Cell phone data plan comparison: AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon and more

Oct 28th 2010 at 11:00AM

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Cell phone data plans are hard to escape these days as hundreds of thousands of Google Android phones and Apple iPhones are activated every day. These smartphones bring access to the Web, streaming music, videos and apps -- all of which require a data connection to work. Most carriers now require a data package of some kind to be sold alongside these phones.
Over the past year carriers have rolled out many plan changes, switching from a one-size-fits all expensive unlimited data plan to cheaper, tiered-data plans. This choice is a double-edged sword. Many consumers would benefit from a smaller data plan and the carriers are competing on the cost of such plans, but also banking on the confusion of consumers to understand just how much data they need. Also, bundling data with minutes and other features makes comparison shopping troublesome.
On the heels of Verizon's new lower data plans, we've dug into the nitty gritty of cell phone data to find the plan pricing at the four major carriers: AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon, as well as the plans available from several pre-paid carriers like Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile.
The following chart compares the cost of just the data plans for the four major carriers. If the data plan price cannot be removed from a package of minutes, as is the case with Sprint smart phones, a price is not listed. The next chart will help you compare the cost of data plans and minutes.
Data Plan Pricing for Major Carriers (as of October 28, 2010):

Feature Phone/smart phonesmart phone only$15/Mo unlimited (no smartphones)
Because many carriers bundle the data plan with minutes, making a data plan-to-data plan comparison difficult, we've compiled the following chart that compares the price of minutes, data and sometimes texting to help you figure out which carrier would be the best deal for you. While the differences may seem minor by month, the annual cost can vary hundreds of dollars between each plan.
Data Plan Price Comparison with Minutes and Texting for smart phones (as of October 28 2010)
Carrier/Plan300-500 Minutes Cheapest Data300-500 Minutes and 2GB to Unlimited Data500 to 1200 minutes and 2GB to Unlimited DataUnlimited Minutes, Texting and 2GB to Unlimited Data
Bolded: Prices include unlimited texting
With the new tiered-data plans, many users who don't plan to watch streaming movies or listen to services like Pandora can survive on the lower-end plans. If you are a streaming media junkie who isn't around a reliable WiFi connection, you will often want to go for the higher-end or unlimited data plans.
The good news is that the data plans can be switched easily on most carriers allowing you to pick one and evaluate your usage after a month or two. the other good news is that going over the limit is generally more affordable now, though you'll want to check with your carrier instead of assuming it has a heart.
If you want to further compare plans and coverage, we suggest you check out BillShrink's free cell phone price comparison tool, which can even analyze your current usage to help you find the best plan for your needs and location.
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Is a prepaid smartphone a good deal?

Oct 28th 2010 at 2:20PM

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Buying a cell phone plan shouldn't be like doing calculus, no matter how simple my fellow WalletPop writer Josh Smith makes it in his handy charts comparing cell phone data plans. As his analysis points out, if you're looking for an Android-powered smartphone with unlimited data, Virgin Mobile has the best deals. I bought the Android-powered Samsung Intercept through Virgin a week ago, and now I can't imagine how I lived without it for so long.
The upfront cost of $250 is a lot, but once you do the math, it's apparent that it's a good deal. The phone essentially pays for itself in nine months when you factor in the minimum $30 monthly savings that other companies charge for unlimited data use.
Virgin Mobile's Beyond Talk plan offers unlimited data and Internet, text and e-mail starting at $25 a month, as Smith pointed out a few weeks ago on WalletPop. The $25 includes 300 anytime minutes to talk. Other plans are $40 for 1,200 minutes and $60 for unlimited minutes.
I bought the $40 plan this month, but next month I may switch to the $25 plan if I'm not using the phone to call as much as I thought I would. As someone who doesn't like being surprised by a monthly phone bill with taxes and fees added on, I've had a prepaid phone for a few years. Upgrading to a smartphone, however, has so far allowed me to be more productive when I'm away from my computer.

For example, my computer broke this week, so while it was in the shop I was still able to call and e-mail sources for freelance stories I'm working on. Even when I get my computer back, I'll use the Intercept often for e-mail when I'm away from the computer -- which is often during the afternoon when my daughter gets out of school. I can still do some work -- such as e-mailing to set up interview appointments -- without having to get to a computer.
Most smartphones are subsidized by the carrier, which is why the Intercept costs $250 upfront. That was a steep fee, but worth it in the long run, along with not having to pay any early cancellation fees and being on a month-to-month contract.
As for the phone, it has a lot to offer: a 3G network, takes photos and video, connects to Wi-Fi, can download and run Android apps, has a physical keyboard, expandable memory and a free app from Google Maps that gives voice turn-by-turn directions. I used the directions feature the other night and had no problem finding an address.
A downside so far is that the battery drains fast, which may be my fault for having too many apps loaded and alerts running. Using the phone for about four hours drains the battery enough that it needs to be recharged, and if it's not plugged in overnight it can lose a charge within a few hours the next morning after a few calls. I may soon be buying a car charger.
Also, to find out how many calling minutes I have left, I have to go to Virgin Mobile's website and log in. This is easy enough to do from a computer, but getting there from the smartphone is a hassle. I'd prefer seeing the used minutes listed somewhere on the phone, although that function may be hidden somewhere and I just haven't found it yet.
At least I'm not looking at paying $30 a month for a data plan.
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Virgin Mobile's Prepaid Broadband: So Popular It's Raising Prices

Feb 15th 2011 at 1:20PM

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Unlimited no longer means no limits at Virgin Mobile USA. The company announced today that due to the popularity of its Broadband2Go wireless Internet plan for its 3G MiFi hot spots and wireless modems, it's increasing the monthly fee and restricting speeds.
The $40 unlimited data plan was "overwhelmingly popular," according to the company's press release, and is being increased by $10. Citing an overloaded Internet, Virgin Mobile scaled back the plan to 5GB of data in February, but today cut that to 2.5GB a month. After reaching that amount, customers "may experience slower download speeds until the end of that monthly cycle," the company said.
Virgin Mobile unleashed the $40 unlimited plan last summer, and it became so popular that its $150 personal modems, called MiFi, were hard to find in stores. In July 2009 it started selling a mobile USB stick for $150, which I tried out for free at the time, and the price has since dropped to $80.
The company announced the change today on its Facebook page, which caught users by surprise and angered some. One called the 25% price increase a bait and switch.

Customers who subscribed before today will still be able to keep 5GB, although if they move off the $40 plan they won't be able to return to it. New customers of the $50 plan will see slower speeds after using half of their 5GB. It was unclear from Virgin Mobile's press release if existing customers will also experience slower download speeds when they get to 2.5GB, and company spokeswoman Corinne Nosal would only say that existing customers will continue on the plan until further notice and will have a threshold of 5GB.
I have smartphone through Virgin Mobile, which through its Beyond Talk Plan offers unlimited text, email, data and Internet. I asked Nosal if those unlimited plans would soon become as limited as its broadband program. She assured me that the current changes only apply to its Broadband2Go service, but anything is possible.
"We do, however, always reserve the right to implement network management practices to ensure optimal performances for all subscribers as necessary," she wrote in an e-mail.
Popularity can be a good thing, but not when it leads to a price increase.
Aaron Crowe is a freelance journalist in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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Prepaid wireless Internet a great idea, but can you afford it?

Fans of prepaid cellphones will love Virgin Mobile's Broadband2Go, a USB device that provides pay-as-you go wireless Internet service without an annual contract.(wireless internet service,internet service providers,internet service,wireless service providers,verizon wireless internet,verizon internet,broadband internet providers,wireless broadband providers,broadband internet,broadband wireless)

What they may not love so much is the price, or at least the initial $150 to buy it.
On the plus side, Virgin Mobile's prices to buy megabytes to browse the Web, watch videos and read e-mails are fair enough if you don't mind paying $10 for about five hours of Web browsing or 25 minutes of video.
Virgin Mobile sent me one a few weeks ago to try out, and after about 30 minutes trying to figure out how to connect it with the help of a service representative, it worked well. Coverage was in and out and I got disconnected a few times, but overall I stayed connected long enough to be online for an hour or so at a time.
While there are plenty of mobile broadband devices that heavily subsidize the device with a lengthy contract, the $150 price for Broadband2Go is worth it because it's a one-time cost without a contract attached, said Matt Berberian, director of customer experience at Virgin Mobile, in a telephone interview.
I see Berberian's point, but I doubt if many people who want such a service will pay $150 for something that isn't meant for heavy, long-term use.
The market is "casual broadband" or the "casual traveler," Berberian said, or small business owners. It isn't for anyone who wants to be connected all of the time while on the road.
"We think of the product as a bridge between home Internet and work," he said. "It's not a replacement product."
I'm a big fan of prepaid anything, mostly because I don't like being surprised by surcharges, taxes and such when the bill arrives. I like to know what I'm paying upfront. I've written before about prepaid cellphones and how to compare them and get the best deal. Paying as you go with a phone makes sense if you don't use a lot of minutes; otherwise an unlimited plan is probably best.
Broadband2Go is a great idea because it takes that prepaid idea and brings it to going mobile on the Internet -- no contracts, no credit checks, no activation fees, no monthly or annual commitments, and no overage charges. It's a smart gift for students who don't want to face a monthly bill.
The only limit is that the amount of megabytes -- 250 MB for $20, for example -- must be used within 30 days. The 100 MB plan for $10 expires in 10 days. Any connection time you have left after the expiration date doesn't roll over to the next quantify of Web access you buy -- something that some prepaid phones allow you to do with rollover minutes.
Minutes don't roll over because then Virgin Mobile would have to continue providing customer service during that extended time, explained Berberian, the product lead for Broadband2Go. If the plans were for three months, then the cost of providing customer service for three months would have had to be factored into the price, he said.
To buy Web time, the company sells what it calls "Top-Up cards" in various denominations. A $20 card will buy 250 MB of Internet access, which equals 12 horus of Web browsing, an hour of watching video or 25,000 e-mails.
They're easy enough to buy, but can't be applied on your account until your usage drops to 25 MB. That's because technical limitations don't allow data to be stacked, Berberian said. But be careful: Loading up a $20 card when you have 20 MB left, for example, will get rid of the 20 MB remaining. Only reload when your time is up, or nearly up.
The unit is limited to usage in Sprint coverage areas, so check your Sprint coverage before buying one. And don't expect to watch much video with one of these plugged into your laptop. I watched about 10 minutes of video, and my remaining megabytes quickly dropped in half.
For now they're only sold at Best Buy, which has an exclusive contract to sell them through the end of the year.
If you're going on a weekend trip or vacation and don't want to pay hotel fees to get wireless Internet access, a Broadband2Go device is the way to go -- if you don't mind paying $150 to buy one.
Aaron Crowe is a freelance journalist in the San Francisco Bay Area. Reach him at www.AaronCrowe.net

