I was previously on Sprint with a HTC m7 and I was quite honestly done with Sprint and done with Android (as a phone OS...I still use android tablets). I ordered a white lumia icon off of amazon for $180 and received essentially a brand new phone two days later. I signed up for the 10gb data plan for Verizon and since I outright owned the phone and received a company discount my bill came out $5 less then what I was paying for unlimited everything on Sprint.
The Icon (W8.1) has built in wireless tethering and I have not been charged, as of my most recent bill, for it. I generally get 2-3 days of battery life using the phone mostly for calling, tethering and texting. The only apps I added were twitter, facebook, plex, hulu and netflix. My main deviced is a tethered Nvidia Shield Tablet (128gb SD) for gaming, browsing, streaming, social media and a Dell XPS 13 (2014) for more intensive tasks.
When the WM10 preview came out for the icon a few months back, I immediately joined the insider program and updated! Big mistake there...went back to 8.1 and have been happy with my current situation. I basically wanted a Hotspot that could make calls and texts. I will be upgrading to the XL Data package (12GB) on Verizon for the same amount I'm currently paying as soon as I have time.
I'd recommend buying and using the phone in this way to anyone. You can use the phone on Straight Talk, which will utilize the Verizon network and get unlimited calls/texts + 5gb of LTE Data for $45 a month prepaid. I started to go this route, but saw the 10GB (now 12gb) plan for $80 on Verizon and I got a discount through my job.
I'd also add that the phone is a little chubby, has a nice heft and is made of premium materials. The screen is absolutely beautiful and can be viewed in direct sunlight (best feature hands down). The camera is also fantastic...my wife has the Note 5 and the Icon's photos look waaaaaay better when viewed side by side on a computer screen.