Verizon killing its data counter Android widget

19. PAPINYC (limited) 5 days ago posted on 26 Jun 2012, 08:50 4 4

In a way you are right; I am going to miss the instant sexual gratification I get when I see that little counter says "22,563,843 KB of Unlimited" and I'm only halfway through my monthly billing cycle.

Au revoir litlle widget; I guess I'll just have to keep track of my Unlimited Data the old fashioned way.

34. VZWEMPLOYEE posted on 26 Jun 2012, 11:20 3 4

Your the reason why were switching to get idiots off the network

35. Commentator posted on 26 Jun 2012, 11:53 5 0

Is that what Verizon employees are told to tell people who disagree with their policies? That they're idiots?

Whatever the reason Verizon is dropping unlimited, it doesn't explain why they're dropping support, and indeed pulling, a widget that is apparently useful to the customer. This seems like a move to bait customers into going over their limit. Ethical questions aside, I wouldn't imagine Verizon's customer service rating will be effected positively by this.

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38. QWIKSTRIKE posted on 26 Jun 2012, 12:36 2 0

He's the reason you have a job, and many like him? You must remember that if you say that to your customers you look bad, and it's a domino effect.

You offer unlimited and then tell me that I must not use my phone on data. Give me a rebate of my money then.

You are way out of line!

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41. biophone posted on 26 Jun 2012, 12:46 0 0

Well verizon does let you use unlimited data they don't limit it if you have said plan. However its only unlimited on your device if you are consuming data thats from your phone on other devices thats stealing unless you par for a hotspot. There are certain thresholds that I question how people are consuming there data. Streaming video on your laptop from your phone could be a possible explanation.

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44. QWIKSTRIKE posted on 26 Jun 2012, 13:01 0 0

Explain to me the tiered data plans being offered then why don't you!

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45. biophone posted on 26 Jun 2012, 13:11 0 0

They no longer offer unlimeted data but if you had the plan you still do. They don't have to give you unlimited data because you say so. I wish there was but too many people abused it and now its gone. Thats how things go. I'm more upset that they raised prices with the new data plan. Don't take away unlimited data and raise prices!

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59. roscuthiii posted on 27 Jun 2012, 03:31 0 1

How the frig do you abuse unlimited? As in you know, without limits?
If I have an unlimited plan and I used a terabyte of data a month I'm still well within my contractual rights to do so.
Verizon just realized they could be milking, err... making a lot more money.

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62. unknownmojo posted on 27 Jun 2012, 17:55 1 0

If you understood bandwidth you would understand data abuse. You're probably that guy that pays $10 at the all-you-can-eat buffet and stays for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But that's not abuse because you paid $10 for your ticket and the sign says "all-you-can-eat" right?

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58. RORYREVOLUTION posted on 27 Jun 2012, 00:25 0 0

I mean no offense to you personally but it's people like you and the data abusers the reasons why we have caps in the first place.

39. DigitalBoy05 posted on 26 Jun 2012, 12:38 0 0

meh im indifferent about it. ive seen a lot of problems with it not updating properly and thus becoming useless. also ice cream sandwich and newer versions have a built in data usage monitor with the ability to send you warnings and then stop data all together once youve reached your limit.

57. theman414 posted on 26 Jun 2012, 20:56 0 0

This is why after 8 years I left Verizon 3 years ago and couldn't be happier! I would NEVER go back to those blood sucking money vampires.

36. Commentator posted on 26 Jun 2012, 11:58 0 1

I don't know what Sprint told you, but all you need to do is text "Usage" to 1311 to keep track of your monthly data, texts, and minutes.

42. QWIKSTRIKE posted on 26 Jun 2012, 12:48 0 0

Re read what I said believe it or not it's true. They the customer service supervisor told me that they don't want customers having a conclusively easy way to find out usage because that's how they make money.

When you go out side of you plan package usage you get hit with ridiculous fees, and that is what they are hoping for she told me!

I asked if there was a way to set an alert for going over monthly plan usage and that is what I was told. I told her it would be easier for me to set an alert that reminds me when I am close to going over my alottment, and she said that would cause Sprint to lose money. She said they don't want to make apps or ways to alert customers they are going out of their plans because that's how Sprint makes profit

Wake up Mr. not every one checks their usage before making or taking calls ok!

43. Commentator posted on 26 Jun 2012, 12:59 0 0

When you said "keep an eye on" I assumed sending a text would be enough. I guess not. Now that you explain yourself, I understand better.

