Nowadays, everyone over the age of 12 owns a cell phone. The latest craze has been to incorporate internet and web browsing into the ever increasing mobile technology. However, for a typical user, such luxuries are unnecessary and pricey.
I have found myself in this very situation. In May of 2009, I purchased an LG Voyager VX10000 for $40. A summarized list of its capabilities include: Video, Picture, and Text Messaging, Mobile TV, and HTML Browsing. Although it is fully equipped to handle HTML Browsing and V CAST services, a data package is not required.
Having been two years since I received my Voyager, I am eligible for another upgrade. Of the 50 available phones, 29 of them require the “unlimited” data package. The only possible way to own and use a phone of this type is to pay the monthly fee of an outrageous $29.99! As a college student, I am severely limited on funds and have no desire to spend an extra $29.99 a month for a data package. As a result, I, like most individuals, have chosen to opt out of the data package and purchase a “feature phone” that does not require such a plan.
Originally, I did not think it would be difficult to choose a phone of this sort. However, I have found that the 21 available “Feature Phones” are of the lowest quality. Not only are the phones fragile, but are extremely limited in their capabilities. In the past, phones without a data package, such as the LG Voyager and LG VX9100 Envy 2, were reliable and offered internet access as a pay-as-you-go rate. However, it seems that Verizon has made drastic changes to their system in order to coax their customers into purchasing data plan.
If circumstances were more in my favor, I would continue to use my previously mentioned LG Voyager. Unfortunately, over years of wear and tear, my phone has sustained large amounts of damage and is more of a hassle than a convenience. As a result, it is essential that I purchase a new phone in the near future.
I had considered purchasing a new LG Voyager to replace the one I had bought years ago for $40. However, most online sites charge nearly twice the price for the same phone!
Herein lies the basis for my dilemma. I am currently on my mother's family plan and pay her $25 a month for the use of my phone. If I were to include a data plan, I would be forking out $55 a month! Relying solely on babysitting as a source of income, I cannot afford such a large bill. As a result, I am forced to choose a lower quality Feature Phone.
The Feature Phones are lower quality than the Voyager that I already own. Therefore, in order to purchase a new phone, I would be downgrading and thus, contradicting the idea of “upgrading” my phone at a discounted price. This discounted pricing comes from the ending of my two-year contract. As a result, several Feature Phones are offered to me free. Although this may seem like a great deal, the fact that I will receive a worse phone causes much frustration.
Although fully capable of blocking data usage on 3G and 4G phones, Verizon chooses not to, in order to charge full price for a data package. Verizon Wireless, though helpful and economical in the past, is now overpriced and chalked full of scamming “deals” to trick their customers into paying an extra $29.99 a month. As of right now, I have decided to continue with my extensively used Voyager until other opportunities or deals arise.
