New Basic phones for Verizon in 2013

[mjl53]

Will Verizon Wireless add any new basic phones for some time in early January to Feburary of 2013? If so, which new basic phones without the data plans will be released?  Is the Samsung Reality phone require a data plan?

[#2]

As far as new basic phones for Verizon I wouldn't count on many if ANY. The number of basic phones keeps going down. The number is now 9. I suspect that number to be 5 or 6 by this time next year as they are becoming pointless.

[tikibar1]

No, the Reality does not require a data plan.  It fell in a previous category of phones called Multimedia phones that at one time did require data plans, but no longer.

No basic phones require data plans, that's why they are called basic phones.

Verizon doesn't release as many new basic phones as they once did, but a new one does pop up on the web site every now and then.

[#4]

For the record of the 9 phones Verizon has for sale on it's site only 3 were released in 2012. All 3 were by Samsung. So that should tell you what to expect in 2013.

[tikibar1]

Yep, the number of basic phones keeps decreasing.  However, there are currently 11 basic phones on Verizon's site, although two are the same phone (Ravine 2), one with a camera and one without.

I hope the basic phones don't go away anytime soon since there are people who don't want/need a data plan and don't want to go pre-paid ... guess time will tell.

[#6]

tikibar1 wrote:

Yep, the number of basic phones keeps decreasing.  However, there are currently 11 basic phones on Verizon's site, although two are the same phone (Ravine 2), one with a camera and one without.

I hope the basic phones don't go away anytime soon since there are people who don't want/need a data plan and don't want to go pre-paid ... guess time will tell.

Not to quibble but it's 9. 4 Samsung 3 LG and 2 Pantech. The Ravine 2 isn't even offered anymore.

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller?item=phoneFirst&action=viewPhoneOverviewByDevice...

As more and more people go to Share Everything the reason behind getting a basic phone so you don;t have to get a data plan become moot.

[tikibar1]

Yep, not to quibble, but you apparently didn't click the Show All button:

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller?item=phoneFirst&action=viewPhoneOverviewByDevice...

There's 4 Samsung, 3 LG, 2 Pantech, and the two Ravine 2's.

And yes, there's the argument about moving to Share Everything; however, there are a lot of folks like myself who have no intention of moving to Share Everything.  If it eventually becomes the only option, I'll deal with that at that time.

[#8]

tikibar1 wrote:

Yep, not to quibble, but you apparently didn't click the Show All button:

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller?item=phoneFirst&action=viewPhoneOverviewByDevice...

There's 4 Samsung, 3 LG, 2 Pantech, and the two Ravine 2's.

And yes, there's the argument about moving to Share Everything; however, there are a lot of folks like myself who have no intention of moving to Share Everything.  If it eventually becomes the only option, I'll deal with that at that time.

Your link only shows a Samsung Intensity® III In fact it says

1 Basic Phone Found

Oh I'm not moving to Share Everything either but new customers don't have a choice. And many current customers are moving on their own. Verizon already stated in their 3rd quarter report that 13% of all customers are on Share Everything. That means about 80% of Share Everything customers are current customers not new ones.

[tikibar1]

How odd; I've clicked on the link three times, and it always takes me to the list of basic phones.  And if I click Show All to the left, I get the full list, which includes those two Ravine 2's. 

Yes, I know new customers don't have a choice but to take Share Everything.  But I wonder how many current customers are truly moving to it on their own, and how many are being moved when they upgrade/make changes to their account because they don't think they have a choice?  Several posts/threads along those lines on this forum.

[pbarbella]

The craziest part is that they now offer the iPhone 4 for FREE, while the basic phones are still upwards of 80 bucks.