New here, DX2 or TB?

[varjar]

Hello all, I am about to purchase my first smartphone and I am looking for some advice.

I have my eye on both the TB and the DX2. I like the prospect of 4G in the TB, but it seems the DX2 outpaces the TB in every other aspect (aside from no FFC, not a big deal to me).

The determining factor for me will be the pricing of 4G data plans. As of now, 4G unlimited data is $30/mo, the same as unlimited 3G. My thought is that this will increase or become increasing tiered as 4G becomes the norm. If this is indeed the plan for VZ, I would be better off locking in at $30/mo and get the TB. If not, the DX2 seems like the logical choice, as I won't have to worry about spending more on 4G data when I inevitably upgrade to a 4G phone.

Any thoughts?

 

[dguy]

I've had a Thunderbolt since launch and am getting a Droid X2 tomorrow to replace it. I had a Droid X 1 before I bought the Thunderbolt and wish I just waited for the DX2 to come out instead of buying the TB at all. The TB has like a million little annoyances that create an overall shoddy experience.(Build quality issues, battery issues, random reboots caused by the latest software update, slow GPS lock, tons of Sense UI bugs)

I dislike the TB so much that I'm paying retail for a DX2 just to get off it.

 

[mrvirginia]

Hello all, I am about to purchase my first smartphone and I am looking for some advice.

I have my eye on both the TB and the DX2. I like the prospect of 4G in the TB, but it seems the DX2 outpaces the TB in every other aspect (aside from no FFC, not a big deal to me).

The determining factor for me will be the pricing of 4G data plans. As of now, 4G unlimited data is $30/mo, the same as unlimited 3G. My thought is that this will increase or become increasing tiered as 4G becomes the norm. If this is indeed the plan for VZ, I would be better off locking in at $30/mo and get the TB. If not, the DX2 seems like the logical choice, as I won't have to worry about spending more on 4G data when I inevitably upgrade to a 4G phone.

Any thoughts?

well, you're talking about pricing here so just want to make sure you do realize that if you grab up the TB to be locked in @ $30/mon for 4G, in order to stay locked at that you'll always have to buy a phone from a retailer at full price

but if it were me, dual-core would win over 4G.
faster phone over faster down/up speeds any day for me.

 

[jinwons]

If this is true, unlimited 4G data is going away. That's why I was going to jump on 4G phone like Charge or Revolution. Tbolt was out of consideration for me due to its so many issues. But Verizon LTE network still seems unstable and spotty based on feedbacks from some Tbolt, Charge users.

Verizon Data Plans in for Major Overhaul, Tiered Pricing and Family Plans

 

[rushmore]

I've had a Thunderbolt since launch and am getting a Droid X2 tomorrow to replace it. I had a Droid X 1 before I bought the Thunderbolt and wish I just waited for the DX2 to come out instead of buying the TB at all. The TB has like a million little annoyances that create an overall shoddy experience.(Build quality issues, battery issues, random reboots caused by the latest software update, slow GPS lock, tons of Sense UI bugs)

I dislike the TB so much that I'm paying retail for a DX2 just to get off it.

This may be the ultimate TB dissss.

 

[Praetorian]

I'd rather have dual core over 4g at this point. My download speed is sufficient for what I do and I want something that has a great processor. I'm comming from an Eris so I'm tired of slow and steady.

 

[mrvirginia]

This may be the ultimate TB dissss.

lol yah i'm over clunky HTC devices at this point. seems like they've lost their way just a bit.

 

[varjar]

Thanks for the replies. I'm leaning towards DX2 at this point, but I'm worried that VZ will cut the unlimited 4G in the near future, thus my interest in the TB with unlimited 4G.

Also, what's the deal with motoblur? I hear it blows, but can you make it more user-friendly via hacks/root?

 

[varjar]

well, you're talking about pricing here so just want to make sure you do realize that if you grab up the TB to be locked in @ $30/mon for 4G, in order to stay locked at that you'll always have to buy a phone from a retailer at full price

Thanks for that...there goes my future plan for unlimited 4G tethering at a reasonable price.

 

[addictedtocars]

well, you're talking about pricing here so just want to make sure you do realize that if you grab up the TB to be locked in @ $30/mon for 4G, in order to stay locked at that you'll always have to buy a phone from a retailer at full price

but if it were me, dual-core would win over 4G.
faster phone over faster down/up speeds any day for me.

There is a lot of guessing here. I thought ATT if you were in unlimited you stayed unlimited, even with discounted phone, you just can't leave ATT. If VZ makes you pay full reail to get unlimited data at renewal then that is foolish as it opens the door for people to churn. IMO with no evidence to back this up I suspect even if you are a 3G unlimited VZ customer and go 4G after their tier I suspect they will grandfather you in, again prevent churn.

