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Verizon HTML-capable phone with $10 data plan

post #1 of 5
1/24/12 at 3:28pm
Thread Starter 
Right now, I have an enV touch, with a $10 25 MB data plan. I've had the phone for a couple years now, and love it. I'm not on the web all of the time, but it's nice to have an HTML capable browser for looking up directions, checking Gmail, or settling a bet.

Unfortunately, the phone no longer keeps a charge and the interior screen isn't working any more. So it's time to upgrade.

Back when I got the phone, Verizon had three tiers: Basic Phones, Multimedia Phones and Smartphones. The enV Touch was in the middle tier.

Now Verizon only lists two tiers, Basic Phones and Smartphones. I neither need nor want to pay for a smartphone with a $30 2 GB data plan. The 25 MB/mo. was plenty for my needs. At the same time, I don't want a basic clamshell phone that does little more than call.

In other words, I want a phone with more or less the same functionality as the enV Touch. I don't care if it's a touchscreen or not, but I'd like to be able to surf the web and view HTML pages. None of the current Verizon phones seem to fit into this niche.
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post #2 of 5
1/25/12 at 4:44am
The older model smartphones, such as the Incredible 2, have really replaced that middle tier from a device standpoint. I'm not sure if Verizon will support your existing 25MB data plan with a smartphone. If you are mostly attached to wi-fi and not 3G, you may be able to stay under that limit, but it will be tight. I am not a heavy user, and attach via wi-fi at home and work. Right now I've used a little over 4MB in 7 days, which would keep me just under 25MB for a month. I have a grandfathered unlimited data plan, so I use wi-fi more for battery life and speed than to save on data usage.
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post #3 of 5
1/25/12 at 5:37am
The advent of smartphones means you're just not going to find that ultra low pricing any more. I used to pay 20 bucks every three months with Virgin Mobile, which worked out to $6.67 a month. Now I pay 30 bucks a month with a smartphone, and I'm happy.
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post #4 of 5
1/25/12 at 8:31am
Another option to possibly reduce your cost is via either an employee or membership discount with a carrier. For example, I get a 22% discount with Verizon through my employer. My total monthly bill, including all taxes, for voice and unlimited data is $56. Before the discount, I was paying $38/month just for voice. Some carriers, such as Sprint, also offer discounts to AAA members. We use that for my wife's phone.
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post #5 of 5
1/26/12 at 8:34pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for all of the info.

I actually had a 19% discount on the current plan, which I was eager to keep. I ended up going with the LG Extravert, which was branded by Verizon as a "prepaid smartphone" but now is also listed under the Basic Phones category in phones available with monthly plans. It doesn't handle HTML rendering inside the phone, but it comes with Opera Mini, so that should be a suitable work around for my needs.

I also changed my data plan; I was grandfathered into a $9.99 25 MB/mo tier with $0.25/MB overage charge. The current lowest data tier is $10 even for a 75 MB plan with overages charged in $10 75 MB increments. It was a no brainer for me, because on an average month I'd use slightly more than 25 MB but far less than 75 MB. No YouTube on the phone for me.
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