Verizon data plan

moxyspirit · Jul 23, 2010

I have an incredible on order and was charged $213 for the phone.....to be delivered Monday the 7/26.....

The price on the phone is $500 plus and is paid for my upgrading a 2 year contract.....

I want the phone but not sure if i want to pay for a data plan,,,,,i can be wifi almost any where I go.....i know I lose 24/7 connection and GPS (is there any FREE stand alone GPS app for android????).

I bought a used ERIS to play w/ while waiting for the incredible......no phone service......just wifi and has worked great for me.

If I don't activate the incredible, HOW DOES VERIZON bill the difference for the new phone, $300 plus dollars different from what I paid?

Thanks in Advance,

Moxie...................7 :cool:

gruss · Jul 23, 2010

If you cancel service they'll charge you an etf, if you don't activate I think I remember a disclaimer saying you will be billed full retail price? They will NOT put voice only on a smartphone.

If you want an Incredible with voice only service I think page plus might be your only option?

Jakaro · Jul 23, 2010

If you don't pay full retail price, you have to have unlimited data.

moxyspirit · Jul 23, 2010

I currently have a env2 and like the phone for a phone.....just wanting to stay away from paying for a data plan,,,,,i think around $24 a month w/ my wife's 20% discount.......

what i was looking for was if verizon would bill the difference of $500 plus dollars if i did not make any changes to my current plan/contract,,,,never activating the incredible like the Eris i am using.

don't get me wrong....i would love to be 24/7 connected. just am having trouble swallowing the extra cost of the data plan. If it allowed me to drop my home connection, i would do it in a heartbeat. Turn my driod into a hotspot....7 :cool:

. But i do have about 6 pc's connected at home and that includes the neighbor's 2 pc's.

Still looking for a stand alone FREE gps app for andriod, does 1 live?

Moxie

Ecks · Jul 23, 2010

Google Maps includes Navigation. IDK if this is what you are looking for, but it's free from the market. Any navigation/gps app you could find won't be 100% free -- there will always be a data charge if you don't have a data plan. Might as well strap in for the unlimited data plan to make the best use of a $500 phone. IDK if it's worth the money to get it and not have a data plan.

I don't fully understand your need for this phone.

jamor · Jul 23, 2010

I'm really confused.

But yea, Google Maps/Navigation is free and the bomb! Need a data plan though!

mvolps22 · Jul 23, 2010

You will be billed the extra $340 for the phone...that's essentialy the cost of 14 months of the data plan at $24/month....makes no sense at all not to activate the unlimited data plan.

Keep in mind though that only the main line gets the 20% discount. Sounds like your wifes line may be the main line. That said, it's only $6/ month difference.

jbh00jh · Jul 23, 2010

It doesn't matter what you pay for the phone , full retail or the discount , VZW will NOT activate ANY smartphone WITHOUT a data plan. There is no seperate voice plan . If you don't get a data plan , the phone won't be activated so you can't use it at all.
You can play around with it on WI-FI but will have to get another phone to make calls on.

aarn660 · Jul 23, 2010

Sell your eris and then you'll have the money for the data plan.

sabrewings · Jul 23, 2010

moxyspirit said:
I want the phone but not sure if i want to pay for a data plan,,,,,i can be wifi almost any where I go.....i know I lose 24/7 connection and GPS (is there any FREE stand alone GPS app for android????).

GPS doesn't care if you're connected to Verizon's network. It's using satellites. The only thing that it might need a connection for is Google Maps which would download map data and directions as well. There are plenty of apps on the market that will give you the raw GPS data though, if you just want that.

Also, Google Maps is free for every Android device out there. It includes navigation GPS (directions, location, etc).

jamor · Jul 23, 2010

sabrewings said:
GPS doesn't care if you're connected to Verizon's network. It's using satellites. The only thing that it might need a connection for is Google Maps which would download map data and directions as well. There are plenty of apps on the market that will give you the raw GPS data though, if you just want that.

Also, Google Maps is free for every Android device out there. It includes GPS functionality (directions, location, etc).

Can someone verify this?

