Usually, there’s no getting around it: If you want to utilize all of the handy things your smartphone can do, you’re going to shell out a fair amount of cash. While talk and text are pretty inexpensive these days, mobile data subscriptions can begin to rack up the cost quickly. We’ve seen carriers begin to offer relatively inexpensive plans that still feature mobile data, and today, Verizon is joining the group. The company has launched a new single line plan that offers unlimited talk and text along with 250MB of data for $45 a month. Not bad, but if you’re the type who can never seem to put their phone down, that 250MB allowance probably isn’t going to take you very far. Should that be the case, Verizon is also offering a similar plan with 1GB of data for $60 a month. We imagine some folks will be able to find value there, and now Verizon might be able to challenge the likes of T-Mobile and AT&T when it comes to budget-priced plans. For comparison’s sake, I pay $60 a month for unlimited talk, text, and 2.5GB of data on T-Mobile with my Nexus 4, but the difference here is that I don’t get to take advantage of a wide-reaching 4G LTE network.
However, it’s worth pointing out that while T-Mobile’s $60 plan doesn’t come with any overage charges, Verizon’s most certainly does. You’ll pay an extra $15 for every 250MB you go over on Verizon’s $45 plan, while the overage rate is $15 per 500MB on the $60 one. If you’re not carefully watching how much data you’re using, those overages could make your bill a lot bulkier than you were expecting. It’s also worth pointing out that those on contracts will be paying more than the base price of the plan anyway, but that’s to be expected.
According to Verizon’s promotional materials, this is a limited time offer. How long will it hang around? We don’t know, so if you want in you might want to consider signing up sooner rather than later. You’ll also get three free months of Verizon’s World Messaging Unlimited service when you sign up for one of the plans, but after that time is up, the price to continue using it will jump up to $5 per month. Are any of you thinking about taking Verizon up on its offer? Let us know in the comments section below.