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Virgin Mobile prepaid mobile broadband beats contract pricing by $20

Aug 25th 2010 at 4:00PM


While some companies have put an end to unlimited mobile data connections on your laptop or other mobile device, Virgin Mobile USA, a prepaid provider, is simplifying its plans and offering unlimited prepaid mobile broadband for $40 a month -- $20 cheaper than what it would cost with a contract on networks like AT&T, Verizon and Sprint.(wireless internet service,internet service providers,internet service,wireless service providers,verizon wireless internet,verizon internet,broadband internet providers,wireless broadband providers,broadband internet,broadband wireless)

The new plans will offer a $10 package for 100MB or 10 days as well as a $40 package that offers unlimited data use for a period of 30 days. This is a departure from its plans that charged $10, $20, $40 or $60 for various amounts of data. The nice thing about this type of prepaid mobile broadband, called Broadband2Go by Virgin Mobile, is that users can purchase a block of service when they need it (and pay nothing when they're not using it.)
The Virgin Mobile USA network is powered by Sprint, which means it has a rather large nationwide network of 3G and 1X data. If you need to check the service in your area there is a coverage map available that shows the data speeds and coverage.
In the press release announcing the plan, Virgin Mobile called attention to self employed and independent workers, who make up approximately 30% of the nation's workforce, who would benefit from a flexible and affordable contract-free data plan. Prepaid data is also perfect for personal users who may find that they need a connection only from time to time. Another bonus of prepaid? You can share a device with a friend and cut down on the initial purchase price.
Assuming you use the Virgin Mobile Broadband2Go service for an entire year, you would still save $240 over the traditional $60-a-month contract price of data, or $480 compared to a two-year contract. If you take into account several months where you don't need a mobile connection, or just need a short $10 package, the savings can grow greatly.
When compared to the prepaid mobile broadband offers from Verizon, Virgin Mobile's cheapest plan is $5 cheaper, and the Unlimited plan is $40 less per month than a 5GB plan on Verizon.
Virgin Mobile USA offers an Ovation MC760 USB modem for $79.99, which can connect one device to the Internet and a MiFi 2200 Mobile Hotspot for $149.99 that can connect up to five devices to the Internet. Those links haven't been updated by Virgin Mobile USA yet with the unlimited plan for $40, but its Facebook page has the new price.
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Virgin Mobile sells calls at 5 cents

Jul 15th 2010 at 5:00PM

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Virgin Mobile has launched another prepaid cell phone plan, selling minutes for 5 cents each under its payLo plan.
The plan, unveiled Thursday, is the lowest price I've seen for a prepaid phone, and beats what Boost Mobile, Assurance Wireless, Net10 and others sell for 10 cents a minute, including plans for people below the poverty rate. Common Cents Mobile has tried to stand out from the prepaid phone crowd by rounding down calls and charging 7 cents a minute.
The 400-minute payLo plan is $20 a month, which equates to 5 cents a minute. Additional minutes are 20 cents each, a text message is 15 cents, the picture rate is 25 cents, and data is $1.50 per megabyte. Minutes do not rollover.
If you talk less than 400 minutes a month, Virgin Mobile has another prepaid plan that is $7 per month by adding $20 to an active prepaid account for 90 days of service. But the basic rate of 20 cents a minute applies to that plan, giving callers 100 minutes of airtime for three months, or 33 minutes per month. The basic rate plan is for people who want an emergency or safety phone to call if their car breaks down, for example.
The 400-minute plan is a deal if you're using the 400 minutes, since they don't rollover.
"We can't do 5 cents and have them last a lot longer," said Neil Lindsay, chief marketing officer for Sprint Mobile's prepaid plans. "It just wouldn't make business sense."
Before switching to a prepaid phone plan, or any phone plan, check out the coverage and go to a price comparison site to see if the minutes you expect to use are worth the money.
Without long-term contracts, prepaid phones are becoming more popular. The worst disadvantage, however, is that while per minute costs have come down, they're still higher than traditional postpaid service, according to a wireless plan buying guide. Also, the minutes usually expire in one to three months, and you'll have to buy more minutes before they expire. Some, such as Net10, which I have, allow minutes to rollover.

Aaron Crowe is a freelance journalist in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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Money College: Talk, text via cell doesn't have to cost big bucks

Feb 19th 2010 at 8:00AM

Everyone loves being connected to their friends and college students are no exception. This generation is used to instantaneous replies with a few lightning quick movements of their thumbs.
But which weapon is the best choice when you want to tell your best friend about last night or send a text that "the movie begins in 5. Where r u?!"(wireless internet service,internet service providers,internet service,wireless service providers,verizon wireless internet,verizon internet,broadband internet providers,wireless broadband providers,broadband internet,broadband wireless)

There are two ways to go about this: buy a cell phone from a provider store and pay monthly for the extra privileges or purchase from the store (or the Internet) so you can pay per minute.
All major carriers offer pay-as-you-go phones, otherwise known as prepaid phone plans. You must first purchase the phone for a flat fee that will give you so many minutes for a number of months. When those minutes have been used, you can purchase more.About.com offers a short test to find you the best plan. Most people opt for a prepaid phone because there are no hidden fees or credit check, you only pay for the minutes you use and there's no contract holding you down. However, the disadvantages of these prepaid phones are that they often lack insurance, the network may not have a connection in your area and the phone itself is usually not as modern as the monthly-plan counterparts.
Karen Orlowski, a sophomore student at Loyola University Chicago, likes her prepaid Virgin Mobile Kyocera Cyclops and wouldn't change.
"I kind of wish I had unlimited texting," the 20-year-old says, "but that would be difficult to accomplish with a prepaid plan. I feel like my parents only pay for what I use rather than my parents paying for x number of minutes on a monthly plan that you might not use. The extra money doesn't disappear, it's always on your phone."
Her 19 year-old-roommate Caitlyn Schmid started at Loyola using a prepaid T-Mobile Nokia but switched to a monthly plan with a T-Mobile Nokia 2330 over the winter holidays.
"Prepaid was getting more expensive because I was using my phone a lot more often than I was in high school. ... My friends now contact me through texting and calling," Schmid said. "I've had the monthly plan since Jan. 10 and I love the plan. I feel like I'm getting a lot for what I'm spending, it makes communication guilt free and a lot easier. I like the unlimited texting the best since that's what I do the most."
Virgin Mobile offers an array of what it calls "no annual contract" phones. One simply picks out the phone they like, pay for it in the store or online along with an amount of minutes and is now the proud owner of a new cell phone.
Verizon offers $3.99 daily access with only 1-cent text messaging if you opt for the prepaid unlimited talk plan, but you don't pay when you don't use the phone. Prepaid phone plans from T-Mobile include a slim selection of choices but the Samsung t239 gives you the option to include AOL Instant Messaging with your phone, should you wish to pay the additional fee.
The phone itself costs $39.99 but comes with 10 minutes of starter airtime, regularly a $6.99 additional purchase with its other phone choices. Cricket is up-and-coming in the prepaid market, offering unlimited minutes and nationwide coverage with the first month free.
If a prepaid phone isn't for you because you see your friends with BlackBerrys and want to fit in, consider a monthly plan. Monthly plans offer insurance on your phone; many offer Web access along with night and weekend access.
For every carrier save Sprint, night calling begins at 9 p.m. The Web site Compareplans.us offers charts comparing plans from all major networks. US Cellular provides overage protection by sending you a text or voicemail that you're nearing the end of your allotted minutes for free. Its cheapest monthly plan is $39.99 which also includes 450 minutes from anywhere in the U.S.A.
Cellular phones are a necessity in this day and age to communicate with co-workers, friends and family. The first and most important decision is how much you want to pay to stay in touch. It all depends upon how much you have to say and what it's worth to you.
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Pink slip protection offered by mobile phone company

Apr 9th 2009 at 7:00PM

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Virgin Mobile is the latest company to offer price protection for customers who lose their jobs.
Starting April 15, the phone company will offer what it calls "Pink Slip Protection" that will pay for three months of its service for new and existing customers who lose their jobs. Customers must prove that they're eligible for state unemployment benefits, and must have one of Virgin Mobile USA's prepaid monthly plans that don't have annual contracts.
While three free months of cell phone use while looking for a job may not sound like much time, it's a start that should help people get back on their feet and find a job, said Bob Stohrer, chief marketing officer for Virgin Mobile.
"We hope that what we're helping people to do is get themselves situated and back into employment," Stohrer told me in a telephone interview.
Like many companies offering help to people who lose their jobs -- Walgreens, Ford, Hyundai, FedEx Office, and others -- it's a tactic to build the brand and help create customer loyalty. After all, if a business helped you when times were tough, maybe you're more likely to stick with them for the long haul.
Virgin Mobile's Stohrer admitted as much, saying the Pink Slip Protection plan could tip the scales for someone looking to buy a cell phone amid all the prepaid phone choices out there.
"Anybody who takes advantage of this is going to become a better customer for us in the long-term," he said.
The national unemployment rate is 8.5%, so its probably safe to assume that about the same percentage of cell phone customers are unemployed and could use this plan. At a time when having a cell phone is no longer a luxury but a necessity, especially when looking for a job, Virgin Mobile customers may flock to the program when it starts April 15.
"You rely on your cellphone even more when you're out of a job" and networking and trying to get ahold of employers, Stohrer said.
Customers must have a Virgin Mobile monthly plan for at least two consecutive months to be eligible for the pink slip plan. People with one of its text-only plans are also eligible, although texting to request a job interview isn't recommended.
Getting a helping hand, if only for three months, is still a helping hand.
"We're trying to help somebody get back on their feet and manage costs when they're really tight," Stohrer said.

