@jimmyq69
Most of the cost has nothing to do with MS. They are responsible for the $50 and $100 price tags, which is reasonable to many people.
The $30 data plans are pretty much standard Verizon/AT&T/etc. You will encounter that with any smartphone or PocketPC device if you want full functionality (or your carrier simply requires it). The texting plans are similar. Neither these costs nor the monthly voice rate have anything to do with MS, thus I believe that referring to MS as insane is a bit misplaced. At the very least you would need to say the same thing about HTC, Apple, RIM, and every other manufacturer who has put out a phone that needs data plans for the full experience.
One thing that everyone one seems to have missed is that unless your carrier mandates it, the Kin and some other devices are perfectly fine without a data plan since they have wifi in them. That is, of course, assuming you have wifi available, which many do. I for instance have an HTC TouchPro2 on AT&T. I have no data plan for it, despite how much it relies on internet connectivity. I get all of the functionality, however, using the wifi connection since at home, friends' houses, on campus and virtually everywhere I go it is always available.
Pricing faults should be directed at the carriers, not the phone creators. Additionally, you can not blame them for producing phones that need texting/data services since that is what the customers want in their devices, particularly the 20-something and younger demographic.
I thought that this review was great. Having the intended audience make the calls is how it should be. Well done! I must say that I would still be very willing to test one of these devices out if given the opportunity. The main issue is that I do not care for Verizon, who has an awful track record with all of my friends and family in regards to customer service and reliability in my area.
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