Basic phones suck and so do data plans!

[ljclark1]

Verizon is becoming a great big disappointment!     I am eligible for an upgrade, but simply refuse because of several reasons:

A.  the phones they have that are basic are a piece of crap and I would be downgrading in quality from the phone I have now.

B. the smart phones require an additional 30.00 package of data, when you have NO use for the data.  I just want to text, call, use my memory card, take pictures, use my calandar and alarm clock and they want to charge me 30.00 extra a month for that.  I should not be penalized for wanting a better looking phone.   Just because it is a smart phone doesn't mean everyone that is using it is smart!!!!   

C. They block the required data package on some of their other phones, so I know darn well they are capable of blocking the data package on any phone they want to.     It is pretty sad that people have to leave Verizon and go to Straight talk just for a better looking phone.   

So, does Verizon only care about their Data paying customers?   They don't give a crap about all their basic phone users?  well they should because I pay 165.00 monthly for 4 lines....and if I find another carrier that I can get a phone I like without paying for a data package.....good bye VERIZON.    

Verizon has had the same crappy basic phones for over a year and it's time they spiff them up alittle in style....   

[lewisr13]

I see you ave an enV 3, take a look at the Octane, pretty muc h the same.

[tikibar1]

In my opinion, "upgrading" from an env3 to an Octane is not an upgrade since they are basically the same phone.  I also have an env3 and am eligible for an upgrade, but also am hoping for better options in the basic phone selections 'cause right now none of them are as good as my current phone, IMO.  I would consider upgrading to a smartphone, but thought that $30 for unlimited data was expensive, so you can imagine how I feel about that same $30 now only getting me 2 gb.

[rcschnoor]

Verizon is currently running a promotion for a BB with a $10 data plan. Might be worth a look.

[SeaJohn]

I discussed this with a salesman at a VZW store when we were looking for basic phones for our kids last month, and as you say, the choices are very limited. 

He said that the unofficial word is that Verizon is going to be ditching ALL of its basic phones and only offering smartphones at some point in the next few months.  I asked how that would work, since I and I assume many others will not want to pay $30/month for our kids' phones.  He said that Verizon is going to switch to shared data plans - e.g. you pay $50/month and share 5GB among all the lines.

Don't know if it's true or not, but he seemed to think so.

[tikibar1]

Ditching basic phones and moving to just smartphones would be a mistake since not everyone wants or needs a smartphone. If that happens, I'll be buying phones off ebay or moving my four-line family plan elsewhere.

[lewisr13]

The enV3 is available online.

[tikibar1]

Not sure I understand the point of the last poster.  I can't speak for the original poster, but why would I want to 'upgrade' my env3 with a refurbed env3? 

From what I understand, most Verizon customers, at least for now, are still using basic/feature phones, so I really can't imagine those phones 'going away' in the near future, other than to push folks toward smartphones.  I can see family-share data plans to encourage more smartphones on family plans.

However, not everyone wants to upgrade to a smartphone, either due to the price of the data packages or because the features (primarily data) wouldn't be used.  While not happy about it, I've about come to terms with the fact that if I stay with Vzw, since the 'feature phone' category was abolished a year or so ago and now the phone choices are either smartphones or basic phones, that to get any kind of decent phone, I'll either have to upgrade to a smartphone, make do with a really basic phone, or get a used phone off ebay or a refurbed one off Vzw's web site.  In the meantime, I'm hoping my env3 doesn't die anytime soon.

[lewisr13]

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tikibar1 wrote:

Not sure I understand the point of the last poster.  I can't speak for the original poster, but why would I want to 'upgrade' my env3 with a refurbed env3? 

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because if you read the original post he said "I would be downgrading in quality from the phone I have now". I was just letting him know a like new version was available.

[tikibar1]

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lewisr13 wrote:

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tikibar1 wrote:

Not sure I understand the point of the last poster.  I can't speak for the original poster, but why would I want to 'upgrade' my env3 with a refurbed env3? 

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because if you read the original post he said "I would be downgrading in quality from the phone I have now". I was just letting him know a like new version was available.

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I DID read the original post and I totally agree with his/her comments.  Unless his/her env3 died and they wanted to replace it with the same phone, what's the point?  They were talking about 'upgrading' ... in their particular situation, such as mine, there really isn't an upgrade from our env3s, unless we go to a smartphone.  Our choices are either to downgrade to a lower quality phone, upgrade to a smartphone and incur a higher monthly fee due to the data charge, or 'no grade' and go with either an Octane (which is basically the same phone as what the original poster and I have, only in a different color and with curved edges) or the same phone only used/refurbed. 

[jlee7]

my kids all had Samsung Intensity phones. I found these to be very cabable phones. Very good call quality and excellent texters. No complaints about these phones from my kids, and they held up very well for the entire 2 yrs. The Intensity 2's now available are an improved and updated version of the original. A very fine basic phone. As is the LG Octane, which is an updated and improved version of your EnV 3. Add the $10 data package for Basic Phones (basically for email and FB, Twitter, ect) I would think they would be very nice, cabable upgrades. I don't believe your EnV 3 would keep up with either of these phones when used in the manner described. Though I do believe the EnV 3 to be a very nice device. Just my two cents from someone with some knowledge of the basic phones and plans available over the past two years.

[Bernie157]

I disagree with the original poster, at least his point A that all basic phones are a bunch of crap, and that he believes he wants a smart phone but doesn't want to use any of the data plan functions..

My wife and I both have LG Octanes with the $10, 75 MB data plans, and love them.  I don't call this a Basic Phone nor a Smart Phone.  Rather I call this combination a Clever Phone.  We heavily use email, Facebook, Bing, and VZ Navigator among the functions that the data plan provides. 

I also still heavily use the basic phone features calendar, alarm clock, have well over 200 contact entries (i.e. it is my Rolodex) and use Backup Assistant and Speed Dial.

I only switched from my old trusty 2004-vintage LG VX6100 because I got jealous of my wife's Octane/data plan combo and just had to get that for myself this past July.

Bernie

[goofy173]

Well, I just have to say to ones that don't like it, change service. I put all my info in at lowermybills.com and it showed that Verizon and AT&T had basically the best price for me, which is a family plan with the lowest minutes, at least 500 texts on my phone, and no data plan. I chose Verizon over AT&T because I get a 19% where I work with Verizon. That gets me the 3rd line nearly for free.

I don't care for their selection either, but it beats the others for me. I tried a KIN2 barely smartphone that doesn't require a data plan, but after 3 months of using it, I can't stand stand it, so I went back to a standard flip phone.