Verizon to offer early upgrade for some featurephone owners moving up to smartphones?

A BGR tipster passed along information relating to a new early upgrade program from Verizon. Unfortunately, there is fine print everywhere as the program appears limited to Target and Sam's Club kiosks in four areas of the country from March 15th through May 1st. The goal is to move non data paying featurephone owners into a steady flow of revenue by switching them to an expensive new smartphone and the accompanying monthly data plan. The upgrade offer is available in Northern California, Central Texas, Upstate New York and Ohio/Pennsylvania and is open to someone who does not currently own a 3G smartphone. If the upgrade is accepted, the customer cannot get another upgrade for at least 12 months and cannot be currently eligible for a standard upgrade. The upgrade cannot be combined with any other offer and a $29.99 monthly data plan is required as is your signature on a 2 year contract. So if you currently own a Verizon featurephone and you've been wondering what the excitement is over these new-fangled Android things you keep reading about, here's your chance to get an early upgrade so you can join the rest of the smartphone totin' world.

source: BGR