Hasta La Gadget!

Ah, the wonderful world of wireless carriers. You can almost guarantee that if one makes a move, the others will soon follow. We’re still hoping that AT&T and Verizon will succumb to peer pressure and resume offering unlimited data plans, but until that day comes, you can look forward to lots of fine tuning of their tiered share plans. The latest move comes from Verizon, which has introduced its lowest cost offering yet: a 500MB shared plan that runs $40 per month. This rings in at $10 less than its 1GB shared data plan, but when combined with a single smartphone, you’re looking at paying $80 per month for unlimited talk, text and 500MB of data that’s subject to overage fees. Compare this to AT&T, which just announced a 300MB share plan that costs $70 once bundled with a smartphone. Either way, this presents a cheaper option for some, but it won’t be fun keeping such a close eye on the meager data allotment.

Update: This article previously drew a comparison that was based on the price of a feature phone at Verizon, which costs $30 per month. We’ve updated the article to reflect Verizon’s $40 monthly charge for smartphones.

Filed under: Wireless, Mobile, Verizon

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Via: @VZWNews (Twitter), WSJ

Source: Verizon Wireless

“La la la la. I can’t hear you.” Verizon’s CFO, Fran Shammo, might’ve just as well made those comments with his hands firmly cupped over his ears, as the firm’s chief number cruncher told attendees at today’s Goldman Sachs investor conference, “Unlimited is just a word, it doesn’t really mean anything.” While Sprint and T-Mobile would certainly take issue with that statement, Shammo then dug the hole deeper by saying, “That whole unlimited thing, I think, is going by the wayside.” These comments were made in the context of Shammo playing up the carrier’s shared data plans, wherein he explained his belief that consumers “think they consume a lot more data than they really do.” Shammo also revealed that Verizon has converted more subscribers and devices over to the new scheme than it’d initially anticipated.

Naturally, change within any industry takes time, but now that Sprint is in a position to offer unlimited data at a meaningful speed and T-Mobile has climbed aboard the bandwagon, Verizon may have to change its tune if a significant number of consumers decide that unlimited isn’t dead after all. You can view the entire transcript at the source link below, but consider this: would you take unlimited plans into consideration when shopping between carriers, or is Mr. Shammo right that consumers really don’t use that much data? Give us your thoughts in the comments below.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

Verizon CFO buries his head in the sand, claims unlimited data is ‘going by the wayside’ originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Sep 2012 17:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Like Starbucks’ Short Latté, Fatburger’s Hypocrite and Wendy’s Meat Cube, Verizon is offering its own not-so-secret menu on its Share Everything data plans. Big V’s Brenda Raney told Computerworld that there are five more tiers beyond the 10GB top-limit shown on the company’s website — that are only available if you ask on the phone or in stores. The options run from 12GB for $110 all the way to 20GB for $150, but only as long as you’ve agreed the limit in advance of blowing all that data. If not, then you’ll be spending another $150 in penalty charges for your overage. There’s no official word if you need to offer a secret password or handshake, but we’d do it anyway — if only to feel a bit like James Bond.

Update: Verizon’s confirmed the pricing tiers and let us know that you can now grab the bigger data plans without ever having to wink at a sales rep. Simply add a handset to your cart and push through to “Plans” on Big V’s website and you can scroll to the right to access the 12GB – 20GB offerings.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablet PCs, Wireless, Internet

Verizon’s ‘secret menu’ Share Everything plans offer 20GB for $150 (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 05:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We knew it was coming and even Ralph de la Vega himself publicly admitted that it was in the pipeline, but today AT&T has whipped the covers from its new shared data plans. Mobile Share will enable customers to use a single data allocation across all of their devices, with unlimited calls and text. You’re entitled to use up to 10 devices on a single plan, of which at least one must be a smartphone. Users can pick how much data they expect to use each month, paying an additional levy to add the rest of their family’s handsets (or just your own, if you’re Steve Wozniak). Fortunately, tethering is included as part of the plans.

The new plans will roll out in late August and will sit alongside the current individual and family offerings, with the company allowing current customers to make a switch without forcing them into a contract extension. AT&T also noted that those lucky customers that are still on a grandfathered unlimited data plan can stay on those plans, even if they upgrade to a new phone at the subsidized on-contract cost. We’ve got the pricing structure and PR for you for you after the break if you’re sweaty-palmed in anticipation for the launch.

Continue reading AT&T unveils Mobile Share, lets you add 10 devices to a single plan

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

AT&T unveils Mobile Share, lets you add 10 devices to a single plan originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 07:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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