Data Plan Required.. The Answer is YES

[Varking]

I have a Blackberry Storm and I am part of a "Family Plan" under my fathers name. When we called the rep today and told them what our plan was, and that I already pay 29.99 extra a month for my phone due to requiring the data plan, he told us that to upgrade to the droid I don't have to pay any extra voice or data plans. He meant that I would end up just continuing to share minutes as part of our "voice" plan, but that I would continue to pay 29.99 extra and nothing more.

Previously I had been worried that I would have to pay for a 39.99 voice plan, plus the 29.99 data plan, meaning I would be paying 70 a month extra. That was apparently not the case. Only thing that sucks now is that I have to wait until Christmas to actually get the phone and until then I have to stick it out with the Storm.

 

[Markee]

My Verizon Motorola Droid shows up tomorrow. Have been on the Motorola website and the verizon website but I don't see any Media docking stations available for order... Where would be the best place to get the docking station? Where can I see the details. Thanks.

 

[numerouno]

I am thinking about getting the droid but I am the add a line on our plan which means my phone costs 10 dollars a month. What would be the cost if I were to switch to unlimited text and data?

 

[skuzz]

One of my friends a few months ago got Verizon to activate a BlackBerry on his account without a data package after hassling with them for a while.

He only wanted it for a nice QWERTY keyboarded phone with a loud speakerphone, he didn't want Internet.

Only problem is, the reason they started requiring data plans on the 'berry is things go to hell in a handbasket on BlackBerry devices after a month or so.

The engineers that worked on his account when problems started developing said certain features "fall off" when the account is assembled the way he had it set up.

First SMS/voicemail alerts stopped working, then CallerID, it was a mess.

Of course this probably wouldn't happen with Droid as it doesn't depend on backend BIS-like servers and sick hacks to make it work right on CDMA but on the plus side having to shell out the cash means it is always available.

Although I agree, I would prefer to disable my data plan and may go back to a feature phone soon.

 

[Backnblack]

$44.99 if you need the exchange server.

Incorrect.

$29 plan allows connection to exchange servers.

 

[FoFa]

Verizon required a data plan when I got my last Smartphone 2 years ago.
Back then the data plan was $50 a moth (give or take some change). I ended up going to the web site under my account and removing the data plan. Then it went to a per MB price, but I was not using the data plan anyway, so it didn't bother me.
Now with the Droid, it is an entirely different story. I am using the heck out of the data plan.

I do not know if you can still disable the data plan (since I am not going to), but that was the only way to do it 2 years ago.

 

[New2u]

Verizon required a data plan when I got my last Smartphone 2 years ago.
Back then the data plan was $50 a moth (give or take some change). I ended up going to the web site under my account and removing the data plan. Then it went to a per MB price, but I was not using the data plan anyway, so it didn't bother me.
Now with the Droid, it is an entirely different story. I am using the heck out of the data plan.

I do not know if you can still disable the data plan (since I am not going to), but that was the only way to do it 2 years ago.

You are not allowed to remove the data plan anymore.

 

[JerryRecords]

OK, I own three lines, 1st and 2nd both have premium data plans, and a 3rd, $9.99 line.

I pay around $162 with a 17% corporate discount.

owner of the 1st and 2nd lines splt the entire bill, so we pay aounrd $81, add $30 to mine, it would be 111. this is a little too much, they should give me a discount like they did when we got the family share plan the first time. Since im on the primary line, purchasing the droid will knock me down as the third line for some reason. what gives?

 

[Backnblack]

owner of the 1st and 2nd lines splt the entire bill, so we pay aounrd $81, add $30 to mine, it would be 111. this is a little too much, they should give me a discount like they did when we got the family share plan the first time.

Why?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

[i91crxsi]

I work for Verizon Wireless as a independent contractor.

Our system automatically puts smartphones underneath the $29.99 data package. The reason for this is that these phones are utterly useless if they do not have the internet on them.

Blackberry's for instant. Why would you want that phone for just texting and making calls? It can do so many more things! Their are so many other phones that are way better for talking and texting on (i.e. LG Env3, Samsung Intensity, Nokia Twist and so on). Blackberry's are known for their awesome abilities with email due to their outstanding push notifications.

I have a Apple iPhone 3g that is now deactivated (AT&T's network is a joke). I still carry the iPhone with me due to the fact that I just use it as a ipod touch. Over 90% of the phone is utterly useless without having data on it. So many applications are based on having a live internet connection to work. So whenever I'm nowhere near a wifi hotspot, the phone becomes pretty much an expensive paper weight.

Now the droid is the same way, I had to wait 4 days before it could be switched onto my demo plan. I still carried the phone around to play on it, but once again, I got bored really quick with it.

I constantly have customers coming in and wanting to get smart phones without a data package and they are irate that Verizon automatically charges when you switch to a smartphone. It just gets real frustrating because these phones were designed to be a.... drumroll please.... smartphone!

I just think most people want to get these phones just to have the "image" drives me crazy lol.

What is you guys opinion on this?

oh and also, happy thanksgiving!

 

[skuzz]

Still a matter of opinion. Some don't want those data features and just want voice text and music with a nice ui and better hardware than verizon's abysmal feature phone selection with a broken UI.

Verizon just likes forced profit. As do all carriers.

 

[Inundated]

Well, VZW wants to make more profit. Duh!

But...the other guy's right. This is a smartphone. It is infinitely more usable with full-time, everywhere data than it is if you only have data with WiFi around. Period.

If you're trying to use this as a "cool feature phone" without full-time data, you're trying to kill a fly with an elephant gun.

 

[Backnblack]

Still a matter of opinion. Some don't want those data features and just want voice text and music with a nice ui and better hardware than verizon's abysmal feature phone selection with a broken UI.

Verizon just likes forced profit. As do all carriers.

And you have the freedom to choose another carrier....

 

[LordKastle]

2 years ago Verizon did not require a data plan.

I purchased someone an i760 phone in May of 2008. I did not add on a data plan because it was not for me. They allowed me to do so. They tried to push it on me, but it was not required.

I do have a question though..since the phone was entered in to contract on their phone by simply entering the MEID number at the time no data plan was added. Verizon then could not at a later date, say 6 months later, add on a data plan without notice right??? Because the contract was agreed upon without the data plan.

This obviously could not happen currently because every smartphone activated on a Verizon line automatically gets a data plan.

 

[Bones DO]

I have two i760's on my family plan and neither have data. I activated the 2nd one not 5 months ago. There is WiFi EVERYWHERE where I live / work thorugh optimum online ... There's really no way to get a droid activated without the $30 / month data plan?

Seems to me that they're doing themselves a disservice if they can hand out $1600 bills to careless users ... I simply make sure the phone itself is off while using the internet and boom free data for all (at least where I live). The i760 does default to verizon's wireless data (as most phones probably do) if both wifi and the phone port are on though... I was hoping to do the same thing with a droid... not possible?