shake a stick at.
Under the new Verizon plan, I'd end up paying:
1 iPhone ($40/mo minus 22% discount): 31.20
1 GB Data: $50
Total, pre-tax & charges: 81.20
Current AT&T bill:
450 anytime minutes + rollover (39.99 minus 23% discount): 30.79
Unlimited Text: 20
Unlimited Data: (30 minus 23% discount): 23.10
Total, pre-tax & charges: 73.89 (just under $86 after taxes & government charges)
Even with the 2GB data plan on AT&T, even without the discount, I still save money. More & more, moving away from Verizon was definitely the right choice for me.
I switched from Verizon to AT&T years ago because I'm NOT on a family plan, and they were costing me way too much money. For 900 minutes + 200 text messages, I was paying $75/mo (I needed more than the 400 minutes, and the only other option at the time was 900, which was way more than I needed) - with my corporate discount - for a cheap flip-phone that was physically falling apart by the time my contract was up (and it'd already been replaced once). You read that right, a flip-phone. Not even a dumb phone, just a basic flip-phone. For $10/mo more, I was able to get an iPhone with unlimited data, and more roll-over minutes than I can shake a stick at.
Under the new Verizon plan, I'd end up paying:
1 iPhone ($40/mo minus 22% discount): 31.20
1 GB Data: $50
Total, pre-tax & charges: 81.20
Current AT&T bill:
450 anytime minutes + rollover (39.99 minus 23% discount): 30.79
Unlimited Text: 20
Unlimited Data: (30 minus 23% discount): 23.10
Total, pre-tax & charges: 73.89 (just under $86 after taxes & government charges)
Even with the 2GB data plan on AT&T, even without the discount, I still save money. More & more, moving away from Verizon was definitely the right choice for me.
I was making fun of Lebron's infamous decision. "I'm taking my talent to " - ah nevermind, poor joke
I get 25% off entire AT&T bill vs only 20% off primary line on Verizon. And so the AT&T bill is ~$30/month cheaper compare to Verzion. The only reason I stayed with Verizon was the unlimited data on the primary line... Stupid reason but I thought I would be grandfathered in.
You are, provided you don't upgrade to a 4G device (As I understood it).
I think, and let me just put this out there. That most people do not currently have LTE speed as of now. Verizon realized that once people switched, and as the technology progress (rely more and more on data related technology and usage) people is going to start to use a lot more data than they can keep count. Just think about dial-up and cable modem? Who would ever thought that we will one day playing graphic intensive games, chatting(VoIP), and getting rid of cable TV and live on youtube and Netflix service? Those who things that 4Gb per family is good enough is evaluating your current usage with 3G speed and what the current technology has to offer.
I can promise you that in a year or so you will realize that Verizon knew what they were doing, and they figured out long ago that the reliance on data is only going to increase. I.e., the most recent example, Apple just open up FaceTime on cellular. Now, let's just take a second to think why they would do that? Oh yea, that's right because there is no such thing as "unlimited data" anymore, so you wanna FaceTime? Sure go ahead you are burning through your data allowance, and if you go over? No problem, we will sell it to you at 10 dollars a Gb or in Verizon's case 15 dollars a Gb. Just think about it, there is a reason why they are doing this. They know people value data more. I would pay full price on iPhone 5 and keep my unlimited data plan.
as far as i understand, youre half correct. when your contract is up, you have two choices only. 1) upgrade with a subsidized phone and be forced into a share eveything plan. or 2) buy a phone outright and keep your contract the way it is (if you have unlimited data, you keep it, or whatever you have), but you become month to month. they can change option #2 anytime.
Right. We knew they were getting rid of Unlimited Data. We've known this for a long time.
Verizon releasing Viewdini is an OBVIOUS ploy to get users to use their data up. I will not be using Viewdini or any "movie streaming" application (except youtube videos). 4G will expand what users can do with their data, completely agree. The issue you are bringing up is the ending of unlimited data, and Verizon not offering enough data to accommodate 4G speeds. I agree 100%. There are people out there that will need more than 10GB of data per month, and there should be some way to "pay" for that data.
What I'm trying to prove is that everyone keeps saying they're "paying more money" if they switch to this plan. In reality, smartphone users in current Verizon Family Plans will be saving money, if they switch to the new plans.
Lets assume I had to go all the way up to 10GB (which I doubt I'll ever need). It would still cost me $180, the same price I'm currently paying for my 1400 minute family plan w/ Unlimited 3G. So each user could have 5GB of 4G coverage. Fortunately for me, the other user on my account doesn't come close to needing 5GB of data, so I'd be getting 9GB of data. I'd bet many husbands out there have wives that use under 1GB, so they'd be getting 9GB as well.
Again, if you break it down and compare it to their current family plans, it's not as outrageous as people are making it out to be. Verizon is the most expensive carrier out there and it's always been like this.
Last edited:
Right now, I have three iPhone 4S's on my account. Two have unlimited data and one has 2GB. The three phones share unlimited messages and 700 mins. My total bill is around $200 (including taxes). With this new Share Everything plan, it looks like I'll be paying $200/mo (not including taxes). ****.
Actually, this news has got me thinking that we need to drop down a tier on our voice plan before they eliminate voice plans altogether.
That right there will save us $10 per month. With that tweak we'd only be saving $10 per month switching from unlimited data to a tiered plan. Obviously not worth making the switch at that point.