 

[mrvirginia]

There is a lot of guessing here. I thought ATT if you were in unlimited you stayed unlimited, even with discounted phone, you just can't leave ATT. If VZ makes you pay full reail to get unlimited data at renewal then that is foolish as it opens the door for people to churn. IMO with no evidence to back this up I suspect even if you are a 3G unlimited VZ customer and go 4G after their tier I suspect they will grandfather you in, again prevent churn.

what? i didn't quite understand this.
i don't think you understood what i was saying either, though.
and there's no guess work here. let me try to explain further...

okay, lets say you have a TB right now, and a month later they go to tiered data plans/non-unlimited. right now at this point, you still have the exact same plan with unlimited 3G/4G. now lets say a new phone comes out that you just HAVE to have. lets also say that you're up for an upgrade at a discounted price (instead of paying full retail). when you upgrade your device with your upgrade eligibility, you sign a new 2-yr contract. now you're under the new tiered/non-unlimited 3G/4G or whatever it is. this happens because you are signing a new contract.

in order to keep your old contract going, you have to keep from signing a new one. the only way to do this is to pay full price for a device (or used off ebay, etc) and activate that phone on your line. any time you get a new device with upgrade eligibility, you are signing a new contract. this is renewing/extending.

this is with almost all companies.
hopefully that is more clear.

they're not going to grandfather people in who sign new contracts. this applies to even current subscribers who choose to sign a new contract. if that were the case, there would be basically no point in switching to tiered data plans because it would essentially only effect actual new customers.

 

[templetonryecy]

what? i didn't quite understand this.
i don't think you understood what i was saying either, though.
and there's no guess work here. let me try to explain further...

okay, lets say you have a TB right now, and a month later they go to tiered data plans/non-unlimited. right now at this point, you still have the exact same plan with unlimited 3G/4G. now lets say a new phone comes out that you just HAVE to have. lets also say that you're up for an upgrade at a discounted price (instead of paying full retail). when you upgrade your device with your upgrade eligibility, you sign a new 2-yr contract. now you're under the new tiered/non-unlimited 3G/4G or whatever it is. this happens because you are signing a new contract.

in order to keep your old contract going, you have to keep from signing a new one. the only way to do this is to pay full price for a device (or used off ebay, etc) and activate that phone on your line. any time you get a new device with upgrade eligibility, you are signing a new contract. this is renewing/extending.

this is with almost all companies.
hopefully that is more clear.

they're not going to grandfather people in who sign new contracts. this applies to even current subscribers who choose to sign a new contract. if that were the case, there would be basically no point in switching to tiered data plans because it would essentially only effect actual new customers.

I don't think this is necessary true. There are several features on my plan are not available any longer but I have kept them throughout the years each time I upgraded a discounted price (as in, my plan was grandfathered in).

I think when you upgrade at discounted price, while technically a brand new contract, your old plan still gets pulled over into the new contract. At least this is how it has always been explained to me by Verizon.

I could be wrong too. Or maybe I'm half right and they would only grandfather in current 4G plans - I realize that unlimited data plans currently cover 3G and 4G but it is notated on your account if you have the 4G+3G unlimited vs just 3G unlimited.

Interesting discussion.

 

[John58543]

If this is true, unlimited 4G data is going away. That's why I was going to jump on 4G phone like Charge or Revolution. Tbolt was out of consideration for me due to its so many issues. But Verizon LTE network still seems unstable and spotty based on feedbacks from some Tbolt, Charge users.

Verizon Data Plans in for Major Overhaul, Tiered Pricing and Family Plans

Well, that would be just like them, once 4G becomes stable and covers more than 10% of the country, thats when it will become tiered....and no more unlimited. I'd rather have unlimited 3G anyday than tiered/limited 4G. That's my 2 cents...

 

[addictedtocars]

okay, lets say you have a TB right now, and a month later they go to tiered data plans/non-unlimited. right now at this point, you still have the exact same plan with unlimited 3G/4G. now lets say a new phone comes out that you just HAVE to have. lets also say that you're up for an upgrade at a discounted price (instead of paying full retail). when you upgrade your device with your upgrade eligibility, you sign a new 2-yr contract. now you're under the new tiered/non-unlimited 3G/4G or whatever it is. this happens because you are signing a new contract.

I understand what you are saying, but I don;t know how VZ is, but when I ws with TMO when I was due for a phone I just had to sign a new 2 year commitment, my plan rates were always grandfathered in, that is why I took so long to leave TMO, I had 1500 minutes for $39 for like 7 years through numerous phones even though they no longer offered the plan.
And with TMO I coudl have gotten discounted smartphone and kept that voice plan and just added datat for $29 a month. And had TMO had better coverage for me I would have stayed with them.
Usually the contract is just a commitment to stay, if VZ does that differenlty then I'll likely stay with them fo the contract then leave, part of the process is to grandfather you in to keep you from wanting to leave. The discounted phone price is offset by you doing another 24 months at wahtever plan.

