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Has Verizon Already Screwed Galaxy S III Owners?

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It looks like Verizon is at it again. First, it was (and still is) the carrier’s treatment of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and now, it appears that it’s going to be giving another Samsung device, the Galaxy S III, and its future owners the same kind of terrible treatment.

To bring those of you out of the loop up to speed, Verizon has completely dropped the ball with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Since December, when the phone launched, the carrier has released a grand total of zero updates for the phone. Zero. For a Nexus device. The phone is still on Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich while other, lesser devices, are on Android 4.0.4.

Needless to say, Galaxy Nexus owners like myself are frustrated and angered by the situation. And many, like myself, feel let down by the phone and the carrier that it calls home.

Has Verizon Already Screwed Future Galaxy S III Owners?Read: Verizon Dropped the Ball with the Galaxy Nexus.

It looks like Verizon is trying to outdo itself with the Samsung Galaxy S III though, a device that it has yet to even announce.

Earlier today, it became apparent that the carrier will be ending its double data 4G LTE plans on June 3rd. The carrier hasn’t confirmed it but multiple sources are saying that that will be the day that the carrier ends the promotion.

Interesting, because the Samsung Galaxy S III is arriving in the United States during the month of June. So if Verizon gets the Samsung Galaxy S III, which I believe it will, and if Verizon decides to end the promotion on June 3rd, which appears likely, then that means that the carrier has to launch the device on one of three days in order for future Galaxy S III owners to take advantage of the deal.

If it launches it after June 3rd, and my guess is that it will, it appears that Galaxy S III owners will be stuck with the carrier’s regular old tiered 4G LTE data plans.

In the Land of Sarcasm, that’s called a nice gesture.

I realize that it’s a promotion and that Verizon never said when it was going to end it, but guess what? It’s been going on since February. February. Three full months this promotion has been up and Big Red is deciding that it’s time to end it at the beginning of June?

Poor timing, poor decision, if true.

These data plans could be a huge sell for Verizon, especially if the other three major U.S. carriers in AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile get the device as expected. After the Galaxy Nexus debacle, Verizon needs something to lure customers in, and double data plans seem like something that could do that.

However, Verizon seems determined to undermine as many launches as it can, (see Droid Incredible 4G LTE, Droid Bionic, Droid 2, Galaxy Nexus, HTC ThunderBolt for further information) so don’t be shocked to see the Galaxy S III launch without access to one of the best things that Verizon has to offer consumers.

Read: Why Did I Buy the Galaxy Nexus Again?

Would you buy a Samsung Galaxy S III on Verizon if it didn’t have a double data plan available?

7 Comments

7 Comments

  1. Joel McLaughlin

    05/07/2012 at 12:37 pm

    Verizon Galaxy Nexus is on 4.0.2. Not 4.0.3. Really that’s the only part of this article I don’t agree with. :-)

    I called up support and got promised that the firmware update will be out this month. I bet those who have had it longer than I were promised it every month this year.

  2. Nate

    05/07/2012 at 12:46 pm

    I’m running CM9 on mine so I might have misunderstood, but I thought 4.0.4 started pushing out last week to the Verizon Galaxy Nexus?

  3. Joel McLaughlin

    05/07/2012 at 12:49 pm

    An update made it out to a select few devices. HOWEVER, not even 24 hours later Google pulled the update from the server the OTA was using. Makes me thing the 4.0.4 (build: IMM76K) was a soak test.

    I DID try it for a little while on my phone and it didn’t fix everything. Still had issues with 4G losing connectivity.

  4. Concerned Verizon Customer

    05/07/2012 at 1:41 pm

    I went to a Verizon store late last week to inquire about the Galaxy Nexus update. They told me to get on my knees, which I did… just to be funny. Then one of the employees shit directly into my mouth :-(

  5. CRC

    05/07/2012 at 2:00 pm

    I thought I’d read somewhere that the LTE version of Galaxy S III was going to be ready in time for summer and that the Verizon (i.e. LTE version) wouldn’t be ready until 3Q or 4Q?

  6. Ross

    05/08/2012 at 8:51 pm

    But this doesn’t concern grandfathered unlimited people correct? But that June 3rd date sounds exiting if the author’s assumption of Verizon’s evil ways holds true.

    • corey

      05/10/2012 at 11:35 pm

      I agree. I’m one of the loyal(I laugh when I call myself that) customers that will get grandfathered in. I currently have a Droid X, and am more than ready for my update. I just don’t know what phone to get. Can any of you Android geniuses recommend a phone to me. BTW, I recently used my upgrade on an Iphone. I kept it for SIX days, ughhhh. Seriously, I don’t understand what the big commotion is about that phone. I just assumed, I could create icons(widgets)for speed dialing, which I thought was something basic on my Droid X. Guess I’m not an Iphone person. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I’m not sure if I should wait until the Galaxy 3, or just get a cheaper price on some of the older models like the Spectrum, Bionic or even that little LG Lucid phone.

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