Verizon's AllSet Plans: Pros & Cons
Verizon Wireless is revising its pre-paid offerings with the rollout of its new AllSet plan. Available today, the service give users unlimited talk and text, as well as 500MB of data for $45 per month. If you want more data, you can use Verizon's Bridge Data service to add an additional 500MB for $5, 1GB for $10 and 3GB for $20. There's just one (fairly big) catch.
Unfortunately, the AllSet plan doesn't allow for 4G LTE connectivity, meaning users will only have access to Verizon's 3G network, even if they have a 4G LTE compatible smartphone.That's a rather big let down, as AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile offer 4G LTE data through their respective pre-paid services.
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That said, Verizon's AllSet plan isn't a bad deal if you're not looking to consume huge amounts of high-speed data. In fact, the carrier's $45 per month base plan beats out T-Mobile's $50 Simple Choice plan, which also offers unlimited voice and text, as well as 500MB of data.
AT&T's GoPhone pre-paid plans charge users $50 per month for unlimited voice and text, without a data connection. Paying an additional $10 per month gets you as much as 2GB of data. Sprint offers unlimited talk and text with no data for $45 per month, but users can upgrade to unlimited data for $60 per month.
Like most pre-paid plans, Verizon eats the remainder of your data if you don't use it within 30 days of purchase. That's true even if you purchase an additional 500MB through Verizon's Bridge Data plan. Purchase 1GB or 2GB, however, and Verizon lets you keep your data for up to 90 days.
It's also worth pointing out that at $45, the AllSet plan is less expensive than Verizon's $70, 500MB Share Everything plan. In other words, if LTE data isn't your highest priority and Big Red is your carrier of choice, the AllSet plan might be worth a look.
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