yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] polarimetric:
I honestly wouldn't be surprised. I have always found Verizon's policies when it comes to third-party retailers alarmingly vague, which is why I've never had the courage to upgrade anywhere other than a Verizon store. (That's probably exactly what they intend, but it works.)

I haven't commented on it up until now because I haven't felt as though it's my place (I don't mind losing unlimited, so I don't feel right commenting on the plights of those who do mind), but I've looked at every plan that people have come up with in this thread with a certain amount of skepticism. I feel that Verizon left the buying-phones-unsubsidized-to-keep-unlimited option there to avoid people stirring up trouble about contracts and agreements--leaving some way to keep unlimited appeases the power users temporarily, but they made it just far enough out of reach for most consumers that most people will just migrate over to data share. By delaying new phone releases, though, Verizon has made it clear that they really, really want everyone off unlimited... If you find a way to keep unlimited (buying a phone off-contract is definitely safe, since Verizon themselves have said that), there's no harm in doing it, but I'd recommend being very careful and not expecting it to be a permanent solution. They will get you off unlimited eventually.
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] HankPete:
This thread has been very helpful...especially to a noobie. I don't root, buy and sell or whatever, so I don't know a whole heckuva lot about this stuff..

I did an upgrade by pre-ordering the SGS3 last week via Verizon tele-sales in hopes of keeping my unlimited data. I figured that the DINC 4G might be out by the time my 14 day return/exchange period is up after my S3 gets here in July. So maybe I could exchange for the DINC 4G if I wasn't happy with the size of the S3.

Anyway, someone over in the SGS3 speculation thread posted a link to the new Verizon policies once the share everything plans come out. It said there that 14 day exchanges after the 28th would lose unlimited data and the exchange would effectively begin a new contract term. I guess like it has been said here earlier they are protecting themselves against the likes of us who pre-ordered with the idea of exchanging for the DINC 4G.

So, it looks like the only option will be to sell the SGS3 and then buy the DINC 4G at full price to keep my unlimited. Since I have never sold a phone before, my question is....if I sell my phone on ebay or wherever, is it a seemless process to walk into Verizon and buy a new phone at full price and make it the active phone on my account?

Thanks again for all the great insight on this forum.
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] polarimetric:
It should be, unless Verizon changes their policies. The way things are now, you can activate a new phone on any line at any time. If it isn't a subsidized upgrade, Verizon doesn't care where it came from or when--you should be able to just walk into the Verizon store, purchase the phone at full price, and have them activate that phone on your line. They will just do what's known as an ESN change, which is just swapping one phone out for another on your service contract. (If you buy the Inc 4G or any other phone at a third-party retailer, you can have an ESN change done by just calling customer service from a different phone or going into a store.)

However, for anyone that's going to try this method (preordering the GS3 and then selling it for the money to buy an Inc 4G and keep unlimited), I would recommend, if possible, buying the Inc 4G off-contract and doing the ESN change before selling the GS3. Deactivating the GS3 before buying another phone may well cause Verizon to roll forward your contract and kick you off unlimited. That's just a theory on my part, though.

(Of course, if you sell your phone on eBay, you could just receive payment from the buyer, use the funds to buy an Inc 4G before shipping out the phone, and then ship out the phone after the ESN change is done.)
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] HankPete:
Thanks for clearing that up. The order of operations was exactly what I was unclear about. Thanks!
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] Stam2000:
I wouldnt trust Best Buy employees too much. The mobile supervisor of the one near me told me that the Verizon GS3 was delayed cause it has a quad core LTE chip with a 12mp camera...
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] dbrits:
I've never purchased a phone at a third-party retailer either. It's always seemed easier to deal directly with the source rather than a middleman. However, in this particular instance, I think the vagueness you refer to can work to our advantage. Like you, I'm skeptical that any of the schemes we're cooking up to keep our unlimited will work. Obviously, we have no traction with Verizon, so these third-party retailers are our only hope. Some of us will get lucky, some of us will get screwed. (Personally, I think we're all getting screwed, but that's a post for another time. ;) )

I've been forced into a corner and must buy my phones used or at full retail price if I want to keep my unlimited data. Keeping my unlimited data is a priority for me because I use between 5-6 gigs of data a month and the new plans are friendly to high data users like myself. (No, not tethering; just using Spotify/YouTube/Netflix on a very regular basis.) While I have no problem paying retail or buying used, I prefer to save my pennies and pay for my phones in full rather than charge them. Since the two weeks notice we were given isn't enough time for me to save enough pennies, my hand is being forced. Plus, I want to move from 3G to 4G before the 28th just to be safe.

