, I just wanted this argument to be over! P.S. @ Fitz: wow, I most certainly did... wasn't aware my headache was that bad last night 
I'm a long time verizon customer; I like the service (no dropped calls), but hate the business. For months now, Verizon has been advertising 4G, available in December of '10. It's now mid January '11 and I've got just one question: WHERE ARE THE 4G PHONES??? Not a single one available. Nothing. But now you can get the IPhone4 (another 3G phone) on Verizon... BIG DEAL. As usual, Verizon is late to their own party, offering a new service, but no way to take advantage of it. The only reason I can figure for the lack of new phones is that they have to figure out how to cripple the devices so that they can nickel and dime us for every second of operation by requiring their app's/services. I'm eligible for upgrade, but as there is nothing available to upgrade to, I am looking at other carriers.
Yet Sprint has released another 4G phone and from HTC, the EVO 4G Shift that has a slide QWERTY board....and...the 4G has a $10 premium plan above the inluded 3G unlimited data....This is what I am hitting at....we as Verizon customers should start voicing our concerns to them...I love the service and have 5 lines and 3 will eligible for upgrades, but I want the latest phone and a plan that is compatible with the competition....I hope Verizon has a new plan for us customers coming soon as well....I am not enthused with the iphone or other 3G phones with the exception of the unofficial showing of the Casio C771, a 3G Android phone that could include PTT (push to talk)...I have a brigade and love the PTT but the data part of this phone is stuck in the stoneages...I saw the live blogging of the Iphone announcement and it looks as if a plan premium or an unlimited combo plan could be introduced. I also found out that VZW is currently promoting such a deal with 450 minutes+unlimited text+unlimited data for $70 per month and it is available with a family plan. The catch? You have to have an invitation. I called about it and could not get the promotion because I didn't get the email invite.....so I hope we customers are going to get some plans with lower prices...
sage419 wrote:I'm a long time verizon customer; I like the service (no dropped calls), but hate the business. For months now, Verizon has been advertising 4G, available in December of '10. It's now mid January '11 and I've got just one question: WHERE ARE THE 4G PHONES??? Not a single one available. Nothing. But now you can get the IPhone4 (another 3G phone) on Verizon... BIG DEAL. As usual, Verizon is late to their own party, offering a new service, but no way to take advantage of it. The only reason I can figure for the lack of new phones is that they have to figure out how to cripple the devices so that they can nickel and dime us for every second of operation by requiring their app'ss/services. I'm eligible for upgrade, but as there is nothing available to upgrade to, I am looking at other carriers.
Why all the hate? I hope you are looking, as you should always be. You should be using whatever whats works best for you; you will have less stress. Are you in an area where any carriers' 4g service is available? It is not available everywhere as I'm sure you know, not even with Verizon. Are you doing your homework to learn more about it if you want to use it? Are you familiar with the new 4g phones coming soon? Check the coverage maps first for all the carriers so you can see what's best and go from there. Perhaps you can find something that is right for you and you will be happy with that.
This might be a dumb question but I've seen people saying 50 dollars for 5g and 80 dollars for 10gi believe? Is this what the price is for the usb modems or is this what everyone thinks will be the price for phones that are 4g compatible? Because right now im paying the 30 dollars a month for unlimited 3g on my droid and theres no way im paying an extra 20 dollars just to browse the internet faster. I really hope if thats the case then i can get a phone thats 4g lte compatible and still keep my 3g plan.
The external USB modem is the one that is$50 for 5G and $80 for 10G and the $30 unlimited is using the droid cellphone (or any cell phone that can access the internet). Also, with the new 4G phones around the corner, prices and plans could very well change and hopefully comparable with the likes of the competitors.
Man o Man. I can't wait until I get to a stopping point on the road to respond fully to all this mis information.
Ok, allow me to express my knowledge of what's happening at Verizon and the reasoning behind some of this. This is information that I have gathered from looking at Podcast's and doing alot oif reading from pretty credible sources.
This is towards alot of the posters who either have questions or are mad about why V [Verizon] does or is doing things the way they are. This is not meant to say your an idiot, etc. I am simply trying to educate some around here.
First off, V's network works off what is called CDMA, it's a type of network. At&t uses GSM, Sprint uses WIMAX. They are all different from each other. Think of MAC OS and Windows OS, they are 2 totally different systems.
V has been deploying an upgraded system from there 3G network, aka CDMA. It is called LTE. No other company uses this technology. V went with it because it penetrates buildings better, has much less latency, and ca handle more bandwidth tha there current 3G network. They are saying by 2013 the peopleor areas that are currently getting 3G will be all switched over to 4G.
They put out this new system and the manufactures have to make new products that will work with the LTE network. The USB modems were the 1st to get out the gate. As a side note, the CES show is Las Vegas has alot to do with the timing of some of this stuff. It's like the Super Bowl for the electronic manufactures to showcase there new stuff.
The iPhone under AT&T works withy the Qualcomm GSM chip in it. Qualcom had to develop a new chip for the phone that works with LTE. They developed the chip, and V has been having the iPhone reconfigured to use the new chip. All this technology takes time. All the parties involved have to test and retest all this stuff to make sure it works. Yes, there are bugs that have to get worked out. Just like a new model car, the 1st ytear usually has the most bugs, recalls, service campaigns, etc.
All the Android based phones that V sells have to get developed with the new LTE chip as well. This is being completed as we speak. Samsung, HTC, LG, etc are all making and testing the phones. Then V hgets the phones and they have to test them themselves. This all takes time.
The new iPhone will be shipped using the 3G CDMA technology. The big question that alot of people want to know is when the LTE 4G model is coming out. Is it going to be when the new iPhone 5 comes out in 3 to 5 months? Or is V going to skip the 5 and wait till the 6 comes out? Million dollar question. Here is a scenario to consider. Let's say you gout on the 10th and get a new iPhone that works with CDMA. Then 3 months later V comes out with a new one because Apple releases the new iPhone 5. Except the new V iPhone still works under the 3G network only. Would you be ticked? I would be. That is where V is in a tough spot. They want to get these phones out asap because we allwant them, per say. If they were to wait the everyone would be up in arms wondering what the hold up is. How can V win? They can't, they just have to do what they feel is best and also consider the reinvestment of the billions of money they have put into the new LTE technology. Towers, stations, etc.
One of my cell phones with Verizon actually expires today. It is my phone that I use the most. It is a Motorola Brigade that I can't stand. What should I do? I really like the iPod, iPad etc and am thinking about the new iPhone with V of course. But, I really don't need a smart phone because I have a laptop right next to me in my vehicle dock replicator all day long running the V 4G network with a Pantech USB modem. I have no idea what to do.
I was very upset when I found out that my computers embedded GOBI card would not handle the LTE network. Here I havea year old Panasonic Toughbook that costs about 5K and the embedded card is holding me back in regards to technology. That is how fast technology changes. I have been talking to Qualcomm abvout when they are coming out with a new GOBI card that will work with LTE. Hopefully soon they are telling me.
Veriazon is saying that they are changing the data plans soon. Let's all hope they are beneficial to us. Remember though, they are a business, and a business's main goal is too make money.
Also, I found out last week that the new Verizon iPhone will have to have all new cases and such. They had to redesign some of the buttons in order to get the new chiup in there and also to make it wireless up to 5 devices. Also, the antenna problem will no longer be an issue.
I hope this helps clear some things up. I may be incorrect about certian things, but I think this is pretty close to the truth.
Start a new topic or ask questions in the open forum.
