Verizon Data plan for their phones

[Ken Bayard]

Ok, Im trying to figure out what route I want to take when it comes to picking a phone that I can browse the net and download some wether aps. Ive never owned a "smart phone" so Im clueless as to how much bandwith I will use.

Right now I text about 250-350 times a month... I come no where near using my minutes.

I like the new Droid phone, I guess I need to know if I should get the 1.99 per mb package for $99 (2 lines) or the unlimited package for $120 (2 lines)


I guess Id like to know, how much data do you use per month, and I guess what would you say your internet usage is... did that make sense?


Do the radar aps use a ton of bandwith?

Thanks,

Ken

 

[Skip Talbot]

$1.99 per megabyte? That seems really steep as a megabyte is pretty small. I could easily burn through several hundred megabytes in a month during chase season, but I'm browsing from a laptop with a data card and not through a phone's browser. I would still opt for the unlimited data option as you are going to eat through megabytes fairly fast if this going to be your main data source and you plan on using it on a daily basis.

 

[Matt Hughes]

I just switched my data card for a phone and got a droid which now doubles as my data card. I have used my data card as my main internet source for a year now which means I use it A LOT. However, I usually hover around 2GB of the alloted 5GB per month on the "unlimited" plan. I would also advise the unlimited plan.

 

[Tony Perkins]

Since it's only $20 more on top of $100, go with the "Unlimited". Text messages will not count towards that since they are on a separate text message plan (or $.20 per message if no plan or something).

 

[Ken Bayard]

Matt or someone, can you explain to me how to use the phone for the laptop?

 

[Ben Holcomb]

You should be able to with a little hacking get the phone tethered, or Verizon usually allows you to do it for an extra $15. I've got my HTC touch pro 'modified' so I can tether it to my laptop.

Get the $99 plan. Unlimited data, text, nights and weekends, mobile to mobile and 450 anytime. It's what I have. I don't keep the aircard activated in the winter, so I have to tether. During storm season I activate my air card as well.

 

[D. Hayes]

From what I know from reading howardsforums.com is Verizon's plans for the droid have unlimited data for the phone. It's required when you purchase a droid so regardless of the package you should have unlimited data on the phone.

With that there's an app called PDAnet by June Fabric. It makes the data coming through the phone appear as if the phone is using it. It's really easy to install and run using USB tether or bluetooth tether. I stream video and GRL2/3 data and the connect is great. Not exactly legit but long as you don't abuse the connect you should be fine.

You can also wait on Verizon's tethering program which is suppose to be coming out soon if it's not already out for a monthly charge and a 5GB/Month limit. Bonus there is you're legit.

I should tell you though, I'm a grandfathered Alltel customer still hanging on my original data plan which included true unlimited data for tethering.