Aaron Crowe is an unemployed journalist in the San Francisco Bay Area. Read about his job search at www.AaronCrowe.net

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What will save you money: a pre-paid cellphone plan or a 1- to 2-year contract?

Two months ago, I moved into a new apartment and needed to cut the fat in my spending. Where did I trim first? The landline.(wireless internet service,internet service providers,internet service,wireless service providers,verizon wireless internet,verizon internet,broadband internet providers,wireless broadband providers,broadband internet,broadband wireless)

I know, I know, after discussing the benefits of the landline in a post earlier this year, one would think I'd never do away with it. Maybe I'll reconsider later on, but for now, saving an extra $30 a month is worth it.
Where I am NOT saving, I discovered, is in my cellphone use. My monthly bill skyrocketed as soon as I got rid of the landline since I now use it to conduct interviews and of course, there's the occasional one-hour wait for customer service to handle whatever gadget, credit card or travel-related problem I am having that week. Please note that I have a BlackBerry and so I also pay for Internet use.
My roommate chose a pre-paid phone plan since she's only staying in the U.S. for half a year and when I found out she was paying $50 for her unlimited calling, texting and data monthly plan, I got jealous.
"There must be a catch," I thought. "How could a pre-paid service be cheaper than a monthly, contract-based service? I thought I was getting a deal!"
So when the opportunity arrived, I did some research and discovered some shocking information.
Since my roommate got what sounded to me like a great deal for $50, I used that as my budget. Besides, 50 bucks seemed like an average price for a phone plan. And thus, I compared monthly plans at all major mobile carriers: Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T. Then, I looked at lesser-known companies: Boost Mobile, Cricket Wireless, MetroPCS, Virgin Mobile USA and PlatinumTel, and compared what they offer for the same amount of money.
Here's what I found:
Individual monthly phone plans on 1- and 2-year contracts
For $50 on a 1- or 2-year contract with major carriers, you get:
Sprint Nextel: The plan includes 450 anytime minutes, ulimited mobile to mobile, unlimited nights and weekends minutes, nationwide long distance, nationwide roaming, unlimited text messaging and unlimited walkie-talkie use (chirp chat). Data not included.
Verizon: If you don't want to talk on the phone, you can opt for the $50 data and e-mail plan for smartphones/BlackBerrys. Otherwise, here's what Verizon offers: nothing for $50, but for $40 you get 450 anytime minutes, unlimited Verizon mobile-to-mobile calling, unlimited nights and weekend minutes, nationwide long distance, nationwide roaming. For $10 more, you may send/receive 50 text messages as each text costs 20 cents.
T-Mobile: You may choose two plans: 1. 600 anytime minutes, unlimited nights and weekends minutes, nationwide long distance, unlimited nationwide calls to any five numbers you choose. No nationwide roaming, no data, no text-messaging included. 2. 1000 anytime minutes, unlimited nights and weekends minutes, nationwide long distance, nationwide roaming. Data and text-messaging not included.
AT&T: There's nothing for $50, but for $40, you could get 450 anytime minutes, 5000 nights and weekends minutes, unlimited mobile-to-mobile calling, nationwide long distance and nationwide roaming. For $10 more, you may add 1000 text messages to your plan. You do get rollover minutes; therefore, if you don't use all the minutes in one month, they get added on to the next month. Data not included.
Benefits of individual monthly phone plans on 1- and 2-year contracts:
1. You don't have to worry about adding money to your plan as your minutes and features never expire (unless you don't pay your phone bill, of course). Even if you have limited daytime minutes or do not have text-messaging or data added to the plan, you can always use the feature (if your phone permits), but will just have to pay additional fees.
2. Customers can score a free mobile phone or receive a large discount on a phone when purchasing a individual plan with a 1- or 2-year contract.
3. Often, when you find a better service option from a competitor (for the same amount of money), you may call your service provider and request additional perks or threaten to leave them for the said competitor. This only works, however, when your contract has ended. Since companies want to retain customers, they usually add features such as text-messaging, more daytime minutes, etc.
Caveats of individual phone plans with 1- and 2-year contracts:
1. If you wish to cease using their service and choose to break the contract with the aforementioned companies, you will incur a fee. With Sprint, it will cost $200, progressively reducing to $50 depending on how many months are left in the contract; with T-Mobile, it will cost $50 to $200, also depending on how many months remain on the contract; with AT&T, it will cost $175 (minus $5 for every month you honored the contract); and with Verizon, it will cost $175 (minus $5 for every month you honored the contract).
2. You're often paying more money for fewer options. (Read options offered by pre-paid service providers.)
Pre-paid monthly phone plans with no contract
For $50 on a pre-paid monthly service from smaller carriers, you get:
Virgin Mobile USA: Unlimited voice calling, unlimited nationwide long distance, unlimited nationwide roaming. No data or texting included. (Cool thing to note about the Virgin Mobile plans: They offer "Pink Slip Protection." It is a program that will waive up to three months of monthly charges if a Virgin Mobile customer becomes unemployed. However, this only works for those individuals who have been Virgin Mobile customers for at least two months on a monthly plan and then become unemployed. They have to be eligible for unemployment benefits within the next 12 months for the program to activate.)
Boost Mobile: Unlimited voice calling, unlimited nationwide long distance, unlimited data usage, unlimited text-messaging and unlimited walkie-talkie use (chirp chat).
MetroPCS: For $50, you can get: a $45, no-contract, monthly prepaid plan that includes unlimited voice calling, unlimited nationwide long distance, unlimited text-messaging, unlimited data. For $5 more, you get unlimited international calling, or you can choose to spend $5 for unlimited call forwarding. Nationwide roaming costs extra.
Cricket Wireless: Unlimited voice calling, unlimited nationwide long distance, unlimited text-messaging. No data and no nationwide roaming.
PlatinumTel: Unlimited voice calling, unlimited nationwide long distance, unlimited texting, nationwide roaming and 100 megabytes of high-speed 3G data.
Benefits of pre-paid monthly phone plans with no contract
1. With a pre-paid option, you are not bound by a monthly contract, and thus, will not incur any fees if you choose to stop using the service provider.
2. There are no credit checks. Those individuals with poor credit don't have to worry about not receiving mobile service as companies offering pre-paid services don't really care whether their customers are defaulting on payments or going into bankruptcy because...well, they're paying in advance.
Caveats of pre-paid monthly phone plans with no contract
1. Your minutes, texts, data use have an expiration date and if you forget to add more money to the service(s), you might find yourself stuck with no way to communicate with the outside world, and that's a problem you do not want to encounter in emergency situations.
2. You have to buy the phone from the pre-paid service provider (and many of them are quite outdated-looking, to be honest). Also, they don't offer BlackBerrys--and for BlackBerry users like me, that's a concern. There are, of course, ways around that, but those options are illegal, and we're not going to mention them here.
And the winner is...
Pre-paid phone service from smaller carriers like Boost Mobile and MetroPCS. There are no contracts, no credit checks and many recession-friendly options. Boost Mobile service reviews were much better than those for MetroPCS. Of course, since Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile are divisions of Sprint Nextel and run on the nationwide Sprint Network while MetroPCS coverage is very limited. This information is not advertised, however.
Hmm, sneaky, Sprint Nextel, very sneaky.
Imagine my anger when I realized that I was paying $40 more for a monthly contract plan to the same pocket that my roommate pays $50! I pay $89.99 for the "Everything Data" plan for my BlackBerry and I had to enter a 2-year contract with Sprint in order to receive the plan and get a $200 discount on my $549 BlackBerry.
My plan includes 900 daytime minutes, unlimited nights (after 7 p.m.) and weekends, unlimited data, unlimited nationwide long distance, unlimited walkie-talkie use (even though my BlackBerry doesn't have that function), nationwide roaming and unlimited texting.
About two weeks ago, Sprint added a feature to my plan, which allows me (and others) to make unlimited calls to any mobile service user in the U.S. Since I spend approximately 1,800 daytime minutes on interviews,etc., and since Sprint charges 40 cents per each additional minute used beyond plan's allowance, my phone bill ALWAYS exceeds $90 and I pay $200 and up per month.
I can't do anything to change that unless I break the contract with Sprint, and even though I will save money in the long run, I don't want to spend the money on a new phone and pay a $150 fee for breaking the contract. Well, not yet, at least.
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New Android Market looks great.. but you cannot find anything!