That right there will save us $10 per month. With that tweak we'd only be saving $10 per month switching from unlimited data to a tiered plan. Obviously not worth making the switch at that point.
$40 per phone is t.e.r.r.i.b.l.e. That is exactly like paying $10 per phone for minutes plus $30 per smarthphone data plan. At least every phone paying that now gets 2GB data with it (3GB on AT&T). This plan costs the same but shares the data. It's hard to see just how many customers use a configuration where this would be worth doing.
And $10 per tablet is a ripoff too. If I have to pay anything to add my tablet to data I otherwise already pay for, the least you could do is subsidize the $130 cellular fee (on an iPad).
And $10 per tablet is a ripoff too. If I have to pay anything to add my tablet to data I otherwise already pay for, the least you could do is subsidize the $130 cellular fee (on an iPad).
That's if you need 10GB of data. If you do, yea, you're paying the same price. 3.3GB of data per user. If you don't need 10GB, you can save yourself some $$.
not true. i pay $155/month now with taxes on a family plan with two smartphones, one with unlimited gb, one with 2gb. i use roughly 5-7gb of data a month, depending. id be paying more, $180 plus added taxes, with the share everything plan plus not have the flexability to use more data as needed. so not everyone saves on these new plans, most of us pay more.
EDIT: thats 7-9gb total with my wifes 2gb. plus add an extra $15 to what i pay now for that "extra" 1gb id get, and my current plan is cheaper still.
Last edited:
Agreed, why does it matter what device we access. It's all data?
$ 10 for a tablet is $ 120 a year just for that. Not happening here
It's like a water company wanted to charge us for taking water from a
faucet and charge extra if we use
a bucket vs.
a sprinkler vs
a hose
etc.
It's like charging you extra for having another sink installed in a bathroom when you remodel your basement. They should only be charging you for the "water" you use.
I should have said that I was comparing the new pricing structure, to the current prices.
Also, after looking at the plans in more detail, these family plans are designed for smartphone users. Anyone with flip phones on a family plan will get screwed. If everyone on your family plan uses a smartphone, you'll save a lot of money.
Looks as if Verizon wants everyone to use a smartphone. No sense in having a flip phone with this current structure.
Lastly, with Verizon's current pricing structure, the lowest you could possibly pay on any family plan w/ data is $160 without taxes. So you must be talking about an older plan, which is not what I'm comparing.
I'm sure they've already thought about this, but in my mind, it would make much more sense to charge a little less for the access charges on each line (and if they felt the need, to charge $5 or so more for the data aspect).
If they lower the access charge for all devices, they will initially be taking in less money. This is true. However, this lower access charge will become more appealing to a larger number of users. Therefore, the more users they have using a smartphone, they more data they will need to sell.
Speaking of selling an increasing amount of data, as has been pointed out, the amount of data we use as a society will continue to rise anyways in the future. So, it only makes sense that as time goes on, families who enter in the tiered plan at say 2GB will eventually work their way up to 4GB and more.
However, their current pricing structure makes adding lines extremely unappealing to the many Americans who will be paying more money. In my mind, Verizon looked at the short term here. They should have looked further into the future, where a smaller access fee would have meant more demand, and therefore more data usage.
If they lower the access charge for all devices, they will initially be taking in less money. This is true. However, this lower access charge will become more appealing to a larger number of users. Therefore, the more users they have using a smartphone, they more data they will need to sell.
Speaking of selling an increasing amount of data, as has been pointed out, the amount of data we use as a society will continue to rise anyways in the future. So, it only makes sense that as time goes on, families who enter in the tiered plan at say 2GB will eventually work their way up to 4GB and more.
However, their current pricing structure makes adding lines extremely unappealing to the many Americans who will be paying more money. In my mind, Verizon looked at the short term here. They should have looked further into the future, where a smaller access fee would have meant more demand, and therefore more data usage.
I have something else very interesting to say about this service plan, and I shall 'share' this inspiring and informative message with anyone who wants to read it at no cost whatsoever! That's right, completely free of charge! What a deal, huh?
However, to access my amazingly insightful comment you will have to send me $40 (if you are over the age of 35), or $30 (if you like mushrooms in your food), or $10 (if your toothbrush is either blue or green). 'cos like, it makes a big difference to me, those things, honest.
However, to access my amazingly insightful comment you will have to send me $40 (if you are over the age of 35), or $30 (if you like mushrooms in your food), or $10 (if your toothbrush is either blue or green). 'cos like, it makes a big difference to me, those things, honest.
understood...i got a hell of a deal then two weeks ago when i upgraded from my 4s to a razr maxx to lock in my unlimited data for two more years. at least i have unlimited lte for a bit...
----------
I have something else very interesting to say about this service plan, and I shall 'share' this inspiring and informative message with anyone who wants to read it at no cost whatsoever! That's right, completely free of charge! What a deal, huh?
However, to access my amazingly insightful comment you will have to send me $40 (if you are over the age of 35), or $30 (if you like mushrooms in your food), or $10 (if your toothbrush is either blue or green). 'cos like, it makes a big difference to me, those things, honest.
haha...what happens if i fall into two of those? i like mushrooms and my toothbrush is blue. do i get to fork over $40 or just the higher priced one?
Here's the part that confuses me. If you can use your phone as a hotspot, couldn't you just share your data with your tablet via wi-fi? No need for the $130 upcharge on the tablet, no need for the $10 per month for tablet either?
What am I missing?