In a press release today, Verizon Wireless has announced the availability of annual combined messaging and data inclusive plans that do not require the addition of a voice plan.
Previously, if a potential customer wanted to purchase a device primarily for messaging without the need for voice services the customer would have had to compromise by purchasing the cheapest voice plan and adding the desired messaging services, which would inflate the cost of service.
The new Nationwide Messaging plans were created to fill the growing demand for this type of service, and can be compared to similar options offered primarily in European countries where messaging and data are bundled separately from voice service and often much cheaper. The plans are also being primarily targeted to deaf and hard of hearing individuals who have no need for voice services and are dependent on messaging devices to communicate.
The plans are split according to device type and require a one or two year agreement, with standard phones starting at $34.99 per month for unlimited text, MMS, and instant messaging with data usage included. The per minute rate for voice services is $0.40 cents.
The next plan up is meant for smart devices and BlackBerry devices and begins at $54.99 per month with all of the aforementioned features included, with the exception of a much lower per minute rate of $0.25 cents and the capability to add Mobile Email access for an additional $5 a month on all non-BlackBerry smart devices and the following phones: LG VX8300, VX8350, VX8700, VX9400, Chocolate, Venus, enV, and Voyager; MOTOKRZR K1m, MOTORAZR V3c, MOTORAZR V3m, and MOTORIZR Z6tv; Samsung Alias (SCH-u740), Samsung SCH-u900, and SCH-u620, as well as the FlipShot by Samsung and the Gleam.
International text messages will still be charged at the $0.25 cent rate, while other forms of international messaging will be charged at their respective rates.
loving t-mobile’s data options!
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While that is a good price for a formal service offering, it’s still not as good as Sprint’s SERO. Sprint SERO does everything Verizon wants, for $30/month, and they add in 500 airtime minutes on top of that, plus unlimited N&W and M2M.
You have a point, but consider that this is the first time a US carrier has unbundled messaging and data from voice service on an annual contract, and such behavior is unheard of here.
You would be surprised how many people would jump on smart devices if they were offered the option to go on a data/messaging plan without needing to add voice service.
This is commonly done in Europe and Asia to draw in first time smart device users, and is the driving factor behind Symbian’s popularity.
SERO may be great if you can get it, especially with recent restrictions, but it would still need to be offered on a nationwide scale in order to cut into the mindshare and interest this offering creates.
I’ve no need for an additional voice line as I use MetroPCS locally, but I would like to have a smart device for data and messaging services, preferrably from Sprint due to their superior data services, but Verizon really convinced me, a noted Verizon detractor to take a second look.
Sprint does not have an equivalent offering to compete with Verizon currently, and with their recent push towards messaging and multimedia oriented devices, it would serve them well to one up Verizon, especially for someone like myself that would prefer messaging and data service without voice on an annual contract that didn’t require the purchase of specific device like the BlackBerry.
I rarely used 10 minutes out of the 3000 minutes in my old plan, but I was a massive user of data and messaging services.
If Sprint would offer a variant of Power Vision with unlimited messaging for $35 across all devices without voice service being a requirement instead of Verizon’s device discrimination on an annual agreement, they will surely have everyone’s attention and in the end, that’s what it’s all about in this industry.
If they went a step further and didn’t require a contract for $45, that would cause true disruption.
Yes, but GoPhone technically allows you to cash out your Pick Your Plan airtime rollover when it hits $250. Taking that into account, you really only have to pay $19.99/month for unlimited GoPhone data. While there is about a $45 fee to do so, it’s still much cheaper than $35/month.
And, with GoPhone, you get 1000 N&W and M2M for free… since the 39.99/month gets cashed out when it hits $250…
Granted, if you want just a worry-free, data-only account, this is good news. But, in terms of price, I think we need a price war before it becomes attractive to savvy users out there.
After reading about your experiences on GoPhone with your iPhone and dealing with them myself before giving up entirely on activating my new SIM, I really hope Sprint read my comment and decides to counter Verizon’s offer.
AT&T has a good thing in GoPhone, but again this is about missed opprtunites and mindshare.
If AT&T all of a sudden offered a hybrid monthly or even prepaid GoPhone combined data/messaging plan, they would grab the headlines and score attention. The ball is now in the court of the other carriers if they want to start a price war since Verizon just set the baseline.
Well, you do have to divide “my experiences” between those on Pick Your Plan and those on PAYG. Remember, PAYG is completely unsupported and requires a bunch of hacks.
While GoPhone PYP is treated as a second-class citizen by Apple, it works and when it breaks… it is ultimately fixed every time.
AT&T has been tinkering around with a counter-plan to this. They gave Ogo users who could prove that they were hearing impaired a similar deal… at $24.99/month, with 1,000 SMS included. So, like I said, a price war is needed, getting the plan out the door from one of the Big 4 simply has been long overdue.
Perhaps I am looking a gift horse in the mouth, but with GoPhone and SERO (both of which I use daily), this isn’t something that really interests me other than for competitive-ness.
Since Sprint wouldn’t let me move to SERO or Advantage, and given AT&T’s poor record of service in the D/FW area, I do see how you can disregard this easily save for the sake of consumer choice and competitive advantage.
In my case however, I never expected an American carrier to step up and offer such a service plan, since it was long thought that they would never do it due to the interest in selling bundled services which are proven to be either very profitable (Verizon) or very risky (Sprint/Helio).