New HTC Feature Phone with Verizon?

[BranHen]

So, AT&T has the Freestyle- it's basically got the looks of an HTC smartphone but it's about 20% smaller.

It can't do all the whiz-bang things a smartphone can do, but it's got the exact same UI and it feels nice.

Verizon recently announced they'll be releasing devices later this year preloaded with the same OS as the Freestyle (Brew).

If Verizon wants to stay competitive in the market of consumers who will not buy data plans/smartphones, one would think that they might be releasing an HTC feature phone comparable to the HTC Freestyle.

I would drop $100+ on a feature phone that looked tasteful and grown-up but didn't require a data plan- I bet there are thousands of others who would do the same.

I hope one of these yet to be released devices is an HTC feature phone or something like the Freestyle.

I hate the thought of walking around the office with the same phone my boss's 15 year old daughter is using...

[SuzyQ]

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BranHen wrote: 

. . . a feature phone that looked tasteful and grown-up but didn't require a data plan- I bet there are thousands of others who would do the same.

And you'll have a thousand different ideas of what "tasteful and grown-up" looks like, BranHen.  Granted, a phone that looks like a smartphone but doesn't function as one and doesn't cost like one would likely be popular.  Will Verizon get it?  Who knows....

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[BranHen]

Whether the Freestyle and other HTC devices are tasteful and grown-up looking isn't really debatable...

Verizon could make a killing off of customers like myself who won't pay for data, but will pay an extra $50-100 right off the top just to get phone that isn't made for tweens/teens...

Right now, those customers are just getting free or low-cost upgrades.

There is value in more than just data- for example, there is value (to customers who don't want data) in having a phone that blends in among the smartphones in the office...  I would pay extra for that- many others would too.

Please Verizon- we're begging you...the money will burn a hole in my pocket the second you offer a device like this...

[maevon129]

It would also be nice if a feature phone like that would have wifi.  The Kin Twom is the only feature phone that has wifi, but it has too many problems for me to want to deal with.  Please, Verizon, listen to your customers.  There a lot of us that would like really good phones with touch screens, no data plan and wifi.

[BranHen]

maevon129 , just curious- would you pay $50-$100 extra right off the top just to get a nicer phone as long as it meant you didn't have to pay for data for the next 2 years?

Let's start a poll- would any of you pay more for a better phone right out of the box if it meant you didn't have to pay for monthly data plans?

I'll start:

I vote YES.

[SuzyQ]

"Better" or "nicer" is soooooo subjective - your criteria seem to be based on looks and everyone has their own idea of what "looks" good or "blends" in with smartphones.

[BranHen]

If you don't like the thread, there are others to click on.

Just being polite.

Thanks.

Now, to everyone else who knows exactly what I mean by 'better'- what's your vote?

Would any of you pay more for a better phone right out of the box if it meant you didn't have to pay for monthly data plans?

[rcschnoor]

No. I see no reason to try to get Verizon to increase the price of their phones.

If Verizon puts out what they consider a better phone at an increased price, it doesn't necessarily mean that you will have the same opinion of the better phone.

[BranHen]

That's fair...although I'm not advocating raising all feature phone prices- just to step up the selection...

Would you consider the Freestyle or a device like it from HTC or another device leader to be 'better'?

I would pay more for a device like that on Verizon's network- I don't think you can really say any current Verizon feature phone competes with HTC's AT&T feature phone offering.

If that was the type of phone that was offered, would you pay more for it than say, the Cosmos, Cosmos Touch, Crux, Octane, etc.?

You might not, but there are enough customers who would find it to be 'better' phone- and those customers would cough up more money to have a nicer phone (to them) and still avoid the data plan charges every month...

Over the course of a 2 year contract, I would save about $600 depending on the initial price of the phone.

Plenty of people would come running for that.

Without an offering like this, Verizon will just have to be ok with my free or near-free upgrade every two years when they could be making an extra $100 off me every 2 years.

If I'm left to choose between making an extra $100 every 2 years, and making nothing extra every 2 years, you can bet I'll choose to make the former...

[budone]

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BranHen wrote:

If you don't like the thread, there are others to click on.

Just being polite.

Thanks.

Now, to everyone else who knows exactly what I mean by 'better'- what's your vote?

Would any of you pay more for a better phone right out of the box if it meant you didn't have to pay for monthly data plans?

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I can answer for 98% of the people who use feature phones. NO THEY WOULD NOT PAY MORE. If they are unable to pay for data, they won't foot more money in for a xmartphone look alike.

They WANT a smartphone WITHOUT a data plan. Please let's not open that can again as it is not going to happen.

Having the KIN1 & 2 with WiFi and no data plan required I was shocked to see.  The KIN's failed initially and this was their way to get rid of them.I highly doubt there will be any more with WiFi and no data plan. It defeats their purpose of data being king and a cash cow.

PS nothing SuzyQ said was disrespective, rude or mean.