Question for upgrading to Droid for the first time.

[kelos]

I know I'm a little behind the times here, but I currently have the Alias 2 and I was able to upgrade back in Feb. I chose not to upgrade because like many of you here, I was waiting for the Bionic to release. Now it looks like the release date is sometime this summer. Great! But as I surf the forum here, I read about the tiered data plans coming into effect in the next month or so. I also read that date for getting grandfathered in on the unlimited plan is July 7th. Not sure how much data I will be using as I never had a Droid but I do know that I will be using it quite a bit. Don't think I'll be watching movies on it or anything, but with my work schedule of working overnights, watching movies might come in handy! Long story short, I plan on using it alot more than calling and texting! So my question is, how much data does the avg. user use? Should I be trying to upgrade my phone before July 7th to get grandfathered in? If so, what course of action would you take? I've waited all this time for the Bionic, so ultimately I want that. Looking for whatever advice you guys may have.

 

[Droid Firefighter]

Upgrade your plan to unlimited data now. Buy a Droid off eBay and use it until the phone you want comes out. Because you aren't using your upgrade you should still be able to use it later.

Sent from my ADR6350 using DroidForums

 

[cupfulloflol]

Most people use under 2GB, from what I have read at least. With wifi available and faster than 3G in quite a few places, a lot of people manage to stay well below 2GB. People that don't have access to wifi, and are heavy users tend to be the ones that drag in a lot of data. Maybe once LTE becomes more mainstream more people will use more data.

Should you upgrade before July 7th? Well it really all depends on how you plan on using your device. How often will you be around wifi? Data Calculator <-- rough idea of how much data gets used. Also you need to take into consideration app downloads and upgrades as well. Most are quite small (sub 5MB range), but when some update multiple times a week it can add up over time. I probably rack up over 100MB in apps a month, fairly easy.

Personally I recommend everyone get on it if they have a chance. Unlimited data will, if nothing else, allow you to not stress over how much data you will be using. I have gone over 2GB in the past, but most of the time I don't. I am going to try and keep my unlimited for as long as possible, if for no other reason, but peace of mind.

You could buy a cheap phone now, either used or new and get in on an unlimited plan. Then in a few weeks (or months hehe) when the Bionic decides to exist, you can sell your current device and get the Bionic. One of them you will have to buy at full price, unless you buy a used one. But time is kinda an issue here so unless you buy something local (like CraigsList) you may be pressed for time.

 

[takeshi]

So my question is, how much data does the avg. user use?

How much you use is what matters. To determine how much you use you need to monitor your usage. Everyone assumes they're average whether they are or not. Don't make that mistaken assumption. Usage varies quite a bit from person to person.

 

[Al Neri]

It sounds like we are similar in use. I don't bother turning on WIFI at home (just found out what that did) and I use well under 2gb. I too am waiting on the Bionic. I think my usage will go up then but I am on unlimited.

 

[kelos]

Thanks for the info guys. Gonna see what I can do about getting a cheaper older droid somewhere and using that to hold me over till Bionic comes out. Anyone have any suggestions for an older droid that wont break the bank?

 

[Jungle King 76]

I am a little confused why people think you need to figure out how much data you use. There is no comparison. The tiered plan will be $30 for 2gb and the unlimited plan is $29.95. So unlimited is cheaper than any kennel on tier.

Sent from my DROIDX using DroidForums

 

[MattHenson20]

I am a little confused why people think you need to figure out how much data you use. There is no comparison. The tiered plan will be $30 for 2gb and the unlimited plan is $29.95. So unlimited is cheaper than any kennel on tier.

Sent from my DROIDX using DroidForums

+1

He's right, save yourself 5 pennies a month and go ahead and get on the unlimited ship

 

[MattHenson20]

Thanks for the info guys. Gonna see what I can do about getting a cheaper older droid somewhere and using that to hold me over till Bionic comes out. Anyone have any suggestions for an older droid that wont break the bank?

You could probably find a Droid X or Droid 2 for less than 200, depends on if you want a keyboard or prefer a touchscreen, Craigslist has both for around 150-175, dpepending on where you live

 

[kelos]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the info.

 

[nateohio]

That and if there is even a slight chance that you'll be streaming music or watching movies on netflix, you want to be on unlimited. Both of those can suck up quite a bit of bandwith.

Sent from my DROID X2

 

[tcrews]

Swappa (Android) Devices for Verizon

Biggest issue is you are down to the wire to get in on the unlimited. It's Thursday, depending on how quickly the seller is to shipping (and what method) it may be too late by the time the package arrives (weekend and then Monday being a holiday) and needing to have it in hand and activated no later than Wednesday.

Local used would be your best bet....or just bite the bullet and upgrade to the best phone available now and not worry about an unreleased phone yet.