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Archive for the 'Verizon Wireless' Tag

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The facts about Verizon doubling early termination fees

November 6th, 2009, 1:04 pm by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress

Verizon WirelessAfter being the first in the industry to pro-rate 2-year mobile phone contracts, Verizon Wireless now plans to double that fee — BUT only in some cases.

Beginning Nov. 15, Verizon’s early-termination fees jump to $350 for higher-end devices like smartphones, netbooks and other advanced devices. The current rate is half that, at $175. The higher rate kicks in only on customers who sign a new contract.

Verizon still will prorate the contract, subtracting $10 a month (all other phones are prorated $5/month). So, by the end of 23 months, affected users will still need to cough up $120. But by then, you might as well wait a month to leave without paying a penny.

Why is Verizon changing its early termination fee? To make subsidizing these expensive devices worth it to the company.

Interestingly, the new Motorola Droid is $199.99 with a 2-year contract. But without a contract, it sells for $559.99. That means you could save $10 by buying the phone, and then canceling the 2-year contract ($200 + $350 = $550). And since the new fee doesn’t kick in until Nov. 15, that means people who buy a Droid before that date and then cancel service will get it for $375 without a contract! No wonder Verizon upped the fee.

As I’ve mentioned before, anyone can test a Verizon phone for 30 days and then cancel without having to pay any early termination fee. Read my earlier story covering testing policies, I mean, return policies by the major mobile providers: “How any consumer can ‘test’ a cell phone.”

Verizon also adds that if you bring a compatible phone to its network and sign up for service, you don’t have to commit to any long-term contract.

Earlier on cell phone policies:

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • • • | 12 Comments »

10 things I loved, hated about the Motorola Droid

November 6th, 2009, 9:55 am by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress

Motorola Droid from Verizon WirelessI, for one, am very glad that there is more to mobile phones than the iPhone, which is a very nice phone. But if the world only wanted an iPhone, gadget geeks everywhere wouldn’t have much to look forward to. And today, we’re looking forward to the new Motorola Droid, on sale today from Verizon Wireless (There are 40 Verizon stores within 25 miles of Santa Ana. Here’s a store locator).

After a week with the Droid, I’m seriously digging its Google Android 2.0 operating system, which will pop up in more phones from Verizon Wireless and other carriers. While I wouldn’t call the Droid a game changer for the industry, it’s a game changer for Verizon Wireless because for the first time the company let outsiders help develop the phone. Even tinkerers who want to develop Android apps can  influence the Verizon phone in a way that was prohibited before.

The phone itself is an improvement over the original Google phone, the G1 (my current phone), with a sleeker shape and better internal technology. A 3.7-inch screen makes it the largest smartphone screen out there. The slide-out keyboard is a bonus. But, as with any gadget, I have an opinion. There are features I love, like and hate. Let me start with what I don’t like.

5 things I don’t like about the Droid:

1. Screen sensitivity: Nice big screen, but not as responsive and smooth as the iPhone. Not sure if it’s a glitch, but sometimes shortcuts I placed on the main screen did nothing when pressed. Other times, one touch popped up the application. Also, when scrolling on the Web, it can be jerky as images load. Reminds me of pre-broadband everywhere days. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Car tech • Cell phones • Gadgets • • • • • • • • • • | 24 Comments »

Where Verizon improved So. Calif. cell coverage in August, Sept.

November 2nd, 2009, 2:48 pm by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress

Verizon WirelessHas your Verizon Wireless cell phone been getting better reception? I just got a list of 26 new cell sites the company turned in on during August and September. Several cities in Southern California should have seen improvements. All the sites offer 3G wireless coverage, of course.

As for Orange County? Just one lucky locale (October results have not yet been released):

San Juan Capistrano - Along Ortega Highway at the Orange/Riverside County line, east to Fire Street to Upper San Juan Campground to the southwest.

A Verizon coverage map is also available here. Here is the list of the latest cell sites for the Southern California region.  Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • | 6 Comments »

Do I have the only Motorola Droid in Orange County?

October 31st, 2009, 9:22 am by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress

Motorola DroidWhen you get a new gadget to play with before the rest of the world, you’ll get a lot of unwanted (or is it?) attention.  When a friend of mine found out I was playing with the new Motorola Droid this week, he immediately invited himself over. Offered to bring lunch, in fact.