---------- Post added at 01:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:01 PM ----------

Ha! That gives me some hope and made me laugh. Thanks.
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] dezignstuff:
I have been an avid fan of the dinc 4g since it was thought to be released on april 26. But now I have simply lost patience and given up hope and have bought a Rezound from ebay . your upgrade subsidy is worth about 400 dollars over the course of 2 years . if you never use it and keep buying phones out right you are just throwing that money away .

I'm actually a little annoyed that someone who uses 6 gigs of data pays the same amount for data that I do. I use a lot of data but I use wifi to do it . The tiered plans are really aimed at these data pigs. The rest of us who use less data and have more people in a household well actually benefit using these plans .

I'm probably going to use my upgrade this fall to make the jump to windows phone 8. I've been eligible for an upgrade since April.

verizon does seem to like to screw its customers but who is going to be any better? Tmo is less evil, but their network doesn't compare. So I don't know which carrier I'll wind up with.
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] Makaveli1490:
I'm going to wait it out. If Sprint LTE network seem to be on the right track next month, I have to get the Evo. What VZW is pulling now I'm almost tempted to get it now
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] NightxFall:
I wouldn't call 6 gigs "data pigs". Id say anything under 20gigs is reasonable, especially with cloud storage, LTE, and wireless tethering becoming more popular. There's people who use 100gigs a month and even 200 gigs a month! I think one guy even claimed he used 450 gigs in one month! Those are the "data pigs". I have unlimited data, and I don't do any tethering, cloud storage, and I don't have LTE; but my usage this month is about 2 gigs. I only browse the net and watch a few videos on youtube a day. Now when I get a phone that's more capable and has LTE, my usage will SKYROCKET to at least 5 gigs a month and maybe up to 15 gigs a month. I refuse to go to the tiered data plans and pay the same amount of money that I'm paying for unlimited data for only 2 gigs of data.
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] dbrits:
It really depends upon your usage. Not all of us have the benefit of being able to use wifi for data for a majority of the time. I use between 5 and 6 gigs of data and even though I'm rooted and I can tether, I don't because it's not part of my current Verizon plan. Most of my Spotify usage is at the gym or in my car during my commute. (I live in SoCal so I spend a lot of time in my car.)

I don't have a problem with the Shared Anything plans themselves, but I have a problem with Verizon forcing me onto the plan if I want to upgrade my phone. There's no doubt in my mind that some individuals will definitely benefit from the new plans, but I'm not one of them. IMHO, it's the true "data pigs" - those using more than 20 or 30 gigs a month - who have screwed everyone else. I definitely thing those individuals should be penalized for abusing the network. Besides, Verizon knows that data is the future, and they plan to fleece their customers for all their worth. I'm planning on doing what I can do to not get fleeced.
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] qbnlykwhoa:
Well I have a confirmation from Verizon staff at the Verizon store that July 5th will be the official release date for the incredible 4g. They said that today it showed up on their computers in store. So not too far away.

I also called Verizon and had it confirmed by several people that as long as you do not use your upgrade after the 28th you retain your unlimited data. Even switching from a 3G to 4g phone.

Not sure if any of that was already posted but just figured I'd share what I found out today...:
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] polarimetric:
Verizon might have been encouraged to switch to this more limiting business model by the data hogs, but I really think they would have done it anyway. The real issue here is that the moneymakers the telcos once cherished--voice and texts--are not what they used to be. People aren't willing to pay quite as much for those things anymore. Plans with thousands of minutes are really only marketable to professional consumers who need to use their cell phones to do their job--the average customer probably uses no more than 50-100 minutes in the average month. Unlimited texting has saturated the market because the telcos used it to encourage customers to buy more expensive plans (this was the predominant Verizon tactic for the past couple of years), so texting doesn't really make them money anymore. The future moneymaker is data, and with their recent heavy advertising of wireless hotspots, it's clear that Verizon dreams of a world where ISPs become obsolete and you get all of your connections from the same company. It's the ultimate bundle.

The problem is that too many light cell phone users have entered the smartphone market. Before recent times, you could pretty much assume that anyone with a smartphone was probably going to use a fair amount of data, because they wouldn't bother to get a smartphone unless they planned to really use it. Nowadays, the iPhone (and Android, to a lesser extent, since Android's typically seen as the less friendly, power user OS of choice) has flooded the smartphone market with people who still primarily use their phones to call and make texts. Verizon can now get away with selling 2 GB of data for what they used to charge for unlimited and completely screw over the power users because the power users make up a considerably smaller piece of their market than they used to. It's easier to screw people over when you know you won't miss them if they leave.
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] mclass55:
Dont believe what the Verizon store staff say.

I was in there a few months ago, getting a 4g modem and the 2 guys working there asked me if I had 4g service at my house. I said yes it shows up on the Verizon coverage map as dark red. The 2 guys say it would be blue on the map for 4g, lol . Verizon does not use the color BLUE for anything! Thats AT&T color,lol

I just said yea right and got my modem and left.