New Android Market looks great.. but you cannot find anything! -(wireless internet service,internet service providers,internet service,wireless service providers,verizon wireless internet,verizon internet,broadband internet providers,wireless broadband providers,broadband internet,broadband wireless)

13 July 2011New Android Market looks great.. but you cannot find anything! Google announced that it would begin rolling out the newly-redesigned Android Market for smartphones and tablets.
We haven't spent a lot of time with the new Market, but we do like the new design.
Google went with a "tile" theme, similar to what you'd see on a Windows Phone 7 device.
Apps, books, and movies are organized nicely, and swiping left and right gives you more options to sort your searches by category or subject.
The downside:
Searching for apps still stinks.
We couldn't even find the new videeo app that lets you rent movies from the Market!
Instead, we had to find the link from Google's blog post about the new Market.
Embarrassing.
Along with the new design, the Android Market now has access to Google's bookstore and video rental service.
It's rolling out the update to phones running Android 2.2 (codnamed Froyo) and higher over the next several days.
Warning: The download worked for us on our Nexus S, but try at your own risk.
If you have problems, you can revert back to the old version of the Market under Settings > Applications > Manage Applications > All.
Then select the Market app and tap "Uninstall Updates."
 
 

View the original article here

Mobile payment to be mainstream in four years - report

13 July 2011Mobile payment to be mainstream in four years - report As companies race to take advantage of the mass adoption of smartphones and rapid development of new technologies to offer mobile payment services, executives believe the use of a mobile phone or device to make payments or conduct banking transactions will require four years to become widely accepted by consumers, according to a global survey of business executives by KPMG International, a global network of firms providing audit, tax, and advisory services.

The KPMG survey of nearly 1,000 executives in primarily the financial services, technology, telecommunications, and retail industries globally found that 83% of the respondents believe that mobile payments will be mainstream within four years, compared to only nine percent who see them as mainstream today.
 In fact, 46% believe mobile payments will be mainstream within two years.  

"We believe that exploding smartphone growth and myriad opportunities will grow mobile payments at a much faster rate than our respondents anticipate," said Gary Matuszak, KPMG Global Chair of the Technology, Communication and Entertainment practice.  "A wide variety of payments is ready for adoption, as several key players already provide or are rolling out mobile payments, and interest among consumers in utilizing mobile payments is growing, in line with the industry's readiness to deploy them."

Seventy-two percent of the executives said that mobile payments are now or will be reasonably important in the future, with specialist online systems building on its leading position as a payment method, and m-banking and near field communication (NFC) gaining significantly greater traction than today.  
Fifty-eight percent said they have a mobile payments strategy in place.

"While there is consensus about the significant value of this opportunity among executives across geographies and industries, the type and size of opportunity varies between developed and developing countries depending on depth and reach of the financial infrastructure  in place. We believe that those firms willing to engage in cross-industry partnerships and coopetition are more likely to succeed and dominate the market due to the complex set of business relationships required to deliver mobile payments to a mass market," said Matuszak.

While the majority of the business leaders surveyed believe consumers are currently concerned about security and privacy when using mobile devices,  they believe other factors are  more compelling attributes of a successful mobile payment strategy.  
Specifically, 8% believe convenience/accessibility is the highest attribute, followed by simplicity/ease of use, at 73%, security, at 57%, and low cost, at 43%.  

At the same time, business leaders, globally and in the USA, view security as the main challenge to developing mobile payments strategies.
Technology and adoption of the technology is a distant second, followed by privacy.

"The business leaders understand that when it comes to consumers choosing a provider based on security, reputation can make the difference, and any damage to a business' brand can prove costly, even to the extent of being a showstopper," said Sanjaya Krishna, KPMG US Digital Services Leader in the TCE practice. "As a result, leading businesses are adopting multiple approaches to alleviate customers' privacy and security concerns."

Matuzak added:

"One surprising result of our survey is the absence of divergent views across both industries and geographies, which speaks to the consensus that mobile payment is regarded as an opportunity for players across the value chain of commerce."

With the mobile payments industry poised to make a major leap in the coming years, several players are expected to play significant roles, though two groups of financial institutions are the current front-runners, say respondents.

Banks, which scored the highest in level of importance in the value chain, and credit card companies will have the most important roles, according to business leaders globally.
They placed telecommunications companies third, ahead of specialist online payment players (eg. PayPal, Boku, Obopay), online service provider giants (e.g. Google, Facebook, Amazon), retailers and technology companies.
Among US respondents, online service provider giants placed third, followed by specialist online payment players and telecommunications companies, which were rated of equal importance, retailers and technology companies.

Each of these companies' success can be tied to the prospects for the five current payment methods which are battling for a share of the market.

The KPMG survey respondents, globally and in the USA, see specialist online systems leading the pack, due to the fact that this method already has significantly greater penetration than alternatives, and its penetration is expected to increase.

Respondents said that specialist online systems have the greatest prospect for success, followed by mobile banking, NFC, carrier billing and the "mobile wallet."

"While KPMG believes that these forms of mobile payment will all gain some traction, our view is that M-Wallet is one of the most exciting and promising payment opportunities. M-Wallet provides the momentum to move beyond payments to participate in the entire chain of mobile commerce, from consideration and brand awareness to purchase after-sales loyalty and care," said Tudor Aw, Technology Sector Head, KPMG Europe.

M-wallet – uses mobile device as a wallet with account and transaction information stored on the devices' SIM card.

M-banking – direct access to bank services and information via the mobile device

NFC – short-range (millimeters) wireless communication technology that enables exchange between devices, such as between a cell phone and a point of sale device at a checkout counter.

Specialist Online systems – online payment processing systems such as Google checkout and PayPal.  

Carrier billing – purchases are charged to the mobile phone bill

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Amazon Android tablet to launch in October - report

Amazon Android tablet to launch in October -

14 July 2011Amazon Android tablet to launch in October - report Amazon.com has battled Apple over digital books, digital music and mobile applications.

Now the two companies are taking their clash to another front:
The tablet market.

Amazon plans to release a tablet computer by October, people familiar with the matter said, intensifying its rivalry with Apple's iPad.

While Amazon has long offered digital content on its Website, it has lacked much of the hardware to go with it.
Now the Seattle, USA, company hopes customers will use its tablet to buy and rent that content, said people familiar with its thinking.

An Amazon spokesman didn't respond to requests for comment.

Amazon's looming entry into the tablet market, which Chief Executive Jeff Bezos has hinted at in his appearances this year, is the latest example of how technology companies, once focused on a particular segment of the industry, are increasingly jostling one another on multiple fronts.

That trend is evident in the enterprise-technology arena, where onetime partners such as HP and Oracle became enemies in markets including server computers, and it is now becoming evident in consumer technology.

In recent years, Apple, Amazon and Google have found themselves competing in areas such as the mobile software market and digital content.
The overlap stems from a race to tap into the young and growing field of selling digital goods, such as video, music and books, which are potentially vast markets as more consumers turn to downloads.

Apple and Amazon have already had some bitter clashes.
In March, Apple sued Amazon alleging the online retailer had violated the trademark on the name "App Store."
Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs also has poked fun at Amazon's Kindle electronic-book reader, saying that few people read and that general-purpose devices like the iPad are superior to single-purpose ones.

"Amazon and Apple are frenemies" — both friends and enemies — said Sarah Rotman Epps, a Forrester Research analyst.
They "rely on each other as partners" — Amazon, for example, sells digital books via its Kindle app in Apple's iTunes Store — but "at the same time, they aggressively compete for customers' attention and dollars," she said.

Amazon faces a tough road against Apple in the tablet market.
Since introducing the iPad last year, Apple had sold 19.5 million of the devices as of the end of March 2011.
It is far and away the leader in the tablet market.

The iPad has been bolstered by its connection to Apple's App Store, which sells videogames and other software, and Apple's iTunes store, where people can easily download music, videos and books.

Apple officials didn't respond to a request for comment.

Amazon's tablet will have a roughly nine-inch screen and will run on Google's Android platform, said people familiar with the device.
Unlike the iPad, it won't have a camera, one of these people said.
While the pricing and distribution of the device is unclear, the online retailer won't design the initial tablet itself. It also is outsourcing production to an Asian manufacturer, the people said.

One of the people said the company is working on another model, of its own design, that could be released next year.

The introduction of a tablet poses a conundrum for Amazon on how to keep from cannibalizing sales of its popular Kindle.
Amazon has long said the Kindle is its best-selling device, though it has declined to disclose sales.

A person familiar with Amazon's thinking said it still figuring out how to market the tablet computer.
One issue is whether customers will want to buy both the tablet and Kindle, which is viewed as a dedicated-reading device for bookworms.

But Amazon will be facing competitors other than Apple.
Sony unveiled prototypes of a tablet and a wallet-shaped dual-screen portable device that will offer movies, apps, music, books and PlayStation games.
Sony said the devices would be available later this year.

Amazon plans to introduce two updated versions of its black-and-white Kindle in this year's third quarter, people familiar with the matter said.
One of the new Kindles will have a touch screen, which current models don't have.

Amazon is better-positioned than other companies to go up against Apple, said Ms. Epps, the Forrester analyst.
Part of the reason is because Amazon already has a digital-content store with a significant selection and following.

Amazon has heavily promoted its digital offerings this year.
It launched a streaming video service in February. And in May, it undercut Apple's iTunes store by selling an album by pop singer Lady Gaga for 99 cents.

Amazon is also in a position to offer a cheaper alternative to the iPad, said Ms. Epps.
It could sell the tablet for a loss while hoping to make money on sales of movies, music and books.