He’s a good friend, so I agreed. He’s such a good friend, I let him take the Droid while he went to get food. That brought even more attention. Someone in line stopped him and asked, “Is that the.. the.. Droid? I’ve been reading about it on Engadget!”

Wrong answer! My friend didn’t reveal his sources but said he would have let the dude check it out if he had mentioned The Gadgetress!

I may not be the only one in Orange County with the new Droid, which goes on sale next Friday. But I’m willing to share what I know. What else do you want to know? Comment below!

So, day three with the Droid. Three observations:

YouTube Preview Image

The camera. It’s a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and flash. The flash is super bright. I actually just took a picture of myself and am still seeing spots. But it’s so slooooow (watch video on right).

Unless the area is brightly lit, you won’t be getting very clear action shots with this phone — or even clear still shots in lower light. I also had little success using on of my favorite apps, “ShopSavvy,” which uses the camera to scan in product barcodes to compare prices online. Even in brightly lit Target, the camera couldn’t get a good scan, unlike my T-Mobile G1, the original Android phone. Maybe retailers are wising up and doing something sly with their lighting? Here are some photos taken with the Droid: Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Cell phones • Gadgets • • • • • | 14 Comments »

We’ve got Verizon’s new Droid! Watch the video

October 28th, 2009, 6:19 pm by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress

Motorola Droid from Verizon WirelessHot new phone alert: Motorola Droid from Verizon Wireless goes on sale next week on Nov. 6. But wait no further to get a closer look. Verizon and Motorola folks stopped by my office this morning to show it off. And they’ve left one for me to play with for one week.

So, to appease the 71 readers who want me to bring back gadget coverage (you, too, can sign up HERE), I’ve got photos, a video and a short review below.

I am personally excited about this phone because I have come to heavily rely on Google Android, which powers my T-Mobile G1 as well as the new Droid. Only, the Droid is the first phone to get Android 2.0, so the software is already better than existing Google phones. Still, any Android phone has the benefit of automatic syncing with your Google account — no need to tether and wait for-ever for contacts, e-mail or calendar items to sync.

Here’s the 2-minute first look at the new phone and some features, with help from videographer Rob Whitfield:

Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Brightcove video.

Ken Muche, from Verizon Wireless, and Paul Nicholson, Motorola’s global marketing director, boiled down their favorite features — I’ve included some of my own observations (Click all images to enlarge): Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • | 7 Comments »

Verizon releasing Google Android phones in ‘next few weeks’

October 6th, 2009, 8:09 am by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress

Google AndroidNoted: Google’s first cell phone, the G1 from T-Mobile, went on sale last Oct. 22. Could the company be planning a big one-year anniversary by releasing more phones?

Verizon Wireless mentions today that it has joined Google in a strategic partnership to “leverage the Verizon Wireless network and the best of the Android,” the name of Google’s phone software.

No specific details disclosed other than the ending line, “The agreement will come to fruition within the next few weeks as Verizon Wireless introduces Android-based handsets.”

(Disclosure: I have the original G1.)

The news comes out of the big wireless convention being held in San Diego today International CTIA WIRELESS I.T. & Entertainment show is just getting started so I suspect we’ll be hearing more news from the mobile phone companies.

T-Mobile recently added a second Android phone, the MyTouch. Sprint’s first Android phone, the HTC Hero, goes on sale  Thursday, October 8.

Related:

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • | 3 Comments »

More 4G momentum: Verizon tests service across country

August 14th, 2009, 3:03 pm by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress

4G mobile Internet Noted: The folks at Verizon successfully tested 4G data calls between Boston and Seattle. The Verizon Tweeters couldn’t keep quiet about it either, as noted by DSLReports.

Verizon is rolling out its faster 4G Internet service for mobile phones using Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology. Rival Sprint is also making 4G news using Wimax technology. It recently added more cities to its 2009 roll out, but excluded everyone in California. 

Side note: Verizon says it will launch 4G service next year in 30 markets, with the whole nation covered by 2013. I’ll cross my fingers that Orange County is among the first batch. 

From the web: 

More 4G coverage on Gadgetress:

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • • | Post a Comment »

Has cellular customer service improved? Survey says yes

August 13th, 2009, 11:57 am by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress

J.D. Power and AssociatesWe may be paying more for cell-phone service then everybody else in the world, but at least customer service is improving, according to a new report from J.D. Power and Associates. 

