Verizon to kill unlimited data plans for existing subscribers | Mobile - CNET News

All good things must come to an end. There is no free lunch... at least not forever, anyway. Verizon also announced 4G LTE availability in my service area today so it's time to upgrade my phone to $(not a typo!)G soon.

"Verizon issued this statement on Thursday morning (5/17/12):
As we have stated publicly, Verizon Wireless has been re-evaluating its data pricing structure for some time. Customers have told us that they want to share data, similar to how they share minutes today. We are working on plans to provide customers with that option later this year.
We will share specific details of the plans and any related policy changes well in advance of their introduction, so customers will have time to evaluate their choices and make the best decisions for their wireless service. It is our goal and commitment to continue to provide customers with the same high value service they have come to expect from Verizon Wireless."

A very powerful new 4G phone from Samsung and Google. Will watch closely and decide whether to upgrade my DROID 2 on Verizon...when 4G is available in my area.


More here on Google's Mobile Blog

Dear Android: This is your last chance | Molly Rants - CNET News

Android may be wildly popular based on the number of phone manufacturers using Google's Android software. Wood's rant is pretty serious and I can attest to a problem after my phone was upgraded from Froyo to Gingerbread in September.

My Verizon 3G signal varies from lousy to non-existent where I live so I had relied on WiFi via my wireless router for data and web use of my phone. Yet after the upgrade, I cannot connect to the Internet through it. Admittedly, it's a 7 year old router, but it does solid duty. My wife's iPhone 4 connects OK and Apple laptops also connect wirelessly OK. I think the new Android software doesn't like the unit's encryption.

My phone will connect with my Verizon MiFi (encrypted) and with other wireless networks, both encrypted and open. So the remedy should be for me to replace (I have all the firmware upgrades) my wireless router? Phooey. This is Google's or Motorola's problem to fix.

This post-upgrade WiFi problem has been reported by several folks on the Motorola Users Forum sometimes with suggested fixes that work for some but not for others. This is my one gripe with the Gingerbread upgrade. And I have spent several hours messing with it, to no avail. Otherwise, the new Gingerbread features look and feel are OK.

Nevertheless, the fragmentation issue that Wood highlights is real and I think only Google can fix it. They better get on the stick and do it PDQ. I wonder if my DROID2 will see an Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade someday? Or is it time to upgrade my phone to a Samsung 4G Prime, or whatever it's new name on Verizon or an iPhone 5, assuming it'll be 4G when it arrives.

"Fragmentation (still)
...I've written about this problem before, and it's still a problem. Sure, it's a problem Google has pledged to address, by forming the Android Update Alliance back in May. Google announced it would work with manufacturers and carriers to deliver timelier updates on a standardized schedule, and to keep updating every device for at least 18 months after its creation. That seemed like good news, and a pretty straightforward acknowledgement that fragmentation was a serious problem, and one that was driving consumers batty.
As of August, progress was spotty, and abysmal at T-Mobile and Verizon, where AndroidAndMe found that only a fraction of phones with those carriers were running the latest version of Android..."

'via Blog this'

Verizon iPhone 4G Release By Early 2011

Verizon iPhone 4G Release By Early 2011: Analyst | LA News Monitor

It really makes a lot of sense for Verizon to have a sooper dooper phone to accompany it's launch of its new LTE 4G network. Must it be dual band 3G/4G to be successful? That may well depend on how quickly VZ expands the LTE coverage across the U.S. A 4G only device may well be less expensive and the usage footprint will expand quickly.

This only complicates my smartphone buying decision. Should I buy now or wait for 4G in my area, unlikely before 2012? Maybe I'm better off buying 3G now and upgrading in 2012.

A review of T-Mobile's HSPA system - WSJ.com

A review of T-Mobile's HSPA system - WSJ.com

A nice summary by Walt Mossberg of the carriers' plans for 3G+ and 4G network rollouts and some side-by-side testing of T-Mobile's 3G+ network in the Washington DC area.

Looking forward to the broad deployment of these 4G networks, probably by 2012 in the Burlington area where I live, but suspect I'll have a 3G smartphone well before then.

Pew: Mobile Web Use Now The Norm

Pew: Mobile Web Use Now The Norm

I suppose it's nearing the time when I should join those who access the Internet via cell phone to increase the lowly % from my age cohort described in one of the charts accompanying this story. Besides, my 'old' non-smartphone has a crack in the glass face, but is perfectly functional. No, I didn't do it on purpose...it's a long story.

I have been using my laptop to connect via 3G for a few years, but have been agonizing over when and what kind of smartphone to purchase. My choice definitely needs to have WiFi hotspot capability even though the two-year contract on my Verizon MiFi runs until next April.

Could I upgrade that device to a smartphone with WiFi hotspot capability?

Should I wait for Verizon's LTE 4G to arrive in my area and buy a 4G smartphone or jump in now and upgrade in a couple of years? Or will iPhone really come to Verizon in 3Gg...or will Apple wait for 4G deployment before joining VZ?

Or is the Verizon Droid X what I need now to satisfy my technolust? I really like what I'm reading about Android.

All savvy advice welcomed!!

LTE Speeds Faster Than Expected in Verizon Trials - PCWorld Business Center

LTE Speeds Faster Than Expected in Verizon Trials - PCWorld Business Center

While WiMax 4G wireless from Sprint/Clearwire is now avaible in in limited markets, it seems Verizon wil have the first-mover advantage on a much larger scale. They intend to serve 30 or so markets this year. That means Vermont may see it in 2011 or 2012.

Pricing and tethering policies will determine whether LTE 4G service can be a substitute for wireline broadband. However, these potential upload and download speeds, which rival today's broadband connections, may make the service a viable substitute for DSL or even cable broadband.

Because the momentum is with mobile services and devices these days, I'd be concerned if I were a company offering only wireline broadband. These speeds and fair pricing signal a rapid uptake in 4G wireless services as they become widely available.

The limiting factor may well be a scarcity of available frequency spectrum. When that crunch arrives, the broadcast TV folks will be asked by the FCC to give up some of the spectrum they control, I'll bet.