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Carrier Verizon unlimited data transfer still available?

T

The Mad Mule

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 27, 2010
117
104
Hi all, sorry for the potentially stupid question. Haven't done this since the iPhone 5.

On Verizon, can you still choose another phone on your account, use its upgrade to get an iPhone, then when it's delivered to you, register it to the phone number you want?

Thanks!
 
I'm hearing yes, so long as you swap the sims but I'm too scared to chance it. Verizon will NOT add your UDP back in any case, even if you return the device and back out of the contract.
 
Yes. This still works exactly the way you described it, the same way you did it with your iPhone 5. You order and activate a phone on the line without unlimited data. Then you are free to put your SIM in it and "switch devices" on My Verizon, keeping your unlimited data. I have an unlimited Verizon data plain on my iPhone 6.

There is only one thing that changed about this scheme last year: the other line on your account, whose upgrade you use, will not only be committed to a 24-month contract, but also a 24-month "data contract." So the only thing you can't do anymore is keep a dumb-phone line around just to get the upgrades without having to pay very much for the dumb-phone line.
 
Thanks all for the replies.

So you can't cancel the data plan on the dumbphone like you could in the past? The dumbphone I'll be using the upgrade on is actively used.

Also can the SIM card that comes with the phone be used to initially activate the new phone?
 
The Mad Mule said:
Thanks all for the replies.

So you can't cancel the data plan on the dumbphone like you could in the past?
Click to expand...

Yeah unfortunately Verizon closed that loophole :(

Now you are stuck paying the extra $20 - 30 per month for a data plan on the dunbphone line you used to get the phone with and you cannot remove it for the duration of the contract.
 
Hal~9000 said:
Yeah unfortunately Verizon closed that loophole :(

Now you are stuck paying the extra $20 - 30 per month for a data plan on the dunbphone line you used to get the phone with and you cannot remove it for the duration of the contract.
Click to expand...

Oof, that's a minimum of $480 for two years. Without an upgrade discount, the total price eclipses the cost of just buying a 64GB unlocked ($750).
 
The Mad Mule said:
Oof, that's a minimum of $480 for two years. Without an upgrade discount, the total price eclipses the cost of just buying a 64GB unlocked ($750).
Click to expand...
Yup. I've never understood why those with UDP's don't just save up enough to pay for the new phone outright when they know they'll be buying a new phone that way.
 
willmtaylor said:
Yup. I've never understood why those with UDP's don't just save up enough to pay for the new phone outright when they know they'll be buying a new phone that way.
Click to expand...

If you have family members with limited data plans anyway then it still does make sense to shuffle around the upgrades and avoid having to shell out full price for a phone.
 
mactumors said:
Yes. This still works exactly the way you described it, the same way you did it with your iPhone 5. You order and activate a phone on the line without unlimited data. Then you are free to put your SIM in it and "switch devices" on My Verizon, keeping your unlimited data. I have an unlimited Verizon data plain on my iPhone 6.

There is only one thing that changed about this scheme last year: the other line on your account, whose upgrade you use, will not only be committed to a 24-month contract, but also a 24-month "data contract." So the only thing you can't do anymore is keep a dumb-phone line around just to get the upgrades without having to pay very much for the dumb-phone line.
Click to expand...

Actually, I'm pretty certain that if you use the dumb phone line to order the iPhone and immediately remove the SIM from the new iPhone when you receive it and cut it up, while taking your UDP line's SIM and putting it in the new iPhone, it will work and you will not be committed to a new TDP on the dumb phone. The caveat, however, is that I believe you can never activate a new phone (dumb or otherwise) on that dumb phone line or a new TDP will be tied to it.

I have not tried this since last year, but I've been reading up on it again in hopes of getting a new 6s this week....I guess we'll see.
 
mactumors said:
If you have family members with limited data plans anyway then it still does make sense to shuffle around the upgrades and avoid having to shell out full price for a phone.
Click to expand...

Exactly! I have two dumb phones on my contract that are actually being used by family members who will never want or need a smart phone and have been using their upgrades for years now.
 
I
SipperyPete said:
Actually, I'm pretty certain that if you use the dumb phone line to order the iPhone and immediately remove the SIM from the new iPhone when you receive it and cut it up, while taking your UDP line's SIM and putting it in the new iPhone, it will work and you will not be committed to a new TDP on the dumb phone. The caveat, however, is that I believe you can never activate a new phone (dumb or otherwise) on that dumb phone line or a new TDP will be tied to it.

I have not tried this since last year, but I've been reading up on it again in hopes of getting a new 6s this week....I guess we'll see.
Click to expand...

I did this through Best Buy earlier this year and it worked, no data plan on the dumb phone line. I plan on doing the same on another dumb phone line to get the 6S+. As long as you don't swap the dumb phone for any other phone it should be OK.
 
Last edited:
tottenj said:
I


I did this through Best Buy earlier this year and it worked, no data plan on the dumb phone line. I plan on doing the same on another dumb phone line to get the 6S+. As long as you don't swap the dumb phone for any other phone it should be OK.
Click to expand...

I would assume that after the two year contract is up (and you haven't used the dumb phone for another upgrade), that you would be able to another dumb phone to it eventually.
 
SipperyPete said:
I would assume that after the two year contract is up (and you haven't used the dumb phone for another upgrade), that you would be able to another dumb phone to it eventually.
Click to expand...
I'm hoping, since I broke one of the dumb phones shortly after I used it's upgrade :D
 
The Mad Mule said:
Hi all, sorry for the potentially stupid question. Haven't done this since the iPhone 5.

On Verizon, can you still choose another phone on your account, use its upgrade to get an iPhone, then when it's delivered to you, register it to the phone number you want?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
You can move your unlimited data SIM into any LTE device that supports Verizon's bands and has Verizon CDMA support. It does not modify your plan in any way. This includes hotspots, modems, other phones, etc. What you cannot do is use the upgrade of your unlimited line for a new phone, that will change it.
 
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