Anybody see any thing blue on this map
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] Pons:
I just asked my store, and they said no clue when, and not accepting pre orders right now. And then tried to shove the SGSIII down my throat.
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] dbrits:
Thanks for that info. Did they say if that's when he phone would be available for pre-order or it would be available in store?

Also, I just left another Best Buy and the employees I spoke with said they would be able to do a hardware swap. They said I should be able to keep my unlimited data, but they can't guarantee it. They haven't been told they can't do it, but that doesn't mean they won't be told to not do it in the next few weeks.

The Best Buy employee also pointed out that they may get the phone a few weeks after Verizon releases it. They must have the phone in hand to honor a hardware swap, so if thy get it after the thirty day window, we're screwed.
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] qbnlykwhoa:
The guy was pretty cool and seemed to know his stuff. He said that he was looking up a part for the rezound and saw a new entry today for the incredible 4g with a date of 7/5 showing.

I was in the store getting an iPhone 4s 64gb which I am typing on as we speak. I planned to sell it later on to fund the incredible 4G for full price and keep my unlimited data. I paid the upgrade price and these are going for a nice penny on eBay.

They didn't have any 64gb in stock at that Verizon store so they called and sent me to another where they once again confirmed the release date of 7/5.

Maybe they are idiots and maybe it's all BS, but figured I would share the info I got.
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] sully5981:
I see a blue ocean

* that's gay, I've been a member since 2008 and can't post links. Its ok though, I still love XDA.
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] qbnlykwhoa:
lol
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] chimpsnest:
Too early for me to do math in my head - lol, how is the upgrade subsidy worth that much?

I don't remember what full retail for the TBolt was back 1.5 years ago - I want to say that I paid $199 for the phone but I cannot recall what full retail was.
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] ohredwood:
I guess this is the process that I'm just not processing, lol...

If somebody wants say an iphone 4s 64gb phone, then...

1. Why wouldn't they just go into Verizon store and pay 199.00 at the counter and get a brand spankin new phone?

2. If they are under contract already and not eligable for upgrade price of 199.00 then why wouldn't they just go into Verizon store and pay 550.00 or whatever it is and get a brand spankin new phone off contract from Verizon.

3. Why would they instead choose to buy your iphone 4s, which will be used at this point, not new, off ebay, for 550.00 when they could buy it at Verizon store for same price.

Unless the point of all this is you putting it on ebay, taking a good 100-150 bucks off the new price of iphone 4s, and then buying your phone off contract from Verizon at full retail.

So in the end it would seem you spent 199.00 for upgrade price on Iphone, turn around and sell it for 450 on ebay, then turn around and buy new off contract phone from Verizon for 550. To me it seems like you would be out a few hundred bucks and hoping that used phone will sell on ebay or cl.

This is how I am visualizing it and it just seems like a whole lot of hope and luck and losing money for this to happen, is it different than this plan?
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] chimpsnest:
As I am comprehending it, he only paid $199 for the iPhone - didn't say what he would sell it for on Ebay - and would use the $$ toward the new Inc 4G .... to me it means anything over $199 is profit for him and that dough will be used toward full retail for the Inc 4G

:-)
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] dbrits:
So, July 5th?

http://www.droid-life.com/2012/06/25/droid-incredible-4g-lte-launching-july-5/

I still plan on upgrading to the Rezound on the 26th at Best Buy. My fingers are crossed that Best Buy will have the phone in stock before July 26 so I can try my luck at a hardware swap.
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] chimpsnest:
Anybody have any idea on full retail price? $500-600?
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] boomn:
A new 64GB iphone off-contract is $850 not $550 so people definitely have a reason to look at used phones (enough that some people flip iphones as a side job). Current ebay prices seem to be $500-$550 for used phones and $600-$650 for new phones
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] mclass55:
Just for the record, you cant get a iphone 64gb for $199. The price is $399 with a 2 year contract
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] ohredwood:
I guess I kind of get that. What you're technically saying with this plan is, instead of paying say 600 for the Inc 4G off contract, you buy the gs3 on our last upgrade before the 28th, then mid july sell the gs3 for 400 or whatever, and then use that money to buy the full price off contract of a Inc 4g. So when it's said and done you r out about half the cost of the Inc 4g instead of full price.

So what happens when you walk in to verizon and say I want that Inc 4g and I want it full price, to keep my unlimited data. Well what happened to your Gsiii you bought a few weeks ago? Well I sold that, so now I want the Inc 4g. They are gonna know you sold it because I have no intentions of activating mine if I do as you guys are saying, I'd keep it new in box, and someone else will buy it and take it in to activate it.

Sorry for the thousand questions, but really I just want the damn Inc 4g, not the boat anchor size gsiii and trying to figure out how to not be stuck with a boat anchor because I didn't say or do something right, and then lose my unlimited data to boot.
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] qbnlykwhoa:
The 64Gb sells in the store for 400.00 with a 2 year contract and are 850 at retail price. I can sell it on ebay and get 500 bucks easy.. Thats already 100 bucks more than I paid.

