Verizon’s plans is getting even more expensive.
Big Red has long had the reputation that it’s by far the most expensive carrier in the country and the changes to its data plans this week will not do anything to dissuade that image. But, the news isn’t all bad! Along with the increased price comes an increase in how much data you get per line. Here’s the breakdown of the new pricing structure from Verizon.
- Small: $35 for 2GB (previously $30 for 1GB)
- Medium: $50 for 4GBÂ (previously $45 for 3GB)
- Large: $70 for 7GBÂ (previously $60 for 6GB)
- XL: $90 for 16BÂ (previously $80 for 12GB)
- XXL: $110 for 24GBÂ (previously $100 for 18GB)
The new rate plans, along with Verizon’s new CarryOver data means that customers should have fewer overages on a month to month basis, but will have to pay a higher base cost first. If you’re routinely going over your data limit, this may actually save you money since those overages can be extremely expensive.
To ensure that you won’t go over, you can add the new “Safety Mode” feature. Free for XL and XXL plan holders and $5 a month for S, M, and L plan holders, Safety Mode will prevent you from soaring past your data allotment. Once you hit your cap you’ll be throttled down to 128Kbps speeds and you won’t pay for any data over your cap.
[graphiq id=”hnP9Fux7M6p” title=”Average Cost Per GB By Carrier” width=”600″ height=”480″ url=”https://w.graphiq.com/w/hnP9Fux7M6p” link=”http://cell-plans.specout.com” link_text=”Average Cost Per GB By Carrier | SpecOut” ]
If Verizon truly wanted to do away with overages, they could go back to an unlimited plan. Some users have been holding onto their unlimited plans for years now choosing to upgrade their phones outside of the standard 2-year agreements or payment plans offered by carriers. These changes won’t mean much to those customers, but it will to a vast majority of customers, who according to Verizon used to use between 1GB and 2GB, that number has now jumped to over 2.5GB.
Within the new My Verizon app that VZW is also rolling out, you’ll be able to freely switch between plans every month. If you’re heading out of town and relying heavily on maps and streaming video you can pop up to the XL or XXL plans and move back down a tier next month. Verizon is trying to make it as convenient as possible for you to control exactly what’s going on with your account.
If you’re wondering what all of this means for your checking account, here’s some quick math we worked up to give you an idea what a family of four might expect to pay Verizon:
- Four access fees at $20 each = $80
- Samsung Galaxy S7 at $28 each = $112
- XL Shared data plan 16GB = $90
- Total (plus taxes and other fees): $282 per month
All things considered, that isn’t horrible for four lines and four brand new phones, especially when you consider Verizon’s supposed coverage dominance. A similar plan from T-Mobile with four lines, four Samsung Galaxy S7’s, 6GB per line (not shareable like Verizon) is $225 plus taxes and fees. AT&T comes out to $327, and Sprint sits at $268. None of these prices include any promotions that the carriers may be currently offering so you may be able to get service cheaper dependant on your situation.
So, are you going to save money? The base amount of your bill may go up, but if you’re up against your data cap every month, these new plans may work out better for you. We don’t ever like to see prices go up- although they always seem to, but at least Verizon is adding in more data too and not just raising prices. How will this affect your bottom line? What do you think about these new plans? Let us know down in the comments.
[graphiq id=”c97EQ2F6ifr” title=”US Cell Carrier Subscribers (in millions)” width=”600″ height=”569″ url=”https://w.graphiq.com/w/c97EQ2F6ifr” link=”http://cell-plans.specout.com” link_text=”US Cell Carrier Subscribers (in millions) | SpecOut” ]
