Verizon's No-Contract Plans Miss the Mark
Verizon Wireless rolled out a couple of new basic pre-paid plans for chatter bugs on a budget, and included in both tiers is unlimited data. The first is a $35 plan that buys you 500 monthly minutes of talk time and unlimited text and data. If you go over the allotted minutes, you're charged 25 cents for each one thereafter. Or you can plan ahead and pony up for the $50/month plan, which offers unlimited minutes too.
Neither of these plans require a service agreement, and at a glance, they seem to be killer responses to T-Mobile's new pricing plans. So, what's the catch? Verizon's new plans only apply to a collection of four feature phones, including the LG Cosmos 2, LG Extravert, Samsung Gusto 2, and Samsung Intensity III. There's nothing to see here for smartphone shoppers.
Image Source: Flickr (dave_mcmt)
This isn't the response to T-Mobile the Verizon faithful were hoping for. Following T-Mobile's recently rollout of simplified pricing plans, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam said he too would be open to eliminating service contracts. These plans, however, miss that mark by a mile, at least when compared with what T-Mobile's doing.
To be fair, Verizon's new plans aren't targeting the same group of users. They're aimed at budget buyers looking for a cheap plan, and as such, Verizon actually compares well against some of the smaller carriers out there. Boost Mobile, for example, offers a $50 plan with unlimited talk, text, and web, though if you pay your bill on time, that rate eventually goes down to $35/month.
Neither of these plans require a service agreement, and at a glance, they seem to be killer responses to T-Mobile's new pricing plans. So, what's the catch? Verizon's new plans only apply to a collection of four feature phones, including the LG Cosmos 2, LG Extravert, Samsung Gusto 2, and Samsung Intensity III. There's nothing to see here for smartphone shoppers.
Image Source: Flickr (dave_mcmt)
This isn't the response to T-Mobile the Verizon faithful were hoping for. Following T-Mobile's recently rollout of simplified pricing plans, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam said he too would be open to eliminating service contracts. These plans, however, miss that mark by a mile, at least when compared with what T-Mobile's doing.
To be fair, Verizon's new plans aren't targeting the same group of users. They're aimed at budget buyers looking for a cheap plan, and as such, Verizon actually compares well against some of the smaller carriers out there. Boost Mobile, for example, offers a $50 plan with unlimited talk, text, and web, though if you pay your bill on time, that rate eventually goes down to $35/month.
