Strategies for Unlimited Data Bionic

[felkdogg]

I’ve been holding onto my upgrade and patiently waiting for the Bionic to come out like I’m sure many others have been and was going to be perfectly happy to sign a new 2 year contract and enjoy a true full featured LTE phone for the foreseeable future. But with the tiered data becoming a reality I have been trying to decide the best strategy to afford myself the most cost effective data plan and get the cheapest overall phone price available. So I present the many options that I have come up with and see if anyone else can come up or shed light on things. Options 3 and 4 are in there because of any concerns that switching from Iphone/3G to a 4G may trigger a plan change.

Assumptions:
Currently Month to Month with Unlimited $30 data plan, usage such that 2GB would result in overages therefore the $50 5GB plan would be a minimum, though obviously unlimited is ideal.
Bionic Price w/ 2 year contract will be $250 (from amazon or other, probably $300 from vzw)
Bionic Month2Month price will be $650 from VZW

Option 1(Not unlim): Wait until bionic comes out, sign 2 year contract spend $250 on phone, $50/month on data. Cost over 2 years, 50x24 + 250 = $1450

Option 2: Wait until bionic comes out, buy phone full price and continue Month2Month (also keeps future upgrades available) Cost over 2 years, 30x24 + 650 = $1370

Option 3:Buy a Thunderbolt ($250) now and sign a 2 year now, then sell on ebay (approx. 322 after fees) once bionic comes out and buy for full price. Cost over 2 years, 30x24+250+650-322= $1298

Option 4:Buy a Droid Charge ($300) and sign a 2 year now, then sell on ebay(approx. $392 after fees) Cost over 2 years, 30x24+300+650-392=$1278

Option 5:Similar to option 3&4 but buy a white 16GB Iphone 4 ($200) to sell on ebay for resale value(approx. $462 after fees) Cost over 2 years, 30x24+200+650-462 = $1108

Option 6: Verizon isn’t a dick and allows existing customers to upgrade without changing, Cost over 2 years, 30x24+250=$970

Obviously there are benefits and risks of buying/selling phones on ebay or other avenues and pricing can change, but I assumed used price for the ebay phones so you also get a new phone now and if the bionic gets delayed for even longer then you aren’t sitting around hating your OG droid or whatever you have.

 

[Taco]

Option 7 ... Sprint Nexus S 4G.

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[felkdogg]

Looks like I wont have to play ebay Russian roulette after all.

Current Verizon Customers Won’t Ever Be Affected by Tiered Data, Only New Customers and Lines? - Droid Life: A Droid Community Blog

But some of this information may be still worth while for those who aren't Verizon customers who need to get an unlimited smartphone plan by the 7th and then maneuver to the Bionic.

 

[MrSHFTY]

i called verizon yesterday with the same questions as you. they told me as existing 3G and 4G customers will be grandfathered in. So no rush in buying a 4G phone. Still patiently waiting for the bionic

 

[JerseyFirefighter]

Im actually pretty glad you did that because I was wondering what would have been the cheapest route if we got boned on the unlim data portion. Even though it seems we dodged the bullet, the urge to break something down mathematically was still bugging me.

 

[Loooney2ns]

If I'm not grandfathered in, it may be my breaking point. I have been waiting patiently for the Bionic, but I don't want to give up my unlimited data. Since the Bionic probably won't be out by July 7th, I figured it might be time to switch to T-Mobile or MetroPCS. The other thing I'm interested in is the family data plan. I wonder what that's going to cost. I would like to add 2 more data lines to my plan, but I don't want to pay $90 a month for data.

 

[trailblazen]

the thing is I called yesterday too and the lady I talked to said yea, if you are going from blackberry to blackberry or android to android but I asked about my BB going to the bionic or whatever android and she wasn't sure that would work. I am to the point that I am going in tonight and grabbing a Charge because I do not trust the posted "current customers can keep it" I rather plan for the worst and if it is true I will just upgrade to the next hottest droid in 2 years and keep my unlimited. If it is false I will at least get to keep my unlimited the next 2 years and decide then if i want to go month to month and buy off contract or swap carriers. I just don't trust VZ with this to not jump on a 4G before 7/7/11.

 

[ironick7]

Is a 3G user grandfathered if upgrading to 4G?

 

[MrSHFTY]

Is a 3G user grandfathered if upgrading to 4G?

yes. as long as you have a smartphone with unlimited data plan, you will be grandfathered in

http://www.droidforums.net/forum/dr...-keep-their-unlimited-data-plan-afterall.htmlhttp://www.droidforums.net/forum/dr...-keep-their-unlimited-data-plan-afterall.html

 

[Oxymoron]

Option 7 ... Sprint Nexus S 4G.

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That phone is one of the only reasons I would jump over to Sprint. All beastly and unlocked, dang.... its so sexy.

Too bad Sprint uses wimax instead of LTE. Otherwise, I'd look into buying it and flashing it over to VZW.

Who am I kidding? I'll just stay with VZW. They're marketing is correct, they DO have the best network.

Bionic + LTE = "Yeahyuuuu!" (As Mordecai would say)

*customized tapatalk signature*

 

[BlueSami]

But what if I don't have a 4g plan? How will I be grandfather'd in?

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[Psykho]

There isn't a separate plan for 4g

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[BlueSami]

Ok great.

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[rlb]

Option 5:Similar to option 3&4 but buy a white 16GB Iphone 4 ($200) to sell on ebay for resale value(approx. $462 after fees) Cost over 2 years, 30x24+200+650-462 = $1108

Option 6: Verizon isn’t a dick and allows existing customers to upgrade without changing, Cost over 2 years, 30x24+250=$970

I was going over some scenarios in my head and did not consider #5, but this looks pretty viable.

I'm not banking on #6, I simply have zero trust in the rumors and it's an expensive gamble. Does VZW give you a different data plan for the iphone or do they have just one smartphone plan for all smartphones regardless of OS?

 

[sTl2yk3l2]

So what's everyone saying. I have unlimited 3g right now, its not another year till my upgrade. I'm getting a lte phone for sure. Would I get unlmited 4g data since they are the same? Or will they tier me cause I'm upgrading from 3g to 4g?

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