Customers are "looking for a cheaper alternative, and they're looking for a compelling experience, in terms of both content and shopping," which Amazon can offer, Ms. Epps said.

Nonetheless, she noted that unlike Apple, which has its own retail stores, Amazon lacks a natural brick-and-mortar outlet to sell its products.
In addition, Amazon's product may be less refined than the iPad, which is in its second generation.

"I don't know whether Amazon will be able to compete with Apple head-to-head on hardware sophistication," she said.

 

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Tablets are the new PCs and therefore will run Windows 8, not Windows Phone - Microsoft

Claiming that tablets should be considered personal computers rather than new age mobile devices, Microsoft on Tuesday again dashed hopes of tablets running the company's new mobile Operating System (OS), Windows Phone 7.

Speaking at Microsoft's Worldwide Partners Conference, Windows Phone President Andy Lees argued that consumers “want people to be able to do the sort of things they do on a PC on a tablet.” 

"We view a tablet as a PC," he said.

As such, Lees maintained that using the OS Microsoft built for phones on a tablet would be "in conflict" with its belief in having the complete power of a PC on any design.

A few years back, virtually every tablet on the market ran some flavor of Windows.
That quickly changed with the advent of the Apple iPad in 2010, which took just 9 months to eclipse a lifetime of prior Windows tablet PC's sales.
Since then, Windows-based tablets have continued to plummet, and now account for a meager 1% or less of the overall market, according to market research firm IDC. 

During his keynote speech, Lees instead turned his focus to Windows 8 OS and its expected networking and printing support enhancements, which he expects will drive adoption of Windows tablets moving forward, adding that the software will run on “systems on a chip” designs. 

In time, he expects that PCs, tablets and phones will come together into a “unified ecosystem.”
Lees' remarks echo comments made by CEO Steve Ballmer earlier this year promising that "Windows will be everywhere on every device without compromise." 

Windows 8, expected to launch sometime in 2012, will be the only tablet OS issued by Microsoft. It is also suspected that when the next incarnation is released, Windows Phone 7 will be faded out and replaced completely by Windows 8.
Ballmer admitted on Monday that sales of Windows Phone 7 have gone from "very small to very small," though he believes the company will make "a lot of progress" in the smartphone market going forward.

Windows 8 was announced by Mike Angiulo, Corporate Vice-president of Windows Planning, Hardware and PC Ecosystem at Microsoft, during a technical demonstration in early June this year.
In a move seen as an attempt to break into the tablet market, the company has designed the new OS to run on ARM-based architectures in addition to x86.

According to Angiulo, Windows 8 aims to make the “user experience a natural extension of the device, from the time you turn on your PC through how you interact with the applications you know and love.”

 

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Sony S1 and S2 Android tablets preview

Sony S1 and S2 Android tablets preview

14 July 2011Sony S1 and S2 Android tablets preview Sony has taken some heat for being late to the tablet party, but we cut it some slack the minute we glimpsed the S1 and S2 tablet prototypes back in April 2011.

Both tablets promise a unique spin on what has so far been a series of cookie-cutter 10" Google's Android tablets.

Sony may be late, but at least it's bringing something special.

Though they won't hit shelves until the fall, we were lucky enough to get our hands on both tablets yesterday.
Sony is mum on pricing, but given Sony's history, we think it's fair to say these tablets will not be positioned as a cheap Apple's iPad alternative.

To give each tablet sibling its fair time in the spotlight, here's our separate take on each of Sony's Android Honeycomb tablets.

 Sony S1

The Sony S1 Android tablet uses a wedge-shaped design.

Let's clear something up right at the start.
Sony insists that the names "S1" and "S2" are still product code names and not the final product names.

We're glad Sony is finally seeing the light on bestowing genuine names to its products instead of the expected alphanumeric mess, but it's not terribly reassuring that the company hasn't pulled a name out of a hat yet.

One thing Sony is exceptional at, though, is designing elegant hardware.

The S1 is a beautiful tablet.
Its wedge-shaped design makes it one of the most comfortable Honeycomb tablets we've held.
The 9.4" (1,280x768 pixels) touch screen offers great viewing angles and vivid colors, seemingly comparable to the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 (though we couldn't get a sense of its brightness range).
The back uses a subtle textured finish that offers a little extra grip and disguises smudges.

Whether it's a trick of the asymmetric design or some ingenious shrinking of the internal components, the S1 manages to feel relatively lightweight.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 still gets the prize for lightest design, but to Sony's credit, the S1 seems more durable while still maintaining a light and high-end feel.

On the sides of the S1 you'll find a socket for the power adapter, along with a headphone jack, USB sync port, and buttons for power and volume.

Compared against the ever-expanding sea of Honeycomb tablets on the market, there are a few key features that set the Sony S1 apart, aside from its design.
The Android 3.0 experience looks largely unchanged, but Sony has added a unique "Favorites" pane to the top navigation bar, displaying a quick view of your recently accessed and favorite content.
It has also added an optimization to the browser called Quick View that gives the illusion of faster page downloading by prioritizing a page's images ahead of JavaScript.
If you prefer to load your pages the old-fashioned way, the Quick View feature can be switched off under browser settings.

The S1 is also fully compatible with Adobe Flash and Adobe Air.
To spur the development of tablet-optimized apps built on the Adobe Air platform, Sony is sponsoring an App Challenge in the hopes of reaping some unique content.

Sony also touts its proprietary Quick Touch Panel enhancements to the panel used on the S1 (and S2), allowing for more responsive multitouch input.
With our limited time with the products, it's hard to say how much these optimizations mean for performance.

If nothing else, it's nice to see that Sony is sweating small details like these.

Other features, such as front and rear cameras and an internal speaker, are nice - but expected.
Sony is promising that both tablets will be PlayStation-certified for gameplay compatibility, though, which is certainly a feature that no other manufacturer will be able to brag about.

As far as disappointments go, we really wish Sony would give us a ballpark price.

Assuming the S1 isn't the highest or lowest priced Honeycomb tablet we'll see this year, we can only cite the same issues that dog all the other Honeycomb tablets out there.
The rate of development for tablet-optimized apps for Honeycomb seems slow to pick up momentum.

The battery life of these devices still seems behind the iPad.

Home ecosystem features, such as DLNA support, don't seem to inspire sales.
And on that same note, the S1's lack of an HDMI output seems like a misstep.

One surprise, though, is the inclusion of an IR blaster on the wide edge of the S1, which transforms the tablet into a giant DLNA-compatible universal remote.

 

Sony S2

The Sony S2 Android tablet uses a hinged design that can fit in your pocket.

The S2 is hands-down the most exotic tablet we've seen.

Using a hinged pair of 5.5" screens, the Sony S2 offers the pocket-size portability of a phone, the total screen size of a tablet, and the dual-screen potential of a Nintendo DS.

Unfortunately, we're not entirely convinced the S2 is going to satisfy in any one of these roles.

The Toshiba Libretto W100/W105 springs to mind.
These clamshell touch-screen devices always seem killer in concept, but it takes a lot of wizardry to make the sum of two good screens greater than a single excellent one.

Once the novelty is exhausted, you're looking at a tablet with a big unusable strip right through the center of the screen.

The unique screen also presents a challenge when it comes to apps.
Sony has put up a US$130,000 bounty to inspire developers to create Adobe Air apps optimized for the S2's unique dual-screen format, but during our limited time with the device Sony would allow us to view only its in-house apps, such as its eBook reader, media player, and a demo of Crash Bandicoot that utilized the S2's bottom display as a virtual gamepad.

It remains to be seen how Android's current catalog of apps will look.
A Sony rep stated that users will have the option to scale third-party apps across both screens (citing Maps as an ideal example) or limit them to a single panel to prevent them from being divided by the bezel.
Either way, non-optimized content will make for an awkward fit.

Still, there's a lot to like about Sony's foldable tablet.

It's a head-turner, for sure, and hopefully a signal that equally daring Android tablet designs are possible.
Also, at the end of the day, at least it can't be accused of copying the iPad!

Parting thoughts

Sony's tablets are the sexiest Android Honeycomb devices we've seen yet.

They're also the latest to arrive in a Android tablet market that is quickly showing a focus on price over all other concerns.

But compared with an Asus or a Samsung, or even an Apple, Sony does have a few aces up its sleeve.
Its legacy in gaming, digital cameras, and portable audio can't be matched by any competitor on all fronts.

There's a sense from what we've seen that Sony intends to leverage these advantages for all they're worth.

Sony will likely stumble on pricing.
The company's pride in its premium brand will probably prevent it from chasing Asus and others down past the US$400 (€283) mark, which is likely to be the norm by the time fall rolls around.

As the tablet market inevitably blooms beyond the iPad, there will certainly be room for two premium tablet brands, but we're not there yet.

 

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Security vulnerability found in iOS management of PDF files - at this time only jailbroken devices can be secured

Security vulnerability found in iOS management of PDF files - at this time only jailbroken devices can be secured -

Apple this week pledged to issue a fix for an iOS vulnerability that could let hackers remotely control iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches.

"Apple takes security very seriously, we're aware of this reported issue and developing a fix that will be available to customers in an upcoming software update," an Apple spokesman said in a statement.

The move comes after the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) issued a warning earlier this week about the possibility of attacks via PDF files.
In a translated version of the report, the agency said clicking on an infected PDF via Email or on the Web is enough to infect an iOS device with malicious software and give the attacker administrative privileges on the device.

The BSI said the vulnerability affects the iPhone 3G, iPhone 4, iPad, and iPod Touch running iOS up to version 4.3.3, though officials said they could not rule out the possibility that other versions of iOS were affected.

