Worth Giving Up Unlimited Data?

[thedogscar]

I have a Grandfathered Unlimited data plan with Verizon. My old, and from the first day I got it buggy, HTC Thunderbolt, had a badly cracked screen. So, I was looking forward to getting rid of it, and Android. This expected delay in releasing the Icon, motivated me to buy a very cheap and lightly used Thunderbolt (which is much better than my old one, and proves to me mine was defective from the start; Verizon refused to replace it ... but that is another story). Now that I have a nice working phone ...

Anyone think this phone will be worth giving up Unlimited Data, or paying Off Contract price? Windows 8.1 "Blue" phones are supposed to be released in April (knowing Verizon, they won't get one until August :winktongue

 

[palandri]

How much data do you use per month?

 

[pci2k]

For me, I'm taking a risk and buying the 929/ICON off contract, once it becomes available. I also have unlimited data with Verizon. My 2-year contract is up later this year, so I have to buy it at full price anyway. This way, I can keep my unlimited data plan. I think that I pretty much have the best plan there is anyway - single line, unlimited data, unlimited talk, unlimited text, and unlimited MMS, and I don't plan to change it. It's about $120 bucks a month after all taxes and fees, but worth it. I use my phone a lot, and love the plan. I travel a lot around the US, including rural areas, and never had an issue with dropped calls on my end.

I currently have a Lumia 822. The Micro USB charger won't work unless I bend the cable (an issue I've heard is common), and the MicroSD card got corrupted. I had to resort to getting the wireless charging back in order to avoid getting a crap refurb, and I don't feel like getting a crappy refurb. I detest iPhones and iTunes, don't like buggy Android phones, and my last BlackBerry would reboot itself like there was a ghost inside it! I won't get a Lumia 928 since the ICON is supposed to be right around the corner.

I plan on buying the ICON directly from the Microsoft Store, and pay the $99 insurance for 2 years. I found that if you buy the plan and have damages for any reason, you pay a $50 deductible and can get a new phone right there within minutes. No crappy refurbs!!!!!!

Supposedly, most, if not all current all 8 phones are supposed to be upgradeable to 8.1, so I'm not worried about that.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[JudgeHolden]

How much data do you use per month?

Indeed the key question, right?
When I moved to the 928 I was averaging about 180MB with my Trophy.
I'm around 400MB now.

I do all my downloading on WiFi, don't stream music, and web pages just don't take much data (especially since about 80% of my day I'm near either home WiFi or work WiFi.)

So yeah, it wasn't a big deal for me.

 

[cbreze]

I went to the 6 gig plan from UL data. Very happy with changing and it afforded me a new device with a big discount. It really depends on how much you use tho. It sounds like not that much in your case. I leave WiFi on all the time and find I've yet to use 1 gig. So, 6 gig is same as UL in my view for my needs. You may have to ask for the 6 gig plan, but its still there.

 

[jlzimmerman]

I'm in the same boat. I'm not worried about transitioning to a 2Gb plan from unlimited because I rarely, if ever, go over 2 Gb. Even when I had my Galaxy Nexus, which I disabled wifi because of conflicts it had with cellular, I didn't go over. I actually may go to the share plan with the spouse unit. It's $10 or $20 less a month and together we'll rarely go over 3Gb.

 

[mrlugo88]

I'm one who uses up all the data I can. On android I was using between 60-90 GB of data a month. On my 928 I was using between 40-60 GB. So I'd say not even close to worth it for me. But as was stated, all depends on your data usage. For someone like me, who streams everything, downloads everything using my phone, no phone is worth parting with my unlimited data.

 

[boovish]

I'm one who uses up all the data I can. On android I was using between 60-90 GB of data a month. On my 928 I was using between 40-60 GB. So I'd say not even close to worth it for me. But as was stated, all depends on your data usage. For someone like me, who streams everything, downloads everything using my phone, no phone is worth parting with my unlimited data.

Its people like you, who use that amount of data, who made Verizon cancel unlimited data

 

[pci2k]

I'm one who uses up all the data I can. On android I was using between 60-90 GB of data a month. On my 928 I was using between 40-60 GB. So I'd say not even close to worth it for me. But as was stated, all depends on your data usage. For someone like me, who streams everything, downloads everything using my phone, no phone is worth parting with my unlimited data.