I made this purchase not knowing when the Incredible 4G would be released or if it would ever even get released. I had an upgrade and wanted to get something that would hold it's value well, even after a few months of usage. I really wanted the

Inc 4G because every other phone that is coming out seems to resemble a tablet more than a phone with the gigantic screens.

I can even wait till the Inc 4G's go on sale on ebay after a month or so and probably score one for $400 or so like new.

The iPhone is a nice phone to use in the meantime. The OS is smooth as butter and I can carry my entire itunes library with me everywhere I go. I wish it was 4G and had a 4 inch screen but for now I will just deal with it.
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] mclass55:
The iphone is on the 3g network as everyone knows. But what is not known for sure if after June 28 making a change in service from 3g to 4g would or would not cause the family share plan to implement on the new 4g service. You do have to go to a store or call Verizon to get the new sim card, so nobody knows for sure yet what will happen.
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] polarimetric:
I would strongly recommend against this. Activate the GS3 and then do a hardware swap. Otherwise, they will very likely start your contract from the next activated device. I don't think it's considered a full product upgrade until you activate the device.
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] itsmefu:
I was excited for this phone when it was announced, now I have lost all interest though. Maybe it will come back when the phone is released. I ordered the GS3 and hope I like the 4.8" screen, seems a little big though. Plus I just prefer HTC phones over Samsung.
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] eng3:
same here, I also ordered a GS3. I like sense and I'd prefer a phone the size of the inc4g, but not at the expense of my unlimited. If I really can't stand the GS3, I suppose I can sell it and maybe have enough to buy an inc4g
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] demarcmj:
Agree.

I just broke down and preordered the SGSIII.

I will very much miss Sense but I just couldn't bring myself to get a Rezound. It's big and bulky, gets mediocre (at best) battery life, and is full of last year's technology. Aside from the screen and the brand, there's nothing at all impressive about it.

I'm still not sure whether I'll actually keep the SGSIII, but at least I know that, technologically, it is one of the most advanced phones money can buy at the moment (I'd say it's second only to the Evo 4G LTE, which sadly is not an option). And although I'm highly sceptical, there is a little hope that perhaps these guys might get Sense 4 working on it at some point.

The size isn't a major issue for me. The 4" screen on the Incredible did appeal to me, but a big screen has benefits as well... especially since I do subscribe to several video podcasts.

There's also something to be said for accessories. I don't use cases, but I am interested in things like docks, car mounts, cable adapters, etc. and there will certainly be a lot to choose from where the SGSIII is concerned. Samsung unveiled some of their own way back when the phone was introduced, and I expect third party accessories will be readily available as well (due to the popularity and ubiquity of this phone). One specific accessory that I'm interested in is a ProClip holder, which is already available. For comparison, it would likely take 1-2 months after the Incredible 4G get's released before one becomes available.

Not to mention, this phone should have one of the best developer communities due to it's popularity and the fact that it's on pretty much every carrier. I may not root my phone until my 1 year warranty is up, but this is still something important to note.

Well, guys, it's been fun. I'll still be following the Inc 4G saga and maybe I'll end up with one eventually, but for now, I'm a Samsung user [single tear runs down face].
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] dbrits:
Wow...am I the only one who is still going to try a hardware swap?
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] kg_jettaIV:
I just picked up a GNex today from the Best Buy my wife works at and will be exchanging it for the DInc 4G when it comes out.
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] polarimetric:
At least you're not in my even rarer demographic--people who are upgrading directly to the Inc 4G and taking the data share plan willingly. It's even lonelier over here. haha
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] NightxFall:
I'm sure that Sense4All port will get completed.. I'm not worried.
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] Div033:
I will if for some reason I do not like the GS3. That reason could be it being too big, or screen issues like ink lines or pink tint I've been reading about.

However I'd go the safe route and put it up on ebay and use the funds from that toward an unsubsidized Inc 4G. I'll first try to swap it in store but if there's any doubt that I would be able to retain my unlimited data then its straight to ebay.

Sent from my Droid Incredible using the XDA app.
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] blazingwolf:
Nope. It's why I bought from Best Buy. I plan to be in on the 5th (assuming they have them in store) to see if they will give me one. Here's to hoping. :)
[Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE] dbrits:
Agreed. Now I don't feel like I'll be (the only one) running a fool's errand by trying to circumvent Verizon's greed. And it's going to be a long ten days until the phone is released. I feel like I'm going to get very annoyed with the bloatware very fast, and man, am I going to miss ICS.

Ha! "Polarimetric, party of one."

---------- Post added at 09:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:54 PM ----------

It gets worse...