J.D. Power surveyed 12,000 consumers between January to June 12 who called their wireless provider for help in the past year. They rated overall customer service at 735 on a 1,000 point scale. That’s an improvement of 12 points from the February 2009 report. Specific improvements:

  • Hold times improved to 5.55 minutes, from 6.58 minutes in February
  • 76 percent of the calls were resolved with the first contact, compared to 66 percent previously

J.D. Power rates cell phone carriers' customer service, August 2009.J.D. Power surveyed consumers on automated response systems, store visits and Web interaction. Within each, the survey looked at satisfaction, problem resolution and wait times.

The winners? Alltel, T-Mobile and Verizon, which all tied with scores of 747.

While T-Mobile was the leader six months ago, the carrier slipped from its 755-point perch. Verizon also dropped two points, from last period’s score of 749. Alltel previously scored 744.

J.D. Powers said that each company had its own strengths: Alltel handled store visits well, T-Mobile excels in getting phone customers to a live representative, and Verizon identified customer problems quickly. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • • • • | 7 Comments »

Best prepaid phone service rankings revealed — what a turnaround!

August 3rd, 2009, 7:53 am by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress

J.D. Power and AssociatesA mobile phone without a contract? Ever? If you haven’t looked at the prepaid phone industry lately, you might want to look again. Customers are more satisfied then ever before, plus it’s cheaper. 

According to the latest report from J.D. Power and Associates, the customer-service ratings group, prepaid service has changed from when it targeted credit-challenged customers. Today, a good chunk of new users are refugees of traditional post-paid service.

Results in this year’s survey ranked overall prepaid wireless customer service satisfaction at 750 out of 1,000 points (based on service, reliability, cost and performance of prepaid service — the higher the score, the better). Last year, the industry scored 719 points. Meanwhile, the post-paid industry this year hovered in the high 600s.

mobilephonePrepaid’s overall winner, Net10, earned the highest mark of 10 prepaid carriers — 774 on a 1,000 point scale. But just a few points away at 771 in third place was Irvine’s Boost Mobile, which has been overhauling its mission in order to compete in the crowded market. This is a complete turnaround from last year when Boost was No. 7 and below the industry average. Net10 was nowhere to be found on the J.D. Power 2008 list. 

“NET10 differentiates itself from other companies by simplifying the wireless experience with straightforward pricing, virtually no roaming charges and robust nationwide network coverage,” Kirk Parsons, senior director of wireless services at J.D. Power and Associates, said in this year’s press release. “Users find they don’t have to worry about restrictive calling areas and can maintain their account without hassle.”

While these two companies have improved, others completely tumbled, including last year’s winner MetroPCS, which landed at the very bottom this year. The company, known for offering generous unlimited plans fumbled on customer service, performance and reliability issues and promotions. Rival cheap carrier Cricket Communications also fell to ninth place, from last year’s perch in third.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • • • • • • • • • • | 11 Comments »

Unlimited international calls for $5/month? MetroPCS says yes!

June 24th, 2009, 1:02 pm by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress

MetroPCSMetroPCS, the significantly cheaper mobile-phone service, unveiled a plan today offering unlimited calls to more than 1,000 cities around the world for an extra $5 a month.

The new international plan is only available to subscribers of its $40-or-higher voice plans. Users don’t need to dial an intermediary number first and can call international numbers directly. Receiving international calls is free.

However, not every international city is included, but the biggies like Vietnam and Mexico City are part of the unlimited plan. To see if an international number qualifies, MetroPCS sends customers to this page. Also, the cheap rate doesn’t apply if the user is roaming and with MetroPCS service only available in certain U.S. cities, this extra fee could add up. 

So… the big question is how does MetroPCS do it? Its mobile rivals charge up to a few dollars per minute to call some countries. While the major wireless companies do offer international plans, those all have a monthly charge and a per-minute fee, albeit discounted from the standard international rate. MetroPCS new international plan is a flat-rate service with no extra fees, unless you’re roaming outside of MetroPCS coverage areas. 

I’m waiting to hear back from the company to explain how it can offer such a low rate. UPDATE, 3:57 p.m.: MetroPCS’ responds by avoiding all specifics:   

We don’t disclose pricing or profitability on individual products. However, our company is extremely profitable even with the launching of new markets and we have some of the lowest operating cost in the industry.

