Verizon's new shared data plan

So I'm sure most have heard this but if not then here ya go. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57450763-94/verizon-unveils-share-everything-family-plans-for-data/

I just wanted to see people's opinions on this. Seems like another ripoff to me. I'm behind on the times due to the high cost of these data plans therefore still have a "dumb phone" I've been wanting to upgrade to an Iphone or smart phone but can't justify the cost. So I was hoping this new plan would be a break. Doesn't seem to be the case. Of course I don't know how much data I'd use, wouldn't think me or my wife would use that much providing we use wi-fi when at home or other possible places but my step-daughter I'm afraid would ruin us. I like the idea of the shared data but $40 per smart phone? WTF? Of course we're under contract until Nov. But I've been watching, anticipating an upgrade when time comes. Now I'm considering switching providers as I've read many Verizon customers are saying also. So maybe another provider will come up with a more competitive plan by then? Anyway just wanted other opinions. I kinda think Verizon made a mistake and will change, that is if people really do start switching providers.

 

Wait to Nov because iphone 5 will come out at that time.
Most people will not use more than 2G data, like just send recieve email, facebook, a bit on youtube.

 

I agree about waiting. My step daughter is driving us crazy about "needing" an Iphone. She says she can't survive w/o it. She'll be headed off to college this fall (out of state) and claims she has to have a smart phone. I know this is just and excuse. Hell, she's got a laptop and the school will have wi-fi. But I'm really wanting to upgrade. Not that I have to have data, but w/o it the phone selection is crap. Just another gimmick to get me to spend more. But there have been many occasions that I wished I had a smart phone. I tried internet on my "dumb phone" but quickly realized why nobody does this.

Bottom line is for me, is that I already pay for internet at home, why should I have to pay 3 times as much to have it on my phone? Unless I'm missing something, why can't the two be combined?

 

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I refuse to get one of those plans til they force them on everyone. After taxes/fees I'm already paying over like $105 a month for my phone and that's currently with unlimited data. I'll be paying more and getting less probably. Sure, they give you unlimited minutes but I don't use that many so that does nothing for me. And I don't use any other devices really I have wireless in the house so I have no need to share it across all sorts of devices. And I typically use more than 2gb streaming Pandora, etc. at work. You really get fucked when you have your own plan. Anyone want to go on a family plan with me? lol

 

This is actually gonna be good for me. I am on my own plan and I have to pay a hair over $100 per month for my phone bill. I am on Verizon and I have 450 talking, unlimited text and unlimited data. Well after reading that article I checked to see how much data I actually use and I am not even close to 1 gb and I think I use data all the time (and my billing cycle ends on the 9th). Looks like I need to change my plan.

 

I have unlimited data from a contract almost 2 years old. 700 shared minutes 500 texts with 2 smart phones. If i upgraded I wold pay about $22 more and be restricted to 2gb. I asked why the hell I should pay more for less and they told me "you hardly get close to using 2 Gb so it's like owning a ferrarri to go to and from work, it's not needed." I explained that I had to get a smart phone for my wife because the dumb phone upgrades were less capable than the 2 year old phone we already had. The guy told me but the smart phone is so much more capable even if my wife rarely uses it. I told him for $30 more a month It's kinda like being forced to buy a ferrari to go to and from work. Our conversation quickly ended.

It would be cheaper if it was a family of 4 sharing a "little bit" of data but for a family of 2 it is more of a rip off. As long as I don't sign a new contract I get to keep my unlimited data.

 

Using the plan estimator on their website, I think my bill would go down about $15-20 if we switched. I barely use a gig and my wife uses even less (may change when we upgrade her, but I doubt we'll go over 2).

 

My contract ends in December though and I have been thinking about switching to Straight Talk now that they support Android.

 

Well this plan "could" actually be a few dollars cheaper for us but that is pending on how much data my step daughter would use. I'm sure me and my wife wouldn't use that much but I know my step daughter and the fact that no matter how much I tell her to use wi fi when available, she'll be too lazy to switch it over. And you know teenagers, she'll use it constantly. Hell, she RARELY ever actually talks on her phone, text text text constantly. But regardless even if it is a few $ cheaper it still screws everyone over imo.

And her excuse for "needing" a smart phone is that everything is done by email now. Really? She has a part time job and apparently when they "call" her into work it's done by email. WTF? If my company needs me to come in then good luck with that if that's how they do it because I don't read my email that often. 98% of is junk anyway.

 

I've considered this also. Choice of phones is very limited though, and apparently they use At&t towers for the most part. I keep hearing how At&t has so many problems with their service.

 

Really? Dude I work with has it and he says they use Verizon/Sprint towers lol and yeah the phone selection might be small but it is unlimited everything for $45 a month from what I have been told.

 

I was told be Verizonn the average person uses less than 2 Gb. My wife uses very little, really only when I am using her phone for the internet. If you have a small data share and only one person uses a lot and the rest don't It would probably be cheaper and all would have access. I don't know if I would switch from Verizon yet because the coverage I get is good. I travel A LOT and never really have any issues. I am still looking around for a better deal though.

 

It depends on the phone but all the smart phones as far as I could tell are At&t. My sister has it but not a smart phone and hers is a Verizon one. I may be wrong on this. This is what my father told me. But he was informed somewhere that if you look at the phones and see the US coverage map, if it is blue it was one and red was the other. Cant remember which was which but every smart phone I looked at had the At&t color which I think was blue. But I was looking online, not sure if it was different in stores vs the pics online though.

 

Also just got off the phone with my brother, they just got Iphones 4-5 months ago. He told me he uses his all the time and has yet to go over a gig. So based on this, makes me feel much better. I've been on the understanding that with a smart phone the usage goes fast.

 

All the app updates, I just wait til I'm home and use the wifi. same thing with the downloads. I use pandora quite a bit at work also and still hover around a gig at most. I break a gig only if I am traveling (stupid airport wifi can get expensive).

 

Found this http://www.walmart.com/ip/Samsung-Galaxy-Ace-S5830-Android-GSM-Cell-Phone-Black-Unlocked/19237590 for today only. Not sure about what it's compatible with.

 

I don't understand this whole crazy usage stuff.
I'm 21, use my iPhone a lot. Fb, surfing the forums, etc. Even when I used my phone practically 6 hours straight at my old job I never went over 2 gigs/ month.
I just checked my usage and in the last 9 months I've used 8 gigs.

Do you guys really use your phone THAT much?

 

Lucky for me I got grandfathered in for unlimited data. My Galaxy S3 comes in next week. I only pay 62 a month for unlimited web, text and 500 minutes.

 

What kind of data usage? It's my understanding if you watch videos it will eat it up in a hurry. But that is what I'm trying to get a feel of, of how much data we'll need/use? As I said earlier, I think me and my wife would be fine, it's my 18 year old step daughter I'm worried about. But I can't really do anything until Nov. anyway, just trying to get my homework done early.