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48. supaman21 posted on 26 Jun 2012, 14:32 0 0

use onavo,,,, in the playstore, keeps track for u

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21. QWIKSTRIKE posted on 26 Jun 2012, 09:09 2 1

The only conspiracy is greed.....there by changing plans to tiered data to capitalize on higher usage cost there by making profits to satisfy their investors/stockholders. This was said during their conference call so this is no conspiracy theory.

They were having a challenging time getting their stock over 40.00, so the consumer is at odds for their lofty endeavors! You are clueless or a Verizon puppet pick one! Now come back with facts, and go listen to their stock holders conference. You may be able to find it in Yahoo Finance!

Wait til Voip comes...... the plan is to get you to use data plans while using VOIP, and really raking you over the coals for over plan usage. That's why they offer a good family plan now. When VOIP come families will go over plans easily there by creating lots of profit! Tiered data will get costly as VOIP gets popular. Trust me you will see this very soon.

61. jabberwocky posted on 27 Jun 2012, 16:35 0 0

Hi there mental midget or insufferable jerk (pick one or both), I did not address the reasoning behind the new plans at all, but thanks for going off topic in replying to my comment and hurling personal insults my way in the process.

I agree with you that the new plans charge more for less, that certainly has nothing to do with the availability of a kb-counting widget.

Of course they're after more profit. It's not a non-profit company. There's nothing conspiratorial about that, just business as usual.

27. nicholassss posted on 26 Jun 2012, 10:17 1 2

seems like if I'm paying for the data i should be able to keep track of who's using it. Its be kind of weird if it was illegal for me to keep track of my own account. I'm with the conspiracy guys on this one.

60. jabberwocky posted on 27 Jun 2012, 16:26 0 0

Yeah, well, laws can be weird like that. I'm just saying there may be other reasons the widget didn't make sense.

After reading more it appears you can still track it on the account, so it's not THAT much harder to get to. Also, they do alerts free, so it's not like they're trying to trick you.

Anyway, thanks for replying to the issue I brought up, which is the widget tracking, not the reasoning behind the new plans.

17. poddey posted on 26 Jun 2012, 08:38 1 1

But how many phones on AT&T have been or will be upgraded to ICS?

24. mas11 posted on 26 Jun 2012, 09:30 2 0

Does that even matter? When he goes over to AT&T he will get a new phone with Jelly Bean.

37. Commentator posted on 26 Jun 2012, 12:01 0 0

At least ICS has a built in usage-tracker, so hopefully this won't be too big of an issue going forward.

16. shadowcell posted on 26 Jun 2012, 08:31 2 1

Agreed. I use ZDBox as your "everything widgets" before VZW had a data counter.

32. QWIKSTRIKE posted on 26 Jun 2012, 11:06 0 3

The idea is that they are so greedy that they undermine the consumer by doing questionable unfair business practices to steal your money if you are not careful. This is being done to raise stock performance and has nothing to do with infrastructure cost. How many times have you gone over your plan usage paying 2-3x's in fees you could have used for home, or personal use.

They make it real convenient to lose track of usage to monetize tiered data plans. When VOIP comes in 2013-2014 family plans will really lose. Voip will be used to kill calling plans in lieu of data plans that will use VOIP as a way of contacting friends family and business..

When VOIP becomes main stream data usage picks up there by causing tiered data to be profitable. The trap is being laid now for family shared plans will break you with 3 or more people sharing x gigs when VOIP will be the only form of communications!

WAKE up to what I am saying about VOIP, and tiered data.

22. Synack posted on 26 Jun 2012, 09:23 1 1

It's a big deal because Verizon is obviously trying to get free money from people by taking away the tool that let's you know when you go over. Bad business practices IMO.

Of course there are 3rd party apps but how many people do you think will actually buy them? I'm guessing at the most 10% of people.

28. nofear posted on 26 Jun 2012, 10:28 0 1

Widget is and it should be working! Not Verizon is trying controlled you from what you wanted to do with your device. You should have freedom to want it or not want it. Data were did get used which is you've been paid for, Greedy-ass Verizon will not give it back to you any way. I want to use the way I wanted to use.

31. VinoDroid posted on 26 Jun 2012, 10:52 0 0

Corporate can make things sound rosy when the word comes down. They should still allow the widget to remain and help calculate how much data the entire family is using to help avoid overages. If customers don't want it, they can remove it themselves.
I think it's too much too fast: first the payment fee fiasco, then the upgrade fees, now they're planning on making more money on shared data plans....
Goodbye Verizon, hello Cricket. lol