 

[nkd]

I've had a Thunderbolt since launch and am getting a Droid X2 tomorrow to replace it. I had a Droid X 1 before I bought the Thunderbolt and wish I just waited for the DX2 to come out instead of buying the TB at all. The TB has like a million little annoyances that create an overall shoddy experience.(Build quality issues, battery issues, random reboots caused by the latest software update, slow GPS lock, tons of Sense UI bugs)

I dislike the TB so much that I'm paying retail for a DX2 just to get off it.

True. I just dont like the build quality plus verizon's crappy 4g service at my house, so called in the dead center of 4g. Multiple tickets and still no resolution. I ordered the droid x 2 online last night for 450 and my friend is picking up my tbolt in 2 weeks for 400, where he lives I get great 4g.

I think this phone is overall faster and better, I kinda dont like the physical buttons but I guess I am not used to it, so hopefully I will get used to it after a while. I just looked at the qhd screen on atrix, and it looked fricking beautiful, I dont know what the fuss was about the screen not being good.

 

[mrvirginia]

maybe you guys are right. (hypothetically speaking) maybe you only give up your plan if you actually alter your plan. maybe buying a new phone, whether subsidized or unsubsidized, doesn't really matter.

but i know for a fact, yes factual information, that if you alter your plan (data portion), you would then lose it.

my previous statements, though, are in reference to my father who had a really really old Sprint plan. he's had it for years and years from back when Nextel was a seperate company. he had a non-Nextel phone and was on the actual Sprint network since they merged. when he upgraded to the Evo about a month ago (yeah not sure why he didn't wait), he lost that old plan and was put on one of the new ones.

it could be carrier specific? or possibly how old the plan is? or maybe even how badly they want older customers on the newer plans? who knows. very interesting discussion indeed

the only way to know for sure would be to ask a sales rep, or better yet a supervisor with Verizon, in hopes that you get the most accurate information. i'd be very careful in assuming that you can buy a TB and keep unlimited 3G/4G even after they go to tiered data/non-unlimited when you go to get a new device subsidized. you could end up screwing yourself over

also, it's very possible that Verizon (or any carrier) will work with you to make you happy and keep you with them. not sure how far they will go with that though (regarding unlimited data plans) but my fiance was still on a family plan with her ex. she could've upgraded then, but before she did, she split her line off by itself and in turn lost that upgrade eligibility. i was able to persuade them in moving her upgrade from Dec to now, plus throw in a free case and car charger

 

[addictedtocars]

maybe you guys are right. (hypothetically speaking) maybe you only give up your plan if you actually alter your plan. maybe buying a new phone, whether subsidized or unsubsidized, doesn't really matter.

but i know for a fact, yes factual information, that if you alter your plan (data portion), you would then lose it.

my previous statements, though, are in reference to my father who had a really really old Sprint plan. he's had it for years and years from back when Nextel was a seperate company. he had a non-Nextel phone and was on the actual Sprint network since they merged. when he upgraded to the Evo about a month ago (yeah not sure why he didn't wait), he lost that old plan and was put on one of the new ones.

it could be carrier specific? or possibly how old the plan is? or maybe even how badly they want older customers on the newer plans? who knows. very interesting discussion indeed

the only way to know for sure would be to ask a sales rep, or better yet a supervisor with Verizon, in hopes that you get the most accurate information. i'd be very careful in assuming that you can buy a TB and keep unlimited 3G/4G even after they go to tiered data/non-unlimited when you go to get a new device subsidized. you could end up screwing yourself over

also, it's very possible that Verizon (or any carrier) will work with you to make you happy and keep you with them. not sure how far they will go with that though (regarding unlimited data plans) but my fiance was still on a family plan with her ex. she could've upgraded then, but before she did, she split her line off by itself and in turn lost that upgrade eligibility. i was able to persuade them in moving her upgrade from Dec to now, plus throw in a free case and car charger

And if I have unlimted data I woudl have to be broke and out of work to want to change it if it were no longer available. As for asking VZ rep or supervisor, they can only tell you what is officially published today. Ironically when I asked VZ just hours before the latest news broke they said VZ has no plan to get rid of unlimited data.

 

[rushmore]

True. I just dont like the build quality plus verizon's crappy 4g service at my house, so called in the dead center of 4g. Multiple tickets and still no resolution. I ordered the droid x 2 online last night for 450 and my friend is picking up my tbolt in 2 weeks for 400, where he lives I get great 4g.

I think this phone is overall faster and better, I kinda dont like the physical buttons but I guess I am not used to it, so hopefully I will get used to it after a while. I just looked at the qhd screen on atrix, and it looked fricking beautiful, I dont know what the fuss was about the screen not being good.

One good thing about physical buttons is no more accidents pressing the nav buttons by mistake when playing games. Especially emulators that use virtual pads

 

[jroc]

^THAT drives me crazy when I use my Droid 1 now. I would deal with it if I had to but its nice to have the hard keys.