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VZW, feature phones & smart phones.

Jiangshu

Jul 25, 2011, 10:30 AM
On the Call: Verizon COO McAdam on iPhone
Associated Press, 07.22.11, 12:12 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- Verizon Communications Inc. is benefiting from being able to sell the iPhone, but investors were looking for even stronger results in the second quarter. On a call with analysts, incoming CEO and current Chief Operating Officer Lowell McAdam was asked if he thinks smartphone adoption will speed up this year.

QUESTION: At the beginning of the year we heard that 50 percent of phones in the hands of Verizon ( VZ - news - people ) subscribers would be smartphones this year. It doesn't look like you're going to make it. Do you see anything in the second half of the year that's going to get you there?

RESPONSE: We like the gross a
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IvyLeagueZombies

Jul 25, 2011, 12:05 PM
...Verizon tried to do the required data package thing for feature phones. It was widely regarded as a bad move and they no longer produce the phones that require that package.
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Jiangshu

Jul 25, 2011, 12:31 PM
Crazy, you're right. I guess some changes happened since I last got a phone! I swear they still had a "feature" phone catagory a few months ago when I was looking online. 😕

There goes my hypothesis. ☚ī¸
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Jiangshu

Jul 25, 2011, 12:36 PM
They only offer 24 "Basic Phones" online vs 43 data pack requiring (Smart Phones).


The LG Chocolate Touch still requires a $9.99 data package.

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller? ... »
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mar29oct

Jul 25, 2011, 1:35 PM
LG Chocolate Touch only one I seen. And it is not even new.
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Jiangshu

Jul 26, 2011, 10:00 PM
I double checked. There are three, but they're all certified preowned.
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IvyLeagueZombies

Jul 25, 2011, 4:02 PM
yeah, but when was that released? There were only about 10 phones that required this data pack and none of them are no longer current.
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IvyLeagueZombies

Jul 25, 2011, 4:08 PM
in the middle of last year Verizon changed from Basic phones and smartphone categories to Basic phones, 3g multimedia phones and smartphones. Smartphones required the 29.99 unlimited data pak, 3g multimedia phones required the 9.99 data pak and the basic phones did not require any data pak. There were only a couple of phones catagorized as a 3g multimedia phone; most notably the LG enV Touch, enV 3, Chocolate Touch, Samsung Alias 2 and a couple of high end flip phones.

People flipped sh*t over this change and sales of these devices plummeted (at least what i was able to see. My company didn't sell many of these phones at all). Several months later Verizon stated that they were not going to produce any more 3g multimedia phones, but t...
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epik

Jul 25, 2011, 11:38 PM
As it stands, most reps should be able to remove the mandatory data plan now. I know we can.
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IvyLeagueZombies

Jul 26, 2011, 12:46 PM
hrm...nobody has informed me of this over here in the wasteland of the indirect channel.

Thanks for the heads up!
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mellowlen62

Jul 31, 2011, 6:47 AM
But unfortunately not on phones PURCHASED during the time period in which the data plans were required? Or has that changed? i.e. I have an Alias2, brand new, that I'd like to replace my husband's ailing LG flip with. However, whenever I try to activate it, I am "required" to add at least $10 data to it. My husband barely turns a phone on and says "hello" so I'd actually prefer just putting a data block on, but Verizon says I can't. (I have kids with droidx, iphone, and my berry, and I'm economically opposed to paying another $10 for a man who sometimes gets crazy and makes 3 phonecalls a month...). I am told this particular model doesn't require the data plan any more, so why are we bound to it? SMH.
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epik

Jul 31, 2011, 7:51 PM
The phone still requires it, and the system makes us add it, but it doesn't prevent us from then removing it. I take it off from time to time, depending on the customer.
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mellowlen62

Jul 31, 2011, 8:45 PM
Interesting. I didn't think it was still required. Oh well, until the flip dies, it just sits in a drawer. Part of me knows they don't make phones to hold up like that LG but it has seen better days...
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Jiangshu

Jul 26, 2011, 9:59 PM
Ah, thanks!
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yourvoiceofreason

Jul 26, 2011, 10:40 PM
I agree with some of what you are saying. But I also think the industry became a big factor in people getting smart phones now. Particularly, the Iphone changed the game. It obviously sold a lot itself. But it got other manufacturers to "up its game" on devices and operating systems (such as Android)

So phones are just a lot better and can do a lot more things than 5 years ago. Processing speeds are so fast. Touch screens can be used without styluses. Smartphones are not bulky like the old Palm Treos, etc. Therefore, in addition to data requirements, people have become more enamored with smartphones now and are willing to pay $30/mo.

However, will they pay $50 for 5GB, $80 for 10GB? That remains to be seen.
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Jiangshu

Jul 29, 2011, 9:20 AM
True. It certainly helps that many phones now have a browser worth browsing on.
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