The warning said there have been no reported attacks, but anyone taking advantage of the vulnerability could potentially access things like passwords, online banking data, calendars, Emails, text, or contact information.
There could also be access to built-in cameras, the interception of telephone conversations, and the GPS localization of the user, BSI said.

Given that more and more professionals are using the iPad and iPhone in a business setting, BSI warned that the security hole could be used for "targeted attacks on leaders ... to get to confidential company information."

Until Apple issues its patch, therefore, BSI suggested that iOS users do not open unknown PDF files, whether they are received via Email or linked on Web sites.
Browser use and link clicking should also be restricted to trusted Web sites.

Apple did not release a timetable for its security update.
Its last update, 4.3.3, was released in early May and solved a controversial "bug" with Apple's location-based services.

The fix comes amidst the release of JailBreakMe, software that will jailbreak an iOS device using the PDF vulnerability.
The program quickly hit 1 million jailbreaks:

"Be sure to share a link with your friends while it's still available," Grant Paul, one of the creators, tweeted earlier this week. 

JailBreakMe developer Comex said on its Web site:

"Along with the jailbreak, I am releasing a patch for the main vulnerability which anyone especially security conscious can install to render themselves immune; due to the nature of iOS, this patch can only be installed on a jailbroken device. Until Apple releases an update, jailbreaking will ironically be the best way to remain secure," .

 

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Android NFC-equipped smartphones to benefit from PayPal new P2P payment facilities

14 July 2011Android NFC-equipped smartphones to benefit from PayPal new P2P payment facilities PayPal yesterday unveiled a new peer-to-peer payment functionality that allows Google's Android users to pay each other by tapping two near field communication (NFC)-enabled devices together.

The feature, which follows an earlier contactless PayPal payment tool using Bump Technologies, shows how PayPal is gearing up for NFC as part of its larger push on mobile payments.

The payments work through a PayPal widget that allows a user to request or send money.
A user enters the transaction information and then taps their phone up against another phone also equipped with the same app.
After the phones buzz together (picture), the recipient can decide to send or receive money by entering a PIN number.

PayPal’s new mobile payment service will only work currently in the USA with the Samsung Nexus S from network operators Sprint and T-Mobile but will expand to other Android phones that include NFC functionality in the future.

The transactions utilize an encrypted token and don’t access the secure element inside the NFC chip, where payment credentials reside.
It appears this is set up for just peer-t0-peer transfers, which is still a big part of PayPal’s mobile payments business.

The company said it is now on pace to do US$3 billion in mobile payments this year though much of that is person-to-person transfers using the PayPal app, which don’t yield much revenue for PayPal.
Users do not have to pay a transaction fee when payments pull from bank accounts or an existing PayPal balance.

In many ways, this is similar to personal transfers PayPal has previously enabled through its mobile app using Bump Technologies.
Users are able to send money back and forth by bumping their phones together, a solution that doesn’t rely on NFC. 

It’s unclear how much of that may have happened through bump payments, so we don’t know how significant person-to-person NFC payments will be. It’s nice to be able to make a payment to someone by just touching phones but, again, it’s not like many PayPal users don’t have that ability now.

Shimone Samuel, Product Experience Manager for PayPal Mobile, however, said the NFC solution has fewer steps than bump payments and can be activated even when only one person has launched their widget.
Bump payments require both people to have their PayPal mobile app open. He said PayPal turned to NFC because it simplifies P2P payments.

“What I’m looking for is what is simplest and easiest for customers and NFC is the simplest way to request money,” he said.

The bigger opportunity is in enabling real-world payments as retail and local merchants, something PayPal is still set to unveil later this year.
That will be a much bigger deal because it will signal how PayPal will counter moves by Google and its NFC payments initiative, as well as other challengers like Square and the carrier consortium, Isis project.
Samuel declined to comment on how PayPal will use NFC specifically at point of sale but he said the company takes every opportunity to learn from its products.

PayPal needs to figure out how to tap that market for offline purchases, which is much bigger than than pure online transactions where it’s excelled.

So it’s nice that PayPal has enabled some P2P NFC payments, and it’s showing that it’s getting up to speed on NFC.
But we’re still waiting to see the real fireworks.

 

View the original article here

South Korea counts 15 million smartphone users

13 July 2011South Korea counts 15 million smartphone users The number of smartphone subscribers in South Korea hit 15 million this week, according to data from the country's three mobile operators released Wednesday.

South Korean smartphone subscribers numbered 15.35 million as of Monday, including 7.8 million users at the industry leader SK Telecom, 5.45 million at KT Corp. and 2.1 million at LG Uplus Corp., the mobile carriers said.

The country reached the milestone less than four months after the number of users passed 10 million in late March, highlighting a recent spike in smartphone adoption.
It took roughly 17 months to hit the 10 million mark.

The Apple iPhone's arrival in the country at the end of 2009 kick-started South Korea's smartphone market.
Although introduced slowly, the smartphone caught on nationwide at a faster clip than in most other countries.

The data also showed that the market for the feature-packed, handheld computing devices is the fastest growing segment in the country's saturated wireless market, which is estimated at about 52 million users.

On the back of the robust demand, mobile operators are confident about meeting their smartphone subscriber targets by the end of the year.

SK Telecom aims to lure a total of 10 million smartphone users by December, while LG Uplus seeks to add another 0.9 million.
KT, the No. 2 mobile carrier and the dominant fixed-line operator, revised up its year-end target by 30% to 8.5 million.

Based on mobile operators' forecasts, the number of smartphone users in South Korea will likely hit 20 million at the end of this year, accounting for about 40% of the overall wireless market.

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Verizon Droid compared to Blackberry and 4g ?

Join DateJul 2011Posts6Feedback Score0Verizon Droid compared to Blackberry and 4g ?

(wireless internet service,internet service providers,internet service,wireless service providers,verizon wireless internet,verizon internet,broadband internet providers,wireless broadband providers,broadband internet,broadband wireless)

I currently have the Blackberry Bold 9650 on Verizon in a 3g area. I am on my third Bold and having problems with this one again. The first one froze with lights going nuts on the second day after I bought it new then the second one the speaker went out on after 6 months then the third and most recent one is having speaker problems again as well as has never let me transfer my email setting or set it up on it since I have gotten this replacement and the local verizon has no clue how to fix it. I have always been a blackberry person and all and I went from a curve to this bold about 10 months ago and have hated this one every since due to all the problems. We are getting 4g in my area in the next week or so so I am looking to get a 4g phone if i upgrade which I dont see blackberry having for some time. I want to know what anyones experiences have been switching from blackberry to droid systems and which 4 g phone out of the 3 verizon currently offers are the best of the 3 right now? What are the pros and cons of the new droids compared to the blackberry. I dont use blackberry messenger so I am not worried about losing that. I basically use my phone for windows live mail, internet usage, pandora and sirius xm streaming, and gps maps. I would like to watch netflix on my new phone which as far as I know no blackberry phones support adobe flash so netflix wont work on my current phone. I have also heard internet is much faster on droid. Is that correct? Also are there more apps for droid compared to blackberry? Any feedback would be appreciated before I make my decision. Thanks

Join DateNov 2007Posts1,320PhonesMotorola Droid A855Palm Pixi Plus (backup/fun)Motorola Krave zn4CarrierVerizon WirelessFeedback Score0

If you can wait just a bit they're saying the Motorola Droid Bionic will be out I believe August 8th. Which if it all goes well will be the best LTE handset available at Verizon.
I don't believe you'll have any issues going from BB to android. Considering you don't use a whole lot of BB exclusive features.
I basically use my phone for windows live mailYou can set up your Live mail via EAS. pandora and sirius xm streaming, and gps maps.Pandora & Sirius both have dedicated apps. As for GPS maps you can't go wrong with android. You'll be able to get the free turn by turn navigation support for driving (and a bunch of other stuff). I would like to watch netflix on my new phone which as far as I know no blackberry phones support adobe flash so netflix wont work on my current phone.All the LTE devices will have adobe flash. To my knowledge though the Thunderbolt does not have netflix available in the market. I'm not sure about the Charge, but the Revolution comes preinstalled with it. You MAYB be able to sideload netflix on them but I'm not 100 on that.
In addition even if a device had flash you wouldn't be able to watch netflix on it. Netflix has a list of requirements on what browsers it supports and OSs. For example I can't watch Netflix on Opera or on Linux.
I have also heard internet is much faster on droid. Is that correct?Faster as in rendering? I've never has any complaints on my Droid. I'm not much into the BB news but depending on your BB OS version the older browser was crap. I THINK OS 6 (or 5?) brought the Webkit browser but I don't know how good it is.
But even if you don't like the stock android browser you can always download Firefox, Opera, Skyfire, or dolphin.
Also are there more apps for droid compared to blackberry?As far as apps, android does have a lot more then BB.
market.android.com (if you want to browse at what's there).

Join DateOct 2005Posts1,395PhonesDroid XDroid XDroid 3CarriersVerizon WirelessFeedback Score0

Probably the only things you will miss on the blackberry is email delivery. On a Rim device. BAM email is there... On a droid device or other device for that matter.. there may be a delay for a minute or so. Thats why RIM is still in business, they are the leader in email delivery.
Now, I firmly believe that a newer android device is MUCH MORE superior. SO is an iPhone of course. The internet is faster because of the processors. 4g device? I would say stay away from the thunderbolt. Bad battery life. The Droid charge seems to rule in the battery life portion. I dont think there are any 4g keyboard phones tho.
The droid 3 is really impressive by the way. However, no 4g.