My navigation doesn't seem to work unless 3g is on.

jbh00jh · Jul 23, 2010

jamor said:
Can someone verify this?

My navigation doesn't work unless 3g is on.

You need 3g or WI-FI for the navigation programs to function , the phone has to download the data for the maps to work.

cowdoc · Jul 23, 2010

Not to pee in anyone's Cheerios, but isn't there talk about Verizon changing its unlimited data plan?

Verizon stays quiet on tiered data plans

So, yes you do need a data plan...but NOW you need to try and determine just how much you'll be using on a monthly basis to purchase on of their tiers.

sabrewings · Jul 23, 2010

jamor said:
Can someone verify this?

My navigation doesn't seem to work unless 3g is on.

There's a difference between GPS functionality and navigation. GPS is the phone's ability to know its exact location via its GPS receiver. Navigation uses GPS to give you directions.

GPS functionality works without a network connection since it uses satellites. For navigation, you need the network to download the route and maps.

sabrewings · Jul 23, 2010

cowdoc said:
Not to pee in anyone's Cheerios, but isn't there talk about Verizon changing its unlimited data plan?

Verizon stays quiet on tiered data plans

So, yes you do need a data plan...but NOW you need to try and determine just how much you'll be using on a monthly basis to purchase on of their tiers.

Last I heard Verizon won't start tiered plans until their 4G rolls out. 3G would stay unlimited. If they do tier 3G, we'll all be grandfathered in just like AT&T did.

Terabethia · Jul 23, 2010

jbh00jh said:
It doesn't matter what you pay for the phone , full retail or the discount , VZW will NOT activate ANY smartphone WITHOUT a data plan. There is no seperate voice plan . If you don't get a data plan , the phone won't be activated so you can't use it at all.
You can play around with it on WI-FI but will have to get another phone to make calls on.

^^This^^ If you want to use your phone as nothing more than an iPad, you can just use it. But you will NOT be able to make calls, that requires activating the phone. And to activate you need the data plan.

When I got my phones I have to call CS to push through the activation. The problem? We didn't have the $29.99 data plan on our previous LG Dare's and we had to add that plan before we could activate. Once it was added, we activated with no problem. So it's a must.

It CLEARLY states right there on Verizon's website that a $29.99 a month data plan is required for this phone. It's not a secret. If you change your mind after the fact, you have 30 days to return the phone.

Terabethia · Jul 23, 2010

sabrewings said:
Last I heard Verizon won't start tiered plans until their 4G rolls out. 3G would stay unlimited. If they do tier 3G, we'll all be grandfathered in just like AT&T did.

When they put this into effect, older plans will be grandfathered in. It will only apply to new customers. So if you already have unlimited, it will stay unlimited.

cowdoc · Jul 23, 2010

sabrewings said:
Last I heard Verizon won't start tiered plans until their 4G rolls out. 3G would stay unlimited. If they do tier 3G, we'll all be grandfathered in just like AT&T did.

I hope you're right sabrewings; I was a little put off when I read about this change. I couldn't find anything on the 4G vs 3G thing, but it sounds more feasible. Thanks!

jamor · Jul 23, 2010

It's all good. We are grandfathers and grandmothers.

jamor · Jul 23, 2010

sabrewings said:
There's a difference between GPS functionality and navigation. GPS is the phone's ability to know its exact location via its GPS receiver. Navigation uses GPS to give you directions.

GPS functionality works without a network connection since it uses satellites. For navigation, you need the network to download the route and maps.

Right but when someone asks about GPS they are typically talking about navigation which requires a data plan.

So saying you don't need a data plan for GPS is misleading.

sabrewings · Jul 23, 2010

jamor said:
Right but when someone asks about GPS they are typically talking about navigation which requires a data plan.

So saying you don't need a data plan for GPS is misleading.

Not to me. I've had GPS devices since they first came out. GPS gives you latitude and longitude. Navigation devices give you maps and turn by turn directions. Strong difference, and I can't help if people don't know the difference anymore.

