On July 7th Verizon Wireless will be following the lead of AT&T and dropping their unlimited data plans for tiered data plans. Instead of $30/month for unlimited data, the price will be $30 for 2GB, $50 for 5GB and $80 for 10GB – a substantial price increase for heavy data users.
The good news is that if you already have an unlimited data plan, you’ll be able to keep it.
Which means that the trick to keeping an unlimited data plan on Verizon (at least for the forseeable future) is to be sure you have one on a 3G or 4G smartphone by July 6th.
If you have a 3G or 4G smartphone with Verizon now, you’re covered. But what if you don’t and want to grab this deal before it goes away? And what if you want a smartphone, but would rather wait a couple of months until the next generation of smartphones (Samsung Galaxy II, Droid Bionic, IPhone 5?) before locking in another two year contract? And what if you are currently under contract with Verizon on a regular phone, would like to get a smartphone, but aren’t yet in your upgrade period?
Here’s an approach that might work for your situation.
Verizon doesn’t charge to change plans, nor does it impose long contracts if you don’t buy a phone at a discount. So regardless of whether you are under contract or not, if you walk into a Verizon store with a 3G or 4G smartphone that you own, you can use it without a new 2 year contract or extending a current contract. You can add the unlimited data plan to your line, and you should qualify to keep that unlimited plan going forward (for as long as they continue to grandfather existing users).
The catch is, of course, that smartphones are expensive.
Or are they?
Sure the latest and greatest smartphones cost hundreds of dollars at retail. But 3G smartphones have been around for a while now, and it’s easy to find relatively low cost phones on EBay or CraigsList. A search for Versizon 3G droid shows numerous options under $150. Be sure to find one from a reputable seller, and be sure it has a clean ESN.
A low cost smartphone will allow you to hold on to your unlimited data plan until your upgrade period arrives or the super phone you are waiting for becomes available.
But move fast – this option vanishes on July 6th.
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