Join DateFeb 2003LocationSE MichiganPosts76PhonesOG DroidOG DroidCarrierVerizonFeedback Score0

Probably the only things you will miss on the blackberry is email delivery. On a Rim device. BAM email is there... On a droid device or other device for that matter.. there may be a delay for a minute or so. Thats why RIM is still in business, they are the leader in email delivery.It's due mostly to BBs having a dedicated server (BES) as opposed to polling for mail. If you stand up say a Traveler server in a Lotus Notes shop the mail delivery is just as fast for the devices attached to it.

Join DateJan 2004LocationNew YorkPosts5,621PhoneHTC ThunderboltCarrierVerizonFeedback Score0

4g device? I would say stay away from the thunderbolt. Bad battery life. The Droid charge seems to rule in the battery life portion.And it's not like there is a quantum leap in difference between the TBolt battery life and the Droid Charge battery life. I believe that the difference stems almost solely from the fact that the Droid Charge comes with a larger battery to begin with.

Join DateJun 2003Posts584PhoneHTC ThunderboltCarrierVerizon WirelessFeedback Score0

I believe that the difference stems almost solely from the fact that the Droid Charge comes with a larger battery to begin with.That's probably accounts for some of it... According to this comparison on Wirefly, the Droid Charge comes with a 1600 mAh battery while the Thunderbolt comes with a 1400 mAh battery.

Join DateJan 2003Posts855Feedback Score0

I'm surprised you're having so many problems as RIM makes excellent hardware. I'd say RIM, Apple and Motorola have the best hardware for phones (ignoring OS).
I'd also hold out for the Bionic and I'm taking my own advice as I really want a 4G phone. I had a Blackberry for about five years before getting the original Droid on the release day. I could write paragraphs on the pros and cons but I find Android to be far better than the Blackberry (my last was a Bold on AT&T). I do miss having BBM as I used it quite a bit.
If you're using google mail, either gmail or an apps account, it works as good as a blackberry. I find the exchange client to be lacking when it comes to marking messages as deleted or read on the server. You can use the exchange setup as mentioned above for hotmail/live/msn email accounts; set up manually not automatically or you get the pop client.
The big benefit for Blackberry right now is data compression. They use efficient compression on all data which, in the world of tiered and expensive data as we now have, could be a big selling point for RIM. My data usage, and it isn't a truly fair comparison as I do much more with my Droid, was a fraction of what I'm using now (I don't to any streaming).

Join DateOct 2003LocationSan Francisco Bay AreaPosts2,244PhonesBlackberry Storm, Motorola Droid, W385Retired: Motorola V710,V9M, StarTac7868,T730, SC725, DPC550(analog), V325CarrierVerizon Wireless (since 1994 as GTE MobileNet)Feedback Score0

It's due mostly to BBs having a dedicated server (BES) as opposed to polling for mail. If you stand up say a Traveler server in a Lotus Notes shop the mail delivery is just as fast for the devices attached to it.BES is for a corporate server. For personal use, one uses BIS (Blackberry Internet Services), where the server is at RIM. That server takes responsibility for connecting to the various e-mail services you have configured (gmail, yahoo, hotmail, whatever), using (instant) push functionality if available, else polling if, for example, only POP is available. The phone has an open connection to the BIS server, and as soon as the BIS server gets the e-mail, it is sent to your phone. This means that the phone does not have to do any polling, regardless of the capabilities of the e-mail provider. And, as pointed out, the data is compressed (in a way that does not lose any information), lessening the data traffic.

Join DateJul 2011Posts6Feedback Score0lg revolution

Anyone had any luck with 4g lg revolution? I beleive this is the phone I will go with. I saw the specs on the new bionic and it doesn't necessarily look like it will be much better than the charge or the revolution and I am thinking if I am going to upgrade I might as well get the newest 4g availible at the time which happens to be the revolution. Verizon has been very helpful throughout this. My upgrade date on my current contract wasn't listed untill 08/20 and they are willing to go ahead and let me upgrade now if I want to the revolution on a new 2 year contract. As I posted on another thread they also let me switch my friends and family from the 1400 plan with 10 friends and family to the 700 plan with 5 friends and family as a part of my upgrade because i was told i was "a good customer" and we hardly used any minutes that were outside of verizon. Also how does the mini hdmi out ports work? Will I basically be able to doc my phone to my hd tv and see everything on the tv? I am basically getting looking to almost use my newer smartphone as a netbook replacement and it seems like all the new phones are almost there.

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Swapping between two smartphones online

Join DateAug 2005LocationTwin CitiesPosts53PhonesMoto Droid 3Palm Pre PlusOrange LG enVCarrierVerizonFeedback Score0


(wireless internet service,internet service providers,internet service,wireless service providers,verizon wireless internet,verizon internet,broadband internet providers,wireless broadband providers,broadband internet,broadband wireless)

I just put in the order for a Droid3 to replace a Pre +.
I can see instances where I would want to switch back to my old Pre + every once in a while (3 or 4 times a year maybe.)
Is it realistic to go onto the VZW webpage and ?swap? (using the ?Activate or Switch Device? option within the MyVerizon page) from the D3 to the Pre+ as the active phone on the line then swap back to the D3 a day or two later without any hassles or syncing issues?
I?ve swapped feature phones online before, but I?ve never tried it with smartphones.
Do smartphones ?swap? and become active on the network within minutes of doing it like feature phones do?
Thanks.
-Suntan

Join DateNov 2004Posts128Phoneslg 8100 (retired)Moto W385 (retired)Blackberry Pearl 8130(retired)CarrierVerizonFeedback Score0

Yep. I do it frequently too. No issues so far

Join DateAug 2002Posts965CarrierVerizon WirelessFeedback Score0

An even easier method is to dial *228 and select option 1 on the phone you want to activate. Follow the prompts and voila!

Join DateJun 2003Posts584PhoneHTC ThunderboltCarrierVerizon WirelessFeedback Score0

An even easier method is to dial *228 and select option 1 on the phone you want to activate. Follow the prompts and voila!Exactly... Prior to buying the Thunderbolt, switching phones was a relatively quick (and automated) process. I've heard conflicting stories as to whether switching from an LTE phone to a 3G phone deactivates the SIM card... so I'm not exactly sure how that process works.

Join DateMar 2010Posts212Feedback Score0

IF you swap from a LTE phone to a 3G phone, the SIM card deactivates itself at midnight EST on that day and you then need to get another SIM card to be able to reactivate your LTE device.
I realize how idiotic that sounds, and no - I don't know why it's set that way. But it is.

Join DateJun 2003Posts584PhoneHTC ThunderboltCarrierVerizon WirelessFeedback Score0

I realize how idiotic that sounds, and no - I don't know why it's set that way. But it is.Thanks for the info... My next question was going to be "Why?"... At some point, I hope that most of VZW's phones will use SIM cards. There are few things I miss about GSM... A SIM card is one of those things.

Join DateAug 2002Posts965CarrierVerizon WirelessFeedback Score0

IF you swap from a LTE phone to a 3G phone, the SIM card deactivates itself at midnight EST on that day and you then need to get another SIM card to be able to reactivate your LTE device.I wonder why as well. AT&T does the same thing. I once took an old SIM into a store to activate service and they said they can't reactivate SIMs and issued a new one.

Join DateAug 2005LocationTwin CitiesPosts53PhonesMoto Droid 3Palm Pre PlusOrange LG enVCarrierVerizonFeedback Score0

An even easier method is to dial *228 and select option 1 on the phone you want to activate. Follow the prompts and voila!So if my Droid 3 was currently my active phone, and I wanted to switch over to using the Pre+ I could just dial *228 on the Pre +, press 1 and then follow the prompts?
How would it know what account to activate it on? Do you just type in the corresponding phone number or something?
-Suntan

Join DateAug 2002Posts965CarrierVerizon WirelessFeedback Score0

So if my Droid 3 was currently my active phone, and I wanted to switch over to using the Pre+ I could just dial *228 on the Pre +, press 1 and then follow the prompts?
How would it know what account to activate it on? Do you just type in the corresponding phone number or something?
Yes, exactly. It knows because it has you enter your phone number and then your account password.

Join DateAug 2005LocationTwin CitiesPosts53PhonesMoto Droid 3Palm Pre PlusOrange LG enVCarrierVerizonFeedback Score0Join DateAug 2003LocationRiversidePosts160PhonesiPhone, Moto Q 9h8125, 2125, BB 8300, 8700, 8800Moto RAZR - V3, V3iCarriersThe New AT&TAT&TFeedback Score0

IF you swap from a LTE phone to a 3G phone, the SIM card deactivates itself at midnight EST on that day and you then need to get another SIM card to be able to reactivate your LTE device.
I realize how idiotic that sounds, and no - I don't know why it's set that way. But it is.
This is not what I was told by @vzwsupport on twitter today. They said you take the sim out and put it back in and it reactivates. I specifically asked if I would have to get a new sim and they said no.