I agree, which is why I'm buying the 929/ICON outright so I can keep my unlimited plan.

 

[JudgeHolden]

Its people like you, who use that amount of data, who made Verizon cancel unlimited data

Well, it was their excuse to. There were ways they could handle it other than "Way too much for 250MB, still too much for 2GB, no option for people that use a lot."

 

[Indistinguishable]

I'm one who uses up all the data I can. On android I was using between 60-90 GB of data a month. On my 928 I was using between 40-60 GB. So I'd say not even close to worth it for me. But as was stated, all depends on your data usage. For someone like me, who streams everything, downloads everything using my phone, no phone is worth parting with my unlimited data.

Its people like you, who use that amount of data, who made Verizon cancel unlimited data

Seriously... What on earth are you doing on your phone? Haven't you ever heard of WiFi? It's much faster and easier on the battery life of the phone.

 

[Scorpio5x0]

Just my opinion, but nothing is worth getting rid of your unlimited data.

 

[Indistinguishable]

Just my opinion, but nothing is worth getting rid of your unlimited data.

It really depends on how much you use and how much you're paying.

 

[11B1P]

Its people like you, who use that amount of data, who made Verizon cancel unlimited data

I understand your point of view, but unlimited doesn't mean up to a certain point. Also with the improvements in the network and better, faster phones, higher usage is going to happen.

 

[JudgeHolden]

It really depends on how much you use and how much you're paying.

Yup, because, once you're out of contract, Verizon can just take it away from you, anyway. They haven't, yet, but they will at some point.

 

[mrlugo88]

Its people like you, who use that amount of data, who made Verizon cancel unlimited data

Well they offered me UNLIMITED data so I use. I'm sure I'm allowed to use as much as i please. And believe me, there were not as many people using the amount of data I use. The fact, though, that everything now uses data, is what promoted them to get rid of it. They realized they could make more money by taking away unlimited data. Easy to see.

 

[mrlugo88]

Seriously... What on earth are you doing on your phone? Haven't you ever heard of WiFi? It's much faster and easier on the battery life of the phone.

Yes I'm sure it is. But 4G is fast enough for me and I'm not around WiFi constantly. And I do a lot on my phone. For example, I'm a driver for a company and I stream my Pandora or Music all day while I'm driving. So the speed or amount of data I use doesn't bother me.

 

[5150 Joker]

Get a phone for full price and keep the data plan.

Sent from my RM-937_apac_hong_kong_222 using Tapatalk

 

[jpling]

Keep the data. There is no phone worth giving it up. Having the freedom to use your phone to its fullest potential is worth its weight in data. Some months I use hardly any. If I'm on the road where Netflix and radio streams are my friend I have used over 20gigs before. (Netflix,Pandora, Hulu plus) it's fairly easy if you use your phone all the time and 4g is crazy fast.

 

[thedogscar]

Thanks for the replies, and some good points!

VZW employees point out, very few months I go over 2GB. So, the Unlimited Data Plan is meaningless, and I should renew my contract and get a subsidized phone; which would save me hundreds of dollars. I point out to them, everything uses more data, and my data usage is slowly creeping up. I do not want to worry when I download something, it is costing me money, or have to wait to download it on WiFi.

I just bought a weekend house. I have FIOS Quadruple Play at my main house (phone, internet, cable and wireless) at well over $300 per month. As a single guy, I am extremely reluctant to pay for another cable and internet bill. I have been trying to use my Thunderbolt at my weekend house, and I get a pretty strong 4G signal, but for some reason, keep getting downgraded to 3G? I am not sure if it is the phone, or Verizon, causing this ... but if I could get a strong consistent 4G signal, I would definitely use much more than 2GB per month, and save on another cable and internet bill.

I do see MS has announced 8.1 will be compatible with all 8 phones, but they announced 9 will be out next year, with no such guarantee. Also, a rumor the Lumia 1820 will be the new Nokia Flagship (5.2" is the size I would prefer), and announced at MWC in a couple months.

Bottom line ... if I can somehow get a consistent 4G signal at my weekend house. Keeping Unlimited Data is a no brainer. If not, I am still leaning towards keeping it. Since phone, and OS, get outdated quickly ... but Unlimited Data is forever (or at least until Verizon decided to throttle me or cancel it :unhappysweat: )