Also, if you read the post again, you'll see that I did say you need to have a network connection for maps and directions:

sabrewings said:
GPS doesn't care if you're connected to Verizon's network. It's using satellites. The only thing that it might need a connection for is Google Maps which would download map data and directions as well. There are plenty of apps on the market that will give you the raw GPS data though, if you just want that.

Also, Google Maps is free for every Android device out there. It includes navigation GPS (directions, location, etc).

bezerk19 · Jul 23, 2010

moxyspirit said:
I have an incredible on order and was charged $213 for the phone.....to be delivered Monday the 7/26.....

The price on the phone is $500 plus and is paid for my upgrading a 2 year contract.....

I want the phone but not sure if i want to pay for a data plan,,,,,i can be wifi almost any where I go.....i know I lose 24/7 connection and GPS (is there any FREE stand alone GPS app for android????).

I bought a used ERIS to play w/ while waiting for the incredible......no phone service......just wifi and has worked great for me.

If I don't activate the incredible, HOW DOES VERIZON bill the difference for the new phone, $300 plus dollars different from what I paid?

Thanks in Advance,

Moxie...................7

Last I heard when i was upgrading my wife's cell phone (not Incredible) is that you need the data package. Some of verizon's data package policy has changed (October of last year i think)backed then if you had a 3g capable phone but didn't need the data plan you can just get the voice service only, take for example the LG chocolate touch (wife), its 3G capable, I was able to get only the voice plan, but now if you buy this phone you need the data plan minimum data plan which is $10. However, in the case with "smartphones" you NEED to get the data plan which is $30 otherwise you can't activate it, i'm not even sure if they sell if to you at the 2 year discounted price if you don't get the plan (you can buy it at full price and not activate it)

I've also been told that SMS (text) are being sent via internet and not similar to regular MMS (Picture message), which is another reason why they want you to get the data plan.

All I can say is that i love verizon coverage but they are getting greedy by making some more $$ by forcibly selling us data plans.

Last option, just pay full price and flash it to cricket (good luck with the phone quality/coverage)

Just my 2 cents, good luck

bezerk19 · Jul 23, 2010

jamor said:
Can someone verify this?

My navigation doesn't seem to work unless 3g is on.

When using Google Maps you will need 3G coverage so you can "see" the actual map, streets, directions etc. If you don't have coverage at that time you won't be able to see anything, however, your GPS still works just not in Google Maps.

A good way to get around this is by using Google Maps when 3g coverage is available, configure your route and then if you 3g coverage is no longer available during your route, google maps will still be able to "work", the only problem here is if you get off the original route then i don't think it will be able to re-route you.

Terabethia · Jul 23, 2010

bezerk19 said:
I've also been told that SMS (picture messages) are being sent via internet and not similar to regular MMS (text), which is another reason why they want you to get the data plan.

This is accurate.

I have a friend with only Phone/Text, no data plan at all. He has an LG Dare. He contacted Verizon and actually had them turn off his ability to receive texts with attachments because people would send them and he would get charged 25 cents, even if he didn't open it.

I told him to stop being cheap and get a $10 data plan but ehh... not my choice

bezerk19 said:
All I can say is that i love verizon coverage but they are getting greedy by making some more $$ by forcibly selling us data plans.

Maybe, but in all fairness, what the hell is the point of getting a smartphone if you are only going to use it to call/text? Sure you can use WiFi to connect like the OP wants to do, but it's still dumbing down your phone.

If all you want is phone/text, get a regular phone or a media phone. Though like someone mentioned, media phones now require a $10 data package, but I guess it's better than $30.

bezerk19 · Jul 23, 2010

Terabethia said:
Maybe, but in all fairness, what the hell is the point of getting a smartphone if you are only going to use it to call/text? Sure you can use WiFi to connect like the OP wants to do, but it's still dumbing down your phone.

If all you want is phone/text, get a regular phone or a media phone. Though like someone mentioned, media phones now require a $10 data package, but I guess it's better than $30.

Yes i wouldn't have it any other way, you really can't enjoy the phone without internet.

I don't mind paying $30 for unlimited data plan, love it i have coverage wherever I go and with my phone i usually get pretty good speed, also surfing the net for quick answers is always nice!

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