Join DateJun 2011Posts10Feedback Score0
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huge phone pricing differences between retailers and verizon wireless

Join DateJul 2011Posts6Feedback Score0


(wireless internet service,internet service providers,internet service,wireless service providers,verizon wireless internet,verizon internet,broadband internet providers,wireless broadband providers,broadband internet,broadband wireless)

Has anyone ever experienced a huge price difference between other retailers than actually purchasing from a verizon corporate store or through verizon wireless? I called yesterday with another issue and verizon offered me an early upgrade and talked me into the lg revolution. I was told the price would be 249.99 for a 2 year upgrade. I ask the man if that was the best rate at the going time and he said yes that is currently where they are at with that phone and he explained that everyone would be that price so I went ahead with the upgrade. Today I saw something online about target having the revolution for cheap so i went to their site and also wirefly and they both had a 2 year upgrade price of 99.99 for the same phone. Anyone know why there is such a huge price difference between verizon and wirefly/target on the same phone. I called in and ask a customer service rep and they had no idea or said they had no idea their is such a difference in price but that I could reject the fed ex shipment when it comes and everything would go back to original upgrade dates and i could call and order from wirefly if i chose to do it. Anyone else had this experience and has anyone else dealt with wirefly before? Would I be wiser to refuse the shipment and order from them in a few weeks when my original upgrade date was supposed to be? I remember seeing 50 dollar differences before between mall verizons and corporate verizon/online stores but never a $150 difference plus wirefly/target is giving $25 gift cards for android store with this phone so its more like $175 cost difference.

Join DateJun 2011Posts3Feedback Score0

I bought my Droid Charge from Costco. It was 120 less then Verizon and still 70 less with my ne2.
I called and asked if Verizon would match prices and the rep told me it was an awesome deal at Costco I should buy it there. I guess big red just cares about the service.
Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk

Join DateJul 2011Posts6Feedback Score0

I noticed that as well. They are supposed to call me back tommorow and see if they can do anything about it but the one rep told me id be better off to go elsewhere. It seems really odd that even though they are already sending me the phone and all they dont want to match prices. Obviously these other reteailers must pay less for their phones than what they sell them for or something so surely verizon could match their prices and you would think it would be easier eliminating the retailer as the middleman.

Join DateJul 2009Location256 BamaPosts2,722PhonesVerizon Motorola DroidVerizon Curve & TourSprint BlackBerry CurveCarriersVerizon,AT&T (no more)Feedback Score0

Beware that a LOT of sites (even some stores) have their own contract that you are locked into with them, some even state you can't change your plan for 6 months and if you do, a 300.00+ charge will be taken from the card you used to purchase the phone with (usually online). Also, if you have any questions, don't expect the stores to give you any help if you did not buy it from the store. If need stuff transferred, don't even think about go to the store and thinking to have it done for free if you didn't get the phone from the store.

Join DateJul 2009Location256 BamaPosts2,722PhonesVerizon Motorola DroidVerizon Curve & TourSprint BlackBerry CurveCarriersVerizon,AT&T (no more)Feedback Score0

I noticed that as well. They are supposed to call me back tommorow and see if they can do anything about it but the one rep told me id be better off to go elsewhere. It seems really odd that even though they are already sending me the phone and all they dont want to match prices. Obviously these other reteailers must pay less for their phones than what they sell them for or something so surely verizon could match their prices and you would think it would be easier eliminating the retailer as the middleman.Corp stores are not allowed to match prices. Prices are set company wide and by upper corp.

Join DateDec 2006Locationfort waynePosts341PhoneDroid Charge & Palm centroCarrierVerizonwireless, Sprint, & T-mobileFeedback Score0

you would think it would be easier eliminating the retailer as the middleman.I agree 100%. I bought 5 phone back in 2008 from verizonwireless.com and paid a good amount of money. looking back I could probably get the same phone from a 3rd party retailer for at least half the price or maybe even free.

Join DateJun 2003Posts584PhoneHTC ThunderboltCarrierVerizon WirelessFeedback Score0

I agree 100%. I bought 5 phone back in 2008 from verizonwireless.com and paid a good amount of money. looking back I could probably get the same phone from a 3rd party retailer for at least half the price or maybe even free.... and sometimes, you get what you paid for. Sometimes service after the sale is lacking... and sometimes the private retailer charges you for making account changes. There are some rather respectable private retailers out there... No doubt about it. Unfortunately, there are also some not-so-respectable private retailers out there, too. The internet will help you research a particular retailer's reputation...

Join DateDec 2006Locationfort waynePosts341PhoneDroid Charge & Palm centroCarrierVerizonwireless, Sprint, & T-mobileFeedback Score0

Wow amazon wireless charges ETF too on top of VZW ETF. I assume this applies to all 3rd retailer?
direct copy and paste
AmazonWireless Instant Discount Policy
When you purchase your device with service from AmazonWireless.com, we automatically pass along an instant discount from the carrier to you. This discount has been provided to you based on your agreement to (a) activate a new, or extend an existing, line of service for this device with the carrier, and (b) maintain this service in good standing for a minimum of 181 consecutive days. If you do not activate or extend a line of service in connection with this device, or if your service is canceled/disconnected before 181 consecutive days, AmazonWireless.com will charge you $250 per device, plus applicable taxes.
Verizon Wireless Early Termination Fee
If you purchase a discounted phone with a two-year contract and then cancel after the 14-day return period, Verizon will charge a pro-rated Early Termination Fee based on your phone/device type.
For Smartphones purchased after November 14, 2009, such as the Motorola DROID and BlackBerry Storm: Verizon charges $350 minus $10 for each full month of your Service Commitment that you complete.
For a list of advanced devices subject to the $350 fee, check http://www.verizonwireless.com/advanceddevices
For Standard Phones, such as the Motorola Barrage or Samsung Intensity: Verizon charges $175 minus $5 for each full month of your Service Commitment that you complete.
NOTE: Once you fulfill your service contract, you'll automatically become a month-to-month customer.

Join DateNov 2009Posts1,383PhonesN/APantech JestCarriersVerizonFeedback Score0

The retailers get an additional commission from Verizon because you keep a data plan active for 6 months. Thus the lower price, but also the additional contract and fee if they don't get it.

Join DateDec 2003Posts1,078PhonesMoto Maxx VeDroid Incredible 2LG VersaCarrierVerizonFeedback Score0

Corp stores are not allowed to match prices. Prices are set company wide and by upper corp.I call this comment false to an extent.
I was torn between the Revolution and the Dinc2. Wirefly had them for $99/$0, resp. I was a bit iffy about ordering from them. Sams club had them for $99/$50.
I asked our corporate rep if VZW could match that price for the Droid and if so I would order right then. I was told yes, so I got
it.
Sent from my ADR6350 using HowardForums

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Verizon website screwed up ??

Join DateAug 2004LocationWestern WisconsinPosts164PhoneDroid XCarrierVerizon (formerly Alltel)Feedback Score0


(wireless internet service,internet service providers,internet service,wireless service providers,verizon wireless internet,verizon internet,broadband internet providers,wireless broadband providers,broadband internet,broadband wireless)

Just wondering if anyone else is having any issues - trying to upgrade my phone (indicates an upgrade is available at a discount on one of my lines), and it keeps coming back with full retail (no contract) prices.
It wasn't doing this the other day - just started the past day or so.
Oh - one more thing - tried to use the online chat (which says is supposed to be available until 2 AM EST), but it just says "OFFLINE" and won't allow me to connect.

Join DateDec 2003Posts1,078PhonesMoto Maxx VeDroid Incredible 2LG VersaCarrierVerizonFeedback Score0

Reboot
Sent from my ADR6350 using HowardForums

Join DateAug 2004LocationWestern WisconsinPosts164PhoneDroid XCarrierVerizon (formerly Alltel)Feedback Score0

Reboot
Sent from my ADR6350 using HowardForums
Hope you're not serious. Tried from both IE and Chrome and both are showing the same results.
EDIT: Finally got it to work. "Re-selected" the dropdown for 2-year contract pricing and all the prices dropped appropriately.
Seems they made a recent change to the site in the past few days or something (I'm noticing some minor functionality changes).

Join DateJun 2003Posts584PhoneHTC ThunderboltCarrierVerizon WirelessFeedback Score0

Seems they made a recent change to the site in the past few days or something (I'm noticing some minor functionality changes).They made a few changes... One change I noticed is within MyVerizon when you view your plan... The layout of the plan, features, discounts, etc. has changed.

Join DateAug 2001LocationRedwood Valley,Northwestern California(97-)/Pocatello,Idaho(90-97)/Covina,SoCal Born&Raised(71-90)Posts21,348CarriersVerizon;U.S. Cellular(in-market roaming w/VZ)Feedback Score0

I had some issues yesterday with it in Google Chrome, but Internet Explorer was fine.

Join DateAug 2007LocationBoston, MAPosts420PhoneHTC Droid IncredibleCarrierVerizonFeedback Score0

I had some issues yesterday with it in Google Chrome, but Internet Explorer was fine.There are 2 or 3 websites that I use with IE because they get goofy in Firefox, VZW is one of them.

Join DateDec 2003Posts1,078PhonesMoto Maxx VeDroid Incredible 2LG VersaCarrierVerizonFeedback Score0

Hope you're not serious. Tried from both IE and Chrome and both are showing the same results.
EDIT: Finally got it to work. "Re-selected" the dropdown for 2-year contract pricing and all the prices dropped appropriately.
Seems they made a recent change to the site in the past few days or something (I'm noticing some minor functionality changes).
I am dead serious. Many times I've seen issues on a website and it gets fixed by either closing the browser or just plain rebooting.
I know it seems idiotic, but it works. Obviously we see from another thread, this is a VZW website issue now.

Join DateJun 2003Posts584PhoneHTC ThunderboltCarrierVerizon WirelessFeedback Score0

I am dead serious. Many times I've seen issues on a website and it gets fixed by either closing the browser or just plain rebooting.
I know it seems idiotic, but it works. Obviously we see from another thread, this is a VZW website issue now.
Yesterday, I was routed to 'http://www.verizonwireless.com/backbutton.html' when trying to access the VZW site or a bookmarked link within the site. Closing the browser and re-opening it would temporarily fix the problem.

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