Scanning through international plans from other mobile companies, I was surprised to see that it’s not that expensive to call overseas anymore. But none are as cheap as MetroPCS, which offers unlimited U.S. cellular plans for as low as $30 a month. 

For example, Verizon Wireless charges $0.65/minute for calls to Mexico. Its $3.99  monthly value plan drops the per-minute rate to $0.25. Comparably, AT&T’s rates are $0.99/minute for calls to Mexico. On the company’s special $4.99 “Mexico plan,” calls range from $0.09 to $0.25. But if you’re just calling Mexico from a MetroPCS plan, there’s already a $3 plan for unlimited calls to Mexico. 

Here’s a look at mobile international plans:

Mobile Service Monthly Per minute? To United Kingdom No plan fee per minute
AT&T World Connect $3.99 Yes 8-28 cents/minute $1.29
MetroPCS $5 No included  
Sprint $4 Yes 6-39 cents/minute $1.49-$1.82
T-Mobile $5 Yes 6-26 cents/minute $0.69
Verizon Wireless $3.99 Yes 6-26 cents/minute $1.49-$1.67
Source: AT&T, MetroPCS, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless

More on cell-phones:


Check out the Gadgetress Guide to local cell phone services

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • • • • • • | 2 Comments »

Verizon, AT&T try to explain why texting fees are 100% higher

June 17th, 2009, 12:36 pm by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress

Texting and the mobile phoneUPDATE, 2:09 p.m.: Thanks to reader Tom Swifty for pointing out my bad math. Fixed headline to reflect that fees are 100 percent higher, not 50 percent.
_____________________ 

Noted: Why does sending a text message on your cell phone cost 20 cents? Congress was wondering the same thing and asked Verizon Wireless and AT&T whether the two companies colluded on pricing, according to a Reuters report (also cited by BroadbandReports.com and FierceWireless.com).

And not only did the fee seem high, but it’s double the rate from 2006, when texting was a mere 10 cents.

Lawyers from Verizon and AT&T argued that Congress was focusing on a tiny number of texts. Most customers were in some sort of monthly texting plan, so very few were affected by the doubling of the pay-per-use fee. Approximately, a mere 1 percent of texts sent were charged 20-cents per message, Reuters reported: 

“The faulty notion that prices for text messaging have risen derives from an unduly narrow interest in the trend of a single pricing option for text messaging services, the pay-per-use option, when the vast majority of AT&T’s customers do not choose that option,” said Wayne Watts, general counsel of AT&T.

Verizon, in a press release, said that because of the bundling, the price per message has dropped to about 1 cent each. Both companies denied price fixing.

However, I could find no explanation as to why either company felt the need to double the price on the pay-per-text fee, especially if so few people use it. 

BroadbandReports, a great source of telecom news, offers its opinion on why: “Of course the reason carriers uniformly raised SMS prices from ten cents to twenty cents (in both directions) was to drive customers to these bundle deals, which still tacks $5 to $20 per month on to subscriber wireless bills for a service with virtually no delivery cost.” (Bolded is the site’s own emphasis.)

Very true. Even many prepaid mobile companies are adding unlimited texting plans (see “Are $50 unlimited plans latest trend? T-Mobile follows Boost.”) What do you pay? Is it time to switch to a bundle plan in case you have a kid like this one?

For those wondering how much a text message does cost, the four major mobile companies do indeed charge 20-cents per text. See their sites:

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • • • • • • • | 40 Comments »

Verizon improves wireless coverage in Anaheim, Mission Viejo

June 15th, 2009, 3:24 pm by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress

Verizon WirelessVerizon Wireless turned on two more cell sites in Orange County, the company said today. 

One is in Mission Viejo, offering better coverage along Alicia Parkway and Trabuco Road. 

The other new site is in an industrial neighborhood near East Street and Vermont Avenue in Anaheim.

This should offer better reception not only for passing drivers, but residents and businesses in the area.

The upgrade is part of Verizon’s $90 million investment to add 3G service to existing cell sites in Southern California, as reported earlier (see “Verizon spends $90 million improving 3G, indoor coverage.”)

The company is adding the 850 Megahertz frequency, which penetrates through walls better. The new frequency also expands and adds capacity to its 3G broadband network.

All of Verizon’s cell sites in Orange County are now 3G friendly, says spokesman Ken Muche.

Past stories on Orange County cell reception:


Posted in: Cell phones • • • • • • | 4 Comments »

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