Verizon's New Plans: Good for Gabby Families and Bad for Data Hungry Singles

Whether Verizon's new data plan is good or bad depends on how many devices you use and how much data you consume as well as how gabby you are.

The good news is that you can now share buckets of data across devices and there are no limits on voice calls and text messages. The bad news is that it's likely to cost more for people with only a single device.

The "Share Everything" plan, which goes into effect on June 28 starts at $50 for 1 GB of shared data and goes up to $100 for 10 GB. But even though you can share data across devices, there is still an extra charge per device as you can see from the chart below. Verizon stopped selling unlimited data plans about a year ago but has been "grandfathering" existing customers but -- after June 28 -- you'll lose that unlimited plan if you buy a new subsidized phone. You could keep the plan by paying a lot more for your phone but the extra hardware cost (possibly $400 or more) probably wouldn't be worth it.

Good for families, but not many individuals

It can be a good deal if you have lots of family members with smart phones or if you have a smart phone and a tablet or two and, of course, it's terrific for that shrinking number of people who talk a lot on their phones. But, as Roger Cheng at CNET blogged, it can be bad for individual users.

Verizon's new "Share Everything" data plan (Source: Verizon Wireless)

Bad for individuals who don't talk a lot

An individual with a single smart phone using 2 GB of data would pay $100 under the new plan and get unlimited voice and text. With the old plan they could get 450 minutes of voice (plenty for many people) and 2 GB of data for $70. Texts would cost them 20 cents each but they could buy 1,000 text messages for $10 or unlimited for $20 which would still come out $10 cheaper than the new plan.

Good for chatty talkers and texters

Heavy talkers who also text and use data would benefit from the new plan. Under the old plan it costs $70 for unlimited voice plus $20 for unlimited texting. Add in the current $30 charge for 2 GB of data and such a heavy talker/texter would no pay $120, making the new plan seem like a bargain.

 

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Comments

[Nathan Onthenet]

11:33 AM on 07/01/2012

I called Verizon 2 days ago to activate my new iPad3. I wanted to add that iPad to my current Family Plan. A rep asked me if I want to join their new plan. He said that it's better for me. I asked him why. He said that I would save $20 if I go with their 6GB data Shared Plan. I asked if that 6GB shared plan is for all 3 devices. He said yes. I told him that my current family plan is under the grand-father unlimited plan. And if I switch to a new "shared plan", I am only limited to a 6GB data spread across all 3 devices. He told me that I don't understand that he is trying to save me money. I told him that I still wish to keep my old grand-father plan and just open a brand new account for a the iPad3 on a month-2-month. He chuckled. I asked him why did he laugh at me. He said that he just thought I'm not making any sense.

[Mister Grumpy]

01:34 PM on 06/15/2012

Amazing you can get these same services in Europe for half the cost. Yet Europe has more regulations. So explain that conservatives.

[bgbytoys]

12:02 PM on 06/15/2012

simple solution. use your phone as a phone. the majority of users do not need the technology, business users fine .

this is akin to people complaining about their $200 cable bill.

simple cut back!

[TXCiclista]

11:01 AM on 06/15/2012

Hoping AT

[Rob Kall]

08:21 AM on 06/15/2012

Pollsters know that singles are far more likely to vote independent or democrat. So it's not surprising that they are the ones who get the best treatment from the corporations that depend on right wing and bluedog support.

[HopeWFaith]

07:58 PM on 06/14/2012

Verizon's management and BOARD have gone the way of the greediest of them all. Its time for competition and reduced rates across all media, phones, internet. Its time Verizon was put back a step for their GREED. Americans are sick to death of the Corporate Board and CEO Greed we've been dealing with.

[SonicUltimate]

05:49 PM on 06/14/2012

Verizon is pulling a "Netflix" on this one.