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Verizon Screws Future Galaxy S III Owners

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Lo and behold, it looks like Verizon has, as I thought it might, decided to screw over future Samsung Galaxy S III owners by ending its 4G LTE double data plan promo on June 5th.

Today, Verizon confirmed (to us) that it would be ending the double data plans for its 4G LTE devices in just a few days. What this means is that unless Verizon somehow launches the Samsung Galaxy S III on or before June 5th, those who are intereted in buying it will be stuck with Verizon’s paltry and regular old tiered data plans.

Do not pass Go, do not collect double data.

Yeah, yeah, I know that the carrier could bring the promo back at some point. It has done it before. But I highly doubt that it will bring it back just a few weeks after killing it. It could also decide to keep the promotion in place but this is an American carrier we’re talking about here and such things are out of the question.

And yes, it could also launch the phone before or on June 5th but right now that appears unlikely. The pebble blue Galaxy S III has been hit with delays and Canada, which launched last year’s Galaxy S II around the same time as U.S. carriers, won’t get the phone until June 20th.

The worst part about this is that the promotion has been available since February. Again, February. It makes you wonder about the timing of it all.  In fact, it makes me wonder a lot.

This of course isn’t the only issue that consumers might have with a Verizon-branded Galaxy S III device.

Just have a look at the kind of attention the carrier has given its other big name Samsung smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. It took more than five months for Verizon to dish out an update to the phone. We’re not talking a major Android update either. We’re talking a bug fix update.

I can’t say whether Galaxy S III owners should expect the same but just remember, Verizon was dead last in getting Gingerbread to its original Galaxy S device, the Samsung Fascinate.

So by ending this promo and offering terrible support, Verizon really has one thing that’s going to distinguish its version of the Galaxy S III from the rest of the pack. and that’s its 4G LTE network.

Verizon’s 4G LTE network is an absolute monstrosity compared to AT&T’s and U.S. Cellular’s. Sprint’s network hasn’t launched yet and T-Mobile will offer an HSPA+ device because it won’t have 4G LTE in place until 2013.

Will that be enough to sell customers on its version of the Galaxy S III? I don’t know.

I just know that I’d be looking elsewhere.

Anyone else peeved that Verizon is ending this promotion when it is?

18 Comments

18 Comments

  1. Justin

    05/31/2012 at 4:34 pm

    Does this mean that for those of us who are grandfathered in on the unlimited plans, will now have to sign up for the limited data plans if we want the new phone?

    If that does happen, I will be leaving for sprint.I have no 4g in my area anyways.

    • bolski

      06/05/2012 at 9:17 am

      Justin, that’s EXACTLY what it means. Oh, and you will ALSO have to pay a $30 upgrade fee now.

      Verizon is on a mission – to see how many peeved customers they can create. I guess they didn’t factor in how many they could potentially lose.

    • sgtguthrie

      06/05/2012 at 11:02 am

      You should look at Red Pocket Mobile before sprint imo. Red Pocket uses unlocked GSM devices on at&t network to include their hspa+. For 60 dollars a month you get unlimited talk, text, MMS, and 2gb of data. No contract :-) If verizon doesn’t drop the s3 before their unlimited grandfathering ends, I’m leaving for Red Pocket Mobile almost certainly! Only downfall I can see is you only get 2gb of data, but for 60 dollars that’s much better than vzw imo! They don’t care how you use that 2gb either. I asked about tethering and they said they haveno problem with it :-)

      I think the only way I wouldn’t choose RPM is if google started their own virtual network as I’ve heard rumors they might ;-)

    • trob6969

      06/06/2012 at 3:17 am

      No, but in order to keep your ‘grandfathered’ plan you’ll have to pay full price for any new smartphone.

  2. neil

    05/31/2012 at 5:20 pm

    Yes, that’s exactly what that means. Verizon is doing awat with grandfathered unlimited plans. Loyalty schmoyalty.

  3. GoodForYou

    05/31/2012 at 6:17 pm

    Verizon does something good by offering double data for months, and you complain when they decide to end it. Should they have not offered it at all? Petulant whining, if you ask me.

    • Mikel

      05/31/2012 at 7:35 pm

      $30 for 4 GB and no tethering? And that will become $30 for 2 GB and no tethering. Seems a bit pricey to me.

      • sgtguthrie

        06/04/2012 at 6:10 am

        That’s because it is!!!

    • sgtguthrie

      06/04/2012 at 6:09 am

      I’d rather they let me keep my unlimited data. The 4gb promotion was just to “ease” the transition to tiered data. As if we’ll forget about unlimited for the same price :-\
      I couldn’t care less about the promotion. All I want to know is will the s3 launch before they start making the unlimited crowd choose a tier!

  4. sgtguthrie

    06/05/2012 at 11:06 am

    I also host have to say this website sucks on a mobile device! The stupid tweet/share/+ 1 bar makes it hard to see what you’re typing in a post. For a site about mobile technology, that’s pretty lame ;-)

    Maybe you should try discus?

    • Xavier Lanier

      06/05/2012 at 11:29 am

      Which mobile browser/OS are you using? We used to have Disqus, but it slowed page loads down considerably.

  5. Jonathan Evans

    06/10/2012 at 4:29 pm

    I have one word for all the hand wringing re: Verizon’s “unlimited” data plan.
    Sprint
    They don’t cap, throttle or otherwise screw you with fine print.
    My sister is a Vice-President for customer relations at Verizon in VA. I love having discussions with her about this and other topics. She never has an answer to Sprint’s “truly” unlimited data plan. Good luck all you Verizon Customers. Best wishes.
    Jonathan
    Norfolk, VA

    • sgtguthrie

      06/10/2012 at 5:36 pm

      Sprint can stay unlimited because if you’re on their 3G the bandwidth already limits you! Seriously, how much data can you really use at DIAL UP SPEED!!!

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